Question of the month January 2010: Body wash

Dear Paula,

I have fairly normal skin at the moment. How do you feel about using a body wash as a facial cleanser? These products are less expensive than facial cleansers, not to mention the convenience of using one product for cleansing instead of two. If they do not have any irritating ingredients, is there any reason why they should not be used on the face?

Ann, via email

Dear Ann,

Great question! Many body washes can be used to cleanse the face, too. After all, the face is part of the body right? Just make sure your body wash isn't overly creamy/oily if you have oily skin and that it is either fragrance-free or contains minimal fragrance. Lots of body washes overload the fragrance, and that can be too irritating for facial skin. If the body wash you're considering smells strongly of citrus, baked goods, flowers, or any other scent that emanates from the bottle as soon as you open it, don't use it on the face. Also, watch out for body washes that contain drying detergent cleansing agents such as sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium C14-16 olefin sulfonate. These aren't too common in body washes, but they're worth looking out for. Some of my favorite body washes include Paula's Choice All Over Hair & Body Shampoo, Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash, Dove Beauty Body Wash Sensitive Skin, Jason Natural Cosmetics Fragrance-Free Satin Shower Body Wash, and St. Ives Collagen Elastin or Oatmeal & Honey Moisturizing Body Wash.