Cleansing Properly

BEAUTY · GLOBAL

Cleansing Properly

What a cleanser should do, double cleansing, over-cleansing and choosing a formula

Cleansing is the step most likely to cause problems, because it is the one where doing more feels like doing better and is not.

What a cleanser is for

Removing sunscreen, makeup, sebum and the day's pollution without stripping the skin's barrier. Anything that leaves skin feeling tight has removed more than it should.

That tight squeaky feeling is barrier damage rather than cleanliness, and it is what drives the dryness people then treat with more products.

Double cleansing

An oil or balm first to dissolve sunscreen and makeup, then a gentle water-based cleanser. Oil dissolves oil, which is why a water-based cleanser alone struggles with water-resistant sunscreen.

It is worth doing in the evening on days you wore sunscreen or makeup, and unnecessary otherwise.

Morning cleansing

Many people do well with water alone in the morning, particularly dry or sensitive skin. Oily skin usually prefers a gentle cleanser. Neither is wrong.

Choosing a formula

Cream and milk cleansers suit dry and sensitive skin. Gels suit oily skin. Foaming cleansers with harsh surfactants strip most skin types, whatever the packaging implies.

Fragrance, including essential oils, is among the leading causes of contact allergy in cosmetics, and a cleanser sits on the face daily.

What to avoid

Hot water, scrubbing, physical exfoliants with rough particles, and cleansing twice in the morning and twice at night. Lukewarm water and thirty seconds with fingertips is enough.

Makeup removal

Eye makeup needs a dedicated remover and patience rather than scrubbing, since the skin there is thin and the lashes are easily damaged. Hold a pad in place for a few seconds to dissolve before wiping.

Never sleep in makeup, which blocks pores and causes irritation around the eyes.

Water temperature

Lukewarm. Hot water strips oils and leaves skin tight and red, and very cold water does not close pores, which do not open and close.

Cleansing tools

Fingertips are enough for most people. Flannels and muslin cloths exfoliate gently and must be washed after every use, since a damp cloth reused for days is a bacterial surface.

Electric brushes are too abrasive for many skin types and are best used sparingly if at all.

After cleansing

Pat rather than rub, and apply moisturiser to slightly damp skin, which holds hydration considerably better than applying it to completely dry skin.

Vegan and natural claims

Vegan means no animal-derived ingredients and says nothing about how gentle or effective something is. Natural has no legal definition, and plant extracts cause plenty of reactions.

Patch test anything new on the inner forearm for several days.

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