Real Beauty 101

Rub Don't Scrub - How to Choose (and Use) the Best Cleanser for Your Skin

The foundation for an effective beauty regimen is the right cleanser for your skin type. However, the process for choosing the right cleanser is often complex and further complicated by manufacturer claims and clever packaging. 

Here are some tips to keep in mind as you navigate your way through the beauty aisles searching for your next cleanser.

• Avoid choosing products with fragrance or dye. These two ingredients are largely responsible for nearly all allergic reactions that occur on the skin.
• Choose the right formulation for your skin type. Foaming cleaners should be used primarily for oily skin types. They contain surfactants (detergents that foam when in contact with water and are effective at washing surface oils from the skin), which can be too harsh and drying for other skin types.  These should be thoroughly rinsed from the skin. Milky cleansers contain moisturizers and should be used by normal to dry skin types. Oilier skin types may find these cleansers a bit heavy.  They do not require extensive rinsing like their foaming counterparts.
• Scrubs should be used occasionally and only as exfoliants. They should be used only on clean faces and only once per week for sensitive (they can be irritating and can lead to increased redness and inflammation) and oily skin types (they stimulate sebaceous glands and increase oil production).

Once you have chosen the best cleanser for your skin type, using the product effectively is they key to reaping maximum benefits from your purchase*.

• Clean your face twice daily if you have oily or normal skin, once a day if your skin is dry or damaged.
• Use warm water; too hot or too cold will dry the skin and may cause flaking and itching.
• Don't scrub! Lather your fingertips and use a gentle, circular motion to wash; rinse completely.
• Don't rub to dry! Gently pat with a soft towel.
• While your skin is still damp, apply a moisturizer suitable for your skin type; this restores the moisture balance that cleansing upsets by removing surface oils.

By using the above protocols, you will be well on your way to clean, clear skin!

 

*Utilization tips c/o Skin Inc.

Don't be So Sensitive!

As an esthetician, I commonly hear clients refer to their skin as "sensitive". From the client's perspective this can mean a range of things from easily being burned by the sun to experiencing redness after using certain products.  The truth is that "sensitive skin" is not a skin type but more of a skin condition.  This means that people with any skin type (oily, dry, normal, mature/aging, couperose, or combination) can develop "sensitized" skin depending on which ingredients have come into contact with their skin and the resulting reaction.

Those with "sensitive" skin often reach for products labeled "hypoallergenic".  Simply because a hypoallergenic product is labeled as such, does not mean that the product is harmless and will not cause a reaction.  Unfortunately, manufacturers are not required to submit any testing information to the FDA to substantiate their use of the term.  However, hypoallergenic products claim to produce fewer allergic reactions than other cosmetic products.

Do you know what causes the most skin-based allergic reactions?  Believe it or not, its artificial fragrance.  So this means that when manufacturers list their products as hypoallergenic, most times they have simply removed the artificial fragrance.

And if you are one of those "sensitive" skin gals, try choosing products without artificial fragrance (listed as "fragrance" on most labels) and dyes if possible.  You may find this more beneficial to your skin than over-priced "hypoallergenic" products!

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Monique Eddleton, "The Great Skin Guru", has nearly 10 years of experience in the beauty and wellness industry. Monique is a Licensed Esthetician and make-up artist, wellness coach, and sought-after expert of all things beauty related.  If you want to know the estheticians’ secrets to great, glowing skin, get your free skin care tips are www.realbeauty101.com.