The fountain of youthful skin starts here.
How you cleanse your skin is the foundation for all that comes after. If you want better, healthier skin and get better results from your chosen skincare regimen, well, then, getting your cleansing right is the best place to start.
But why does it matter?
Your skin is exposed to pollutants every day, so even if you find yourself on a makeup-free day, your skin has still been exposed to the environment and the toxins in it. That alone is a good reason to cleanse your skin properly and if you are wearing makeup it’s especially true.
Skip the beauty hacks. Inadequate cleansing or just using the wrong cleanser for your skin type will make a huge impact on the results you’re getting for your skin.
First up, shortcuts or hacks are not the way to great skin. Nothing good can come from using cleansing facial wipes. Just this one change? Much better skin.
Cleanse properly every night with the right cleanser? Even better skin.
You don’t need to cleanse again in the morning unless you have a particularly dry or dehydrated skin or, your skin becomes easily irritated in which case, an oil-based cleanser applied to your face before your shower will protect your skin from any pH disruption caused by the water alone. This is especially true in winter.
There are thousands of cleansers on the market. It could even be said it’s a crowded market. It’s exhausting. So how do you choose?
What type of cleanser is right for you?
I love a cleanser that suits all skins. But, just because it says it’s for all skin types, doesn’t mean it is. If it foams up, then it’s not really the best cleanser for dry skin. Likewise, if your cleanser is heavy with emollients then it may not suit a post oily skin, even if it’s dehydrated.
The very best cleansers remove only what’s on the surface of your skin like, dirt, oil, pollutants and makeup with minimal disruption to your acid mantle or the pH of your skin. You’ll know this by how your skin feels after cleansing. If your skin feels uncomfortable and you find yourself reaching, post-haste for your moisturiser, then it’s the wrong cleanser for you.
Look for a formula with a low fragrance or none at all. A heavily fragranced cleanser could contain irritating botanicals or, alcohol which is, of course, drying to the skin. Avoid.
What about Parabens?
While there is no clear evidence to suggest paraben preservatives are toxic to you or your skin, in this day and age of sophisticated skincare there seems no reason to continue to use them if you don’t have to.
What’s best for you?
The amount of cleansers available these days is staggering, the best way to choose is with knowing your skin type. If you’re not sure of this you could get the advice of a skincare professional. What’s important is choosing a cleanser that won’t strip away you skins natural lipids while getting the skin ready for any other active serums you are using. And, choosing for your skin type not your preference as hard as that is.
Squeaky clean is not clean, it’s stripped!
If you love the feeling of a squeaky clean skin, or if you’ve been cleansing your skin with products that leave your skin feeling this way for so long it just feels normal to you, then making a change to a cleanser that actually balances your skin correctly may take some getting used to.
In fact, when you first make the switch, it’s quite likely you’ll feel a little dissatisfied. You may even think you’ve made a mistake, but you haven’t, persevere, your future skin will thank you.
See you next time,
This is part 2 of a two-part series. Part 1 can be found here – Cleanse your way to healthy skin. Part 1.