When someone uses facial cleansing products in gel format, their routine goes as follows: wash hands with soap and water, rinse, dampen the face, apply the gel, rub, and then rinse. 

Apparently, and as explained by Raquel González, Director of Education at Perricone MD, this might not be appropriate. "If we apply the gel on the face and wait to make foam while massaging it, we will be reducing the dragging capacity of the cleanser, which will make us tend to use more product than needed and clean less than we should." 

What should be done is to dampen the hands, pour the gel on them, rub, and when there is enough foam, apply and massage onto the face. Experts clarify that, when performing a double-phase cleaning, the first product could be applied directly on the face only if it is an oil-based balm, although it's always preferable to start working it with the hands. "This type of products have a higher affinity with lipid-based dirt, and thus we will achieve greater dragging capacity.

As they are not foamy products, we can work them directly on the face, but it's always better to start working it with the palm and fingertips so that they take temperature and acquire the desired texture," comments Estefanía Nieto, Technical Director at Omorovicza.

There are a series of  new generation cleansers that incorporate active principles that not only clean without drying but also add ingredients with a multitude of anti-aging benefits, exfoliating, astringent, soothing, etc.

"For example, when using a cleanser rich in stable vitamin C, we are not only providing cleanliness to the face, but also helping it to have greater luminosity, even out the tone and reduce spots, even to improve elastin, allowing the skin to look younger from the first step of the daily facial routine," comments Elisabeth San Gregorio, Technical Director at Medik8.

A great cleanser to provide luminosity is Citrus Brightening Cleanser, from Perricone MD, which contains vitamin C Ester and even DMAE, "a great dermatological firming agent that helps to work on facial firmness not only from the skin but also from the muscle, thus producing a better support of the skin," adds Raquel González.

Also, good anti-aging cleansers are those that include, for example, rose inside, famous for its rejuvenating potential since ancient times, such as Hydrating Renewing Rose Cleanser by Aromatherapy Associates.

Raquel González supports that: "when performing a double cleansing process, which is ideal, the first product should always have a lipid base, that is, in oil, since it has more affinity and capacity to eliminate deeper dirt."

Such is the case of Hydra Melting Cleanser, a gel that turns into oil when applied to the face and then turns into milk upon contact with water. It carries both moisturizing and purifying components, such as sea buckthorn oil.

Another good option is Medik8 Lipid Balance Cleanse, an oil that when worked with water becomes foamy, thus joining the worlds of traditional gel and balms into a single product