Cleansing Cheat Sheet

Skincare is all about finding a routine that works for you and that you can stick to, we want to help by breaking down each part of your regime so each step is easy and effective. Cleansing might seem like the simplest area of your routine but its importance in achieving healthy looking skin shouldn’t be underestimated. We’ve rounded our top tips and takeaways from our in-depth look at cleansing that if you can stick to will help you to avoid common skincare woes:

This seems obvious but from experience we all need a gentle reminder. The idea of cleansing is to remove the grime and germs not to spread them across your face.

With so many different types of cleansing products on the market this is easier said than done but the key things to consider are your skin type, whether you will be using it to remove make-up or cleanse and your preferred texture. You can find an depth look at your options here.

This is where double cleansing comes in; you want to remove the day’s dirt, make-up and SPF as well as actually clean your skin and this will usually involve two steps. This will also guide the type of cleanser that you should use; the first should break down make-up and grime (such as a a micellar water, cleansing oil, cleansing cream or a cleansing balm) and the second cleanser should be suited to your skin type to help leave your skin balanced, clean and comfortable.

On these chilly winter nights using hot water may seem tempting but try to resist. Hot water is dehydrating and can strip skin of its natural oils leaving skin red and irritated. Those with oily skin may rejoice at the idea of less oil however stripping skin of natural oils can mean it overcompensates by producing more sebum. Use warm water to loosen make-up and dirt and to ensure that you thoroughly rinse skin as residual cleanser can lead to congestion or dryness.

How you apply your cleanser is as important as the cleanser you use and the water temperature. You don’t want to pull at your skin as this can cause redness, instead gently massage in circular motions to help the product to be absorbed and to boost oxygen and blood circulation.

As we looked at here, your neck deserves some love too. The skin on your neck is thinner than on your face with fewer oil glands which can cause dryness leading the neck to show signs of ageing faster than other parts of the body. Therefore your neck should part of each stage of your routine starting with a cleanse to ensure that subsequent products can be absorbed, this is especially necessary if you have applied make-up down your neck.

You want to lock in moisture at each step of your regime as dry air pulls moisture out of your skin. You therefore should apply toners and subsequent products to damp skin as this allows for extra absorption and maximises the effects of the active ingredients.

This will not be news to you but is worth noting especially for those who tend to skip a morningtime cleanse. At night your body is working hard to repair and regenerate skin cells which means that oils accumulate so washing your face in the morning helps to get rid of oils and sweat leaving you with a fresh, clean base on which to apply products and ensures the best performance for daytime products.

This obviously links to the above but it is so important that it deserves to be said twice. We know it’s late and you’re tired but your future self will thank you when you don’t have breakouts. If you sleep in your make-up you may also notice that your skin appears duller this is because cleansing and exfoliation is imperative to the skin’s natural repair process that occurs at night to reveal healthy skin cells.

Leaving your mascara on can lead to dry and brittle and dry lashes and if the list is already long enough to ensure you pay a visit to the sink before turning in for the night then we will add one more. Not washing off your make-up before bed increases your skin’s exposure to free radical which leads to collagen breakdown and premature ageing.