Help! Need a really good cleanser that you don't rinse off!

[neverbeenskiing]

Skin care experts, I need some advice for my 12 year old DD. She's starting to get a few spots and feels self-conscious about it, but she's Autistic and really struggles with washing her face.

I bought her a gentle foaming face wash with sacyllic acid but she finds the 'rinsing it off with water part' really uncomfortable due to her sensory issues. So I got her bottle a liquid cleansing lotion from Clean & Clear that she could apply with a cotton pad and she's fine with that from a sensory POV, but I just don't think it's a particularly effective cleanser.

Is there such a thing as a really good cleanser that you don't need to wash off??

All her friends are starting to get into particular skincare and make up brands, so she is getting curious about it all and doesn't want to be the odd one out, but I feel like we need to focus on her being able to cleanse her face properly before I can let her experiment with anything else.

Miscellar water and cotton pads?

Is she okay with wiping things off with a damp face cloth/muslin? If so, that works with any cleanser.

Does she wear make up?

I think quite a lot of the sensory issues from face washing in a sink can be the water running down your hands/wrists, you can get these towelling wristbands that stop that.

Can she cope with face washing in the shower every morning/evening/whenever daily shower happens?

I would second micellar water

Would that be better than the Clean and Clear lotion she's using now do you think? Or maybe keep using that and use the Micellar as an extra?

We tried wiping the foaming face wash off with a damp flannel and it didn't go well unfortunately.

Showering is a whole other thread! She avoids putting her face in the water.

I think boots do sacyllic acid cleansing pads.

The body shops camomile cleanser can be used with pads.

She wants to wear make up, and does very occasionally but not being able to get it off due to issues around face washing makes it tricky

I’m with your DD! Hate water rinsing, always have. Since I was a teen I’ve used a cream cleanser massaged in with fingers and wiped it off with plain rosewater on cotton pads. I get the rosewater from naturallythinking and although I haven’t tried their cleansers yet, they do cream-based ones.

I use Simple cream cleanser, rub it on like moisturiser then wipe off with a wrung out hot wet flannel. It’s not “wet” or splashy or foamy at all. It’s also massively helped my spots. Might that work?

Btw, I’d never really thought too much about it being a sensory issue, but being autistic myself it makes sense! I know that I love the smell of roses and that gives me sensory pleasure. Anyway, hopefully my approach might work for her too…

It’s a very difficult life stage for all children when they go through the early teens years, without additional needs.

I don’t know if other parents who have children can advise if they think a carrot/stick (very simplistic terms!) approach is the best idea, but personal hygiene at this life stage is hugely important, it can have a real impact in lots of ways. I understand it’s easy for people on a mumsnet thread to say it’s a non negotiable, you will shower every day/brush your teeth twice a day etc, when the reality is a meltdown that can cause chaos through out the house.

Can you get a cleansing balm. You rub it on your face, and then I use a wet cloth to wipe it off. Bodyshop do a nice camomile one. Or as others have said, micellar water and a soft cloth. The Garnier one is good. Ditch the clean and clear.

Yes, they do sacyllic cleansing pads, just looked and it says you can only use twice a week and need an SPF or to avoid the sun, so wondering if they might be a bit harsh for young skin.

Will have a look at the body shop one.

Personal hygiene is a non-negotiable for us. She brushes her teeth twice a day, used deodorant and showers daily (although she avoids putting her face directly under the water) even though these things are hard for her. There are specific adaptations we've found to make these things manageable such as finding a particular brand of toothpaste she can tolerate the taste of.
I totally agree that some sort of face washing/cleansing also needs to be non-negotiable but it's about finding a method that is tolerable for her, hence the thread.

Another vote for Simple Cleaning Lotion. She can just rub it on then wipe it off with damp cotton wool or even better the washable pads. It's very gentle and shouldn't aggregate her skin at all.

Camomile cleansing butter from the body shop is the best - leaves skin so clean and soft, and can be removed with a damp cloth or cotton pads xx

Persevere with the rinse off foaming cleanser but use a microfibres face cloth rung out and wrist bands although she shouldn’t need it.

Get them in bulk from Amazon. Use a fresh one each time.

Clean and clear is really harsh

Miceller water is better but there are micellar wipes as well. And they are super gentle- Although wipes not always great and bad for the planet!

https://amzn.eu/d/bbnMli0
face cloths

https://amzn.eu/d/2XhdTQY
wristbands

Ah, sorry hadn’t realised.

I'm autistic and I don't like washing my face, the water trickling down my arms is a whole other thread... I use microfiber make up cloths to remove my make up, you don't need a cleanser just wet the cloth and wring it out. They're really quite effective if she can stand it.