Ugghhh…For those of you who know what it’s like to look in the mirror and groan at your less than perfect skin, we feel your pain!
No matter your skin type though, it’s crazy important for you to wash and moisturize your face, cleaning out those pores in the morning when you wake up and then in the evening before you go to bed. The skin does a whole heap of healing and expelling of junk while we sleep so it’s a good idea to get that off ya face first thing. Then in the evening, you’re washing away all of that grime and yuk from the air and the fact that you probably touched your face with less than sterile hands, multiple times throughout the day.
Dry Skin: If you have dry skin, we don’t have to tell you twice to use a good moisturizer, but you’re probably not keen to wash your face before you moisturise, leaving you with that tight feeling when all you want is a bit of moisture! It’s not just people with oily skin who get pimples and breakouts though, and people with dry skin need to wash for different reasons. If you have dryer skin you should use a creamy kind of cleanser because:
- it won’t dry out your skin as much as a gel or a foam wash
- it will help remove the dry and dead skin cells that can gather on dry skin and block the pores.
- It will gently remove the bacteria and dirt without stripping too many natural oils from your skin.
Oily skin: If you have oily skin you should look for foams or gels to wash your face with, and we don’t need to convince you to wash away the grime. But equally as important, is for you to moisturize afterwards. “Why the heck would I put moisturizer on when I just want my face to feel clean and oil free?!?!” We hear ya! However, moisturizer is actually really helpful and does a number of important things.
A light moisturizer will:
- help close over the pores and stop bacteria getting in after you washed it.
- Nourish your skin. If you remove the natural oils in your skin and don’t replace them, your skin is going to overcompensate and produce more, making it slipperier than the ski slopes at Sochi!
- Keep your skin hydrated. Not to get too technical, but moisturizers contain something called humectants, which actually grab moisture from the air and keep skin from drying out or overcompensating and producing lots of oil.
If you have normal or combination skin, you probably get the gist and realize that washing and moisturizing is just a great idea for everyone!
Some tips for skin care and what to look for at the store:
- You want products that are non-comodogenic, meaning they don’t clog your pores or promote the development of pimples.
- Look for products with salicylic acid in them because they help your skin shed the old stuff.
- Find an exfoliant/scrub that you can use 2-3 times a week. You don’t need to scrub your poor face everyday, but exfoliating is important no matter who you are!
- If you still have trouble with breakouts, perhaps look for a pH balancing toner. Some facewashes change the acidity of your skin, making it prone to bacterial breakouts.
Please note, there is a difference between breakouts sometimes and acne. If you think you have acne, there are bigger things to deal with than just good skin care and you don’t want to risk scarring. We recommend seeing your doctor about some possible dietary, hormonal or dermatological solutions.
Cassie
Diploma in Beauty Therapy and Skin Science.