Use Low-Foaming Cleansing Gels to Wash Your Skin

Skin Care Tip: I cannot stress enough the importance of not only washing your skin morning and night, but also to use a cleanser that will not dry the skin and cause damage.

Many foaming and gel cleansers made today are formulated with an ingredient called Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate or Ammonium Laureth Sulfate. This ingredient is a surfactant; a cleansing agent that cuts oil from the skin. These ingredients are simply too harsh and will strip the water out of the skin after every washing leaving the skin feeling tight and creating more oil and shine. And what you wash with is the MOST important part of your skin care routine. Why? Because if you wash with a foaming cleanser or soap that is too drying, it pulls all the water out of the skin and creates dead, dry skin cell buildup. Then you have to quickly run and put your moisturizer on to put back in what you just took out! It makes no sense! Choose either cleansing lotions or gel cleansers that avoid the harsh ingredient, Sodium or Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate. These are better choices as they will effectively deep clean the pores but will not rob the skin of much needed water.

Remember the rule: More lather, more drying. Less lather, less drying. All Renée Rouleau cleansers are sulfate-free…

P.S. Bar soaps are a no-no. Why? Even if it claims to have moisturizer added, even if it’s some fancy kind that’s imported from France that French women use to care for their skin and even if it’s really expensive…they are still not every recommended for use on the face. Read here as to why you should never use bar soap.

Read: Five ways to reduce oil production in skin

Read: Five Reasons to Wash Your Face Before Bedtime

Which cleansing gel is right for you? Check out our nine skin types and get products recommended.

For expert skin advice, check out Skin Source–the A-Z guide on all things skin. Also sign up here for our skin tip e-newsletter, follow Renée Rouleau on Twitter and like our Facebook page. You’ll be your own skin care expert in no time!

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Information courtesy of www.ReneeRouleau.com, a website with skin care tips, products based on nine skin types and advice from skin care expert and celebrity esthetician, Renée Rouleau.