Julia Poto Holistic Formulator
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Formulator focused on barrier-first, intentional skincare
04/22/2026
When I think about a cleanser, I’m not chasing the most dramatic experience.
I care about whether cleansing leaves skin feeling respected, balanced, and comfortable a few minutes later. Not stripped, reactive, or pushed too far.
This is the lens I bring to cleansing as a formulator, and it shapes what I value in a cleansing experience.
Which of these matters most to you in a cleanser: comfort, balance, rinse feel, or how your skin settles afterward?
- Julia | Holistic Skincare Formulator
Etobicoke, ON 🍁
A cleanser does not have to feel dramatic to tell you something useful.
A few minutes later, your skin is usually much clearer about what just happened:
• calm, soft, and comfortable
• noticeably tight or dry
• heavy, greasy, or just not quite right
That post-cleanse feeling can tell you a lot about whether your skin feels balanced, or whether something is off.
Balanced skin is usually quiet skin.
Which of these post-cleanse feelings do you notice most often?
- Julia | Holistic Skincare Formulator
Etobicoke, ON 🍁
Most people judge cleansers by the immediate sensation.
But that’s not always the most useful way to assess whether a cleanser is actually a good fit for your skin.
A better question is:
How does your skin feel a few minutes later?
Is irritation showing up?
Does your skin feel balanced afterward? Not stripped, overly coated, or unsettled?
A cleanser can feel different from what you’re used to without actually being wrong for your skin.
This is where skincare becomes less reactive and more intentional.
What’s the first thing you usually notice after cleansing?
- Julia | Holistic Skincare Formulator
Etobicoke, ON 🍁
You do not necessarily need a cleanser every morning.
For some skin types, especially drier or more sensitive skin, morning cleansing can be more than the skin actually needs. A good routine is not about doing the most, it is about doing what's intentional, appropriate, and barrier-respectful.
Sometimes a gentle morning cleanse makes sense. But sometimes water is enough. The better question is not “what is the rule?” but “what does my skin actually need here?”
What does your skin usually prefer in the morning? 👇Tell me in the comments.
-Julia | Holistic Skincare Formulator
Etobicoke, ON 🍁
Sometimes when a routine suddenly feels reactive, we immediately look at serums or treatments.
But the cleanser quietly sets the biochemical conditions for everything that follows.
If cleansing removes more surface lipids than the skin comfortably tolerates, the barrier can become temporarily more permeable — which may change how the rest of the routine feels.
That’s why evaluating the cleansing step is often the most overlooked place to start. And now you know to start here.
Save this if you’ve ever wondered whether your cleanser might be too strong.
– Julia | Holistic Skincare Formulator
Toronto, Ontario 🍁
Not every cleanser is meant to leave your skin squeaky clean.
If a cleanser leaves a soft film on your skin, that doesn’t automatically mean it’s cleansing poorly.
Sometimes that sensation comes from how the formula emulsifies and rinses (especially in oil or balm cleansing systems). Other times it comes from conditioning components intentionally included to make cleansing feel less stripping.
Different cleansers are designed to create different finishes on the skin. Some are meant to leave the skin feeling very bare. Others are designed to leave a softer, more comfortable finish after rinsing.
So the sensation you feel after cleansing isn’t always a sign that something went wrong. It may simply be part of the formula.
Save this if you’ve ever assumed a film-like finish meant a cleanser wasn’t working.
– Julia | Holistic Skincare Formulator
Toronto, Ontario 🍁
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