Obagi Medical - Suzan Obagi MD Foaming Cleanser

A creamy foam that washes away makeup and the day's grime without leaving your skin feeling tight. From the line developed by dermatologist Suzan Obagi, daughter of the founder.

Why it works

A cleanser that is too harsh gives you that squeaky-clean feeling at first, followed by skin that produces excess sebum to compensate for the loss. This is the cycle many people are stuck in. This one works the other way around: it foams enough to provide a real cleanse, but leaves the protective oil layer your skin needs largely intact.

The formula contains aloe and panthenol—both ingredients that help retain moisture—along with broccoli extract and bioflavonoids as antioxidants. The product is dermatologically tested, hypoallergenic, and paraben-free.

A detail worth noting: there is no synthetic fragrance, but it does contain grapefruit peel oil, which provides a fresh scent. If your skin reacts easily to essential oils, let me know, and I will find you something else.

For whom

For normal to combination skin, and for those who find their current cleanser strips away too much. Also suitable if you wear makeup: the foam removes it without the need for double cleansing.

How to use it

Use twice a day, morning and evening, on damp skin. Massage in for half a minute using circular motions, including along your hairline and jawline, then rinse with lukewarm water. Avoid hot water, as it does exactly what you want to prevent. A 200 ml bottle will last about three months with daily use.

My advice

Cleansing is the step most often underestimated and most often done incorrectly. It is not the step where you transform your skin, but it is the step that determines whether the rest of your routine can be effective. If your skin feels tight after cleansing, your cleanser is too harsh for you, no matter how expensive it was.

And take your time with it. Thirty seconds feels like a long time at the sink, but it makes the difference between smearing makeup around and actually removing it.

Not sure if this is right for your skin? Feel free to send me a message, and we can check it together.