Why Your Foaming Cleanser Is Drying Out Your Skin Blush & Pearls

But is that foaming cleanser doing more harm than good?

If you’re using a foaming cleanser that leaves your skin tight, dry and even a bit red, your cleanser probably includes sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and it could be stripping your skin’s moisture barrier.

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What Is SLS?

Sodium lauryl sulfate, or SLS, is a common chemical detergent present in many cleansing products and shampoos.

It has the ability to bind with dirt and oil on your skin while creating the luxurious foaming/lathering effect that we have grown to love.

From a young age, we are taught that “foaming” in our soap or shampoos means “clean”.

However, while SLS products are great for foaming and removing dirt and oil, they are also removing essential oils and moisture from your skin.

When your skin is too dry, it will try to restore its natural moisture balance by pumping out more oil, which can make oily skin even oilier. Sulfates can also cause redness, flakiness and itching in some skin types.

Alway check the ingredients in your skin care products and if you’re selecting a facial cleanser, be on the lookout for SLS in the ingredients.

I should note that not all cleansers that include SLS in the ingredients are bad – some are still very gentle on skin and super effective! I just want to make people more aware that these super strong foaming cleansers could be doing more harm than good.

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Out With The Foam

I recently got rid of some of my foaming cleansers that I noticed left my skin feeling tight and dry after use – with the Biore Deep Pore Cleanser being the worst offender.

I immediately noticed that my skin felt softer, less dry and tight and that the redness in my cheeks had significantly reduced.

My pores were also less noticeable. For years I was worried that if I didn’t use a foaming cleanser, my pores would get clogged and potentially trigger a pimple. But this wasn’t the case; my skin looked great after tossing the foam and stayed pimple free (with the help of my exfoliating acid toners, may I add).

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Are All Foaming Facial Cleansers Bad?

There are a lot of great cleansers out there that contain sulfates but aren’t bad for your skin.

How do you know which ones? Well, if you use them and they don’t leave your skin feeling super tight and dry afterwards, you’re probably safe.

Looking for an awesome sulfate free cleanser? CeraVe, a well formulated and affordable skin care line found in most drugstores, has a great foaming facial cleanser that is SLS free. It also includes hyaluronic acid to moisturize skin and niacinamide to reduce enlarged pores and promote overall skin health.

I also love the Vichy Purete Thermale Fresh Cleansing Gel and the Cosrx Low pH Morning cleanser (reviewed both here).

Buy CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser: Ulta | Walgreen’s | Amazon

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Why Your Foaming Cleanser Is Drying Out Your Skin

If you’re like me and have oily skin, you probably think that the best way to get super clean skin is through a foaming cleanser.