Cleanliness is Next to Godliness

Here are nine new cleansers and one rockstar oldie to get you to that higher plane

The Cleansing Wardrobe of Dreams: Orveda, Julisis, Augustinus Bader, Raie, Bioderma, Moussse, Dermalogica, Mirror Water and ReVive... plus a celebration of Eve Lom's 40 year old Cleansing Balm,

At school, a convent boarding school of the un-fancy variety, vanity was a sin, but being clean was not. Being clean meant washing in vests by a sink, towel wrapped round your vest, hair off your face. If you were lucky, Zoya (my best friend) would lend me some of her Noxzema which was the height of sophistication as it came from America, a faraway land made by Disney and populated by cowboys, Michael Jackson and Madonna in that order. Clinique’s cleansing bar with its creamy yellow buttery soft gentle lather was but a distant dream. For now, we had Pears soap on a good day.

Lately an influx of cleansers on my desk has made me realise just how far cleansing has come. There are cleansers that prep the skin for being moisturiser-ready. Waxy, balmy cleansers to use with a cloth that exfoliate at the same time. Gels that turn into milky, creamy foam.

We also have a lot of rules. You have to double cleanse or you will die. You have to cleanse morning and night or you will also die. I don’t understand - did someone throw common sense, independent thought, free-will out with the cleansing water?

I don’t wear much makeup, and find that if I cleanse more than once, my skin starts to dry out. I don’t cleanse in the morning because if I’ve cleansed well enough at night, a splash of water is more than fine. (I know this runs counter to much of the current wisdom, but I’ve checked it out with several really good facialists who back me up on this).

In the end, it all comes back to what’s right for you. Make your own rules, create your own ritual.

What I do find amidst all the cleansing cacophany, is that very often I crave different types of cleansers at different times in the week. While it’s inconvenient in terms of space to have several cleansers on the go, it is useful to have, say, a richer balm or a micellar type for days when makeup and sunscreen seem to have melded with your skin. I always love a separate eye makeup remover. Once, sometimes twice a week I like something more exfoliating - either a grainy type of cleanser used with a cloth or sponge, or an enzymatic cleanser to gently slough away dead skin cells. And for those days when actually, I didn’t wear any makeup, a quick wash with something milder, like a bar, does the trick. I prefer things that smell slightly, either in a neutral Nivea-type of way, or in a natural essential oil type of way (not all of them are bad for our skin, many are in fact good for it). Create your own cleanser wardrobe.

I can’t promise any of these cleansers will bring you closer to whatever spiritual nirvana you aspire to, but you might find something that a) works and b) makes your heart sing, and frankly, that’s more than enough.

Augustinus Bader The Foaming Cleanser

First up, what I’ve noticed about all these new “foaming” cleansers is we’re not talking bubble bath here. The “foam” in question is a barely noticeable lather, which is sensible, considering most foams would leave the skin feeling stripped like a newly shorn sheep (I’m writing this in the countryside looking at a field with two rams in it, both of whom really could do with a good shearing, hence the simile). Looking at the ingredients, there’s a lot of glycerin in this, which makes it gentle and hydrating on the skin. It doesn’t smell of anything, and I know their philosophy is to stay unscented because so many people complain about perfume/essential oils in their skincare, but for me personally, that takes some of the pleasure out of an enjoyable ritual at the end of the day. It does the job though, and it does it well.

Mirror Water Shea Butter Solid Face and Body Cleansing Brick

A cleanser, in the shape of a bar of soap, for body and face. Would you trust it? Yes, in the case of this bar from Estee Lalonde, because a) she has tried everything out there, and knows her stuff and b) it is chockablock full of shea, which keeps it soft and gentle on the skin. I would say more for days when you’re not wearing much makeup, and want a pleasing ritual sort of a cleanse. Apologies for shooting this with the bar code quite so prominent, but this is why I am a writer not a still-life photographer.

Moussse Purifying Cleanser

NB: this isn’t out yet! that’s how crazy-new it is! Coming Wednesday 28th, but click on that link and you can sign up.

I love everything about this cleanser - the simple aluminium tube is easy on the eye, the indigo blue of the packaging, the fact that they give you a little squeeze key to wind the last drop out of the tube. It starts off life as a gel and turns into a swishy sort of milk, and because the duo behind it - Daniel and Helene - have built Moussse all around the need to protect and preserve your skin from city pollutants, it’s designed to lift all the dirt and grime from your day, as well as the remains of your sunscreen and makeup effectively, but also in a way that’s kind to your skin’s microbiome. You’ll most likely need a separate eye makeup remover for durable mascaras.

Julisis Crystal Quartz Cleanser

I don’t know why this brand isn’t better known, maybe because it is on the pricy side, but it’s a cult favourite among those who like their naturals to be both high performing and a pleasure to use and I’m addicted to the Gold Day Cream which my skin just drinks like it’s iced coke with lime on a hot day. I love this cleanser because it leaves my skin sparkling and it smells so good - must be the bitter orange flower water. A good amount of glycerin gives this cleanser that bouncy, fresh, moisturised feeling. The directions tell you to splash seven times with warm to hot water, so just to be contrary I shall make it my life’s mission to splash six times, or even eight, and see if chickens start to fall from the sky or some other sort of magic happens. It’s good to have goals.