Are All Cleansers the Same?

 

Hello and Happy Halloween! The easy answer is that No, all cleansers are not the same, but to really get to the bottom of it, we need to look more than just skin deep.  What about the people that say that they have been using soap, or Oil Of Olay their whole lives, and they are perfectly happy to continue?  Are they missing something, or wrong?  Not necessarily.

Everyone has different skin needs and even the same face over time, and with different circumstances or climates may need different care.  For those that suffer from an over abundance of oil, or acne, there is a tendency to over clean, or strip the skin in an effort to combat the oiliness.  It is important that in trying to clean the skin, you don’t strip or damage your skin barrier as it will continue to be reactive until it is healed.  Dry, aging, or mature skin has just the opposite problem.  Sometimes in an effort to combat dryness, we have resorted to heavy lotions that seem to just sit on the surface of the skin. (That is because that is EXACTLY what they do)

The first step is to have a better understanding of your skin type and individual needs.  Skin types are recognized as Normal, Oily, Combination, Dry, and Sensitive. (Please note that you may have sensitized skin that reacts like sensitive skin, but is not quite as reactive) If you do have overly dry skin, be wary of foaming cleansers as they will clean, but mostly strip the oils from your skin.  Instead, look for a moisturizing, no foam, or low foam cleansers. 

For oily or acne prone skin, you may consider using a cleansing balm or cleansing oil.  It may seem to be counterintuitive, but using an oil or oil based cleanser will actually attract the oil and allow you to more easily remove blackheads and sebum from your pores.  An important step to using this type of cleanser is to ensure that you use a bit of water before you do the final wash off to emulsify the oil into a milky substance to ensure that the oils and debris will be completely removed when wiped away.

For sensitive skin, an often overlooked irritant to cosmetics and skin care products is fragrance. If ingredients don’t have functional uses, they are only used for appeal and may be causing more allergic reactions.  You may need to look for a fragrance free product, or consider using a more natural alternative.

No matter what type of cleanser that you use, it is important to wash your face every day.  Even if you aren’t wearing makeup or sunscreen, there are plenty of germs and toxins that light on our skin just be going outside or about.  

I will be doing another blog and an accompanying video on double cleansing, but for now…

WASH YOUR FACE!!!

Ciao for Now!

Deblilah