refresh exfoliating cleanser

Does your face cleanser matter?

We hear this a lot. Let’s chat for a minute about why it does. 

• Maintaining clear skin

To help protect itself from environmental damage like- excess oil, dirt, pollution, and makeup-the skin produces sebum. While sebum is beneficial to your skin, if it stays on the skin too long without being cleansed off, or if there is excessive oil on the surface, it can mix with any residing build-up leftover on your skin. This may cause enlarged pores and create a blockage of skin follicles, trapping sebum and allowing bacteria to penetrate the skin, which leads to inflammation, acne, and a dull complexion.

• Improve hydration

Regular facial cleansing is also an important factor in helping the skin maintain a proper level of moisture. Dehydrated skin looks and feels rough, wrinkled and aged. Cleansing helps manage pH levels of the skin; enabling sufficient water and product retention, for proper skin hydration. Removing grime and debris can help prevent acne breakouts. Cleansing with the proper products leaves behind active ingredients that can improve your skins conditions.

• Stay youthful

Every day, your skin is aging. We are surrounded by pollution and environmental toxins that can accelerate the aging process, and the very simple process of cleansing your skin is an excellent way to get rid of all unwanted particles and to stimulate the internal processes, which fight aging, including wrinkles, lack of tone, pigmentation and dullness. Ridding your skin of buildup “minimizes free radical damage caused by particulate matter in the air, which is associated with premature aging.”  What’s more, washing your face is key to removing dead cells that build up on skin and contribute to dullness — slough these off and you expose healthier, more radiant skin.

• Improve product penetration and effectiveness 

Without cleansing, your skin would be covered with a thick layer of dirt and grime which can render it difficult for the active ingredients applied over to penetrate the skin properly and do their jobs. Clearing out your pores will prepare your skin for proper absorption of other skin care products and will  make it more responsive to you serums and moisturizers, this leads to maximum effectiveness.

Does it matter what type of cleanser I use?

It does. A cleanser that strips your face may leave you squeaky clean and tight, but that feeling is caused by too much stripping, throwing off your pH and causing inflammation, that inflammation is what’s making it feel tight. Problem is that puts your skin into trauma mode. When you give the skin trauma, the skin goes into repair mode and stimulates cellular regeneration. This can be very beneficial to the skin, but if you create trauma too often by stripping, then it’s continually setting up a cascade of free radical damage that triggers premature aging. This is the last thing that any skin needs that wants to stay looking youthful and fresh.