The Importance of Cleansing
Cleansing is an essential part of any skincare routine but choosing the right cleanser for your skin is also vital.
Do I need to Cleanse AM & PM?
We often get asked do I need to cleanse twice a day and the answer to this is YES.
In the morning, cleansing your face is beneficial due to the natural exfoliating process that occurs whilst your sleep. Cleansing your face when you wake helps to remove any toxins, dead skin cells and excess oils the skin may secrete overnight. The right cleanser will balancing your skin and provide a fresh surface for the start of the day allowing for better penetration of skincare products.
In the evening, it is important to wash off make up, dirt and debris that you skin will have collected throughout the day, As well as this, certain physiological changes in the skin occur overnight and any surface impurities would prevent the skin from regenerating correctly, since the skin requires the oxygen found in a clean face to do so properly. And again allowing better penetration of any PM skincare products
Why is Cleansing Important?
Remove Surface build up
Cleansing facilitates the removal of dirt, oil, and other unwanted debris. Throughout the day the skin on your face is continually covered with bacteria, pollutants, viruses, dirt, and old (dead) skin cells.Cleansing will remove this surface build up and allow a clean palette for other skincare products that follow thereafter.
Enhance Penetration of Skincare Routine
Cleansing is the best way to prep your skin for other skincare products. Congested pores can not only cause breakouts but also prevent the absorption of other skincare products, cleansing daily will help to clear your pores and ensure that the active ingredients in your moisturisers and serums can penetrate the deeper layers of the skin.
Boosting Hydration
Cleansing helps manage pH levels of the skin; enabling sufficient water and product retention.
How to Cleanse Correctly
- Massage the cleanser around your face for at least one minute This will allow enough time for a thorough cleanse, really working the cleanser and its active ingredients into the skin. If you have time we would say 1-3 minutes is the optimal time.
- Do not be harsh with cleansing such as over washing, scrubbing or rubbing,
- The temperature of the water matters too. Hot water doesn’t open pores and cold water won’t close them either. In fact, hot water can strip your skin of essential oils and switching water temperatures will only put skin into shock, so it’s best to rinse with water that is lukewarm or cold water.
- Follow the instructions of the cleanser. The company will also provide how best to use their cleansers.
Why We Say No To Facial Wipes
- Makeup wipes don’t do a sufficient job of cleaning the skin. They will remove makeup, dirt, and dead skin to a certain degree but it does not provide a thorough clean, The remaining dirt, dead skin and make up is smeared around the face.
- Facial wipes can cause irritation due to preservatives that prevent micro-organisms from contaminating the wipes.
- Ingredients such as formaldehyde-releasing chemicals, solubilizers, surfactants, and emulsifiers which increases the risk of developing inflammation on your skin,
- The actual mechanics of scrubbing your face with facial wipes, can leave the skin irritated. Rubbing can cause low-grade inflammation that can cause long term skin concerns such as fine lines.
Choosing the Right Cleanser for Skin
Cream based or cleansing milks
Perfect for dry, sensitive skin types but suitable for all. A good choice as a double cleanse. Our recommendation:
Dermaviduals DMS Cleansing Milk | A gentle cleanser containing the DMS complex which closely matches with the natural structure and
composition of healthy skin. This provides protection and care for the skin and will not disturb the pH of the skin. This cleanser is also free from preservatives, mineral oils, perfumes, dyes, amines, SLS, silicones and emulsifiers.
AHA/BHA Cleanser
Perfect for providing a deep clean; suitable for oily, acneic, pigmented skin types. Our recommendation:
iS Clinical Cleansing Complex | White Willow Bark Extract (a natural source of Salicylic Acid) heals and prevents blemishes and Sugar Cane Extract (source of Glycolic Acid) gently resurfaces and refreshes tired skin without leaving it feeling dry or tight.
Gel Cleanser
Perfect for providing a lightweight cleanser; suitable for normal, combination or oily skin and skin that is sensitive to redness. Our recommendation:
Julia Hunter Maximal Strength Cleanser | Fragrance-free, paraben and toxin/inflammation-free, sulfate-free deep cleanser gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin, yet due to its unique ingredients and formulation, perfectly able to deep clean oily, acneic pores without drying, irritation, inflammation nor stripping of the protective acid mantle.
Oil Based Cleanser
Perfect for removing oil-based and heavily pigmented products from the skin (such as heavier foundations); suitable for drier, mature skin types. Our recommendation:
CosMedix Purity Solution Cleansing Oil | Provides a deep clean that breaks down and removes excess oil, makeup, sunscreen and environmental impurities while nourishing Argan, Moringa and Olive Oils help to deliver key nutrients and antioxidants to keep skin clear and radiant.