Gel Cleanser: 7 Best Cleanser Ingredients for Perfect Skin
Gel cleansers are phenomenal facial skincare products that can scrape away dead skin cells, dirt, and other debris, clearing the way for moisturizers and face serums to do their critical work. Even better, many gel cleansers feel comfortable, especially if you have sensitive or dry skin by default.
That said, no two gel cleansers feel exactly alike. Furthermore, gel cleansers may have different ingredients that could imbue them with different properties or skincare benefits. Today, let’s break down the seven best cleanser ingredients for perfect skin that you should look for in your chosen gel cleanser.
Why Use a Gel Cleanser?
Gel cleansers are water-based facial cleansing products. They're responsible for clearing away surface-level dirt and debris from your skin pores, as well as eliminating a small number of dead skin cells. While not as cleansing as an exfoliating product, gel cleansers form the backbone of any solid facial skincare routine and can be used every day.
Due to their water-based formulas, gel cleansers are soothing, gentle when applied to sensitive facial skin, and are unlikely to cause any allergic reactions. However, different gel cleansers use different essential oils, flower extracts, and other key ingredients.
Therefore, you should use a gel cleanser to clean away dirt and debris from your skin’s pores in preparation for an exfoliation session or a face serum application. But be sure to “dab” just a little bit of gel cleanser on your face in a tiny area if it’s your first time using one. That way, you can tell whether your skin will have an allergic reaction to the gel cleanser’s ingredients before spreading it all around.
Not sure what to look for in a great gel cleanser? Here are seven of the most important ingredients to prioritize in your search.
Salicylic Acid
If you really want to clear out your pores and clean your skin thoroughly, you'll want to target the beta-hydroxy acid, salicylic acid. As a BHA, salicylic acid is phenomenal for decreasing sebum or oil production and shedding dead skin cells.
Because it is oil-soluble, salicylic acid can penetrate your skin's pores capably. It's most often found in blemish cleansers, but many gel cleansers also have it mixed with moisturizing agents like glycerin (see more below).
Retinol
You’ve probably heard of retinol before as an important skincare ingredient. You should look for retinol as a vitamin. Retinol can help your gel cleanser clean deep into your pores by getting rid of those extra dead skin cells, clearing the way for face serum application. It’s especially good if you only exfoliate a few times per week as recommended.
Ceramides
You may also want to target ceramides in your gel cleansing product. These natural lipids or fats already exist in our skin, but you can also provide your skin with additional ceramides in your gel cleanser, face serum, and other products.
Ceramides are important because they are used to maintain your skin barrier, which itself protects your skin cells and seals in moisture to prevent your skin from drying out over the course of the day. Ceramides can properly hydrate your skin, soothe sensitive skin, and allow other cleansing agents to do their vital work. They are great choices for those with sensitive or dry skin.
Glycolic Acid
Don’t forget glycolic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid or AHA, which may improve skin texture and brightness. Furthermore, glycolic acid can help clear away dirt and debris and purge your pores of dead skin cells and sebum to some extent.
However, glycolic acid is a little bit dehydrating to the skin, meaning it may make your skin feel dry, irritated or make your skin flake or peel if it isn’t absorbed in conjunction with hydrating elements. Therefore, you should only use a gel cleanser with at least one good moisturizer to counteract glycolic acid’s effects.
Hope Health’s Cleanse gel cleanser contains glycolic acid alongside lycopene and algae to help you enjoy healthier, younger-looking skin.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is often touted as a phenomenal skincare agent, and for a good reason: it’s a potent antioxidant that can alleviate the skin irritations caused by free radicals. Specifically, vitamin C can donate an electron to these unstable molecules, preventing them from causing widespread skin irritation.
Vitamin C is particularly important if you spend a lot of time and sunlight, as free radicals can accumulate in your body more quickly if you get plenty of sunshine. Vitamin C has additional well-documented skincare benefits, including:
- Improved skin texture
- Preventing melanin overproduction, which could result in hyperpigmentation
- Complexion brightening
- Reduce the appearance of aging
- And more
When included as part of a skincare routine, vitamin C will ensure your skin cells are properly nourished and healthy for a long time to come.
Glycerin
Then there’s glycerin: a humectant and extremely effective agent that attracts water. In fact, glycerin is so effective at this – for example, it can draw moisture from deep within your skin up to the surface – that it works as both a great skin soothing ingredient and an excellent moisturizer for both your skin and your hair.
It's a particularly good choice if you have dry or sensitive skin, as it can help maintain your skin barrier and prevent skin irritation all day long. While it doesn't strip away dirt or debris as effectively as some of the other ingredients on this list, you'll still want to have it in any gel cleanser to ensure that you don't accidentally dry out your skin while trying to clean it thoroughly.
In many cases, the presence of glycerin will allow you to use more intense cleansing agents without seeing any negative side effects.
Benzoyl Peroxide
Lastly, you should look for benzyl peroxide in quality gel cleansers. In fact, it's the best choice if you have blemish-prone skin and want to clear away the bacteria and sebum that may be responsible for your acne outbreaks.
Summary
Ultimately, any gel cleanser will help clear away dirt and debris from your skin’s pores and allow a face serum or moisturizer to work more effectively. But the best gel cleansers will have at least some of these key ingredients, many of which work with any skin type and which come from natural sources.
The ideal gel cleaners will also be made with 100% organic ingredients, such as the core components of Hope Health’s skincare products and best gummy supplements. For example, our Hair, Skin, and Nail Gummies are packed with non-GMO, organic ingredients like vitamin C, vitamin A, and several B vitamins.
Look for a gel cleanser that’s as dedicated to ingredient quality and your health as we are. Or check out our online store today for additional supplementary options and wellness products
perfectly suited for your needs!
Sources:
Salicylic acid as a peeling agent: a comprehensive review | NCBI
Glycerol and the skin: holistic approach to its origin and functions | NCBI