I wanted to do a whole series on this blog about skincare routines, and I thought it would be appropriate to start off with what comes first in the routine: The cleansing step.
Cleansing is so important because is removes the gunk you had on your face at night (all those moisturizers, serums, sweat, dead skin, etc), and it makes your morning products absorb better. At night, it gets off all the makeup, pollution, and oils and prepares your skin to soak up our best working treatments. It's also important because it introduces water to the skin, ensuring hydration (once you've covered it back up with products to seal the water in).
I have a couple rules for myself when it comes to cleansing: no sulphates and at night, double cleanse.
All the cleansers I choose have no sulphates in them. This is very important; it helps to keep the pH of the skin low (acidic) so that way it can fight off any bacteria it encounters. Sulphates alkaline the skin making it a breeding ground for bacteria. Also, sulphates strip the skin, compromising its natural moisture barrier and causing it to produce MORE oil.
My favorite cleansers don't foam at all (I usually go for oils and balms), but they still get the skin clean. Clean does not have to mean stripped. I like to feel like my skin is soft and plump after cleansing, not tight and dry. If it feels that way, I know I need a more hydrating cleanser. After I've cleansed, I like to go in with my toner and have nothing else come up on the pad that my cleanser should have gotten rid of.
That means a double cleanse. I always double cleanse at night because I wear sunscreen or makeup. The first cleanse removes the gunk, the second cleanses the skin. Again, balms are the best for the first cleanse because the oils just break down all that grime and completely get rid of it.
I'll massage the balm into my face for a good while, paying extra attention to massage my chin and move the lymph away from my face and down my neck. This helps drain the lymph from the face that is usually the culprit behind those under the skin blemishes. When I massage my eyes in the same manner, they also are less puffy because I've drained that fluid from them. Nice.
I make sure to cleanse the neck as well.
I then take a hot wash cloth and remove everything from my face and neck. I do the exact same thing for my double cleanse.
My favorite cleansers for oily skins are the ones that are targeted at dry skins. I find balms and oils balance oilier skin (as well as dry skin, of course). To be honest, I don't believe in the whole skin type specific regimen. It's all industry bull shit (take this from someone that works in the industry). All skin just wants to be nourished. Cleansers that are aimed at oily skins (this is all marketing) usually just dehydrate them and make them worse so you continue to spend your money on the same stuff that doesn't work because it's "for your skin type." When it comes to cleansing, everyone should be going for hydrating cleansers in my opinion. After that, you can worry about good ingredients in your toners and serums for certain skin issues.
My favorite cleansers for all skins are the Eve Lom cleanser, the Tata Harper cleansers, my current love from Darphin, and the Fresh Soy Cleanser (which lathers a bit even without sulphates, but still moisturizes the skin).
While those are all pricy cleansers, you can still find other cheap methods to cleanse. Honestly, cleansing just needs to get everything off, and you can do that cheaply (the Cera Ve hydrating cleanser is good, I really like the Soap and Glory Ultimelt Hot Cloth Cleanser, or even coconut oil is great for makeup breakup). If you're on a budget, spend on your toner and serum, not on your cleanser and moisturizer (more on that later).
Ultimately, this is just my advice, what I do that works, and the advice I give to my clients. Do what works for you. If you are having some problems though, I hope this is useful information!
Stay tuned for the next post on toning, one of the most important steps that is NOT to be skipped in your routine.
No comments:
Post a Comment