I currently am using gentle purpose cleanser for my skin. I have cystic acne in some areas of my face and they are pretty huge patches. The other areas of my face i have acne but its more mild-moderate.
I read about Dan mentioning you should never use any harsh type of cleanser for your skin such as a scrub etc and have it be gentle.
To me, if you have clear skin, that makes a ton of sense since your skin is clear, then you do that to keep it clear. Now if you have moderate acne or severe acne.. how is using a gentle cleanser a good idea? He seems to recommend his cleanser or get something like cetaphil facial cleanser. I had used the cetaphil cleanser many years ago and it feels extremely weird. It feels like you aren't really cleaning your face at all.
Does anyone else feel this way about cetaphil? What are your thoughts about using a cleanser that is an acne cleanser such as one that uses salycilid acid or glycolic acid? Dan says to avoid these things but if you use a cetaphil cleanser, it feels like it doesn't do anything for your acne.
Also has anyone here used gentle purpose cleanser? I been using it for few months, its doing okay but many times i feel like it feels like baby shampoo so i stopped it.
Would it be a horrible idea to just use water and no cleanser at all? Also, for ppl with acne, is really using cetaphil cleansers better than using a harsher cleanser?
And i hear a lot about cerave cleanser. is cerave better than cetaphil? What i also dont get and read articles about is so many dermatologists recommend cetaphil cleanser. Is there a reason for this? It doesn't really make sense for those with moderate and cystic acne.
First of all, you are on the regimen, correct? If so you should especially not be using any harsh cleansers.
Secondly, it needs to be addressed that people often mistake scrubs for cleansers. *facepalms* there are exfoliating cleansers AND scrubs meant for the sole purpose of exfoliating. I personally would not recommend using a scrub as a cleanser because it won't cleanse your face, it will only exfoliate it. So, I think Dan is right about not using any harsh cleansers.
If you're looking for something that feels like it's exfoliating and cleansing I would recommend the Clarasonic.
Here's what using a gentle cleanser will do for your acne. First of all, it won't aggravate or irritate it. One of the main causes of acne is irritation. Especially if you have inflammatory acne, you don't want to be using anything that's harsh. Being gentle with your skin is one of the most important and beneficial pieces of information that you can use to your advantage. Being too rough and using the wrong products can enhance redness, make your skin feel irritated, and of course, cause acne. So if I were you, I'd stick with that gentle cleanser of yours.
Cleansers are definitely a personal preference, some people like soft, gentle, milky ones while others may like foaming ones, while others like to "feel" like their skin is super squeaky clean, some even like high-end, some like drugstore, and some like organic. Unfortunately, the option to choose whatever cleanser we want is sort of taken away from us unfortunate sufferers with acne because we can't use just anything.
I have not personally tried Cetaphil's gentle skin cleanser, but here's my advice to you: Purchase something like the clarasonic if you want to feel like your skin's being cleaned. If that's too much money you could use a toner, (Dan says they aren't needed but if you want to feel a little more fresh then you could try it)
To answer your question about just cleansing with water, no, don't do that, water won't clean your skin. It will rinse it off, but not clean it. I think using the Cetaphil cleanser over a harsh one is definitely your best bet.
Personally I like CeraVe way better than Cetaphil. I use the Hydrating Cleanser and I absolutely love it, and yes, it does make sense for people with acne. The bottom line is, if you have acne, you don't need to be using a crap load of chemicals on your face to try and get it to clear up. The best skincare is assisting your skin in what it does naturally. I hope this helps