Cleanser

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A cleanser is a facial care product that is used to remove make-up, dead skin cells, oil, dirt and other types of pollutants from the skin of the face. This helps to unclog pores and prevent skin conditions such as acne.

Many people use a cleanser once or more times a day as part of their skin care regime together with a toner and moisturiser.

Using a cleanser to remove dirt is considered to be a better alternative to bar soap or another form of skin cleanser not specifically formulated for the face for the following reasons:

Bar soap has a high pH (in the area of 9 to 10), and skin's natural pH is 5.5. This means that soap can change the balance present in the skin to favor the overgrowth of some types of bacteria, exacerbating acne.
Bar cleansers in general, soap or not, have thickeners that allow them to assume a bar shape can clog pores, leading (once again) to acne.
Using bar soap on the face can remove natural oils from the skin that form a barrier against water loss. This causes the sebaceous glands to subsequently overproduce oil, which may again lead to clogged pores. Conversely, in order to prevent drying out the skin, many cleansers incorporate moisturisers.

Many users would recommend a cleanser that is gentle, non-irritating, thoroughly cleanses skin and allows the eyelids to be washed without hurting. Additionally cleansers that splash away without the use of a washcloth may be preferred as cloths can harbour bacteria.

[edit] Types of cleansers

Different types of cleansers have been developed for people with different skin types. Strong cleansers are more suitable for oily skins to prevent breakouts, but they may overdry and irritate dry skin. Very dry skin may require a creamy lotion-type cleanser, as long as it doesn't make skin feel oily afterward. These are too gentle to be effective on oily (or even normal) skin, but dry skin requires much less cleansing power.

Some cleansers may incorporate fragrance or essential oils. However, for some people these cleansers may irritate the skin and often provoking allergic responses.

[edit] Instructions for using a cleanser

The face is first washed with tepid water, as hot and cold water do not open and close your pores, contrary to popular belief. Instead, they irritate the skin, potentially drying it or causing capillaries to become visible.
Cleanser is rubbed on the face, ideally all the way to the hairline. This includes the throat and eyelids, especially for people who wear eye makeup (this may be the only step necessary to clean it off). It is important to only use upward strokes when applying cleanser to avoid dragging the skin.
The face is again washed with tepid water, using hands to rinse away the cleanser.
The face is patted (not rubbed) dry.