Cleansing your skin is the first step in your daily skincare routine and is extremely important, not just to ensure all traces of makeup is removed, but also to effectively remove bacteria, dirt and impurities. Using a facial cleanser correctly is super simple, but the truth is that plenty of women are a little in the dark as to the do’s and don’ts.
We asked Kerry-Lee Viljoen, optiphi® Product Specialist and Trainer, about a few common misconceptions.
Is it necessary to use a cleanser in the morning, or should you just rinse your face with some water when you get up?
Would you like to wash your hair every now again with water and water only. I don’t think so. This is why it’s so important to cleanse using a professional cleanser every morning and evening, to thoroughly clean the skin. During the night, while our bodies rest, our skins are awake, active and more productive. That is why sometimes when we wake up in the mornings, we might feel slightly more oily on our T-Panel. This is because our skins were hard at work the night before. We need to clean our skins in the morning to degrease and remove any extra oils or impurities.
Should you remove your makeup with a makeup remover before you cleanse? Or should your cleanser double up as a makeup remover as well?
For me this varies. If you are one who wears heavy makeup, I would highly recommend using a makeup remover before you cleanse your skin. Especially to remove heavy eye makeup and lipstick. Our makeup is most often oil-based and needs to be dissolved correctly. This is why I would always recommend using an oil-based makeup remover to dissolve the make-up and avoid it from clogging our pores.
If you don’t wear heavy makeup, a good cleanser will be more than efficient to use on its own.
What are some of the most common mistakes women make when cleansing?
In my opinion, some women like to feel that ‘tightening’ effect on their skin. Then they start to use bar soap on their skins every morning and night to get that ‘effect’, not realising the damage they are causing to their skins by stripping their natural protecting acid mantle.
Another common mistake I find is so many ladies use cleansing wipes instead of a cleanser. This is not the best decision for one’s skin. Cleansing wipes aren’t the most effective and they are actually more irritating on the skin. They can often lead to clogged pores, sensitivity and sometimes even breakouts on the skin.
When purchasing a cleanser, which ingredients should you look out for, and which ones should you avoid?
Ingredients to avoid in cleansers would definitely be:
Sodium Lauryl Sulphate
Parabens
Mineral Oils
These ingredients will either strip the skin’s natural acid mantle which is a protective layer covering the skin. Or they will clog the pores causing congestion in the skin.
Ingredients to include would be:
Salicylic Acid
Allantoin
Vitamin C
The ingredients are great for the skin as they have a natural exfoliating function as well as a calming function. Leaving the skin feeling clean, soft and healthy.
Is there a “one size fits all” type of cleanser, or should different skin types be using different cleansers?
In my opinion – no there isn’t. Putting our skins in a box and looking for a “one size fits all” will never work. The reason is because everyone’s skin is different, never mind age, ethnicity nor gender. Everyone’s skin is unique and needs to be treated that way. This is why I always advise my clients to have a thorough skin analysis done to find out what their skin type is and what conditions they might have on their skins. And then treat it accordingly.
Our editor recently started using Optiphi’s Facial Cleanser, a multi-functional cleanser to cleanse; tone and gently exfoliate. Formulated at pH 5.5, this cleanser restores balance and can be used as a shaving medium and eye make-up remover. Salicylic Acid calms the skin and provides exfoliation. It is soap-free and suitable for all skin types.
She says, “I love how gentle this cleanser is on my skin. It removes makeup effortlessly and doesn’t leave my skin feeling tight or dry. It has a rich, luxurious texture and lathers beautifully.”
