Looking for cleanser recommendations please

[MaureenDaly]

I've got combination/dehydrated skin. I don't do well with oils, my skin is rather reactive to them, have tried coconut oil, EVOO, Emma Hardie Balm etc and they don't work for me.
So I'm looking for something basic, that will remove make up and not strip my skin.

Lurking, I'd love to know. I have combination skin and have the most awful blocked pores on chin, nose, forehead.

I have a similar skin type and can recommend a couple I like.
The cheaper ones are soap& glory peaches & clean, superdrug vitamin e hot cloth cleanser & superdrug radiance hit cloth cleanser.
The more expensive ones are Alpha H balancing cleanser and elemis pro collagen cream cleanser.
I've tried various washes but they all make my skin worse.

Out of the above Alpha H wins hands down

I second the super drug hot cloth cleansers especially the vit e one. Superior to Liz Earle imo.

A daily exfoliating wash is what you need - try Nutrogena pink grapefruit one for 3 days morning and night and you will see an amazing difference. I know I sound like an ad but it's true - I've tried all the gentle gel cleansers and hot cloth things but a good chemical exfoliant twice a day has transformed my skin - even through pmt when my skin is usually awful and grey, I was glowing.

Agree with the scrub and a dermolgica cleanser.

The special cleansing gel is good

Or decleor foaming face wash is good

Jan Marini Bioglycolic cleanser. Fantastic stuff who h has totally sorted out my skin.

Micellar water & cotton wool. Seriously. It has Changed.My.Life

This is the one I use but there are others. I use Neals Yard Rose facial oil as a night cream, and one of various lightish day creams.

Lush angels on bare skin ! Instant transformation here !

La Roche Posay Physiological Cleansing Gel. Fab stuff.

Those of you who use micellar water, do you not feel the need to rinse or tone after? I always feel a bit sticky- am I doing it wrong?!

Clarins. Go see the clarins lady (boots/John Lewis) and tell her all about it. I converted a year ago and my skin is amazing. It is pricey but I only buy it a couple of times a year (cleanser scrub moisturiser x2 Beauty flash balm) and use boots points. It saved my face.

dermalogica ultracalming cleanser. great for all skin types.

Boots sensitive foaming face wash is fantastic!

Another vote for micellar water - I like crealine h20 by bioderma or effaclar by la Roche posay

I don't have to rinse with either of these

Just to add my tuppence worth: I do think you need an exfoliator but I'm not keen on scrubs, I think they're too harsh to be used every day on facial skin. So, the Jan Marini that Sorrel mentioned, has a % of glycolic acid, which would do the same job, but gentler, and help sort out the dehydration and blackeads. There are others like that one, I think Murad, MD Forte, I'm sure there are many others. And they are very gentle.

Agree with lurking that a scrub is going to be too harsh for daily use, especially if you have any sort of dehydrated skin.

I love hot cloth cleansers, and pretty much anything by Clarins - have always been impressed at the knowledge of the Clarins staff.

My skin is sensitive and the Nutrogena pink grapefruit one is fine used twice daily for me - it has salycilic acid in it so it's more the chemical exfoliation that does wonders, and it's only mildly 'grainy' iyswim. I look actually younger because I have no layers of clogged and old dehydrated skin on the surface, my pores are clear and I have 'the glow'. Gentle cleansers like Dermalogica Ultracalming and Avene gentle gel cleanser felt lovely but after a while using, realised my skin was becoming clogged. And I personally can't get clean without either using water, or scrubbing at my face with a cloth (which caused redness and tiny broken cappilaries) so a teenage type cleanser seems best for me - it deep cleans without drying, just follow with a decent moisturiser. I used to use a Clearasil daily wash and that was fab too, but I like the smell of the pink grapefruit and don't feel so teenage

It's interesting that people get very evangelical about skincare that works for them (including me!)

I'm a self confessed skincare evangelist too!

Love Hot oil cleansing. I tend to use Jojoba and Hazelnut in the spring and summer, Olive in the colder more drying months. I have sensitive/combination skin (35) and this has been a lifesaver!

Sali Hughes did a great piece for the Guardian back in 2011 (I've been a convert ever since) www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/mar/26/hot-cloth-cleansing-beauty

I use the softer terry style facecloths, use one a day and launder on hot cycle, I've tried plain cotton and muslin but I found both to be a bit too scratchy for my skin.

I've also just switched to using oqibo purifying cleanser and toner in the morning which my skin is loving (four weeks now). It's marine based and conditions rather than tones in the usual sense. It doesn't get really foamy which I love but it cleans really well and no dreaded breakouts or irritation. Would recommend www.oqibo.co.uk/oqibo/purifying-cleanser-and-toner/