If your face was a person, it would resemble your Aunt Helene. Aunt Helene has charitably been called "the family eccentric" by almost all your relations. She's been in and out of hospitals since she was thirteen. (She says it's for her nerves.) She's also known for crying uncontrollably one minute and laughing the next. While you love your Aunt Helene dearly, you wish your skin was unflappable like your mother, who simply guides her sister to the couch and offers her tea in a non-threatening manner. Once you find the facial cleanser that will not irritate your skin, you will then have skin that's as tough as your mother in the face of a spastic fit.

No Fragrances? Ahhhhhh.....

Sure, everyone likes fragrances. But for sensitive skinned girls such as yourself, fragrances can serve as an irritant on your face. You don't want to be scratching at your face like a monkey looking for nits. Make sure any facial cleanser you buy is fragrance free.

Another ingredient that shouldn't be in your facial cleanser is chemical dyes. Dyes usually give the cleanser it's bright, festive color. While you may like that your cleanser is the color of your favorite childhood crayons, dyes could also cause your skin to break out or steal vital moisture from its layers.

Is There Anything I Can Have In My Facial Cleanser?

The first item on the agenda should be...an ability to clean your face. While a facial cleanser for the sensitive skinned should be free of allergens, fragrances and dyes, it's no good if it doesn't fulfill its first duty of cleaning your face.

An ingredient that should definitely be in any facial cleanser is aloe. You may recognize aloe from your lotions and moisturizers. Aloe largely serves the same purpose in a facial cleanser. This important agent retains moisture levels in the different levels of your skin. Nice. Very nice.

One More Thing...

Make sure that any product you try out doesn't over dry your face. Over drying has the unfortunate tendency to inflame your skin, which isn't a good thing.

One item that isn't required but is still a nice thing to look out for is facial cleansers that are dermatologist approved. One reason is that dermatologists, or medical doctors specializing in skin disorders, know of which they speak. Look on the Internet or beauty magazines for products that are tested and approved by a major dermatological organization.

Your face is sensitive. Your face can't handle just any old facial cleanser. This is why it's imperative to know the ingredients in any beauty product you're even thinking of putting on your face. Unlike your Aunt Helene, your face can take whatever life throws its way. (The right facial cleanser in your beauty regimen helps a lot. Really. You'd be surprised.)