This week, I have been researching what people are saying is the best cleanser for whiteheads.

I came across some useful answers on Yahoo.com and am sharing my findings with you.

Cetaphil is getting great reviews as a cleanser for whiteheads, blackheads and blemishes and won an award in the Allure Magazine Best of Beauty Awards, 2011.

It cleanses skin without drying it out too much and making it feel tight and uncomforatable. It thoroughly cleanses pores of any trace of makeup leaving the skin clean and without the residue that is such a feast for all those acne forming bacteria. The result is that blemishes start to clear and new ones are reduced. It is not a miracle product and you won’t be blemish free in the morning, but for the price, it is well worth a try!

Another tip I picked up is to try using the Proactive refining mask product as a spot treatment – by this, I mean, applying a very small amount to an individual blemish rather than using it as an ‘all-over’ mask. The refining mask does not contain the Benzoyl peroxide that can cause drying and irritation but used on a single spot as an overnight treatment, it really does work. Reports are that the blemish is at least significantly reduced or at best, gone almost completely!

There is another cleanser which is also getting great reviews and that is the Biore Acne Blemish Fighting Complexion Clearing Ice Cleanser. Use this in conjunction with a gentle non-comedogenic moisturizer to keep your skin hydrated and you should see significant improvements if you use this regularly as a whiteheads treatment.

Another great budget cleanser for whiteheads that gets great reviews because it really works is Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash. This is a liquid cleanser that is both soap and oil free. It is recommended by dermatologists and is great because it does not dry your skin out too much but is really effective at removing all traces of makeup and any excess oil from the skin.

If you are looking for an organic cleanser, the one that I have found is getting good reviews is Dr. Hauschka Cleansing Cream. This is really popular and uses herbs and sweet almond oil to make it realy effective on blemishes but also if your skin is mature or maturing (!), it is has a gentle exfoliating and moisturizing action which really benefits dry skin types – however, it is also good on combination skin. This gets a lot of mentions in articles online and in magazines and despite the price tag is the cleanser chosen by some of the top names in style in the US.

If your skin is really oily, a gel cleanser, Clinique Wash Away gets great reviews. However, your skin does need to be pretty oily and make sure you try it out at the makeup counter before buying as it can be a bit too drying for some skins.

A combination of products that has been reported to work really well on whiteheads, blackheads and blemishes on oily skin is to use Clean and Clear products as follows:-

• Morning:- Morning Burst Cleanser, followed by Cooling Daily Pore Toner
• Night:- Oxygenating Fizzing Cleanser

Do not add an astringent to this combination as it could cause your skin to go into overdrive, trying to replace too much lost oil and end up making the problem worse. Keep your skin moisturized with an oil free product with a high spf (15 or more) and use the Clean and Clear Dual Action Moisturizer at night.

How to Determine Your Skin Type

My conclusions on the best cleanser for whiteheads

Last of all, if you still have some whiteheads or blackheads on your face, don’t cover them with a foundation cream as this can tend to clog pores, instead, check out some of the products from Neutrogena that actually contain anti-acne ingredients so that you can conceal existing spots whilst waiting for them to clear without causing any new ones to form.

As you can see from my research, there is no single answer to what is the best cleanser for whiteheads, it really depends on your skin type. The video below is quite helpful for determining exactly what your skin type is. One thing that has come out of my research though is that you definitely don’t need to spend a fortune to get great results. Many budget priced items came out with flying colours in reviewers comments. If you have a favourite that we haven’t mentioned, why not leave a comment below and tell us about it!

Alison Graham on Google+