Finding a great face wash can seem like a marathon with so many different products on the market. How do you know what to look for? Which are the best face wash ingredients? What ingredients are bad in face wash? Generally speaking, you should always look for face washes that have natural actives to target your skin problems, and give you the skin goals you’re looking for!

Here are some of the best natural ingredients used in face washes and how they can benefit your skin.

Turmeric

Turmeric is a spice that’s commonly used in the kitchen, but it can also be used on your face! If you’re looking for a beautiful glow, turmeric’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties will work to soothe irritation, fight free radicals, and brighten skin. It can also help fight acne while brightening the appearance of scarring from past and present blemishes. There’s a reason why it’s revered in Ayurveda, especially in Ubtan blends for brides to get glowing skin on their wedding day! 

Apple Cider Vinegar

Another kitchen ingredient that is a great ingredient for a face cleanser is apple cider vinegar. Thanks to the acetic acid in apple cider vinegar, it is a really effective cleanser to clarify pores and let the subsequent skincare products seep into your skin. The best part is the multitasking aspects of this ingredient, as it balances pH levels of your skin and effectively combats pesky blackheads, unsightly acne scars, and exfoliate by removing dead skin cells. Find this in WOW Skin Science’s Apple Cider Vinegar Face Wash, a clarifying face wash that comes with a handy soft-silicone brush to gently but effectively exfoliate your skin to reveal your glow!

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is a summer staple for sunburns, so those soothing and refreshing properties make it the perfect ingredient in a face cleanser! Not only that, but it’s also a great hydration booster that will leave your skin completely nourished without clogging your pores (which is why it’s an ingredient in the apple cider vinegar face wash mentioned above!). Its healing properties go beyond to also prevent future damage from free radicals or environmental pollutants, which causes signs of aging. 

Rose Water

Rose water has been used to hydrating staple for centuries to cleanse skin, so it definitely makes sense to use it in a modern-day face wash. Rose water is able to easily cleanse dirt and oil from your face while balancing your pH levels at the same time. It’s a great anti-aging ingredient that can combat fine lines and wrinkles with the help of its powerful antioxidants. Plus, the naturally floral fragrance will set a calming mood during your morning our nighttime routine! 

Saffron

Turmeric isn’t the only spice that is a great face wash ingredient -- saffron is too. Since saffron has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, it’s a great way to combat acne breakouts. It can also help to reduce the appearance of pigmented sections of the skin caused by age spots, hyperpigmentation, or even old scars. 

Glycerin

Glycerin is a naturally-derived clear liquid that seals in your skin’s moisture. When it comes to your face, look for vegetable-derived glycerin rather than animal-derived glycerin. Glycerin is an amazing moisturizer that is able to trap moisture inside your skin so that it can fully absorb it, and makes sure the skincare you applied under it doesn’t evaporate. Keeping your skin is key for any anti-aging routine to help repair your skin barrier, especially during beauty sleep! 

Chickpea Flour

Forget just using chickpeas in hummus, it’s an incredible exfoliator for your face wash! Also known as gram flour, this natural ingredient miraculously soaks up excess oil on your face that can lead to clogged pores and breakouts. Chickpea flour brightens by naturally exfoliating the dead skin cells for an amazing, healthy glow. It’s also a staple in ubtan!

Ingredients to Avoid

Harsh and harmful ingredients in your face cleanser can easily counteract the good ones and cause a ton of skin problems beyond the ones you’re trying to target. So instead of just knowing what ingredients to look for, you also need to be on the lookout for certain ingredients that you should definitely avoid putting onto your face in a face wash. 

Here are some of the worst ingredients in face washes that you need to avoid at all costs:

• Mineral oil: Mineral oil is used in many face washes to hydrate the skin, but it can clog up your pores instead. This can lead to acne and breakouts which you’re trying to avoid by washing your face in the first place! 
• Parabens: Parabens are used in all sorts of beauty products since it acts as a preservative to increase the shelf life of a product and prevent bacteria and mold growth. Even though you obviously don’t want bacteria growing in your face cleanser, adding parabens isn’t necessarily the best answer to avoid this.That’s because parabens are known as xenoestrogens that are similar to the body’s natural hormone of estrogen. When parabens are used, they can really affect your body’s endocrine system that produces hormones, and lead to excess amounts of estrogen in your body. This can then potentially lead to cancerous cells and tumors. 
• Sodium lauryl sulfate: Even though you might love a good foaming face wash, you need to pay special attention to the chemicals used to make it foam. Sodium lauryl sulfate or SLS is a chemical used to create lathering and foaming products from shampoos to face washes. SLS is also an extremely deep-cleaning ingredient -- and you might think that this is a good thing if you’re trying to wash your face. However, there are some chemicals that are just too strong for the delicate and sensitive skin on our faces -- and SLS is one of them. SLS is so strong that it can easily strip away natural oils and moisture from your skin and leave it dry and irritated as a result. Obviously, this is not something you want out of a face cleanser.  
• Alcohol: Alcohol in face wash can really dry out your skin and irritate it since it’s so harsh and can break down the skin’s natural barrier. 

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Now that you’re an expert in face wash, you know everything you need to know in order to find the best one for you and achieve the skin you’ve always dreamed of! Make sure to check out WOW Skin Science’s natural skin care products if you want safe, vegan products that aren’t tested on animals and are sulfate, paraben, and gluten-free! 

Sources:

1. https://www.bustle.com/p/i-drench-myself-in-rose-water-just-like-cleopatra-heres-how-you-can-too-36092
2. https://www.femina.in/beauty/benefits-of-gram-flour-for-skin-84681.html#:~:text=Gram%20flour%20has%20certain%20properties,production%20and%20soothes%20inflamed%20skin.
3. https://www.allure.com/story/mineral-oil-skin-care