Greetings, my friends!
I thought I'd dedicate a post to my cleansing principles.
When choosing a cleanser, as I mentioned in both my morning and nightly skincare rituals, the gentler the cleanser, the better the cleanser.
If you're like me (someone who has oily or combination skin and is prone to acne), then the worst thing you can do is use a harsh stripping cleanser. In many ways, I see acneic and oily skin as sensitive skin. Now, I don't react to products very often so I don't fall into the traditional sensitive skin category, but I do get acne if I don't take care of my skin properly. When you break it down, acneic skin is skin that is inflamed with a localized infection. What we should be doing is using products that will not cause further inflammation in order to allow our skin to heal. So when choosing a cleanser, make sure you choose a gentle product that gets the job done. Although I started this post by speaking to my own skin-type, I think this is a valid principle for all skin types: mature, normal, dry, etc, as choosing products that are gentle, but effective can only help your skin in the long run.
Low pH is worth looking into. Until I started reading about Asian skincare products, it didn't occur to me that the gentle cleansers I enjoyed using were actually low pH cleansers. It make sense when you think about it. Low pH cleansers are less stripping and are less likely to disrupt the good pH on your skin - which if you are someone with acne is what you want if you're trying to avoid further breakouts.
Don't break the bank on your cleanser. Cleansers are on your face for 10-15 seconds (if you're not doing a facial massage). Personally, I hate spending over $50 for a cleanser (actually, I'd rather not spend over $30, but $50 is a compromise if I like the product a lot or it's a larger size.) But I'd rather save that money for other products. So if you don't require a special cleanser (and you'll know if you do as your dermatologist will probably be a part of that decision) - then save your money and use an economical cleanser that works for your skin.
The double cleanse is your skin's best friend it never knew it was missing. I've been doing the double cleanse at night for almost seven years. However in the past few months, I started double cleansing in the morning as well. I think it has really helped my skin. Plus the massaging motion wakes me up. Win! In my opinion, this step is essential for any true skincare guru. It's not a complicated or expensive step. Technically, you can use the same cleanser twice to get the benefits of a traditional double cleanse, but you might run into dry patches if you chose a borderline cleanser (a cleanser with a moderate pH) to cleanse with twice. The ideal double cleanse begins with the removal of make-up and dirt using either an oil-based cleanser or micellar water. This step is basically a prep step for the second cleanse - which should involve a gentle water-based cleanser. You can use foams, creams, or another water-based cleanser. Whatever works for your skin (as long as it's gentle) is ideal for the second cleanse.
You should use warm water (a tad warmer than room temperature) for both of your cleanses as hot water is both harsh and drying to your skin. A lot of people have asked me if they should use cold water for this step and I say no. I think cold water is great for rinsing during your exfoliation step, but you want to make sure you clear away the dirt and grime on your face, which means you need a little warmth to help open your pores. Quite simply - cold water closes pores, warm water opens pores. So - use warm water, folks!
That's it! Please feel free to ask me any questions. I'm happy to help.
JessiPedia
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