Cleansing 101

Cleansing our skin in the AM and PM is such an important part of our skincare regimen. It cleanses away the makeup, sunscreen, and pollution from our skin and prepares it for the essence, serum and moisturizer.

Some feel that they don’t need to cleanse in the morning because all they have done is sleep. But your skin has spent the night rejuvenating and you need to cleanse to remove any bacteria, dead skin cells and pollution from the pillow cases and bed linens. Plus, you want to be able to have a nice clean face to apply all your daily products.

All Cleansers are NOT the Same

There are so many cleansers to choose from that it can make it difficult to know which one to choose. What is best for your skin?  Many products say ‘gentle’ or ‘gentle and acne safe’, but upon checking the ingredient list, they are anything but gentle or acne safe. 

You need to be able to cleanse your skin to remove makeup, the day’s pollution and grime but leave your skin barrier intact. Most cleansers are packed with aggressive surfactants that destroy our lipid barrier and also leave particles on our skin which create chronic inflammation. That leaves our barrier impaired so that it does not work at the most optimum level. It can’t hold onto hydration leaving your skin dry.

More Water May Not be the Answer

When told their skin is dehydrated, most clients just respond that they will drink more water, but that rarely solves the problem. Your skin basically has holes in it and you can pour all the water down your throat that you want, but it will likely not make much difference in your skin hydration. You need to solve the issue of why your skin is dehydrated and repair and protect the barrier. Plus, due to chronic inflammation, it is likely that you are aging your skin and need to take steps to slow down the process.

Cleanser vs No Cleanser

Some feel they can just cleanse their face with water and that is enough. Unfortunately, this doesn’t work either. It won’t remove the makeup, sunscreen, pollutants, sebum, etc. Additionally, our water quality is varied. It can be hard or soft or the PH may be high so it is more alkaline, while our skin is acidic. There can be minerals in the water that break down our skin’s barrier, as well. The right cleanser can help balance all of these variables.

Choosing the Right Cleanser

For me, personally, I love to use Roccoco Botanicals Ruby Crystal Cleanser in the morning.  I apply it to dry skin and with dry hands before I even get into the shower. It is the perfect balm to give myself a beautiful lymphatic drainage treatment; massaging my face, neck and décolleté, as I can be pretty puffy in the morning. I finish the massage in the shower and rinse well.

I love to just rinse it off but you can always use one of my hand-made facial cloths that feel heavenly on the skin. They remove the cleanser without irritating the skin. 

At night I like to use Roccoco Botanicals Soothing Oil Cleanser with dry hands and dry skin. It really is amazing for removing all makeup, sunscreen and grime from one’s skin. If you feel you need a double cleanse, then follow up with Roccoco Botanicals Fruit Wash Gel or AnteAGE Gel Cleanser.

These following cleansers are all on the approved Love My Rosie Skin list. They are fabulous gentle cleansers that will cleanse without disrupting the skin’s barrier.