Yes. A gentle facial cleanser is the foundation of your entire routine. It cleanses your skin without drying it out and helps keep your skin calm.

A mild facial cleanser is always the first step in your routine, and honestly? It might just be the most important step. Throughout the day, all sorts of things accumulate on your skin: dirt, sweat, excess sebum, oil, and dead skin cells.

A good cleanser removes all of that, but in a gentle way.

After cleansing, your skin should not feel tight or stretched. It should feel soft and comfortable. That's a sign that your cleanser is protecting your skin and not stripping too much away.

If your skin feels dry, red, or irritated after washing, that cleanser is likely too aggressive for you.

More pimples after cleansing often means your cleanser is too harsh for your skin. Your skin becomes unbalanced and starts to react.

If you notice your skin getting worse since using a new cleanser, it's no coincidence. Many cleansers are actually too aggressive: they contain strong foaming agents, perfume, or ingredients that dry out your skin.

What happens then?

Your skin loses its natural protective layer. This makes it more sensitive, and various external aggressors can penetrate it more easily. Your skin then defends itself, which manifests as redness, a tight feeling, flaking, or new pimples.

For hormonal acne, a gentle cleanser that soothes your skin and doesn't clog your pores works best.

Hormonal acne is often more sensitive and harder to control. Your skin can react more quickly, especially around the jawline and chin. That's why it's important that your cleanser doesn't irritate your skin further.

Opt for a gentle, non-comedogenic cleanser. That simply means it doesn't contain ingredients that can clog your pores. After cleansing, your skin should feel calm and smooth, not tight or dry.