Washing your face is a real simple task, isn’t it? Well, apparently not. According to a survey conducted, 80 percent of the people in American make at least one or more common mistakes when cleansing their faces. Knowing the proper techniques and how to choose a suitable cleanser are some pointers that every woman should know.
Avoid Soap Bars Regardless What Everyone Else Says
A soap bar is acceptable for cleaning your body, but its formula does more harm than good for the face, where the skin more delicate. Here’s why. Most soap bars are alkaline, their higher pH level causes the skin to be stripped of its natural oil and dry out. The balance of pH, healthy levels of oil and water on your skin degrades and your skin’s natural protective layer is damaged. Eventually, your skin is left irritated and excessively dry, leading to the formation of fine lines, large pores and breakouts.
Choose the Cleanser for Your Skin Needs
With the endless choices of cleansers available, choosing one for your skin can be rather confusing. Our general rule of thumb is to use a mild, gentle cleanser for your skin. Do not mistake mild for not being able to clean well. This type of cleanser tends to be the milk type. And a well-formulated milk cleanser, not only removes makeup, debris, and excess oil, it does not damage the integrity of your skin barrier, and even hydrates your skin. Avoid SLEs and SLS at all costs. If you have oily or acne-prone skin, you may prefer a foaming cleanser for a deeper cleanse, and a less silky sensorial experience. Take note that foaming cleansers tend to be more drying on your skin, and you can use it throughout the week instead of using it daily. And if your skin is no longer oily and acne has cleared, you should switch to a more hydrating milk cleanser.
Over and Under Washing
There is a tendency to overwash and overscrub your face if you live near the equator, where the temperature is hot and humidity is high. Overwashing may leave your skin feeling squeaky-clean, but it is actually damaging to your skin barrier. A weakened skin barrier cannot protect your skin from the environment, increasing the risk of inflammation and transepidermal water loss (TEWL). Your skin is left susceptible to dark spots, redness, fine lines and breakouts.
While you not purposefully under washing, you may not be giving your cleanser the time to do its job. Cleansers are formulated to help remove debris and dirt, unclog pores and go deep into them to remove excess sebum. No matter how good they are formulated, they need time to work on your skin. We recommend 2 minutes as the ideal cleaning time.
Don’t Use Hot Water
Use cool or lukewarm water to remove your cleanser, especially if you have sensitive skin. Hot water can cause the skin to flare up.
A Toner is Not Always Necessary
Toners were introduced to balance the skin’s pH after cleansing, and in some cases, to remove films left behind by the cleansers. However, today’s facial cleansers are much more effective in cleansing and better formulated to keep your skin’s pH balanced after cleansing. Thus, it is not always needed to use a toner.
Be Gentle!
Massaging too hard not only risks redness and irritation on your face, it can also over stimulate the sebum production from you oil glands. Use your fingertips in soft, circular motion to massage the cleanser into your skin, and let the product do its job. In addition, this can stimulation lymphatic drainage and circulation of your face.
Our List of Cleansers
We offer a selected range of cleansers to meet all skin needs and personal preferences. Here are a few.
Certified Natural Formulation
This certified natural and Vegan-friendly Milk Cleanser from bSoul, has the double action of a cleanser and makeup remover. It is gentle on the skin, yet powerful in removing makeup, dirt and excess oil from the skin. Your skin feels soft, hydrated and glowing after washing.
Cleanser for Dull Complexion
Double action of a cleanser and an exfoliant. IOMA Brightening Cleansing Mousse is a gentle foam that forms into a creamy lather, hydrates the skin while cleansing and improves its radiance after washing.
2 in 1 Cleanser and Toning Water
IOMA Youthful Pure Cleansing Water removes makeup and impurities without the harshness of makeup remover wipes. Contains no alcohol. So clean and soft, you do not have to use a cleanser on your skin after if you do not want to.