Cleansing is the first step in your skincare routine. It is an essential step to keep your skin clean and healthy.
Taking care of your skin can make a significant change to your appearance and the health of your skin. The first step of the skincare routine, if you have one, should be to cleanse your skin. As important as it is, you might have wondered if there were a proper way to wash your face or feel overwhelmed by feeling like you have to consider multiple factors. Also, you might have constantly been exploring numerous times to adjust what cleanser and how you wash your face to find the most efficient way.
After all, there are various techniques you can use to assist in adequately washing your face and things you can consider to make the cleansing process more effective. Not to mention, there are various types of cleansers, and the suitability of those cleansers to your different skin types to consider as well. You can learn about the different factors and ways to wash your face here. That way, you can find the best way to cleanse your face properly after considering them.
Why You Should Cleanse Your Face
Imagine, when you wake up and come back from work, you wash your face to feel refreshed, even if it is using water only. Similarly, you should feel restored after washing your face and cleaning if you are cleansing correctly. Fundamentally, the reason to cleanse your face is not only to feel refreshed but to clean the negative elements you get exposed to when you go around for the day.
There are various harmful elements such as dust, pollutants, bacteria, and germs that can be quite unhealthy and add to causing problems for your skin. These elements can create acne outbreaks, dullness, and even clog your pores which can be detrimental to your goal of getting a healthy appearance. Therefore, cleansing your face is vital to keeping your skin healthier.
How You Should Cleanse Your Face
Unfortunately, no magic formula keeps your skin clean perfectly and works for everyone. After all, everyone is unique and different, and your skin type can also change depending on various factors. However, there are numerous things you can do to figure out which ways, strategies, and products would work for you best.
Using Water Only
For instance, some people question if using only water is enough to keep your skin clean, which is not an entirely incorrect method. Washing with clean water is probably the freshest and safest way. It can eliminate multiple potentially harmful elements such as sweat, dirt, and dust. However, water might not always be sufficient to eliminate other toxic components such as excess oil, chemicals, bacteria, and germs, although our skin does its best to fight these elements by its methods.
Water can be used as a cleansing method for a break from skincare products and all of their chemicals. If you didn’t hear it before, taking some break from skincare products and chemicals can do wonders for your skin in a positive way. Talking about water, you might be wondering if you should use cold or hot water.
Lukewarm water is recommended to use when washing your face. The reason is that warm water can have a pretty balancing effect when cleansing, the temperature allows you to break down the components you are trying to get rid of, such as dirt and oil. Also, it keeps your skin’s natural hydration elements, such as natural oil.
Cold water cleansing is not without some benefits. It can help with blood circulation to make your skin look healthier momentarily and tighten the appearance of your skin, such as pores, so that it might look more revitalised. However, hot water can be quite harmful as it can strip your skin off, meaning your natural oils will be washed and leave you dry skin.
Using Skincare Products
Another method to cleanse your face would be to use skin care products such as cleansers, balms, and exfoliators. It might seem that using a cleanser means splashing your face with some water, putting on a bit of gentle cleanser, and rinsing your face with water again, but there is more to this than that.
Cleansing your face properly can be beneficial in numerous ways, such as reducing acne outbreaks, washing away dead skins, and unclogging the pores to help you get healthier skin. It is essential to know how to cleanse things that are harder to wash away, such as excess oil and makeup if you use them because they can cause skin problems.
You should select and think about what cleansers to use and how to use them, such as if you need to double cleanse because you use makeup or have oily skin. You can think about your needs and adjust accordingly sometimes. You might need to experiment to see which products work best for you since multiple cleanser types do the same job.
Before going through how you can choose your cleanser, let’s discuss what you should consider. You should consider your situation, such as if you use makeup and what environment you mostly spend your time in, like hot or cold weather.
It would be best if you also thought about your skin type to be more selective about which cleansers might work better for you. Check over here if you want to learn more about skin types and how to find yours. Knowing your skin type can be helpful as experimenting with skincare products can take time and be costly. Another thing to note is that your skin type can change depending on different factors, so you should check from time to time to adjust your skincare routine appropriately.
You should gently wash your face and, if you want, neck by wetting your face with lukewarm water using your fingertips in a circular motion to apply your gentle cleanser, making sure you are not scrubbing your face. Splash with lukewarm water after gently applying your cleanser to wash them away and pat dry with a clean and soft towel.
The circular motion can assist you in getting rid of bacteria and debris more efficiently while improving blood circulation, which can help you get healthier skin that is more radiant. Also, you can try to take a break for a few days to 2 weeks from skincare products and chemicals. You can wash with clean lukewarm water when you are on break to see if it works for you and helps to improve your skin.
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Choosing Your Cleanser
There are several cleansers. Some are more suitable for different skin types and have their own usage:
• Micellar Cleansers
Micellar cleansers, also known as micellar water, are water-based cleansers. They work to attract oil with their formula containing micelles. Micellar cleansers are gentle and rinse-free, generally free of alcohol, and safe for all skin types, including sensitive skin. Many people think this is too gentle on their skin, but they can help tighten your pores. Additionally, micellar water can be used as the first cleanser if you are interested in double cleansing, which means you wash again after using another gentle cleanser.
• Cleansing Oils
Cleansing oils are oil-based cleansers. You might be wondering if using oil-based cleansers are good. It would be adding more oil to your face, which can be confusing, especially if you have oily skin or excess oil. However, cleansing oil can break down excess oil and balance your skin by working with your natural oil. It gently cleanses the harmful components such as dirt and debris that can clog your pores without drying your skin. Cleansing oil can work outstanding as the first cleanser for double cleansing, especially if you use makeup and have oily skin. The cleansing oil would break down your makeup and oil so you can cleanse your face with another gentle cleanser better.
• Milk Cleansers
Most of the time, milk cleansers are not actually made from milk but have milky texture and emulsion based on water and fat. They are gentle cleansers and can be used by all skin types, especially sensitive skin. It can also be used as the first cleanser for double cleansing. Milk cleansers can hydrate your skin, which is excellent if you are in hot or cold weather and often have dry skin.
• Cleansing Balms
Cleansing balms are pretty similar to cleansing oil. It is also oil-based and gently removes negative elements harmful to your skin. However, cleansing balms don’t necessarily need water and can be moisturising, most of the time without containing harsh ingredients that can be stripping. Therefore, although cleansing balms can be suitable for all skin types, they can be particularly good for dry or sensitive skin. It can also be good for sustainability as you don’t need to use a cotton pad and water most of the time.
• Cream Cleansers
Cream cleansers are water-based and pretty rich with a creamy texture. It is a gentle cleanser that works to gently cleanse your skin without being stripping, making it a fantastic second cleanser choice. Cream cleansers are most of the time suitable for all skin types, including dry or sensitive skin, because they work to hydrate your skin.
• Gel Cleansers
Gel cleansers are water-based as well and usually clear with a gel-like texture. It can be used to cleanse deep, which effectively removes excess oil and unclog your pores. Gel cleansers can also have antiseptic properties that can be helpful if you have acne-prone skin. It has exfoliating properties that can be good for oily skin as well. However, gel cleansers can cleanse deep means they can be stripping for dry or sensitive skin.
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• Foam Cleansers
Foam cleansers are water-based and start as gel or cream and become foamy as you use them. It can be thought of as a between product of gel and cream. However, foam cleansers can be a powerful cleanser that can wash away almost everything, even makeup, and sunscreen. Therefore, it can be harsh to some skin types, such as dry and sensitive skin.
• Cleansing Bars
Cleansing bars are mostly oil-based and are different from bar soaps that you may use to wash your hand or body, which can strip and make your skin dry. Cleansing bars gently clean away the harmful components such as dirt, debris, bacteria and unclog your pores. It can be portable cleansers as you can easily pack for traveling or a trip and can be sustainable as there are usually no packages left over. Cleansing bars are an ideal choice for all skin types, particularly those who have dehydrated skin with its gentle and hydrating functions.
• Clay Cleansers
Clay cleansers, as the name suggests, are formulated by incorporating clay. They are known to remove impurities and toxins from your pores. Clay cleansers also keep your skin balanced and usually don’t contain harsh or stripping ingredients. Therefore, it is ideal for combination oily and acne-prone skin as it can unclog your pores gently.
Depending on your needs, oil-based cleansers can be more gentle and ideal for most skin types, particularly if you don’t have acne-prone skin as it can be hydrating.
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Other Skincare Products That Can Be Used
• Face Wipes
Face wipes can be a pretty common skincare product that some may be used to cleanse your skin, particularly as a first cleanser and for those who don’t have time or go for trips. If there are harsh ingredients, it can be stripping and even make your skin get irritated. However, some face wipes can contain chemicals that might not be friendly for your skin and might not be great for sustainability if the wipes can’t be decomposed.
• Exfoliators
Exfoliators are great for removing dead and dry skin. Putting exfoliation into your skincare routine can be pretty beneficial, such as increasing skin’s appearance to look youthful, radiant, and clear. However, exfoliating can be sometimes harsh as it scrubs your skin to remove the debris. You should try to use it two to three times a week but observe if your skin can handle it and adjust the usage time. Exfoliating can make your skin sensitive and be harmful if you exfoliate too frequently.
• Facial Cleansing Equipment
There is various facial cleansing equipment such as facial cleansing brushes and machines. They work to remove impurities and exfoliate to cleanse your skin effectively. However, some of this equipment can be too effective, harsh on your skin, and stripping, making your skin dry or damaged. You should use it once a week and adjust depending on how your skin reacts when you start using it.
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How Often Should You Cleanse Your Face
Generally, you would cleanse your face twice daily, once during the day and another at night. The exception could be if you sweated heavily as perspiration can sometimes irritate your skin and if you were exposed to harmful chemicals or elements.
Also, if you are double cleansing, you should double cleanse once at night, especially if you use makeup, sunscreen, and have excess oil, as it can be harsh for your skin to over wash twice per day. However, you should check if double cleansing is irritating or making your skin feeling stripped and dry, which means you shouldn’t double cleanse and find one cleanser that can wash your skin well.
Cleansing your skin is vital to improving your skin and keeping your skin healthy. Even just washing your face properly can do wonders for your skin and make significant changes to your appearance. It is no wonder that cleansing is the first step to skincare routines. To properly cleanse your skin, there were different factors to consider, strategies, and ways to implement.
It would be best to think about what environment you are exposed to, such as hot or cold weather, and what your skin type could be so that you can selectively try different skincare products that could save time and reduce your cost. Furthermore, you would be able to find better cleansers that work for you and your needs by finding out those various factors that can affect your skin and how you need to take care of them.