Are you missing this crucial step when washing your face?
Heyyy..Hola...Hi there! Ok so here's the deal. Somewhere down the line, I think cleansers have kind of become an after thought. Let me just say, I'm not trying to insult anyone's intelligence. Yes, we know cleansers are meant to clean our skin. They help wash away any impurities like sweat and sebum. However, when things in general become an after thought we tend to not appreciate it's role and not take advantage of it's full purpose.
Have you been washing your face correctly?
I will be the first to say I am completely guilty of rushing in the morning and not washing my face correctly. You know, those crazy mornings where you just barely wet your face and wash it maybe 10 secs and keep it moving. And sadly we are not allowing our cleanser to do their job.
Here is the rule of thumb I want you to remember. When applying your cleanser, you should sing the happy birthday or alphabet song before rinsing your face.
This will give your cleanser enough time to truly get the job done correctly. One of the reasons we get acne is because we are not washing our face properly. Plus, when we are using cleansers with active ingredients we are not giving them time to work effectively.
Why you should leave your cleanser on longer
I find that it is especially important if you are using cleansers that contain active ingredients that address acne or any type of skin concern. Taking this extra time will 1. allow the ingredients to permeate the skin more efficiently and 2. allow the active ingredients do it's job and help keep the condition you are treating at bay. For example, if you are using the Hydro Cleanse 2 and you wash for only 10 seconds, you have completely washed away all of the cleanser's intended purpose. Not giving it an opportunity to do it's job, it can't gently exfoliate, nor will the antimicrobial benefits of the honey have a chance to combat the acne causing bacteria in your skin.
Will washing my face longer dry out my skin?
Cleansers formulated with gentle ingredients like glycerin, botanicals, sulfate and alcohol free detergents are gentle enough yet effective and will not dry out your skin .
This is very important to remember. The leading cause of your skin feeling dry after washing is due to harsh detergents in your product.
There are 4 detergents that are culprits and should never be used in your facial cleanser.
4 detergents to Avoid:
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Ammonium Laureth Sulfate
Sulfates are surfactants, aka detergents, that are used as cleansing agents to cut oil from the skin, but are too strong and will cause surface dehydration. These ingredients are best used in dish detergents which are perfect for cutting grease. Now do we really want those types of ingredients in our facial cleanser? Ahhh naaww! So the bottom line is, let's take more time when we are washing our face. This will allow our cleansers to do their jobs effectively.
Until Next Time...
Marla XOXO
