beauty

Hardworking facial cleansers that will leave you with change from a $20 note.

Our skin is our largest organ (translation: it’s kind of a big deal) so it’s certainly worth looking after – particularly when it comes to your face.

It’s often the first place to show signs of damage, ageing and even stress.

While it can be tempting when you’re tired or in a rush to just make do with soap and some water, your best bet for removing makeup and dirt to leave your face feeling squeaky clean is a proper facial cleanser.

RELATED: What really happens to your skin when you don’t wash your makeup off?

“Great,” you say. “ANOTHER product I have to use in the morning.” We know. We hear you. But trust us, these ones really deliver the goods. And we haven’t even told you the best part.

When it comes to facial cleansers, it’s possible be good to your skin AND bank account. So we rounded up the nine best budget facial cleansers as recommended, used and tested by The Glow team. (Post continues after gallery.)

The trick to finding the right cleanser is to match it to your skin type, says Dermalogica‘s Education Manager of the Dermal Institute, Emma Hobson.

“If you have oily skin you need a cleanser with a stronger surfactant (degreasing agent) and one that does not strip the skin of oils, like soap does,” she says.

“These normally come in the form of a clay based cleanser or a gel facial wash.”

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For those with dry skin, Hobson recommends looking for a milder cleanser with less surfactant, which usually come in the form of a milky, creamy cleanser.

Combination skin requires a cleanser that sits in the middle of the surfactant spectrum and can be either a light milky cleanser or a gel facial wash.

“If you experience sensitivity, choose a cleaner that has no skin irritants (so free from artificial colours and fragrance) and has calming, anti-inflammatory and soothing ingredients,” she says. “These will often be between a milk and gel consistency.”

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Match your cleanser to your skin type. Image via iStock.

 

However for best results, Hobson believes you should double cleanse.

This involves cleansing your face twice: the first time with a cleansing oil like the Alpha-H Age Delay Cleansing Oil ($51.95) which removes the daily build-up of oil, dirt and makeup and the second with your normal cleanser to really ensure your skin is clean.

If you want to get really fancy, try using your cleanser with a cleansing brush like the Clarisonic for an extra deep clean. Otherwise your hands will do just fine.

What's your best budget facial cleanser recommendation?