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A few years ago, I was having a bout of acne that just wouldn't quit. I was learning everything I could about skin care, but I couldn't stop the pimples from coming, so I went to my dermatologist's office to have a facial. The esthetician told me something I'd never heard in all the YouTube tutorials I watched: my cleanser was breaking me out. I have combination, sensitive skin, and of all the things that could be causing me problems, I never thought it would be my face wash. Since then, I have been beyond discerning when it comes to my cleanser, and these are the only five I'll use.
My cleansers are either gel-based or lightly foaming. I can't use a cream cleanser, I can't really use an oil cleanser, and a balm? Forget about it. Exfoliating face washes are also out of the question, because they irritate my skin too much. The best thing my esthetician told me was that less is more. The gentler the products I use, the better. I'll try just about any serum, but my cleansers go through a rigorous screening process, and I've pretty much never strayed from these five.