For many women, the honest answer is no. Most everyday cleansers are good at lifting surface dirt, but long wear makeup and sunscreen, especially the water resistant mineral formulas we ask you to wear every day, are made to stay put. A quick wash can leave a thin film behind that you cannot see in the mirror. Over time that film can settle into pores, dull your skin and keep your serums from doing their best work. The answer is not scrubbing harder. It is a gentle cleanser made to remove what your day leaves behind, used well, morning and night. At SKYN, that cleanser is Pavīse Gentle Amino Powerwash.
Gentle Amino Powerwash is a one step cleanser with a silky serum texture. Amino acid cleansers lift away sunscreen, makeup and buildup without stripping, a touch of glycolic acid keeps pores clear, and squalane leaves skin soft and hydrated. It is gentle enough for the eye area and for skin that is healing.
Best for: All skin types, breakouts and congested pores, removing mineral sunscreen and makeup, and gentle cleansing after treatments.
Key ingredients: Amino acid cleansers, glycolic acid and squalane.
How to use: Massage a small amount over damp skin morning and night, including the eye area, then rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry.
Why does cleansing matter so much?
I tell every client the same thing: your cleanser is the first product to touch your skin, and every step after it depends on it. A good cleanse does a few quiet jobs.
It clears the day away. Makeup, sunscreen, oil and pollution mix with sweat through the day. Left on overnight, that mix can clog pores and leave texture uneven.
It gets your skin ready. Serums and treatments absorb best into clean skin. They struggle to get through a film of old product.
It supports your treatment plan. For acne, rosacea and sensitive skin, the right gentle cleanser is part of the plan from day one.
It protects your barrier. A harsh wash that leaves skin squeaky and tight strips away the oils your barrier needs. I explained the barrier as a brick wall in Fewer Products, Better Skin. Clean should feel comfortable, never tight.
What most cleansers leave behind
Pavīse wanted to see what really happens at the sink, so they photographed it under UV light, where sunscreen shows up dark against the skin. In the first photo, strips of several different sunscreens sit on the skin before washing. In the second, taken after an ordinary cleanse, many of those strips are still easy to see, even though the skin looked clean to the eye.
Before cleansing: six sunscreens under UV light. Photo: Pavīse.
After an ordinary cleanse, much of the sunscreen remains. Photo: Pavīse.
That is the part I find so compelling. We cannot see the residue, so we assume it is gone. But when sunscreen and makeup linger night after night, they can add to blackheads, clogged pores and the dull, tired look so many women describe to me in consults.
Signs your cleanser may be falling short
Makeup still shows up on your towel or a cotton pad after you wash
Your skin feels tight, squeaky or itchy right after cleansing
Blackheads and clogged pores keep returning around your nose, chin and hairline
You find yourself washing twice just to feel clean
If one of these sounds familiar, look at your cleanser before you add another product.
Exfoliation, in plain words
Your skin sheds its outer layer of cells all on its own. When we are young, that renewal happens quickly. As we age it slows, and dead cells hang on longer, which is part of why mature skin can look dull and feel rough.
Gentle exfoliation helps that process along. Too much does the opposite: harsh scrubs and stacked acids can leave skin red, raw and more sensitive than before. That is why I prefer a little exfoliation built into a daily cleanser, with professional treatments like a Customized Clinical Facial or HydraFacial® or a chemical peel when your skin needs more. Daily should be gentle. The deeper work belongs in the treatment room.
Emily giving a HydraFacial® at SKYN.
Why we chose Gentle Amino Powerwash
When I chose Pavīse as SKYN's main line, the cleanser had to earn its place too. Here is what Powerwash brings to the sink:
Gentle amino acid cleansers lift away waterproof makeup, mineral sunscreen and the day's buildup without stripping your skin's natural oils.
A touch of glycolic acid loosens dead cells and surface oil, so pores stay clearer and skin looks brighter over time.
Niacinamide helps calm redness and keeps the glycolic acid comfortable.
Squalane leaves skin soft and comfortable after rinsing.
Nothing your skin does not need. It is free of sulfates and fragrance. Fragrance is one of the most common reasons people react to cosmetic products, so I look for fragrance free formulas, especially for sensitive skin.
Pavīse reports that Powerwash passed Human Repeat Insult Patch Testing, a standard test that checks a product for irritation and allergic reactions on volunteers' skin. And in the same UV test, the arm washed with Powerwash came up clean, with the sunscreen strips gone.
The same six sunscreens before and after Gentle Amino Powerwash, under UV light. Photo: Pavīse.
Powerwash has a silky serum texture, and it is gentle enough to use around the eyes, morning and night.
How to cleanse the SKYN way
Start with damp skin and a small amount of Powerwash.
Massage it in for about a minute. Spend a little extra time around the eyes, the sides of the nose, along the jaw and up into the hairline, where sunscreen and makeup like to hide.
Rinse well with lukewarm water, never hot.
Pat dry with a clean towel.
Follow right away with the rest of your routine: Precision Eye Lift, then Dynamic Age Defense SPF 30 in the morning, or Bioadaptive Stress Repair at night.
Cleanse every morning and every night. The night cleanse matters most, because it removes everything your day left behind.
Where Powerwash fits in your SKYN Plan
Powerwash is the first step of the simple three step Pavīse routine, morning and night. If you are in a treatment plan with peels, SkinPen® microneedling or UltraClear® laser resurfacing, we will tell you exactly when to return to your cleanser and the rest of your products afterward.
Gentle Amino Powerwash is $56 in the studio or in the SKYN shop. Pick it up in Star or we will ship it to your home, and orders over $150 ship free.
SKYN Society members, your balance pays first at your member price on products too, so your cleanser simply becomes part of your plan. Essential is $89 a month and Signature is $189 a month, and your balance never expires while you are a member.
Every SKYN treatment has medical oversight from our Medical Director, and our team brings 20+ years of combined expertise. Meet the team.
Questions we hear about cleansing
Do I need to double cleanse to remove sunscreen?
Not with a cleanser made for it. Powerwash is designed to remove mineral sunscreen and waterproof makeup in one wash. On a heavy makeup day, a second pass is perfectly fine.
Can I use a cleanser with glycolic acid every day?
Powerwash has a small amount of glycolic acid made for daily use. If you also use a retinoid or a prescription cream, or your skin is very sensitive, ask us how to pair them.
Is Gentle Amino Powerwash good for sensitive skin?
It is sulfate free and fragrance free, with niacinamide to help calm redness, and Pavīse reports it passed repeat patch testing. If your skin reacts easily, we are happy to look at it with you before you start.
Can I use it around my eyes?
Yes. Powerwash is gentle enough for the eye area. Keep it out of the eyes themselves and rinse well.
How do I know if my cleanser is too harsh?
Your skin should feel clean and comfortable after you rinse. Tightness, a squeaky feel, itching or redness are signs your cleanser is stripping your barrier.
Should I wash my face in the morning too?
Yes. A gentle morning cleanse clears away overnight oil and the products you wore to bed, and gives your SPF a clean base to sit on.
Start with your SKYN Plan
Not sure what your skin needs? Book a free SKYN Plan Consultation. We look at your skin with VISIA®, talk through what matters to you, and build a simple home routine and treatment plan with every price shown before you book. You can also call (208) 248 0064 or text (208) 361 2201, and we will help you choose.
You might also like: Fewer Products, Better Skin: Why I Chose Pavīse · Clinical Facials and HydraFacial® · Chemical Peels · Shop Pavīse
From Liliya and Emily
So much of what we do at SKYN begins with something small, done faithfully. A clean start every morning and every night is one of those things. It is not glamorous, but it is where healthy skin begins, and it lets everything else you do work the way it should. We will never push a product you do not need. We will build your routine with you, show you every price before you buy, and be right here whenever you have a question.
"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." Psalm 51:10, KJV
Liliya Yanyk, RN, Founder and Nurse Injector · Emily Selkirk, LE, Licensed Master Aesthetician
