People often think cleansers don’t matter. They stay on the skin for a few seconds. Then they wash off. That’s the logic.
I’ve met many who use bar soap or whatever is closest. But here’s the truth—cleansers shape your skin more than you think. If your cleanser is wrong, everything else falls apart.
Cleansers include all products that clean your face. Soaps, micellar waters, face washes, cleansing balms, cleansing milks and cleansing creams, are all cleansers. And yes, all of these generally tend to be suitable to use for washing your face everyday.
This blog will tell you everything you need to know about them. We’ll look at how they work, what harm they can cause, and how to pick the right one. This is the foundation of skincare, and it deserves your attention.
And if you prefer watching over reading, we’ve also made a YouTube video on this topic.
What Are Cleansers?
A cleanser is anything that removes impurities from the skin. That includes dirt, excess oil, makeup, sunscreen, and even sweat. They come in many forms. There are gel-based face washes, solid bar soaps, micellar waters, oil-based cleansing balms, and even cleansing milks. Some are foamy. Others feel creamy or oily. Despite the differences, their job is the same—to clean.
All of these can usually be used every day. But not all of them are created equal. Some strip your skin raw. Others treat it gently. The key is knowing what’s inside.
How Do Cleansers Work?
Most of the dirt on our skin isn’t just dust—it’s stuck in oil. Sebum, sunscreen, makeup—all of it forms an oily layer. And oil doesn’t mix with water. That’s why simply splashing your face won’t clean it. You need something that can break through that greasy layer.
This is where surfactants come in. Surfactants are special molecules used in cleansers. Each surfactant has two ends—one end that is drawn to water (the hydrophilic head), and one that is drawn to oil and grease (the lipophilic tail).
When you apply a cleanser and mix it with water, these surfactants arrange themselves into tiny round structures called micelles. The oil-loving tails face inward and trap the dirt and oil inside. The water-loving heads face outward, allowing the whole micelle to stay suspended in water.
When you rinse your face, the micelles go with the water—and they take the trapped oil, dirt, and debris with them. That’s how a cleanser removes buildup from your skin without needing to scrub or use harsh ingredients.
It’s a smart, efficient process. But it must be handled with care. The wrong surfactants, or using them too often, can strip away the skin’s natural oils and damage the barrier. And that leads to more problems than it solves.
How Cleansing Damages the Skin
Washing your face is important. But if you do it the wrong way, it can hurt your skin.
Your Skin Barrier: Like a Brick Wall
The top layer of your skin is called the stratum corneum. It works like a wall. The skin cells are like bricks. And the fats (like ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids) are the glue that holds it all together. This wall keeps water inside your skin and stops bad stuff from getting in.
What Happens with Harsh Cleansers
Some cleansers are too strong. They don’t just clean off dirt. They also wash away the good things your skin needs—like healthy fats and proteins. When that happens, the wall breaks down. Water leaves your skin. Your face feels dry, itchy, or flaky. Then your skin makes more oil to try and fix the dryness. That extra oil can clog your pores and cause pimples.
Some Cleansers Leave Stuff Behind
Not all of the cleanser washes off. Some of it stays on your skin. It sticks to your skin’s proteins and changes them.
This can make your skin feel tight, dry, or irritated. That squeaky feeling after washing? That’s not a good sign. It means your skin is upset.
pH Balance Gets Messed Up
Your skin likes to be a little acidic. Its pH should be between 4.2 and 5.6. This helps your skin heal and keeps good bacteria happy.
But most soaps are too alkaline. They change the pH of your skin. That makes it harder for your skin to fix itself. It also helps bad bacteria grow—like the ones that cause acne. So instead of getting better, your skin gets more irritated and breaks out.
How to Choose a Good Cleanser
Cleansers don’t have to hurt your skin. But many do. To find the right one, you need to focus on three key things: surfactants, pH, and moisturizing ingredients.
1. Surfactants: The Cleaning Agents
Surfactants are what make a cleanser work. Some are rough. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is one of the worst. It strips skin bare. Soaps like sodium laurate and sodium cocoate are also harsh.
Gentler options include sodium laureth sulfate, cocamidopropyl betaine, lauryl glucoside, and decyl glucoside. These clean without tearing down the barrier. Cleansers with a mix of surfactants are better. They form larger micelles that stay on the surface and do less harm.
2. pH: The Skin’s Balance Point
Your cleanser’s pH should match your skin’s natural acidity. That means a pH between 4.2 and 5.6. Most soaps don’t meet this standard. They’re too alkaline. So is baking soda. Lemon juice goes the other way—too acidic. Both disrupt your skin.
Oil-based cleansers are different. They don’t have a pH. They won’t interfere with your skin’s acid balance.
3. Moisturizing Ingredients: What Helps
A good cleanser doesn’t just clean—it protects. Look for ingredients like sunflower oil or grapeseed oil (but skip them if you have fungal acne). Humectants like glycerin and sorbitol are also helpful. They draw water into the skin and keep it from drying out during cleansing.
Other Tips To Ensure That Your Cleansing Experience Is As Gentle As Possible
- Use cooler water. Hot water increases the ability of surfactants to go deeper into the skin resulting in more damage. But also make sure that the water isn’t too cold as extremes of temperature in either direction are not good for the skin.
- Use less cleanser and don’t cleanse for too long. 30 to 60 seconds of contact time tends to be enough for a cleanser to get its job done. If you’ve been wearing heavy makeup or sunscreen that’s hard to remove, try double cleansing using an oil-based cleanser, such as our Butter But Better Cleansing Balm, in the first step to minimise the damage from harsh surfactants.
- Don’t overdo it. I see a lot of people, especially those with acne-prone or oily skin, washing their face multiple times a day. This will only irritate your skin and make the problem worse. Wash your face 1 to 2 times per day, not more. If you choose to wash it once, wash it only at night.
- While products like micellar water and wipes might claim that you don’t need to rinse them off afterwards, they do contain surfactants which will irritate your skin if left on for too long. Make sure you always rinse your face afterwards if you use them.
- Do not skip moisturiser, regardless of your skin type. This is essential so you can replenish what your skin has lost during the cleansing process. There is a moisturiser out there for you. Find it, and use it. Your skin will thank you for it. Our AccuHydra Hydrating Gel Cream Moisturiser is an excellent option for all skin types including sensitive skin and skin prone to acne or fungal acne.
In Conclusion
Cleansers are not just something you rinse off. They’re the starting point of skincare. They set the stage for everything that comes after.
Stephen Alain Ko put it well: “Cleansers are one of the few times in skincare when we actually remove things from our skin. A good cleanser removes what doesn’t belong and leaves behind what does.” If you get your cleanser wrong, your skin pays the price. You waste money on fancy serums and creams that can’t do their job. But if you get it right, your skin barrier stays strong, your moisture stays in, and your skin stays calm.
The right cleanser, paired with a good moisturizer and sunscreen, builds the foundation of a solid skincare routine. It protects you from dryness, breakouts, and irritation. It’s simple. It’s powerful. And it matters more than most people realize.