March 09, 2022

Oil Cleanser vs Foam Cleanser: Which is Best For You?

Even the most simple of skincare routines begin with washing the face. Whether that involves a quick splash of water or a deep multi-step cleanse, the feeling of washing away impurities is the universal way to begin your day or unwind for the night. With so many different types of cleanser on the market, you could be forgiving for the kind that simply looks, smells or is said to be the best. But are you actually using the right type of cleanser for your skin?

Here at SKIN1004 we know that cleanser is not one-kind-fits-all. While our Light Cleansing Oil and Centella Ampoule Foam are both are rich in repairing and nourishing Centella Asiatica extract, that doesn't guarantee that the end results of both will feel the same. Read on to discover what cleanser is best for you and how to implement them into your skin routine for the best results.

Oil Cleanser

Best for: Dry, sensitive skin. Heavy make-up wearers.

Best avoided: Oily, acne prone skin.

How to use: Using dry hands, apply a few pumps of the Light Oil Cleanser onto dry skin. After the oil is fully coating the face, dampen hands and massage the skin further to emulsify the cleanser and turn the cleanser milky. Rinse with a soft hand towel and lukewarm water.

The texture of oil cleanser is silky and luxurious; it is understandable that everyone would want to try the lovely feeling of massaging oil cleanser onto unwashed skin. Oil cleanser is a great option for make-up wearers of any skin type as it has the ability to break down oil-based make-up into smaller, easily washed away particles.

However, applying oil cleanser to bare oily skin is not the best combination. For people whose skin already creates additional oils, adding more oil is more likely to exacerbate the problem than help in the long term. This is particularly a problem for acne-prone skin. For oily skincare lovers who would still like to benefit from oil make-up remover, a product like the Centella Ampoule Remover which can be applied using a cotton pad to focus on only the eye and lip areas might be a great alternative.

As we tend to wash off cleansers with oil-repellant water, it is common for oils to be left behind on the skin. This is great for those with sensitive, dry skin as this oil makes up for what the skin can't produce and results in softer, hydrated-feeling skin. I am personally a victim of dry, flaky skin and oil cleanser is my go to salvation! Even a great moisturizer can't completely eliminate my flakiness the way a daily oil cleanse can.

Foam Cleanser

Best for: Oily, acne prone skin.

Best avoided: Dry, sensitive skin.

How to use: Apply a sufficient amount of the Ampoule Foam Cleanser onto wet hands and rub to create a foamy consistency. Massage into the skin. Rinse with lukewarm water.

Foam cleanser is a lightly exfoliating experience, meaning it can dig deep into the pores to remove grime and dirt that is unavoidably built up throughout the day. This more intensive cleanse also means that extra sebum produced is easily washed away, which is why oilier skin types find this type of cleanser more effective. Centella Asiatica is a powerful repairing ingredient, so focus on those acne prone areas to help heal the damaged skin barrier.

Foam and other cream based cleansers can be a little too intensive for dry skin types, particularly if your skin is sensitive. While the Ampoule Foam Cleanser avoids such harsh effects on your skin by ensuring the pH level of the cleanser is no higher than the recommended skin balance, people whose skin falls on the drier side will find oil cleansers much more satisfactory for their daily cleanse.

But is there a happy medium? Where do normal and combination skin types land on the oil to foam cleanser scale? Well, there is always the option of...both!

Oil and Foam Cleanser Combo

Best for: Oily, combination and normal skin. Make-up users.

Best avoided: Overly dehydrated and sensitive skin. (For dryer skin types who want a second round of cleansing to ensure impurities are gone, try following up oil cleanser with a gentle micellar water!)

How to use: Start with the oil cleanser, massage it into dry skin as the very first step in your skincare routine. Focus on areas with make-up or product build up. After rinsing, leave skin damp and follow up with the foam cleanser. Rinse again with lukewarm water.

As made famous by the Korean 10-Step Skincare Routine, double cleansing has become a popular solution to not having to compromise between the make-up removing nourishment of oil cleanser and deep pore cleanse provided by foam cleanser. Cleansing twice ensures that after layers of make-up and product build up are washed away, your skin still receives its own TLC moment to remove impurities that occur naturally.

People with combination and normal skin will find this is the perfect way to keep their skin balanced. Following up oil cleanser with a foam cleanse ensures oily skin types will not experience extra oil build up. While this may be too intensive as a daily cleaning routine for dry skin, double cleansing with a foam cleanser once or twice a week as a special 'deep cleanse' followed by an intensive moisturizing routine could be an effective compromise.