Gentle, creamy, non-sudsing cleansers are rising in popularity!

Could this be because too many people overdid it with retinol and chemical exfoliants in the past year? Or maybe now with the influx of skincare information, more people are now realizing that a gentle, balancing cleanser that doesn’t disrupt the skin’s barrier health is what their skin needs. Whatever the reasoning is, I am excited that these hydrating and nourishing cleansing products are getting more eyes on them 👀

scrub me secret: having a well-formulated cleanser with ingredients that support your specific skin (dry, sensitive, oily, etc) is a key factor in how our skin looks and feels. Using a cleanser with poor ingredients or a cleanser that isn’t right for your skin can result in dull, broken-out, dry, and/or red skin. Don’t settle for a random drugstore cleanser!

Gentle Facial Cleansing: Why Non-Sudsing Cleansers Are the Future of Skincare

Are creamy cleansers, oil cleansers, and “soap-free” facial cleansers new and revolutionary skincare products? Of course not! These types of gentle cleansers have been on the market for decades. But, with new formulation technology and new ingredient information, there are a lot of superior skincare items out there compared to 10 years ago. And with more skincare knowledge being able to spread far and wide (thank you internet) there is an influx of people that better understand skincare and which items are best for their skin, leading more people to search for non-barrier damaging cleansers.

What Makes Non-Sudsing Cleansers Different from Traditional Cleansers?

Facial cleansers contain certain ingredients called surfactants. Non-sudsing cleansers contain milder surfactants that break down debris on your skin and help cleanse without sudsing up or foaming. You can apply a non-sudsing cleanser to your skin when it is dry or damp; you’ll work it into your skin just like a traditional facial cleanser. Apply water as you need for more slip and glide, your non-sudsing cleanser will most likely turn into a milky consistency.

Traditional facial cleansers that get foamy and lather up when you mix them with water and apply to your skin are made with sulfate-based surfactants. Sulfate-based surfactants are effective for removing dirt and excess oils but can be sensitizing or overly drying for some skin types. These types of cleansers should always be followed up with a toner and moisturizer to rebalance your skin’s barrier.

Key Ingredients to Look For in Non-Sudsing Cleansers

Common surfactants you will see in non-sudsing cleansers are Sucrose Laurate, Sucrose Stearate, Cetearyl Olivate & Sorbitan Olivate, and Decyl Glucoside. Those are just a few of the most common non-lathering surfactants, there are a lot more out there.

I also like to look for ingredients that support hydration and skin health. I love marshmallow root, squalene, rosehip, jojoba oil, and meadowfoam seed oil just to name a few. I could go on and on!

scrub me secret: I do my best to try to avoid skincare items with artificial fragrances or perfumes. While I like essential oils when they are used correctly in a product I don’t like perfumes because they have no benefit for our skin or body. Artificial fragrances and perfume are known to cause skin sensitivity and they disrupt the inner workings of our body.

Non-Sudsing Cleansers vs. Oil Cleansing

Oil cleansing refers to using an oil or facial balm made with fats or oils like shea butter or grapeseed oil, for example, to remove debris and/or makeup from your skin. Oil cleansing is great for pre-cleansing before you use your non-sudsing or sudsing facial cleanser of choice. A true oil or balm cleanser will not contain surfactants and will not foam or turn milky.

Oil cleansing works by using fatty molecules to break down surface debris like makeup, sweat, dirt, SPF, and debris from air pollution. You work your oil into the skin and massage in tiny little circles for 30-60 seconds before removing it with a cotton pad or clean cloth. Then, you’ll follow up with your facial cleanser of choice. (Or if you are feeling super tired or lazy like I do a few times a month you’ll oil cleanse, apply toner, and call it an evening 🤭)

scrub me secret: What I just described in the paragraph above when you use an oil or balm to cleanse before another facial cleanser is called “double cleansing”. This blog post Linked here will tell you everything you need to know about double cleansing.

6 Esthetician Recommended Non-Sudsing and Creamy Cleansers

scrub me secret: I like to have a few different cleansers in ROTATION in my skincare routine, just to have options. CURRENTLY I have the Ology Essentials CBD cleanser, the Balancing facial soap, as well as the Wilding Starnectar cleanse.