The Perfect Detox For Your Specific Skin Type

Spending less time outdoors in winter gives us a great opportunity to deep clean, because we can strip away skin's outer layers with less risk of sun damage. Use the newest dirt-hoovering, oil-sopping, makeup-melting ingredients to make detoxing easier than ever—just use a formula that's right for your skin type, advises Dendy Engelman, MD, a dermatologist at Manhattan Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery, and don't forget to moisturize right away, while skin is damp.

Photograph courtesy of Ceramide

Your skin type: Normal, combination, and dry
Look for: Botanical oil
Why: Like attracts like, chemically speaking, so count on a cleansing oil to whisk away even waterproof makeup, dirt residue and yes, oil itself. "It's deep cleansing but it won't break you out," Engelman says.
Find it in: Ceramide Replenishing Cleansing Oil by Elizabeth Arden ($36, elizabetharden.com), with apricot oil plus skin-conditioning ceramides and antioxidants to block cell damage from environmental pollutants and UV radiation. A budget-friendly option is Avalon Organics Wrinkle Therapy Cleansing Oil ($12.99, avalonorganics.com).

Your skin type: Sensitive, dry, eczema-prone
Look for: Activated hydrogen
Why: It binds to the superficial dead skin cells, which then simply rub off. "It's a gentler exfoliation for people who can't tolerate chemicals," Engelman says.
Find it in: Cure Natural Aqua Gel ($28.50, amazon.com), a cult-favorite exfoliator in Japan, also has natural plant extracts—rosemary, ginko and aloe vera—to calm inflammation.

Photograph courtesy of Dermalogica

Your skin type: Oily, enlarged pores
Look for: Activated charcoal
Why: Negatively charged charcoal attracts and binds itself to positively charged toxins, like a magnet pulling dirt and oil out of pores. "It's very oil-absorbing, so it's great if you're prone to blackheads," Engelman says.
Find it in: Dermalogica Charcoal Masque ($46, dermalogica.com) also has sulfur, which is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, plus physical and chemical exfoliants to promote cell turnover, brighten skin and refine pores over time.

Photograph courtesy of Prevage

Your skin type: Very dry or mature
Look for: Protease enzymes
Why: When cell turnover slows, enzymes prevent dulling buildup. "If the top layer of skin is like a brick wall, enzymes dissolve the cement, so those little bricks can fall off," Engelman says. "Skin looks more luminous, younger."
Find it in: Prevage Anti-aging Treatment Boosting Cleanser ($34.95, amazon.com), which has the most powerful antioxidant available (idebenone) to support natural cell renewal without over-drying already delicate skin.