Skincare Decoded. Victoria Fu
may be all you need.
An oily skin type? Oily skin types have a frequent tendency to overwash
because they feel too shiny by midafternoon. Try to refrain from doing
this. Washing your skin completely dry doesn’t help your oily-skin
scenario or your skin-barrier health. Find a cleanser that cleanses well
but doesn’t leave you stripped of all oil. It takes some getting used to, but
your skin will thank you.
To sum up, find your anchor cleanser first. This is a cleanser that covers most
of your cleansing needs without stripping. In general, cleansers are pretty
personal, so expect some trial and error. But the up-front work will be worth it,
because once you find your cleanser, you’ll have a fuss-free, reliable staple that’s
about as second nature as brushing your teeth.
SKINCARE DECODED • 42 CLEANSERS • 43
Cheat Sheet
Cleansers Summarized
Chemist Guidelines:
• Washing your face and removing accumulated grime daily is a
fundamental step in your skincare routine, that actually serves
as a long term anti-aging move.
• A good cleanser is a cleanser that strikes a balance between gentleness and
cleansing power.
• Pay for gentle, effective cleansing. Donʼt pay for fancy anti-aging claims.
Recommended Starting Point by Skin Type:
Oily Look for gel cleansers without that squeaky-clean finish.
Dry Have you met cleansing oil?
Sensitive A safe starting point is a fragrance-free, nonfoaming
cream cleanser.
Chemist Hacks and Pro Tips:
• Does your skin need a buff? Instead of scrub beads, look at cleansing powders,
brushes, and konjac sponges for a more gentle but exfoliating experience.
• Try to keep cleansing to max twice a day. Thatʼs right: Weʼre talking to you, oily skin
types. Washing too often can throw off your skinʼs moisture needs, and those are
important, too.
SKINCARE DECODED • 44
Phew—we’re only just beginning our skincare journey, and you already
see that there’s no one standard answer for every skin type. It’s all about
your current skin situation and what works for you. That said, we get
asked about our personal routines all the time. Here are some things
we’ve learned over the years.
PERSONAL TAKE
Before I started working in skincare and really learning the
science behind it, I loooved that squeaky-clean feel of soap-
based cleansers. That probably didn’t do any favors for my
dry skin. When I started transitioning to gentle cleansers, I was
skeptical at best, and constantly felt like my skin wasn’t really
clean. In the long run, though, I really do feel a difference in
hydration level. This is especially noticeable in colder months.
When I was a teenager dealing with crazy breakouts, I
would wash my face up to four times a day—It scares me
thinking about how awful of a routine I had back then. But
now, I’ve gone in the opposite direction and keep it pretty
simple. Honestly, sometimes downright lazy—I could be
better about eye-makeup remover. In the morning, a
splash of water to wake myself up, and a gel cleanser at
night. Now I really try to stay away from the cleansers that
leave a squeaky-clean finish.
Gloria
Victoria
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Q: How often should I wash my face?
A: At least once a day is solid. We can understand that for some folks, it
works to just wake up and splash water on their face, but don’t skip
the evening.
Q: Is there such a thing as washing your face too much?
A: Yes, there is. Your skin will give you signs that this is happening: dryness,
tightness, and a general dehydrated feeling. Have at most two wash
periods a day. (But count double cleansing as a single wash event.)
Q: Do I need a special, heavy-duty cleanser if I use sunscreen
makeup or long-wear makeup?
A: You actually don’t have to use a heavy-duty cleanser with sunscreen and
daily makeup. It’s the stubborn, long-wear makeup that may need some
help from a makeup remover.
Q: I forgot my cleanser. Is there another alternative I can use?
A: If youʼve got nothing else on hand, choose a body wash over the hotel
bar soap in a pinch. Ultimately though, shampoos and body washes are
not formulated with as much emphasis on gentleness. And we donʼt
recommend them as long-term solutions.
Q: What do you think of people using pure kitchen plant oils
like coconut oil or olive oil to wash their face?
A: We get this for the very driest of skin types, which want something that
can remove heavy-duty makeup without stripping the skin. But remember
Mr. Micelle? Pure oils lack the surfactants that interact with water for a
clean rinse; you may end up with more residue than you bargained for.
There are oil cleansers that can do more and still won’t be drying!
CLEANSER FAQs
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A
s the famous saying goes, “Keep skin moist, my
friends”—actually, no one says that, but we really
can’t stress enough how important moisturizing is for
skin health. We get it: A super-basic moisturizer just isn’t
very sexy. But a solid moisturizing strategy is step one for
fortifying your skin barrier so that it can effectively keep
the good stuff (water) in and the bad stuff (a whole host of
allergens and