Tips for a clean, fresh face
Cleansing your skin properly goes a long way towards ensuring it stays healthy. Are you doing it right?
WASHING your face should be simple and quick, right? Most of us don’t pay much attention to how we do it. But if you’re scrubbing too hard, using water that’s too hot or using the wrong products for your skin type, you won’t be doing your face any favours. Do it correctly and you’ll avoid problems such as clogged pores, flaking skin, irritation and rough patches.
THE BASICS
The right way to wash differs from person to person because our skin types vary, but getting the hang of the basics is a good start. Follow these easy steps then customise with products suitable for your skin type. STEP 1 First remove eye make-up and lipstick. Put cotton wool soaked with make-up remover over your eyes and lips for a few seconds, then wipe it off gently and in one stroke. Don’t rub or go over the same area twice – your face cleanser will get rid of any leftover make-up. STEP 2 Wet your face with lukewarm water, gently rubbing the skin with your fingertips to soften it. STEP 3 Spread a blob of face cleanser roughly the size of a R1 coin on your fingertips and palms of both hands. STEP 4 When applying the cleanser, gently rub in circular motions, moving your fingers from forehead to cheeks and nose to chin. Don’t rub too vigorously – use gentle pressure. STEP 5 Rinse your face with lukewarm water. If needed, repeat step three and four, this time focusing on problem areas or areas where you need to remove stubborn make-up. STEP 6 Rinse with lukewarm water and pat your skin dry using a clean towel.
TIPS Applying gentle pressure stimulates blood flow. Lukewarm water softens the skin and helps remove dirt but hot water is too harsh – it strips the skin’s natural moisture, leaving it dry.
Vigorous rubbing can damage the skin’s surface by causing micro tears or stretching. Rather use a gentle massaging motion.
The same goes for patting instead of rubbing dry.
1 DRY SKIN This kind of skin is often also sensitive and prone to redness. It needs a super-gentle, creamy cleanser to help restore and maintain hydration levels.
TIPS
Exfoliate or deep-cleanse only once every 7-10 days if you have this type of skin because, unlike oily skin, there isn’t much excess dirt or oil to remove.
When using alternative products such as cream cleansers to clean this type of skin, follow up with a hydrating moisturiser, even if the alternative product also moisturises.
2 OILY SKIN If you have this skin type, it’s likely to be shiny and prone to breakouts. Use a mild foamy cleanser that removes excess sebum and mattifies skin.
TIPS
Gel cleansers are ideal for this kind of skin. Cream cleansers aren’t suitable as they can make the skin even oilier.
Exfoliate or deep-cleanse your face as often as twice a week to keep it clean and prevent possible breakouts due to oil build-up.
3 COMBINATION SKIN This type of skin is tricky as it’s characterised by oily as well as dry patches. To cleanse both properly you need a face wash that’s gentle and balancing (the packaging might say normalising).
TIPS Exfoliate or deep-cleanse once a week. Consider using different face masks at the same time (multimasking), thereby targeting different areas with suitable products.
GO DEEP
Deep-cleansing is similar to exfoliating, except instead of a granulated product you use a tool – such as a cleansing brush – to remove dead skin cells and reveal fresh new skin. Cleansing tools come in various forms and price ranges. Don’t use an exfoliator and a cleansing tool at the same time or in quick succession as this can damage the skin. WHEN Deep-cleanse with products that suit your skin type. You don’t have to stick to a strict routine – you can also deep-cleanse whenever you notice your skin is flaking, breaking out or looking dull, but only if you haven’t deep-cleansed or exfoliated in the previous 72 hours. HOW
First cleanse your skin using your preferred face wash and follow the basic steps one, two and three. Rinse your face thoroughly.
Apply face wash on the entire face or only the areas you’d like to focus on.
Wet your brush and switch it on (if applicable). Move it gently over the entire face or preferred areas in circular motions, avoiding the eye area. Don’t go over the same area more than twice. Rinse your face and pat your skin dry using a clean towel. This is the perfect time to apply a mask that would benefit your skin type – and don’t wait too long after drying your skin to apply moisturiser or a mask.
ALTERNATIVES
These are great ways to cleanse your face as they save water. But don’t rely solely on these methods as washing your skin is still the best option for cleansing. WIPES are good for removing make-up when you’re on the go, but you may still need to wash your face afterwards if any traces of make-up remain. Don’t use these every day as they also exfoliate the skin. Always moisturise afterwards. MICELLAR WATER is a great waterless way of cleansing the skin even when you don’t have make-up on. Things such as pollution always affect the skin and dirt is evident on the skin’s surface at the end of the day. Micellar water is gentle even around the eye area and is also moisturising. MAKE-UP REMOVER melts even the toughest make-up with little effort – but if you have large pores that trap product, you might still need to wash your skin afterwards to remove dirt from the pores. Moisturise afterwards.