A cleansing routine is vital for keeping your skin healthy and preventing disease. Getting into good habits early on can be beneficial and result in fresher, smoother skin.
One of the main functions of skin is to act as a barrier to the outside world. People often damage their skin's barrier function from environmental pollutants, cumulative sun damage, and anti-aging products that contain retinoids. A cleanser can help remove any dirt we come into contact with, from our home to work to going to the gym or even just socializing. It also eliminates the micro-organisms with which we share our world and potentially improves the barrier function of the skin. This will give the natural glow or your skin the chance to really shine through.
Cleansing and soap in particular - has a very long pedigree in human history. Cleansing was documented in the Ebers Papyrus and written in Ancient Egypt around 1550 BC. Egyptians used heavy face make-up and cleansing bars made of animal fat and perfume. In this day and age, we are spoiled for choice. We typically take better care of the skin on our face than other parts of our body. In response, cleansing technology has become more advanced to fit this need. There is a wide range of cleansing products on the market. Facial cleansers include bar soaps, foaming and non-foaming cleansers, cleansing milks, toners, scrubs, micellar waters and oils. There are different kinds of skincare products that are tailored to your skin type.
There is a common misconception that expensive products work better than their cheaper counterparts. The key here is to focus on your skin type and what ingredients you believe add value to your skin. For cleansers shop for ease of use, ingredients, and how well it removes dirt. Here are 6 rules to help you cleanse right:
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Cleanse your face both mornings and evenings. The evening cleanse is supper important to remove sweat, dust, makeup, pollution, sun screen and etc. If we fail to do so, this can result in break outs, blemishes, premature skin which we really don’t want.
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Thou Shalt Not Forget Thy Neck - In case you haven’t heard it lately, your neck needs love too. It’s one of the spots that show signs of aging first, mainly because it’s not a top priority in your skincare regimen. But your neck should be included in every step of your routine, starting with cleansing.
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Face wipes are always a no-no unless you're using them as a last resort at the gym or on the go. This is because they can cause skin irritation, and mainly just smear dirt, make-up and oils across the skin's surface - you don't end up with a thorough cleanse. It’s far away from proper cleanse skin, most wipes are not a sustainable option for the environment.
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If using water, the temperature should always be warm like lukewarm, not cold because is less effective to remove oils from the skin and too hot can leave our skin dry and irritated.
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Never, ever apply a facial cleansing (no matter is foam, gel or cream texture) to dry skin directly, it can lead to sensitivity. Apply warm water first on your face or use special damp cloth then apply the cleansing and give a bit moist.
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Always use a towel to pat the face dry. Do not vigorously rub the skin as you dry it as this can lead to unnecessary irritation.
