Pros and Cons of Various Skin Cleansers

Information to help you choose between the myriad of gel washes and creamy cleansers. This page highlights the pros and cons of each type of cleanser.

Posted 04/07/2005

Type of Cleanser	Plus	Minus
Household Soap	Efficient cleanser	Leaves alkaline residue if used in hard water. Can be excessively drying to all but very oily skin types.
Fatted Soap	Contains more fatty substance such as moisturizing cream, lanolin, and cocoa butter; less drying	Less efficient cleansing due to the fatty residue left on the skin which probably also contains dirt.
Glycerine Soap	Contains more fat or glycerine known for attracting more water to the skin.	Less lather and the bar does not last as long as regular soap. More expensive.
Liquid or Gel Cleansers	Contains detergents made from petroleum products designed for gentle cleaning. The detergent does not react to hard water salts, so soap scum residue isn't a problem	Petroleum products are less environment friendly. Some may prefer more natural products.
Non-soap Bar Cleanser	A solid version of the above and is designed for oilier skin. It may contain more detergents.	More expensive and more drying to sensitive skin.
Cleansing Milk or Lotion	Made of oil and water emulsions. The oil picks up the make-up so that it can be wiped or rinsed away. Formulations for dry skins limit the oil which is removed from the skin.	May not remove enough sebum to keep the oily skin clean and prevent spots.
Cleansing Oils	Normally vegetable oils with some emulsifiers so they rinse well with water. Good for dry skins. Rapidly melts make-up.	May not remove enough oil, or may contribute too much oil to greasy skin.

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