cleanser

Sure, your mother always demanded you wash your face with soap, but bar soap might not be the best option for daily cleansing. The average soap has an alkaline pH of seven, while balanced skin is about 4.5. Ingredients like sodium lauryl sulfate create the foam the gives you that clean (or tight) feeling. Soap, however, can strip away the natural oils your skin needs, therefore leading to a misbehaving complexion. Discover your soap alternative when you keep reading

Do you ever get the feeling that your facial cleanser's benefits are getting washed down the drain? Makeup artist extraordinaire and Estée Lauder Creative Makeup Director Tom Pecheux has the solution. "I take a few pumps of makeup remover and put it all over my face. Then I leave it on for 10 minutes while I shower and shampoo," Pecheux explained. This mask method gives the steam time to help your product penetrate. His favorite all-in-one makeup remover and cleanser is Bioderma Créaline H2O. But this trick works with any moisturising face wash. This season at NYFW, Pecheux did shows for big names like Badgley Mischka and The Row, passing on his skin care knowledge to all; even manicurist Deborah Lippmann is already using his tip.

Bioderma stockists: (03) 9505 3086

• Forget French pharmacy finds, Gwyneth Paltrow reveals her go-to British drugstore buys — Goop
• Rooney Mara's extensions meant that even her driver didn't recognise her — People
• Cameron Diaz's kicking off a new career as a nutrition educator — Just Jared
• Five cleansers under $35 — Swatchgirl
• The editorial shoot that Crystal Renn dyed her hair blonde for is out — Design Scene
• How to get Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's signature Burberry Beauty look — Rescu
• A cute but non-stuffy wedding or formal up 'do idea — Cupcakes and Cashmere
• See how Kourtney Kardashian's beauty look has evolved over the years — Stylelist

As if she wasn't busy enough with her Black Swan promotion, Natalie Portman's also been taking direction from Sofia Coppola on a series of pretty new Miss Dior Cherie fragrance commercials — we cannot WAIT to see these sure-to-be-beautiful images. She also just landed the cover of the newest New York Times Magazine and wears a platinum wig and Old Hollywood-style makeup.

With all the glamorous stuff she's been up to of late, you'd think Natalie would be a beauty fan, but apparently not so much. Speaking with Allure, she said that the only product she uses every day is cleansing milk, and she recently told WWD that "I'm pretty casual in my beauty routine in my real life. Some might say sloppy." Umm, if this is what sloppy looks like sign me up. We've seen her bald and brunette, but what do you think of Platinum Portman?

Picking the right cleanser is almost as important as picking the right man. In fact having the right cleanser will probably help you pick a better man. Which is why I've enlisted the help of Emma Hobson at the International Dermal Institute to help us in our Picking the Right Cleanser Masterclass. We've already covered oily skin and dry skin, now we're talking sensitive skin. This applies to you even if you have sensitive and oily skin or sensitive and dry as the sensitivity ALWAYS needs to be addressed first.

A) Genetically sensitive skin is often fair, fine and freckly in appearance. It burns easily and flushes easily also. If your skin is sensitive, red or irritated you need a super calming cleanser to sooth your skin. Look for a milky or gel-like textured formula as you can often delicately remove these with a tissue. The important thing is to avoid fragrance and artificial colours and use a product with gentle surfactants.

Try Dermalogica UltraCalming Cleanser ($53) or REN Calendula Cleansing Milk Wash ($54).



Picking the right cleanser is almost as important as picking the right man. In fact having the right cleanser will probably help you pick a better man. You'll be all radiant and beautiful, he'll be instantly attracted. It's very important stuff. Which is why I've enlisted the help of Emma Hobson, Chief Skin Detective at the International Dermal Institute to help us in our Picking the Right Cleanser Masterclass. We've already covered oily skin, now it's onto dry.

A) Dry skin basically means you're not producing enough oil. People often confuse it with dehydration, when the skin is lacking in moisture, but this is not the case. You need a mild creamy cleanser to help replace the oils.

Try Aesop Purifying Facial Cream Cleanser ($38), Dermalogica Essential Cleansing Solution ($53) or Trilogy Cream Cleanser ($36).

When Vogue UK calls something "probably the best cleanser in the world," and Kate Hudson names it a desert island essential, you listen up. And then get fed up when you realise that the only way to get it is a $3,800 return trip to London. Or New York. Hmmmph. And then your heart starts to beat a little faster, your palms start to get a little clammy and before you know it, you're standing on your chair doing a little happy dance when you hear that it has Finally Arrived in Australia and will be Available Whenever You Need. Breathe. Breathe. I'm talking about Eve Lom Cleanser (from $68) for those not yet in the know. Created by Czechoslovakian Eve back in 1986, the philosophy of the brand was to simplify skincare. Eve believes that less is more. That's why you'll only need a 10 cent piece of this cleanser ONCE a day and you won't need to moisturise after unless your skin is really, really dry. Say what? Yep, this product does it all, cleanses, removes makeup, tones and moisturises. It's life changing. You do it at night and it comes with muslin cloths that you run under hot water and then hold about half an inch from your face to create a mini facial effect. Do that a couple of times then rinse with the cold muslin cloth. Follow with eye cream, then in the morning you moisturise but there's NO NEED TO CLEANSE. Weird but totally wonderful and life-changing. Gwyneth Paltrow agrees. Ooh.

Eve Lom Cleanser will be available exclusively at Mecca Cosmetica from Monday.

Picking the right cleanser is almost as important as picking the right man. In fact having the right cleanser will probably help you pick a better man. You'll be all radiant and beautiful, he'll be instantly attracted. And we're going to the chapel . . . Sorry, where was I? Right, picking cleansers. Yes, very important stuff. Which is why I've enlisted the help of Emma Hobson, Chief Skin Detective at the International Dermal Institute to help us in Part 1 of our Picking the Right Cleanser Masterclass. Stay tuned all those other skin types, we'll get to you . . .

A) A cleanser needs to match your skin type. If you have oily skin you need a cleanser with a stronger surfactant (degreasing agent) and one that does not strip the skin of oils (ie. soap or products containing SD alcohol). These normally come in the form of a clay-based cleanser.

Try Biotherm Biopur Normalizer SOS Lotion ($68) or Dermalogica Dermal Clay Cleanser ($53).