How to choose a face cleanser for your skin type

The right face wash does more for your skin than any serum, and the wrong one undoes everything else in your routine. Here is how to choose a cleanser for your skin type, using the ones we stock in Nairobi and deliver across Kenya.

First, the one rule

The best face wash is the one that suits your skin type. After washing, your face should feel clean and comfortable, not tight or squeaky. Tightness means the cleanser is stripping your skin barrier. Stripped skin gets drier, more sensitive, and, if you are oily, often oilier and more spotty. If your current face wash leaves you tight, change it before you change anything else.

Dry or sensitive skin

Look for a cream, milk or very gentle gel cleanser without fragrance.

• CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser: the classic for dry skin. Non-foaming, with ceramides and hyaluronic acid.
• Bioderma Sensibio Gel Moussant: a soft gel for reactive skin that goes red easily.
• Simple Kind to Skin Moisturising Facial Wash: a budget-friendly, fragrance-free option.
• SKIN1004 Centella Ampoule Foam: a low-pH foam with centella for skin that is sensitive but not dry.

Oily or combination skin

A gel or light foam that removes oil without leaving you tight.

• CeraVe Foaming Cleanser: removes oil while keeping ceramides in the formula.
• COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser: gentle enough for twice a day, a favourite for combination skin.
• Simple Daily Skin Detox Purifying Gel and Simple Refreshing Facial Wash: affordable daily gels.
• Medicube Zero Foam Cleanser: for oily skin with visible pores.

Acne-prone skin, blackheads and bumps

A salicylic acid (BHA) cleanser helps clear pores. Use it once or twice a day, and do not add a scrub on top.

• COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser: gentle and effective, our most bought for breakouts.
• CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser: salicylic acid with ceramides, good for rough, bumpy texture.
• Clean & Clear Blackhead Clearing Cleanser: an affordable option for blackheads.

For the rest of the routine, see acne, pimples and breakouts.

Do you need a cleansing oil?

If you wear sunscreen or makeup every day, yes, at night. A cleansing oil dissolves sunscreen, makeup and excess oil, then your normal cleanser washes the skin itself. This is called double cleansing, and it does not make oily skin oilier.

• Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil: for oily and congested skin.
• SKIN1004 Centella Light Cleansing Oil: light and gentle, for sensitive skin.

Questions we get asked

How often should I wash my face?

Twice a day is enough for most people: morning and night. Washing more often usually dries the skin out.

Can I use bar soap on my face?

Most bar soaps are too alkaline for the face and leave it tight. A gentle facial cleanser is kinder and not much more expensive.

Is CeraVe worth the price in Kenya?

For dry and sensitive skin, often yes. We wrote an honest look at it: is CeraVe worth it in Kenya?

Should I use a face scrub?

Not every day. Once or twice a week at most, and never on active, inflamed breakouts.

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Not sure which skin type you have? Take our 3-question quiz and we will pick a routine for you, or browse all face cleansers. Everything is original stock, delivered across Kenya.