Wash your face, MAN!

(from previous post)

When it comes to cleansing preparations for men, you (yeah, I'm talking to the men) don't have as many options as women. Well, that's if you only choose to use products specifically for men. Most cleansers for men are gel/foaming cleansers. Actually, I've only seen gel-cleansers for men. Hmmm...

I suppose this is because men, generally have oilier skin types than women because of their androgenic hormones. Men's sebum secretion remains high during the ageing process so their (your) skin also tends to stay oilier for longer. This is why many male cleansing produst (and even male facial products in genereal) contain tea-tree, because it is antiseptic and antibacterial and thus helps with congestion caused by oiliness and/or shaving irritation.

This, however, doesn't mean that ALL men have oily skin and ALL men prefer gel cleansers. If you have a combination or drier skin type, there's nothing wrong with a milky cleanser. It is up to you. They should cleanse equally well. Also, if you cannot find your desired cleansing preparation in a men's range, using a "female" product is not going to harm you. If you are concerned about the packaging, there are many products that aren't packaged specifically for woman. I haven't seen a cleanser in a pink bottle in a VERY long time. A lot of product houses have simple colours and designs. If it's still an issue, decant it into another container, or hide it in your cupboard. Simple.

Miss B

Now wash your face!

A good cleanser should remove make-up effectively & your skin should feel comfortable and/or pleasant. It should also not upset the pH balance of the skin. A facial wash or cleanser may vary from liquid to semi-solid. There are different preparations recommended for specific skin types, but if you have an oily skin, for example, but prefer a creamy cleanser, that is ok, as long as it’s an oil-free cleanser and doesn’t irritate or worsen your skin.

Cleansing Gel

Predominantly for oilier skin types.

Combination to oily skins may use this.

Many people prefer gel cleansers as they feel that the “soap/foam cleans” more effectively. This is not necessarily the case as cream/milky cleansers can clean as effectively minus the foaming agent (commonly sodiumlaurethsulphate or sodiumlaurylsulphate).

Cleansing Foam

Predominantly for oilier skin types.

Combination to oily skins may use this.

Cream Cleanser

Water-in-oil emulsion.

Vary in texture

Dry and mature skins

A mousse-like texture is better for mature skins as it won’t “drag” the skin

Milky Cleanser

Oil-in-water emulsion

Up to 90% water

For young, normal &combination skins

Some may contain a detergent element but this would be too drying on an older skin.

gel-to-foam based daily exfoliator

Exfoliating Cleansers

I’m not really fond of these. No, I don’t like them. But if you prefer them, make sure that the beads are tiny, and don’t feel too rough (“scratchy”) on your skin. 

If you have acne or pustules (spots/pimples containing pus) I would recommend that you do not use this form of cleanser as it may irritate your skin and may cause the bacteria which causes the infection (and therefore pus) to spread.  They may be in a creamy base or a gel-to-foam base. Exfoliating twice weekly with a facial exfoliant is adequate. I will cover exfoliation in a future post.

cream-based daily exfoliator

Medicated Cleansers

These are most commonly prescribed/recommended by dermatologists and other medical professionals. Generally, these are more for oily, congested skin types as they may be very degreasing contain anti-bacterial ingredients.

Cleansing bars

This looks like a regular bar of soap, sometimes a bit smaller, but is specifically for cleansing your face. This is my least favourite cleansing preparation, along with daily exfoliants, mainly because I am a hygiene enthusiast. To me, a cleanser in a pump-bottle is most hygienic because you're not physically touching the product, and it is not constantly in a damp/moist/wet environment. I have the same issue with hand-washing. When you use a bar of soap for any reason, firstly you're touching it with your hands (which may not be clean) and little particles from under your nails may go onto it. My second issue is that it's constantly moist or in a moist environment. Moisture is breeding ground for micro-organisms, especially bacteria. I also don't like picking up that slimy brick of soap. Not many people have the time or patience to rinse the bar properly and put it in a suitable place or container where it can "drain" or drip-dry and then clean the container regularly. High-maintenance anyone? If you're willing to take the necessary steps to keep a cleansing bar as sanitary as possible, then there's no real problem using this form of cleansing preparation.

Cleansing lotion

Although it has "cleansing" in it's name/title/description, and is part of the cleansing process, it is not actually a cleanser. This is another term used for a toner. A very "watery" fluid used AFTER cleansing.

When I think of a perfect cleanser, I envisage a soap-free, oil-free silky liquid, that leaves my skin feeling smooth, soft and comfortable as if I had just woken-up, minus the puffiness.

Miss B

Do I need to "cleanse" my face?

Uhm... Yeah! You do!


Why?


Your skin naturally produces sebum (oil) which travels through your hair follicles and is secreted on the surface of your skin. This layer of sebum, no matter how much or how little, may trap dirt, bacteria and/or pollution from the environment on your skin. This may lead to congestion in the pores.

Basic structure to illustrate above

Your skin also naturally sheds thousands of skin cells daily. This is called desquamation and it is generally unnoticeable. This may assimilate with the hair follicle, blocking pore and may trap the sebum. This can also lead to congestion in the pores and will result in a lesion.

Natural desquamation process. "exfoliating corneocytes" are the surface cells that shed.

We need to reduce as well as prevent this congestion, and the only way to do that is to emulsify and/or dissolve it by means of a proper cleanser.

Next post, types of cleansers and which one's best for you...

Miss B

Cleansing your face…

So now that you know your skin type, there’s no excuse to be using the incorrect cleansing preparation…or soap/shampoo/body wash! Seriously, it’s called BODY wash and HAIR shampoo! If there’s no “aha” (thanks Oprah) moment or light bulbs or “DING!DING!DINGS!”  going off in your head when you see that then I hope this helps…

The natural pH of your skin is between 4.5 and 6, thus it’s acidic. Hence we refer to it as the acid-mantle. Soap is a base/alkaline, and it will therefore lower the acidity of your skin and/or neutralize it. This lowers your skins’s protective mechanism significantly enough for micro-organisms, such as bacteria, to invade it. Oh, and it dries your skin which could lead to many imbalances. If your skin is dry, it’ll simply dry further and could lead to a lot of discomfort. If your skin is oily, soap will dry it, but then your skin compensates to balance the dryness by producing more sebum (oil), and you’re left with an oilier skin and perhaps a breakout. Exciting stuff!

Soooo… we will not be using soap. Or body wash. Or shampoo. We shall use proper cleansers for our skin type.

Miss B

More of your skin type...

If after the last post, you were still confused and/or unsure of your skin type, maybe this could help you.

Consider the following when determining your skin type:

Skin colour:

Sallow (dull, yellowish) - if not due to a genetic factor, it could indicate greasy skin

Redness may indicate a more vascular skin, meaning you probably have a thin/fine skin allowing underlying blood vessels to show through. This is associated with dry, sensitive skins.

Paler skins may also indicate dryness, but with less sensitivity.

Skin texture

Dry skins may feel fine&smooth to an extent, depending on the degree of dryness. If your skin is flaky, it will obviously feel rough.

Oily skins may also feel smooth, but more likely they feel grainy and may feel bumpy to the touch if you're suffering from a breakout at the moment or if you've got papules,pustules or post-acne scarring.

Pore size

Dilated pores usually indicate an oily skin due to the constant sebaceous activity. (Oil is constantly being secreted)

Dilated pores may also indicate a previously oily skin in mature clients who most probably have drier skins.

Dry skins have contsricted pores and it is barely, if at all, evident.

Sebaceous gland activity

Oily skin usually has an oily residue, especially towards the centre of the face. Oilier skins will therefore have more "oil" present on the skin. (DUH!)

Skin elasticity and muscle tone indicate maturity of skin, but you needn't worry about that just yet, do you?

For guys/males/dudes/boys/men (whichever you prefer), the same applies when determining your skin type (see above and previous post, and don't let the chick-pictures scare you). Because of androgenic hormones, most male skin types remain "oilier" for a longer period of time compared to the skin types of women. There are also not as many skin type specific products on the market for men. Also it may become more complicated as many of you are prone to pseudofolliculitis (barbae)... Razor burn and ingrown hairs due to shaving. Some of you may even have a complete breakout where you shave. This doesn't necessarily mean you have stage 4 acne, so relax. If this happens to you, you may be sensitive to an ingredient in your shaving preparation (gel, cream, oil, foam/mousse, heaven-forbid soap), or your technique may not be as great as you think. Yeah, apparently there are techniques for shaving.

Miss B

What is YOUR skin type?

...A question you’re asked when buying foundation, a cleanser, a toner, a day cream, a night cream, anything else you plan on putting on that gorgeous face. Even professionals ask you when making product recommendations. (Like, you're the professional, YOU tell ME! *deep breaths*) So here's a little guide to help you determine yours now. There is also a difference between your skin type and skin condition, as if you need complication. A skin condition is a temporary “problem”, it usually improves when treated. I’ll discuss this later on… For now, you need to know the basic characteristics of your skin type…

Normal Skin:

• Soft and supple to the touch
• Doesn’t feel tight or oily
• Has an even colour
• Skin is clear
• Elasticity of a high degree
• Epidermis is of average thickness (not thin, not thick)

This is very rare and most common before puberty, but it is not unattainable.

 Oily Skin:

• grainy-to-coarse texture
• sallow (dull) complexion
• shiny/greasy/oily appearance
• dilated ("obvious") pores
• may or may not have comedones (blackhead)
• thicker epidermis

 Most commonly associated with adolescent skins (13-23 year olds)

There are varying degrees of oiliness (to be discussed at a later stage).

  

Dry Skin:

•  has a translucent appearance
• prone to flaky patches
• thin epidermis
• may be pale and/or pink in colour (due to thin skin&broken capillaries)
• may appear blotchy
• more prone to signs of premature ageing (especially fine lines around eyes)
• feels tight, especially after washing 

As one matures (read: ages), the skin becomes drier as sebaceous activity (oil production in the skin) becomes less and slower.

Combination Skin:

Combination skin is a combination (who would've guessed, right?!) of skin types. The most common combination is a oily T-panel or T-zone (forehead, nose&chin) and dry cheeks. One may, however, have a combination of dry, oily and normal. You could have a normal T-zone and dry cheeks, or you may have normal skin with an oily chin and nose. And I don't mean oily from the sauce on that burger you just stuffed your face with.

Miss B