Facial Cleanser Made Simple

So green, so simple.

We've been together for ten years. Actually, I don't remember, but ten years sounds about right; and if this cleanser were a human being, I would be in trouble for not remembering. In any case, this, the Simple Refreshing Facial Wash Gel would be the longest-serving[?] skincare in the history of my caring for my skin.

One persistent myth about acne sufferers is that we don't 'take care' of our skin, or that we don't clean our face enough. When that happens, I would be going through in my head how diligently... no, religiously I wash my face twice a day and make a point to remove makeup as soon as possible because of the oil and clogged pores.

I don't suffer from acne anymore, but the Simple wash gel came when I was still struggling and, after going through a lot of products, decided that ‘skincare’ alone was not going to ‘cure’ acne. I wanted a mild cleanser that could help calm, or rather, would not upset my skin when my skin was already pretty upset.

I Simply Like

I like it for its mildness; it doesn’t leave my skin bone dry and I can get away without a moisturiser, which I don't think is recommended, because stripping your skin of its natural oil and then skipping moisturiser will make your skin produce more oil to compensate for its dryness.

Also, I find it an effective makeup remover [providing the makeup is not too heavy] and I only need to wash once or twice depending on how stubborn the makeup is. And, I don't have a separate eye makeup remover [I know! I should be punished!].

Here's my hand...
Oh, and there's the gel in the middle... ish  

The cleanser comes in a transparent gel and lathers up to a milky consistency with minimal foam.

How-to No Residue

One drawback of this otherwise great cleanser is that, if the cleansing is not done properly you might be left with a residue. Luckily, I've found a solution.

Here’s what I do:

- Have a dot ready on the palm of your hand.

- Wet your face.

- Mix a few drops of water with the cleanser and lather.

- Apply the cleanser and massage your face.

[These next steps are important, otherwise the cleanser won't clean off well].

- Rinse once and massage or rub your skin gently, particularly around areas that are clogged.

- Rinse and continue to massage.

- I usually repeat the rinse-and-massage step about five times, and then rinse till the cleanser is gone.
The massaging in effect is a gentle exfoliation to my clogged pores, but don't overdo it or you'll be left with an angry skin.

As stated above, I find the cleanser indeed very gentle, and I also use it to wash my hands prior to putting in my contacts because I find my body wash, Johnson's Baby Bath and sometimes I use Dove Sensitive Skin, have the tendency to irritate my eyes.

What's your facial cleanser?