Many of us are trained pretty early on about how to cleanse the face (thanks, Mom!) and the importance of doing it properly, twice a day, without fail. But,somehow, in the fast-paced-multi-tasking-not-enough-time world that has evolved since we hit puberty, facial cleansing has taken a back seat to protecting the face. In reality, they are not mutually exclusive. Rather, they are mutually beneficial, so let’s get back to basics and discuss how to cleanse the face.
In Asia, cleansing the face has been taken to near art-form level, with some routines involving as many as 12 separate steps and requiring products that do different jobs in preparing the skin for either daytime or nighttime treatments. Admirable, but at least half a dozen steps too much for me.
Pared down to the basics, here’s what to do when cleansing the face:
Wash twice a day: Once in the morning to remove any oil build up that may have accumulated overnight and to prepare the skin for your serum, sunscreen and makeup. Cleanse again in the evening to remove makeup, dirt and environmental pollutants before applying any nighttime products. Although twice daily cleansing is the goal, you may find that with severely dry or damaged skin, simply rinsing with lukewarm water in the morning may be sufficient.
Double cleanse: Use an oil-based cleanser to take off sunscreen, makeup and foundation which are formulated to be long-wearing because a basic cleanser may not be enough to do a complete job. My preference now is double cleansing with an oil- based cleanser on a dry face and then a foaming cream or gel cleanser on a damp face. Gently rub the lather from the foaming cleanser on the skin with your fingertips, aiming for 30 seconds to allow any antioxidants or active ingredients to be absorbed.
Rinse off using warm water. Hot water can dry out the skin while cold water may not remove cleanser and dirt residue as well.
Pat dry skin with a soft towel. Rubbing has the potential the stretch and damage the skin, a definite no-no.
Cleansing the face may seem basic, but when you think of it as maximizing the effectiveness of all your other skin care products and treatments, it’s not so basic after all, is it?
I use Apothekari firming eye gel, Apothekari”A”is for anti-aging, Apthekari undercover agent serum. You sent me a sample of Apothekari AHA amazing clean gel. Everything seems to work great. I want the best cleansing gel and moisturizer. Could you help me and tell me if I am taking the proper products. I am 75 years old and the wrinkle free products are working great. Need cleansing and moisturizer to go along with what I am using. Do you have any advice for me – am I taking the right products? Thanks for your help. Carole Short
For Carole,
Thank you for your question and comments. We’re so glad that the Apothekari products are working out for you!
As for cleansing and moisturizing, you may want to consider a gentle foaming cleanser and hydrating moisturizer. As we get older, our skin tends to become more dry. We would suggest Apothekari Cloud Nine Foaming Cleansing Crème, a gentle and moisturizing cleanser that never leaves the skin feeling stripped. For lighter hydration that won’t interfere with other skin treatments, we like Apothekari Daily Infusion. For a more intense level of hydration, Neostrata Moisture Infusion Hydrating Cream would be ideal. Add an effective sunscreen with broad-spectrum sun filters and you’ve got all the bases covered.
Best, Sharmani