Today I would like to start a conversation about such an important aspect of skin care as cleansing. The ancient beauties attached great importance to these procedures, which cannot be said about most of our modern women. The stay of many women in a kind of running time trouble, and the underestimation of the importance of these procedures, also affects. Television also played a role in this. Having seen enough of Hollywood beauties going to bed “in full dress”, women often wave their hands and leave makeup on their faces until morning, and even in the morning somehow, what can I say, when there is no makeup: What can this lead to? Judge for yourself. During the day, 2 million sweat glands secrete at least 500 g of water, urea, lactic acid, sodium chloride and carbon dioxide every day. From the outside, dirt, dust, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide lie on the skin. Plus nourishing creams, makeup and powder. All this is combined into a mixture that can unbalance the skin for a long time. Dermatologists are deeply concerned about growing skin problems caused by improper use or lack of cleansers. Many women use day cream, apply makeup on their face, but not even every fourth of them use special cleansers, as a result, red spots, irritated areas, acne, acne appear on the face, sometimes you have to see a doctor for help. Do not think that if nature has endowed you with good skin, it does not require care. Even good skin can be ruined if not properly cared for. Well, are you convinced? Then let’s look at how to properly cleanse your skin and select cleansing products for your skin type.
Washing
So, the basis of proper skin care is morning washing and evening cleansing. Means for washing and cleansing must be selected individually, taking into account the type of skin and its condition.
For many years, water and soap were considered the best hygiene products, but there are some peculiarities here. When washing, the cells of the stratum corneum swell and are rejected along with dust, dirt, grease, and sweat residues that have settled on them. Patting and stroking your face while washing completes the cleansing action. At the same time, blood circulation increases, metabolism increases, nutrition and skin tone improves.
It is better to use soft water for washing. There are several ways to soften hard water:
1. Boil the water for an hour, then let it stand.
2. Add 0.5-1 teaspoons of borax or soda per liter of water.
Do not wash your face with too cold or hot water. Cold water makes the skin dry, begins to peel off. Hot, with prolonged use, causes a persistent expansion of blood vessels – the skin becomes flabby, lethargic, and does not tolerate cold well.
The domestic industry produces overfed toilet soaps, which contain an excess of free fat, which protects the skin from drying out and the harmful effects of alkali. From this group, soaps are especially recommended: “Cosmetic” containing a nourishing cream in the form of an emulsion, “Lanolin”, “Spermacetic”, “Baby”, which contain lanolin and boric acid. The latter is well tolerated by people with increased skin sensitivity. To make sensitive skin better tolerate water, especially cold water, you can apply cream, sour cream or vegetable oil on it before washing, it would be better to rub it with egg yolk or milk.
Before washing, moisten your face with water, lather your chin, then go to your nose (never put soap on your eyes!), Lather the middle of your forehead, ears, sides of your cheeks and neck. Do not hold the lather on your face, but immediately wash it off with plenty of water.
The next procedure after rinsing your face is to thoroughly dry the skin (especially if you are going to immediately spread your face with an emollient cream). In general, after washing your face, it is advisable to lubricate the still wet skin with a nourishing cream and then dry it (especially this should be remembered after washing with hard water, before going outside). A wet face, smeared with cream, after 3-5 minutes is cleaned of excess cream with a paper towel or a special napkin.
It must be remembered that even water itself somewhat degreases and dries the skin, this effect is enhanced when using soap, therefore, when choosing this method of cleaning, you need to take into account the type of skin and choose the right type of soap. Washing for any type of skin at any time can be replaced by wiping with liquid creams, vegetable oil or sour milk, yogurt, sour cream. Dairy is good for all skin types, but especially dry ones.
Features of cleansing the skin of different types
Dry skin is very sensitive to external influences, so it is best to wash your face with soft tap water of warm or room temperature. It is better to wash with soap no more than 1 time per week and use syndet soap, that is, synthetic soap with a pH value close to the natural pH of the skin. It contains fatty substances that soften the skin. Sperm or cosmetic soap is also suitable for dry skin. After washing, you need to apply a nourishing cream to your face.
For dry skin, you can use cleansing lotions or liquid creams instead of water. Washing your face with a decoction of herbs gives a good effect on dry, aging skin. (Recipes can be found in the Plants and Cosmetics section). Evening cleansing for dry skin is best done with a cleansing oil (or baby and food vegetable). The oil perfectly cleanses the skin from makeup and impurities. Cosmetic cleansing oil also has such advantages as content of up to 50 percent moisture, almost does not foam, but perfectly cleanses, can be easily and completely washed off without irritating dry skin.
Read more about caring for dry skin in the corresponding section.
If you have sensitive skin, wash only with water in the morning, and use cleansing milk in the evening.
Read more about caring for sensitive skin in the corresponding section.
Unfortunately, normal skin types underestimate the need for daily cleansing, which leads to not very happy results. Cleansing your skin twice a day should become your habit, regardless of the type, if you want beautiful, healthy skin. For cleansing normal skin, different types of soap will work, but highly scented varieties are not recommended. Better to use mild, non-scented creams, baby soaps, or cleansing foams. They contain so-called secondary fats that help the skin balance moisture loss faster. Be sure to remove any soap residue from your face. According to the observations of experts, any cleansers should be on the skin for no more than 22 seconds. This is quite enough to produce the desired effect on the skin without harming it. You can also wash your face with soap in the evening, but if you need to remove your makeup, it is better to use cleansing milk. It cleanses the skin more thoroughly and gently. Remember to remove any remaining cleansing milk from your skin with a tissue or warm water.
Read more about caring for normal skin in the corresponding section.
Oily skin requires more thorough cleansing. So, for example, experts recommend cleansing the skin not two, but three times a day, while using only mild products. For daytime cleansing, you can use cleansing tampons. They are easy to use and do a great job with gentle cleansing. If you do not have the opportunity to do skin cleansing during the day, then in no case should you neglect morning and evening cleansing. With oily skin, you can wash your face with toilet soap, but make sure not to degrease the skin too much, otherwise you will get the opposite result, the sebaceous glands will try to replenish the fat deficiency and there will be even more of it. For gentle cleansing, you can use a special gel. Lather the gel in the palms of your hands and apply to your face. For a deeper cleanse, you can rub the gel into the skin with a soft bristled face brush for 2 minutes in circular motions with gentle pressure. Then rinse off the gel. After each cleansing, you must use an eau de toilette with an alcohol content. This will disinfect the skin and prevent inflammation. Instead of eau de toilette, you can use lotions for oily skin.
Read more about caring for oily skin in the corresponding section.
Mixed skin, like oily skin, requires thorough cleansing. For this type of skin, it is better to use a gel for cleansing. After using the gel for disinfection and prevention of inflammatory processes, only the T-shaped zone should be blotted with toilet water containing alcohol. You don’t need to moisten your cheeks with eau de toilette. For this skin type, balanced lotions with a low alcohol content, which have a pH value close to that of the skin, are very beneficial. They nourish the skin with moisture and slightly tighten pores. This is especially important for mixed skin.
Read more about caring for mixed skin in the corresponding section.
20 recommendations for cleansing the skin
from professional foreign cosmetologists
(quoted in the book “500 hairstyles and make-up secrets”)
Oily or mixed skin is best cleansed with foaming products in the form of a cream, gel or face lotion. These cleansers contain approximately 10 percent tensides, so-called active cleaning agents that are particularly good at breaking down fats. On inflamed skin, they dissolve and remove sweat and sebum that clogs pores.
For oily skin, syndet, a synthetic soap, is also ideal. This name refers to synthetic active substances. Sold synthesized soap of solid and liquid consistency (in bottles, jars or compact blocks). It has either a neutral or slightly acidic environment, and not alkaline, like ordinary soap. This product deeply cleanses the pores without destroying the skin’s natural acid mantle. This does not harm the skin, since it has a slightly acidic environment in a chemical sense. However, use syndets with caution: they are very effective at breaking down fats. If you have very oily and inflamed skin, synthesized soap is ideal for it, but even with a little fatigue, including oily skin, it is better to refuse it.
For dry and sensitive skin, it is best to buy a cleansing milk. Milk is a neutral mixture of fat and water. It dissolves dirt and sweat quite gently, but it acts in the most gentle way. Its fat content is approximately 25 percent. Milk contains special oils such as calendula oil, avocado or lanolin oil, which additionally supply the skin with fat. The advantage of milk is that thanks to it dry skin does not lose moisture after washing, but acquires it. It is not only gently cleansed, but also nourished with various beneficial substances. If you have sensitive skin, buy calendula milk or mallow milk. These plants have a relaxing and softening effect.
Cleansing oils (in glass or plastic bottles) are becoming more and more popular. They have become a lifesaver for extremely dry, rough or flaky skin. The high fat content (50 percent) removes sebum, dirt and color (make-up) in an especially gentle way without exfoliating. Even the driest skin after such a procedure will be, as it were, saturated with cream.
For mature skin, a gentle, nourishing cleansing milk works well. Mature skin is always relatively dry and therefore requires a product that contains a lot of fat. It is best to buy a special cleanser for mature skin.
So far, relatively unknown to buyers of cleansing eau de toilette (do not confuse with eau de toilette for the face) After treating the skin with cleansing water, fine wrinkles are smoothed out due to a lack of moisture in the skin. This non-alcoholic, clear liquid, along with cleansing agents, contains derivatives of sugar and almond oil, which help to accumulate and retain moisture on the skin’s surface.
For normal skin, cleansing with soap is sufficient. Polls show that young people (between 16 and 30) tend to get by with this classic remedy. Ordinary soaps are composed primarily of fats and alkalis (caustic and potash lye), as well as nutrients, aromas and colors. Their pH value is above 7. They have a slightly alkaline environment and when washed, they destroy the natural acidic mantle of the skin for several hours. However, this is not so bad. Normal, healthy skin regenerates its environment quickly and independently. Soap should only be avoided for those with dry and sensitive skin. People with inflamed skin should also use soap carefully. Dermatologists have established that fatty acids are released from the soap solution, stimulating the development of inflammatory processes.
Cleansing swabs that are impregnated with a dirt-removing and disinfectant liquid (such as oak bark extract) are convenient to use “in between.” They are ideal for oily or inflammation-prone skin. Use a swab to wipe your face in a circular motion.
If you are using water-soluble products, you must thoroughly remove them from your skin. They can clog pores and even cause permanently irritated areas. It is best to first wash off the foam, and then 8-10 times, taking a handful of water, rinse your face with it. If you gradually cool the water during this procedure, you will simultaneously improve blood circulation. Your skin will turn pink and fresh. However, if the blood vessels tend to dilate, it is better to avoid irritating the skin with cold water.
For deep cleansing of the pores of the skin and after abundant makeup, soap alone is not enough. Synthesized soap is also of little use for this. It is best to remove this makeup – regardless of skin type – with a cleansing milk. This is done as follows: a large amount of milk is applied to the skin and surface pollution is removed with a dry cosmetic napkin. Do this especially carefully around the edges of the face. Then wash with water and additionally cleanse your skin with facial eau de toilette.
Cosmetologists recommend that products containing cleansing oils be washed off with water and soap. It will not harm even very dry skin, because the oily film remaining on the surface protects it. So-called hydrophilic (water-soluble) oils are very practical. These preparations contain an emulsifier, with the help of which fats dissolve without residue in water and are washed off by it.
Dermatological tests have shown that cleansers should not stay on the skin for more than 20 seconds. During this time, they manage to influence it extremely effectively. Longer use only dries out and harms the skin.
Dermatologists often prescribe pH neutral synthesized soaps (syndets) to patients with eczema or fungal skin diseases. These products do not destroy the skin’s natural acidic mantle. They support and even restore her balance. For irritated and inflamed skin, a non-alkaline liquid crystallization soap is ideal. It is free of fat, aroma and preservatives. It does not change the natural pH value of the skin and prevents the formation of new inflammatory lesions (acne and acne). Unfortunately, these funds are quite expensive.
Cosmetics advertising is able to suggest that without eau de toilette for the face it is impossible to cleanse the skin well enough and every woman should use it. However, most dermatologists take a different view. They often recommend giving up toilet water. It is best to use as few products as possible to cleanse the skin. Each of them contains potential allergenic substances that can cause new areas of irritation. Especially dangerous in this regard is eau de toilette for the face, containing alcohol (sometimes up to 20 percent). It actively destroys the protective acidic mantle of the skin and leads to its redness. Eau de toilette, which contains a small percentage of alcohol, which disinfects inflamed areas and promotes rapid healing of acne and acne, is only good for inflamed skin.
When using cleansers, follow the dosage directions exactly. When using cleansing milk, in most cases one teaspoon is sufficient, when using liquid cream – a pea-sized portion. A large amount of the product is not only wasteful, but also harmful to the skin.
After soap, milk or gel, do not wash your face with hot, but only with cool or warm water. Those who suffer from dilated blood vessels on the skin’s surface need to be especially careful about hot water or contrasting temperatures. For them, only warm water of body temperature is indicated.
First you need to remove the eye makeup. This is best done with a special cleanser. Fatty and non-fatty foods are available on the market – check which one gives you comfort. They are all soft. Some women cleanse the skin near their eyes only with baby oils and cotton wool. This is quite enough, especially if the skin is not too sensitive and the oil does not irritate the skin of the eyelids.
Foaming cleansers (gel, soap, or liquid cream) are not enough to remove leave-in lipstick. You will need either oil (cleansing or just baby) or a special lipstick remover from your lips. It consists of a cleansing and nourishing phase and must be shaken before use so that these phases combine. Then a cotton swab with liquid cream is impregnated with the product and pressed to the lips for 5 seconds. Remove lipstick from lips with light movements and rinse them with water.
For normal, mature skin or for skin with sluggish circulation, deep cleansing should be performed once a week, for oily and inflamed skin – every 2-3 days. To do this, you need a peeling or exfoliating product. They have many names, but they all serve the same purpose: to exfoliate the upper stratum corneum. A lot of dirt can accumulate between the keratinized skin scales. With normal cleaning, it cannot be completely removed. Tiny “grinding” grains of the peeling agent gently remove stubborn dirt from the skin surface along with dead keratinized scales. The grains are – depending on the product – ground apricot kernels, bran, crushed nuts, healing mud, sea sand or artificial granules. After peeling (from the English word to peel = to peel off the crust), the skin becomes very clean, pink and smooth. At the same time, it becomes a little thinner and appears to be more finely pored. Peeling products come in the form of creams or gels, milk or liquid creams. Some of them are powdery and are diluted in milk before use. Remember, exfoliating products are not used to remove makeup. Cleanse the skin as usual, and do the exfoliation on clean skin. Exfoliating creams should be gently rubbed into damp skin and then rinsed off very well. Residues can irritate and redden the skin. If you have less sensitive skin with a thick stratum corneum, you can apply the peeling product directly to dry skin, rub in gently and then wash off. This way you will achieve the maximum exfoliating effect. Do not forget that sensitive skin does not tolerate peels at all. If you have pimples, irritated areas on your skin, also skip exfoliating products. The grains they contain can significantly worsen the condition of the skin.
If you have oily skin, but cannot constantly use exfoliators, cleanse your pores in the evenings with a facial massage brush. Its nylon bristles of various lengths with rounded ends are positioned so that they “get” to the ingrained dirt and remove dead dead cells along with it. First you need to moisturize your face, then use a brush on a plate to lather a portion of the cleansing liquid cream. After that, remove dirt from the face in a spiral motion and wash with cool water.
Do not use brushes to massage inflamed or irritated skin or skin around the eyes.
Steam bath
For deeper skin cleansing, you can do steam baths. They are especially beneficial for oily skin. They cleanse pores, improve blood circulation. For oily skin, steam baths can be done 1-2 times a week. With dry and normal – 2-3 times a month. Making them at home is easy. Boil in a wide bowl over low heat (or add an infusion of herbs or herbs to hot water) for oily skin: dry chamomile, nettle, plantain, coltsfoot, aloe, St. John’s wort, eucalyptus or yarrow, for normal and dry skin: leaves of raspberry, black currant, strawberry, chamomile flowers, mint, rose petals, jasmine, linden flowers (detailed recipes in the Plants and cosmetics section. Before the procedure, hide your hair under a scarf or a special hat. Tilt your face cleanly washed with hot water over a dish with hot broth , cover your head and basin with a towel. If the broth is too hot and it will be difficult to breathe, you can raise the edge of the towel. As the infusion cools, add hot water. Depending on individual tolerance, the steam bath takes 5-15 minutes, then the face needs to be wiped dry. Now, wrapping the index finger with a sterile bandage dipped in a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution, gently and carefully remove the protruding skin and blackheads. But in no case squeeze them out! You just need to be patient: after a few baths, all the acne will come out on its own. After finishing the procedure, wipe your face with hydrogen peroxide solution and wash yourself with cold water. Instead of peroxide, you can use eau de toilette or lotion containing alcohol. Steam treatment is effective, but it should not be used for those with dilated blood vessels on the face.