Cleansing is the step where most skincare damage happens, because the instinct — cleaner is better — stops being true well before most people stop.
The formats
Gels — light, rinse-off. Oily and combination skin.
Foams and mousses — gentler than gels. Normal skin.
Cleansing milks — no-foam, suits dry and sensitive skin, removes makeup well.
Micellar water — no-rinse removal, best as a first step rather than a whole cleanse.
Scrubs and exfoliants — occasional, not daily.
Toners — the step after cleansing.
These appear across the oxygen and Botanica directions, so you can usually stay within one series if you prefer. The current line-up is in the Faberlic catalogue.
Matching format to skin
- Oily / combination → gel
- Normal → foam or mild gel
- Dry → cleansing milk or cream
- Sensitive → milk, fragrance-free where possible
The test is simple: if your skin feels tight or squeaky afterwards, the cleanser is wrong for you regardless of what it cost or which series it belongs to.
The two-step question
If you wear makeup or sunscreen, one pass rarely removes it. Two mild steps — micellar water or milk first, then a gel or foam — is both more thorough and gentler than one aggressive pass.
If you wore nothing, one gentle cleanse is plenty and two is over-washing.
Frequency
Evening properly, morning lightly or not at all. Your face has been on a clean pillow. Dry and sensitive skin often does better with water alone in the morning.
Never more than twice a day.
Exfoliation
Once or twice weekly at most. This is the product most often overused, and over-exfoliating is the leading cause of the sensitised, reactive skin people then try to treat with more products.
What to avoid
Cleansing brushes, washcloths, very hot water, and anything that leaves the skin feeling scoured. All damage the barrier faster than they clean.
The one-line summary
Choose the mildest format your skin type allows, use it twice a day at most, and follow within a minute with moisturiser.
For the full cleansing routine, see the skincare section.