The tight, dry feeling after washing your face comes down to the ingredients in your cleanser. Some strip natural oils, others lack the hydration your skin needs. Knowing what’s in your cleanser is essential to maintaining healthy, balanced skin. Here’s what to look for and how these ingredients affect your skin.
- Harsh Surfactants Strip Your Skin's Natural Oils
Ingredients like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), and ammonium lauryl sulfate are common in many facial cleansers. These harsh surfactants are powerful cleaning agents, but they don't just remove dirt and oil—they also strip away your skin's natural moisture. This leads to that uncomfortable tightness and dryness you might feel after washing your face.
Action Step: Check the ingredient list on your current cleanser. If you see SLS, SLES, or ammonium lauryl sulfate, it might be time to make a change. Look for cleansers that use gentle, plant-based surfactants like decyl glucoside or sodium cocoyl glutamate, which cleanse without over-drying.
- Missing Humectants Mean Missing Hydration
Humectants are ingredients that attract and retain moisture in your skin. Without them, your cleanser can leave your face feeling parched. Ingredients like glycerin (derived from olive oil) and botanical hyaluronic acid (from cassia angustifolia seed polysaccharide) help maintain hydration during cleansing.
Action Step: Opt for cleansers that list glycerin or botanical hyaluronic acid among the top ingredients. These humectants will keep your skin hydrated and comfortable.
- Antioxidants Protect Your Skin from Daily Stressors
Your skin faces environmental challenges every day—pollution, UV rays, and other factors that generate free radicals, which can accelerate aging. Antioxidants like green tea extract, vitamin E (tocopherol acetate), and ginseng extract neutralize these free radicals.
Action Step: Choose a cleanser enriched with antioxidants to give your skin an extra layer of defense against environmental damage.
- Natural Astringents Help Control Oil Without Over-Drying
If you have oily skin or enlarged pores, natural astringents can be beneficial. Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is a plant-based ingredient that helps tighten pores and reduce excess oil without the harshness of synthetic chemicals.
Action Step: Look for cleansers containing witch hazel to manage oil levels and improve skin texture.
- pH Balance Is Essential for Healthy Skin
Your skin's natural pH is slightly acidic, around 5.5. Maintaining this balance is crucial for barrier function and overall skin health. Ingredients like citric acid help adjust the pH of skincare products to match your skin's natural level.
Action Step: Select cleansers that include citric acid or mention pH balance on the label to support your skin's natural defenses.
Incorporating GOA's Purifying Face Cleanser into Your Routine
GOA's Purifying Face Cleanser is formulated with safe, effective ingredients:
- Gentle Cleansing: Uses decyl glucoside and sodium cocoyl glutamate (both coconut-derived) to cleanse without stripping natural oils.
- Hydration Boost: Contains aloe vera, olive oil-derived glycerin, and botanical hyaluronic acid to keep your skin hydrated.
- Antioxidant Protection: Enriched with green tea extract, vitamin E, and ginseng extract to protect against environmental stressors.
- Oil Control: Includes witch hazel to help manage excess oil and tighten pores.
- pH Balanced: Utilizes citric acid to maintain your skin's optimal pH level.
Consistency Leads to Results: Timing Your Cleanser
Cleansing once or twice daily depends on your skin's needs. Use it morning to refresh and prep your skin or evening to remove dirt, oil, and pollutants. For oily or active lifestyles, twice daily works well. Dry or sensitive skin? Stick to nighttime cleansing or mornings with water only.
Action Step: Pay attention to how your skin feels. Adjust cleansing to AM, PM, or both to match your routine and maintain long-term skin health.
Final Thoughts
By avoiding harsh surfactants that cause tightness and dryness—like SLS, SLES, and ammonium lauryl sulfate—and opting for products with beneficial ingredients, you take control of your skincare.
Action Step: Review your current cleanser's ingredients today (if it’s not GOA). If you notice harsh chemicals causing tightness or dryness, consider making a switch to a product that supports your skin's health; and we can help with that.