Cleansing: Best Kept Simple.

It seems like most people find the cleansing step of their skincare routine forgettable. On the contrary, the cleansing step is 50% of your skincare routine. Having a solid cleansing routine is the first step to preparing your skin for what’s to come and maximizes the benefits of any skincare applied after including: face masks, serums, moisturizers, and so on.

Ok, so where to start? What cleanser should you get for your skin?

Traditionally, cleansers have come in cream or gel forms. Generally speaking: if your skin is dry, one will want to opt for a cream cleanser. If a person is oily and acne prone, they will want to opt for gel or foaming cleanser. While this is a good rule to follow starting out, you will begin to see that this rule is subjective and not everyone will fit this mold. The fast growing skincare market is often shelling out products left and right, it can be hard to find what fits. In the treatment room, a lot of the cleanser recommendations I give my clients end up being a cream-to-foam option. These kind of “hybrid” skincare products allow for a person to achieve a deep clean without stripping essential oils and leaving the skin tight and dry. Overly stripping cleansers can and will leave the skin irritated.

For every day cleansing, you want to keep it simple and avoid cleansers that have added exfoliating ingredients like glycolic acid or lactic acid. This is not to say these ingredients are bad, they both are very helpful ingredients. In this case however, they are not necessary to use every day. Using this type of cleanser for every day will end up stripping the skin of essential oils and lead to irritation or a disrupted skin barrier. On top of this, if the other steps in your skincare routine contain exfoliating actives, it can become too much. Exfoliation overload.

With that being said, active ingredient cleansers do have their place. These types of cleansers can be a great way to introduce and acclimate your skin to chemical exfoliants. If you have never utilized a chemical exfoliant, most people find them easier to handle in a cleanser form. A good rule of thumb to follow if you already own an active ingredient cleanser is to use it 1-2 times a week and double check your other skincare products to make sure you’re not doubling up on exfoliating actives.

Ingredients that exfoliate the skin look like: Mandelic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Salicylic Acid, and so on.

Your cleansing step should always be gentle as your main goal is to get the skin cleaned and prepped for what is to follow.

“Everyone around me is double cleansing, so do I need to do the same?” Not always.

If you take your time during your initial cleanse, then one cleanse should be plenty. Rushing your cleanse subjects you to leaving behind residue and debris that won’t allow your other products to absorb properly and work to their maximum potential. You may have seen on the internet a few years back, the “60 second rule” for cleansing the face. Personally, the first time I heard this rule was before getting my Esthetician license. This advice came from another Esthetician by the name of Nayamka Roberts Smith aka The LABeautyologist. This general rule of cleansing the skin for at least 1 minute ensures you wash off as much of the day as possible. For most people this will be enough. On the days one decides to wear makeup or does a little more outdoor activity, you may want to implement a double cleanse to ensure you got everything off. Depending on your preference: a cleansing balm, cleansing oil, or micellar water would be a great starting point to loosen up the accumulated oil, debris, and makeup on the face.

In my treatment room after assessing my client’s skin, I will spend about 10-15 minutes on the cleansing step. Whatever treatment plan I have in store for my client at that time, it is essential to me to make sure my canvas is as clean as possible to achieve maximum results from the treatments and modalities used.

As with most skincare, finding what is right for you can be trial and error. Just keep in mind a gentle approach to your cleansing step. If you feel you need a little more guidance and want to minimize confusion, seek out a licensed Esthetician who will work your skin and your budget.

See you in the treatment room!

If you have any questions or want to book your appointment with Ashlee at BB Meme Salon Hillcrest:

Call 619-544-6811 or visit our website Here