Glass skin, right this way.
If your face is miserable, chances are there's something you might have done to make your skin super-red: hello, that harsh cleanser, ill-advised treatment, or pimple-popping sesh. But help is on the way, thanks to cleansing milk (aka milk cleanser). Cleansing...milk, you say?? Yes, exactly, the cleanser that's about to give your face some much-needed soothing. If you're unfamiliar, let me intro you to your new favorite beauty product and which ones, exactly, you need for your face RTFN.
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Meet the expert:
- Joyce Imahiyerobo-Ip, MD is a dermatologist and CEO of Vibrant Dermatology and Skin Bar MD in Boston, MA.
What is a cleansing milk?
Cleansing milk is a super-super-gentle cleanser that uses fats (animal, synthetic, or plant-based) to clean your skin—thus freeing it of irritating ingredients that could cause aggravation. "The primary purpose is to hydrate and nourish the skin," explains Dr. Ip. But, while they're good for gentle cleansing, they're not as good at removing makeup in general.
Is cleansing milk good for sensitive skin?
Very. "They're great for patients with extremely sensitive skin or those who have active inflammation—e.g., eczema or rosacea. They are also excellent for those with more mature skin, because our skin's ability to retain moisture decreases as we age," says Dr. Ip. But there are milk cleansers that work for just about every skin type, even if you're lucky enough to have non-sensitive skin.
Can you use cleansing milk instead of face wash?
Nope: Using a cleanser that removes oil, buildup, and makeup is still important. Especially if you, ya know, wear makeup or have oily skin. The K-beauty technique called double cleansing makes use of an oil-based, then a water-based cleanser. You might need to see what your skin responds to, ofc: Double-cleansing can be best for when you're removing makeup. You can absolutely use cleansing milk every day and a stronger cleanser when you need it. A few of these cleansing milks are formulated specifically to tackle makeup (sometimes with oils included in their ingredients), if you wanna keep your routine totally streamlined to one cleanser.
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Best for removing makeup: Yon-Ka Paris Skincare Lait Nettoyant Cleansing Milk
With lactic and citric acid plus glycerin, this milk can also remove makeup (meaning you miiiiight not have to double cleanse as often). Note that it's made with mineral oil, so watch if you're sensitive, but reviewers say it rlly does remove gunk without drying out skin.
