4. Cleansing: Finding Your Ideal "Neutral" Cleanser

- OR - Help! My Cleanser Failed and I Don't Know What To Do!

You've used The Lemon Scale to closely examine your cleanser. And now you realise that you're not really happy with the cleanser that you're using. And that means that you also may be realising that you don't know exactly how to choose a great cleanser. Don't panic!

Before you start to build a cleanser wardrobe, and even before you start to find the ideal products for your first and second cleanses, I suggest you find a simple no-nonsense *entry level* cleanser. It may not be your favourite, or even the all-time best, but it's a cleanser that gets the job done without irritation, fuss or problems. This is the one cleansing product to fall back on when it's time to re-group.

Your cleanser wardrobe should start with one good basic, easy-to-use, cleanser. Something that will work any time and could be used as your only cleanser if needed. I find that a cream cleanser is the most likely option. Something like a good old fashioned cold cream would fit the bill. Even all-purpose emollient creams can be very effective. Your Neutral Cleanser probably isn't going to be something to write home about. It might not even score very high on the lemon test. But it will satisfy these two very important criteria:

• it causes zero irritation

• it doesn't strip the skin or leave you feeling *squeaky clean*

Those two factors should be non-negotiable for a cleanser to stay in your routine. I call this a *neutral cleanser*. This cleanser might be a bit boring, it might not thrill you, it might even be cheap! It might not score very high on the lemon test because