A good cleanser is the first step to every good skincare routine. No matter if you’re using make-up or not, a cleanser is indispensable for your skin. Despite being the first and important step in your routine, it can be notably difficult to find the one.

An ideal cleanser is strong enough to remove makeup, sweat, dirt, and bacterias. But you don’t want it to be too strong, so it leaves your skin feeling tight and dry. Preferably it would be as clean as possible, containing only non-toxic and -irritating ingredients. No matter your skin type, let it be dry, oily, sensitive, rosacea or acne suffering; you want it to be non-comedogenic, free of endocrine disruptors, parabens, and allergens.
Overall; it has to be considerate towards your skin.

It might sound impossible to find a natural cleanser that’ll work for you. But the important thing is to notice what’s inside the bottle.

Below we have made a break down of which ingredients you should be on the look out for depending on your skin type – and which you should go for.

How to find the premier cleanser

It doesn’t matter which skin type or concerns you have; everybody can benefit from clean and gentle products. Especially when it comes to cleansers; finding one that is gentle whilst thoroughly removing dirt and bacteria without irritating or leaving your skin feeling dry or tight.

At Boë we always advise and suggest to find a cleanser that’s filled with sensitive, effective and calming ingredients, so your skin won’t feel parched, but on the contrary soft and hydrated. Many foaming cleansers contain sodium lauryl sulfate. But avoid those, as sodium lauryl sulfate can create irritation in your skin. You can still use foaming cleansers, like Boë’s No.20, that doesn’t contain sodium lauryl sulfate.
– And you should also avoid other (common) irritants and allergens like added fragrances, formaldehyde, and propylene glycol.

You should go for…

Ingredients like Cocamidopropyl Betaine (CAPB), that is a gentle cleansing ingredient naturally derived from coconuts or manufactured synthetically. It’s considered low-risk in sensitizing skin. When CAPB is used in cleansers, the lathering and foaming effect is increased. CAPB is a gentle fatty acid and surfactant. This means when it interacts with water, the molecules get slippery and won’t stick together. As surfactants easily bond with dirt, oil, and other impurities, it works into lather and thus cleanses and removes it from your skin. CAPB also has a hydrating effect on your skin, due to the coconut.

Another ingredient you can look after is Glyceryl Glucoside (Glycoin). Glycoin is a 100% natural, multifunctional, anti-aging, and cell-boosting active ingredient, that reactivates the power of youth in tired, stressed, and mature skin. Glycoin is also an extremolyte, which is a stress protection molecule.

Lastly we’ll advise to go for Glycerin, that is a natural component in healthy skin. Glycerin is a hygroscopic ingredient, meaning it attracts the moisture from the air surrounding us, and helps us to contain it in our skin. Besides being an eminent humectant, glycerin protects against environmental sources of skin irritation, and strengthens the precious skin barriers. Glycerin helps to maintain a healthy and good moisture balance in your skin, and leaves your skin feeling soft, smooth and elastic. Lastly, it aids in improving the skin’s youthful look.

How to find a cleanser for: oily skin

Overproduction of sebum (oily substance that helps protect your skin), is what causes oily skin. This overproduction of sebum can unfortunately also clog your pores and cause breakouts. You might think you should go for harsh drying alcohols, because it’ll even out the oil with dryness – you shouldn’t! Drying alcohols will simply just cause your skin to create even more oil, because it feels like it’s being stripped from it. Mineral oils is also to be avoided, since it’ll clog your pores and trigger acne. Lastly, you should also avoid SLS, that’ll strip water from your skin, making it run up the oil production yet again.

Go for a gentle cleanser that’ll hydrate and leave your skin feeling rejuvenated and cleansed.
– a tip is to look for serums containing niacinamide. Niacinamide can help regulate the sebum and strengthen your skin’s protective barrier, while minimizing your pores.

How to find a cleanser for: dry skin

Dry skin is the opposite of oily skin. Your problems probably consists of flaky, dry, and sometimes dull skin. And so you might think you need the opposite ingredients and solutions than one having oily skin. But that is not necessarily the case! The mentioned ingredients – CAPB, glycoin and glycerin – are all over super ingredients, that are useable for all skin types and concerns, and will help bring your skin back in balance and restore it.

We’ll advise you to go after gentle products and ingredients, that will hydrate your skin, so it won’t cause further irritation or dryness. Especially glycerin will bring you benefits, since it’s a humectant and attracts the moisture from the surroundings, and helps to contain it in your skin. It also strengthens your skin’s barriers, that’ll help protect your skin, while also maintaining a healthy and good moisture balance.

You should take a big step around cleansers with drying ingredients, like drying alcohols and added fragrances.
– A tip to revive your skin is Hyaluronic Acid + Vitamin C-serum, like Boë’s No.16 or No.17. They’ll give you a hydrated, plumped skin, while decreasing hyper-pigmentation (dark spots), and provide your skin with a glowy look and feel. The combination of HA & Vit C gives extended moisture, boosts your collagen, while also having anti-aging benefits.

How to find a cleanser for: acne-prone skin

First and foremost: get rid of any products containing drying alcohols, fragrances, or silicone. They can all cause unwanted breakouts. Once you’ve done that; look for clean, simple, gentle ingredients, that hydrates your skin and products that are non-comedogenic(!!). If it’s non-comedogenic, it won’t clog your pores, that creates acne.

Glycerin is especially an ingredient to go after, since it both protects your skin against environmental sources of skin irritation, and strengthens the skin barriers, while helping other ingredients to penetrate the skin better. This is also why glycerin is a wonder ingredient in a cleanser, as it prepares the skin to accept the other active ingredients in your following serums/moisturizers, and keeps a healthy and good moisture balance in the skin.

– A tip to try to keep your acne breakouts down is to apply No. 19, 23 or 24 after cleansing your face. No.19 is our Acne-serum that goes in and gently works with your skin to prevent breakouts. No.23 & 24 are the niacinamide serums, that can reduce dark spots, hyper-pigmentation, and scars, besides of minimizing your pores and thus oil/sebum production. This can decrease clogged pores (and thus breakouts).

How to find a cleanser for: rosacea

Since rosacea is, just like acne, a type of skin inflammation, it’s important to be gentle towards your skin. You have to go after anti-inflammatory and non-sensitizing and -irritating ingredients. This can be Cocamidopropyl Betaine, glycerin and glycoin. You would also want to look for products that are non-comedogenic, and calming and soothing for your skin.
Simple, gentle, and clean ingredients!

Though; the most important thing for rosacea-sufferers, is to wear mineral sunscreen – like No. 13 & 14 – so you’ll try to prevent flare-ups and unnecessary irritation and exposure.

Other ingredients you want to eliminate are products containing irritating ingredients and oils, i.e., drying alcohols, (essential) oils, added fragrances, and propylene glycol.

At Boë we have sensitive skin as our default

Try, feel it

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