What makes a brilliant cleanser? To recap before we dive into the nitty-gritty, cleansing is the cornerstone of your AM and PM skincare routines. It all starts with a great cleanse. A basic cleanser will remove the visible grime on the surface of your skin, while a really good one will give your pores a good clear out too. An advanced face wash will also give back to the skin, with nourishing ingredients to replenish the moisture that can be lost during the cleansing process. Cleansing properly kicks off your whole skincare routine, ensuring the rest of your skincare can get to work as it should.

What makes Trinny London’s cleansers so good?

When we formulated our cleansers, we were very clear that we needed them to:

• Be pH-balanced, to maintain the skin’s natural pH of 5.5

• Be non-comedogenic, so as not to clog pores

• Include boosting ingredients that support the skin

• Ensure the skin feels protected, rather than stripped and tight after cleansing

• Feel like a lovely, uplifting experience to use

It doesn’t seem like a lot to ask, but when our Chief Innovation Officer Claire recently asked AI to rate the 30 top-selling cleansers on the market based on this criteria, some cult classics scored as low as 11 out of possible 40. Bestselling gel cleansers, cream cleansers and oil cleansers from big name brands all ranked lower than Trinny London. They were scored on:

• Maintaining/supporting the skin’s correct pH level

• Non-comedogenic properties/does it block your pores?

• Boosting properties, does it give something back to the skin?

• Prevention of transepidermal water loss which is why harsh, stripping cleansers can lead to skin feeling dry, tight and flaky

Many of the big-named brands use heavy essential oils that clog the skin and disrupt the microbiome or include irritating scents that cause sensitivity. Sulfates are also very common and are a well-known culprit for stripping the skin. Good job there’s none of those around here…

Key ingredients in Trinny London cleansers

So, how do our cleansers score so highly? The key is in the ingredients. Be Your Best, our enzyme balm cleanser, is powered by pineapple enzymes to gently exfoliate, almond, borage and linseed oils to nourish and a prebiotic complex to feed your microbiome. A cleanser might not be on your skin for long, but we wanted to make the most of every second of that opportunity to brighten and soften the skin. Despite being packed full of active ingredients, Be Your Best is still gentle enough to be used on the eye area, making light work of removing even stubborn mascara.

Better Off, our AHA/PHA gel cleanser, harnesses the power of quillaja and oat amino acids to cleanse, AHA exfoliants for glow and PHA exfoliants for gentle exfoliation and hydration. It’s a great combination for all skin types, but especially oily complexions which can quickly become congested.

Our cleanser collection

As we have established, a great cleanser washes away the day (and night), gives back to your skin and preps it for your next steps. Just as well we made two…

Be Your Best, enzyme balm cleanser

• Luxurious, nourishing balm texture

• Normal to dry skin

• Removes even stubborn eye makeup

• Includes a T-Towel muslin cloth

Better Off, AHA/PHA gel cleanser

• Fresh gel texture

• Normal to oily skin

• Gently exfoliates for maximum glow

• Just rinse

Ideally, you should double cleanse in the evening. Your first cleanse will remove all traces of the day (makeup, SPF, pollution particles), giving the second a chance to actually clean your skin. Our double cleanse set is the perfect introduction to both of our game-changing cleansers. Plus, it includes an incredible in-built saving – the perfect excuse to start afresh…