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Facial Cleansing: The foundation of your skincare routine
Posted by Heidi Hepperle on
Facial cleansing is the first and one of the most important steps in your skin care routine . Your skin can do a lot on its own, but it does need your help with some things. And there are a few things to consider when it comes to cleansing.
Facial cleansing is the most important step in your skin care routine .
For skin-friendly cleansing, the cleanser should only contain mild surfactants . It is better to avoid aggressive surfactants such as sodium laureth sulfate. Deep cleansing will damage your skin.
Make sure the pH value is between 5 and 6, which is friendly to the skin. Soaps have a pH value of 8 - 9 and also contain very aggressive surfactants.
You may find it difficult to find the right cleansing product, as there are so many different cleansers, such as soaps , cleansing foam, gel, milk, micellar water, makeup remover wipes or cleansing oils. It is not immediately clear which of these are mild or aggressive. Perhaps you also want to take a specific skin condition or skin disease into account. Do you have acne, rosacea or sensitive skin? And how often should you clean your face?
You can find out what to look out for when cleansing your face and which type of cleansing is best for you in this article. Or you can listen to our podcast episode on the topic of cleansing .
Contents
Why facial cleansing?
Why should I clean my face at all? Ideally, my skin would prefer not to be cleaned. However, we live in a different environment today than we did in the past, and we are also getting older. Our current environment exposes our skin to external stress on a daily basis. We wear sunscreen to protect ourselves from sunburn and skin cancer, which usually only becomes apparent in old age. In addition, sweat and dirt build up on the skin over the course of the day. Although these cannot be seen with the naked eye, they can stress the skin and cause "blemishes". To counteract this, it is a great help to your skin if you remove them in the evening. Make-up should also be removed in the evening to keep your skin healthy.
never go to sleep with makeup on
One rule you've probably heard is: never go to sleep with makeup on . For the sake of your skin, you should find time to take your makeup off properly after a long day (or a long night ;)). We can reassure you in advance, because the myth that makeup per se causes spots isn't true if you've found the right makeup for your skin. However, it can cause blemishes if it's not removed properly.
As you can see, facial cleansing is important even if you don't wear makeup. To protect your skin from skin cancer and premature aging, you should ideally apply sunscreen every day. After this has served its purpose during the day, it should be thoroughly removed in the evening.
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What cleaning products are available?
You have a wide range of cleaners to choose from. In addition to minimalist cleaning with water, the market offers a variety of products. These can be surfactant- or oil-based, but there are also some cleaning tools available. The cleaning products are all mild or aggressive to varying degrees. Therefore, it takes some research to find a skin-friendly cleaning product. Below you will find an overview of the different cleaning products:
cleaning with surfactants
What are surfactants?
You have often come into contact with surfactants in everyday life: whether it is hand soap, shower gel, shampoo or cleaning products - all of these products contain surfactants. These are substances that have a water-attracting side (hydrophilic) and a fat-attracting side (lipophilic). This means that the surfactants bind grease and dirt so that they can be easily removed.
The oldest and probably best-known cleaning product is soap . To make soap, fats are saponified with caustic soda. This produces aggressive surfactants. In addition, its pH value is 9 or higher and therefore attacks our acid mantle and the skin's microbiome. This means that soap is not a skin-friendly cleaning product.
Other surfactant-based products are available in a variety of textures and consistencies: cleansing foam, gel, lotion, solid soap bars or cleansing milk - but how skin-friendly are these products? It depends on what's in them. In general, we recommend using mild sugar or coconut oils for skin-friendly cleansing. Avoid aggressive surfactants, as they damage your skin barrier.
Mild surfactants
- Coco Glucoside
- Lauryl Glucoside
- Decyl Glucoside
- Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
- Cocoamidopropyl Betaine
- Sucrose Laurate
- Sucrose Stearate
- Sucrose Palmitate
Aggressive surfactants
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
- Sodium Laureth Sulfate
- Sodium Coco-Sulfate
- Sodium Cocoate
- Sodium Tallowate
- Sodium Palmate
What is the advantage of sugar surfactants? On the one hand, they are mild and also provide moisture. This means that the skin dries out even less.
And what about fragrances? Since the cleanser is only on your skin for a short time, fragrances would not necessarily be a problem. However, if you have sensitive skin, it would be advisable to avoid fragrances and essential oils when cleansing your face.
Makeup wipes seem to be a practical invention: they clean quickly and you don't have to expose your face to water. (Why is too much water contact bad for the skin? See below .) Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? In fact, makeup wipes are not the first choice for skin-friendly facial cleansing. Makeup wipes do not have a good cleaning performance. They only roughly remove dirt and makeup. Any residual dirt and surfactants from the makeup wipes remain on your face and are just pushed back and forth. In addition, makeup wipes act like a mechanical peeling by rubbing against the skin, which can irritate and irritate the skin.
What are oil cleansers?
Cleaning with oil? Sounds strange and will probably make many people skeptical at first. But the principle of oil cleansing is actually very simple. It works according to the principle of "like dissolves like". Similar to surfactants, dirt, make-up and sunscreen dissolve in the oil. So that the cleansing oil can be washed off easily, it should still contain surfactants.
Types of cleaners in comparison
cleaning tools
In addition to the cleaning products, there are also a number of cleaning tools that you can use in addition. However, there are a few things to consider here too
Microfiber cloths work in a similar way to surfactants. The microfibers bond with the dirt and remove it from the skin. They are advertised as an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional cotton pads . Unfortunately, they release microplastics in the washing machine - this is not particularly sustainable. The cloths act like a mechanical peeling. Therefore, make sure that you use a very soft microfiber cloth for your facial cleansing (if you want to use it), otherwise the peeling effect can be too irritating for the skin in the long term.
The good old cotton washcloth is one step ahead of the microfiber cloth in terms of sustainability, but it is too rough for the face and provides the perfect breeding ground for bacteria.
It's similar with cleansing brushes . The bristles create friction on your face. It's also difficult to control the pressure and therefore the strength of the peeling when using brushes.
There are different types of cleaning sponges . It's important to take a closer look. You've probably already heard of the Konjac sponge. Although it's sustainable and vegan, it's unfortunately not particularly gentle on the skin. Our Naturally Naked plant fiber sponge is different. It's very soft and doesn't leave any micro-cracks on your skin. It's also sustainable, vegan and hygienic, as you can simply wash it in the washing machine at 60°C.
forms of facial cleansing
So how do I clean my face? There are different methods here too. The most common is to wash with water. This is quick, easy and does not require any other products. However, water alone is usually not enough. Even if you do not wear make-up or sunscreen every day, dirt, fine particles from exhaust fumes and sweat accumulate on your skin over the course of the day. With water alone, residues of these remain on your skin and irritate it. The same applies to make-up and sunscreen. The better alternative here would be to simply cleanse your face with a skin-friendly cleaning product of your choice. Surfactants or oil dissolve make-up and any residues from care products and free the skin of residues from your everyday life.
Double Cleansing
Double cleansing goes one step further. This requires two cleansing products that are applied one after the other. Double cleansing is also available in two versions:
Variant 1
In the first variant, the first product is applied and washed off, then the same procedure is carried out with the second product.
variant 2
A supposedly skin-friendly variant is Double Cleansing Light . The two cleansing products are applied one after the other and then washed off. The skin only comes into contact with water once.
What speaks against frequent contact with water?
The more often your skin comes into contact with water, the greater the risk of drying out. The acid mantle is also attacked every time by the water's high pH value, which is around 7.
The idea behind double cleansing: It's better to cleanse gently twice than aggressively once. However, this assumption is not entirely correct. During double cleansing, the cleansing products stay on the skin longer and the longer the skin is exposed to surfactants and emulsifiers, the worse it is for it. Whether double cleansing is an option for you is a personal decision. It is not necessary, as one product can already be able to cleanse your skin sufficiently, thoroughly and gently.
Oil Cleansing Method
And then there is the Oil Cleansing Method . As the name suggests, oils are used to cleanse the face.
Some people actually only mean pure oils. For some, this also includes ready-made cleansing oils that contain emulsifiers in addition to the oil. The latter are applied to dry skin and can then be easily washed off with water thanks to the emulsifiers.
However, cleaning with pure oil is problematic for the skin. Because they do not contain emulsifiers, they cannot be removed completely. This would only be possible with double cleansing. Oil cleansers with emulsifiers are better tolerated by the skin.
Would you like to know more about oils?
We have written several articles on the topic of facial oils . In our opinion, knowledge about oils is a key to good skin care: you can do a lot wrong if you use the wrong oils for your skin. But you can also achieve a lot if you use the right oils for your skin.
Facial oils for combination skin and impure skin: Which is suitable?
Natural Glow: What other cosmetic brands don't tell you
Facial oils don't work? This new oil could work
Linoleic acid in skin care: How to use it correctly
deep pore cleansing
You've probably already come across promises of deep pore purity . But you should probably stay away from that. Healthy skin is neither squeaky clean nor completely clean. The sebum in your pores has the effect of a natural cream. Your skin makes a lot of effort to care for itself and healthy skin always has a light film of oil.
eye makeup removal
And what about eye make-up? To avoid overtaxing the thin skin in this area and causing your eyelashes to break off, you should also remove make-up around your eyes carefully. Since the eyes are neutral to alkaline (pH 7.3-9.7), while our skin has a slightly acidic pH value (pH 5-6), it would be a good idea to use a separate cleaning product for the eye area that either has no pH value or is around 7, so that it does not irritate the eyes or skin too much.
Which cleanser is suitable for my skin?
Before you rush out to buy a cleanser, let's talk briefly about skin types and skin conditions. Your cleanser should suit your skin and support it. Not every product is suitable for every skin type.
Basically, the different textures are not dependent on skin type. However, they do offer some pointers to narrow things down and make your search for the perfect cleanser easier.
Cleansing foams often contain aggressive surfactants such as sodium laureth sulfate (SLS) or a significantly higher amount of surfactants. This means that the foam is only suitable for oily and robust skin . It would not be nourishing enough for dry skin and sensitive skin could react with irritation and stress due to the surfactants.
The cleansing milk cleanses gently and is usually more nourishing - making it ideal for combination to dry skin . Dry skin can also benefit from a cleansing balm .
If you have oily skin , you might be happy with a skin-friendly cleansing gel . Would you rather use an oil-based cleanser but have concerns? Don't worry! You can also use cleansing oils if you have oily skin ; your skin won't become oilier or impure. At least as long as you don't use pure oils. Here you can find out more about which oils are suitable for "impure skin" or oily skin .
But if you want to try out the different textures, ask yourself the following questions: Which texture do you like best? What does your skin like? Observe it carefully and listen to it, then you will find the perfect cleanser for you!
Depending on our life situation, our skin experiences different conditions. Perhaps your skin is in a condition that you don't like and find problematic, or you have a skin disease. In these cases, it is especially important not to be frustrated or angry with your skin. Be kind to it and kind to yourself, and try to respond to your skin's needs.
facial cleansing for men and women
There is skin care for men and women on the market. This is also the way most people buy their products. It should be noted that this division has neither a medical nor a biological basis. It is true that men's skin is often a little more robust than women's skin. However, these differences are so small that a separate skin care range is not necessary. Gender-specific products are mainly offered for marketing reasons. This also applies to cleansers. These usually only differ in terms of packaging and scent.
We at Xeno believe that skin care is for everyone! Whether you're a man or a woman - every skin benefits from skin-friendly care products. That's why all of our products are unisex.
Facial cleansing for sensitive skin
Sensitive skin likes to be left alone. Make sure to use cleansers with mild surfactants and no fragrances. Take another look at the overview of mild surfactants above. You should also not cleanse your sensitive skin too often, but only when it is necessary.
Tips for sensitive skin
- Use cleaners with mild surfactants or an oil cleanser
- A lot of foam is often a sign of aggressive surfactants
- Do not clean too often
- Tags: Hautpflege, Oel, Reinigung
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