Basic Steps of a Facial Skin Care Routine: CLEANSING

There is no reason why you can’t have great skin if you really want it. Unfortunately, there is a lot of conflicting information out there about how to get it and the advice is not “one size fits all”. I will take you through each of the essential steps of a skin care routine one step at a time and explain to you what you should do at each step based upon your skin type.

The first step to taking care of your skin is choosing the right cleanser. The purpose of washing your face is to remove dirt, oil, make-up, and pollution from the surface of your skin. However, it is easy to derail your skin’s natural oil balance by over cleaning or using a cleanser that is too harsh for your skin type. Cleansers vary by the amount and types of detergents, moisturizers, emollients, and other ingredients. Avoid cleansers with harsh, toxic detergents (such as sodium lauryl sulfate and its analogs, and parabens), soap and alcohol. I prefer cleansers with natural ingredients, they are just as effective and more healthy for you.

Your skin naturally produces oil to protect itself from pollution and damaging environmental factors. The protective layer of oil on the surface of your skin is called the “acid mantle” and it is good for you. If your skin is too oily then your skin is over producing oil; if it is dry, then it is not producing enough oil. When your skin is properly cleansed the oil will achieve the proper balance, your face will be protected and your complexion will be radiant.

Oily Skin

If your goal when you are cleansing your skin is to scrub hard and go for that super squeaky clean feeling – then you are damaging your skin because you are stripping it of its natural oil. You will now force your skin to produce even MORE oil because it is so depleted, thereby making your condition WORSE. It will make you more susceptible to bacterial infection and pollution. Plus it will be scratched, sore and irritated.

Pimples, blackheads, and clogged pores are caused when dead skin cells are trapped on the surface of your skin because of excess oil. Bacteria then get trapped inside the pores and cause all sorts of problems for you. Gentle daily exfoliation is important. Choose a gel cleanser with alpha hydroxyl acid (AHA) and beta hydroxyl acid (BHA). Salicylic Acid is a BHA that penetrates deep into your pores to kill the bacteria growing inside. AHAs like Glycolic Acid and Lactic Acid help to gently exfoliate the dead skin cells from the surface of your face so that they don’t clog your pores. 

You will need to wash your face 2x per day, not more unless you are doing something that has caused a lot of dirt or sweat to be deposited on your face. If you are too oily during the day, blot your face with a tissue.

Dry Skin

Over washing is one of the biggest contributors to dry skin conditions. The best thing you can do to reverse this condition is to only wash your face once per day – in the evening before bed. During the night while you are sleeping you will not have created enough oil to necessitate a morning face wash. All you will need to do in the morning is to rinse your face with warm water and massage it gently with your finger tips.

Use a soap-less milky or cream cleanser in the evening. Dampen your face with water, put the cleanser on a cotton pad and wipe your face. Depending on how dirty your face is you may need to use a couple of cotton pads. If your cleanser has oil in it that is totally fine; oil dissolves dirt, oil and grime best.

Sensitive Skin
 

The chemicals, fragrances and colorings in skin care products can cause dryness and irritation. If you have sensitive skin you can look for cleansers that are hypoallergenic and fragrance-free, or you can proceed in a totally natural way by cleansing your face with oil. As I stated above, oil dissolves oil and grime easily. Grapeseed Oil and Jojoba Oil are the best because the composition of these oils is very similar to your body’s own natural sebum oil, so neither will clog your pores and they will both get absorbed very easily by your skin. An oil cleansing will leave your face moisturized and completely non-irritated. Place a few drops of oil on a cotton pad and wipe until you remove the dirt. Depending on how dirty your face is you may need to use a couple of cotton pads. In the morning just rinse your face with warm water and massage gently with your finger tips.

So in summary:

How you wash your face can make a difference in your appearance. Follow these tips to help you keep your face looking healthy:

1. Use a natural, gentle, non-abrasive cleanser.
2. Wet your face with lukewarm water and use your fingertips or cotton pad to apply cleanser. Using a washcloth, mesh sponge, or anything else can irritate your skin.
3. Resist the temptation to scrub your skin because scrubbing irritates the skin.
4. Rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry with a soft towel.
5. Limit washing to no more than twice a day and after sweating. If you have oily skin wash your face once in the morning and once at night, if you have dry or sensitive skin wash only in the evening; as well as after sweating heavily. Perspiration, especially when wearing a hat or helmet, irritates the skin. Wash your skin as soon as possible after sweating.

In my next blog post we will visit the Toning step.