Don't use soap!

I haven't washed my face with soap for over 50 years. I started working for a cosmetic company as a makeup/skincare consultant in my mid 20's and at that time found out that soap was the worst thing to clean your face with. As a rule, traditional bar soap is simply too harsh, too abrasive for your skin, leaving it dry, irritated and ultimately wrinkled! So get rid of your soap or save it for the shower. Instead, pick up a good facial cleanser!

I am in the classification of "mature" skin, given my age:) But I've used cleansers for younger skin and older skin. cleansers that are on the economical side and those that are a bit pricier. My personal feeling is save your money for the other beauty products, the eye creams, serums, moisturizers and masks. Reason? The purpose of a cleanser is to clean your face. Thats it. And there are a lot of great cleaners out there that do the job and don't break the bank! I'm going to share with you those that I have used and tried. And they are all excellent

First on my list is CeraVe. CeraVe Foaming facial cleanser for normal to oily skin that does the job. Whether its makeup you need to remove or just the daily environmental "schmutz" (i.e. dirt and grime) this will do the trick. My dermatologist turned me on to this and I am thrilled that she did. It's recommended for oily to normal skin and I have to say I am normal to dry, and I love it. It contains hyaluronic acid (more on that in another post but it's good for everyone's skin), 3 essential ceramides (more on that later) that help maintain the protective skin barrier, and niacinamide which helps calm the skin. It's a gel product that transforms into a foam and whisks away the daily grim leaving your skin clean and refreshed. I love it and it's my new go to cleanser at least once a day. Another alternative is

CeraVe Hydrating Cream to Foam Facial Cleanser and it's also great. This one is especially geared for normal to dry skin. It contains amino acids, hyaluronic acid, ceramides and a technology called MVE which is a controlled release for all day hydration. Instead of a gel it's a rich hydrating cream that that transforms to a foam. Just wet your skin with lukewarm water (never use hot water) massage in and rinse. I switch off and on between the two. I suggest you give it a try. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Next up is Neutrogena, specifically Neutrogena Hydrating Cleansing Gel. Again, a suggestion from my dermatologist. This is also a dream of a cleanser. It contains glycerin which replaces hydration, hyaluronic acid and a "polymeric technology" that converts the gel to a foam that gently washes away your makeup and the days deposit of grime. It claims to be perfect for dry, sensitive and acne prone skin. Like I said, I am dry to normal and love it. Wet face, apply to hands and add a little water. Lather in and rinse. Easy, no nonsense and great results. It left my skin clean and glowing! So what's not to like!

Now I'm taking it up a notch with Lancer skin care. If you haven't heard of this line, it was developed by dermatologist Howard Lancer, who has a three-step regime of cleansing your skin. His three-step program is called "The Method" and consists of polishing the skin, cleaning the skin and moisturizing the skin. I use this too and love it. The first step is "polish" which is a very gentle exfoliator. I use this once a day, usually in the morning because I'm makeup free. Squeeze a small amount from the tube (a little goes a long way), all a little water to it and gently massage into damp skin. Do not scrub. Then rinse off. Step two is called "The Cleanse." This literally feels like you are washing your face with silk. In fact, this cleanser does contain amino acids and silk proteins! You can use this twice a day, just massage into your dry skin after using step one and then rinse off. Last step is followed by his moisturizer which is called Nourish. Its excellent and I use that as well, but I'll save a full review on that later:) FYI, the Method comes in two flavors. One for Normal Combination skin and one for Sensitive Dehydrated. I've tried both and lean towards the later since my skin is towards the normal to dry. He does have an introduction kit which is a great way to see if you like it but if I was a betting gal, I would put my chips on this one!

There's one more cleanser that i want to mention and this is part of a Dr. Jart+ which is a Korean line. It's called Dermaclear by Dr..Jart+. This is a mild cleanser that foams up and removes everything! Your skin literally feels clean and fresh. I'm big fan of Korean skin care products and Dr. Jart does not disappoint. Its suitable for all skin types and it's a great bang for the buck. You will not be disappointed!

So here are a couple of suggestions that you can investigate. There are hundreds of products out there. These are the ones I have tried and use. They do what they say and deliver the results I am looking for. Try one and let me know what you think. And let me know what you have found out in "facial cleanser land". There are always new products that come to light every day and I'll keep you up to date on the best! Don't forget to sign up for my mailing list located on my home page for the latest of everything from lizsbeautyandthecook.com. And most importantly, get rid of the soap. It's causing you more harm than good!

Liz❤️

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