Sunday 17 April 2011

Wash your face, PROPERLY.

Everyone has their own "method" to cleansing their faces, but there are a few things you could do to make the cleansing process more efficient.

Here are a few tips:

  1. Tie your hair back. You may use a headband to secure that your hair is out of your face, completely. If you have really short hair, especially guys...I guess you're lucky here. 
  2. Wash your hands. Properly! That means for at least 20 seconds, with a good antibacterial soap and warm water.
  3. Follow instructions on how to use your cleanser. Some require you to moisten your face first, others require you to apply the product first. If you moisten first, use warm (NOT HOT) water.
  4. Pump/squeeze/apply product to your fingertips.
  5. Rub fingers (or hands) together to lather up your cleanser a bit. A non-foaming cleansing preparation will not lather/foam.
  6. Apply the cleanser onto your face using upward circular motions. Don't be too rough. Also, don't be too slow and hard, this isn't a massage, you want to work quickly and thoroughly to clean your face.
  7. I like to start on my nose, but you may start wherever you think the most problematic area is. E.g. if you have an oily T-zone, you'll start there and work your way around your face. Avoid the eye area (see below) unless it is instructed otherwise on your product or by your skincare therapist/consultant. If you are using a gel/foam cleanser, definitely avoid the eye area as gel cleansers are generally drying and your eye area is more delicate than the skin on the rest of your face and have fewer/smaller sebaceous glands. 
  8. Don't forget to pay attention to your hairline,ears and neck. You have sebaceous glands behind your ears too.
  9. When cleansing your neck&décolleté (area between base of your neck and breast/pectorals), do so using upward strokes.
  10. Rinse your face using tepid water. You may use facial sponges, but make sure you look clean and look after them properly.
  11. When drying your face, Pat! Never rub. And PLEASE use a different towel for your face, hair and body.



Warm water relaxes your pores and causes them to dilate (open). Cold water constricts your pores. It is okay to splash your face with cooler water once you've rinsed it and are about to dry your face, but keep in mind that both
hot and cold water may break capillaries, so do not splash with too cold water.

This is the eye area. Avoid cleansing this area with a gel/foamy cleansing. 





Miss B





Wednesday 13 April 2011

Cleanse x 2!


It is important to cleanse morning and night because during the day, you're exposed to many stressors such as environmental factors (wind - carries dust, sun - heat causes perspiration, etc), makeup (not all make-up is non-comedogenic and if not removed properly may cause many blockages&other reactions), touching (many people have a bad habbit of constantly touching their face and not being aware of what they have touched prior to their face. This may transfer many micro-organisms, and add stress to the natural function of your skin). Also, your skin cell processes peak between 1am and 6am, most people are sleeping at this time, depending on your lifestyle of course. This is when all the good stuff is happening - optimum cellular function. If you do not cleanse before going to sleep, you will not experience optimum results. Your cellular functions will continue either way, but why not maximize the potential of such an opportunity by doing a simple thing such as cleansing your face?!

So why do you HAVE to cleanse in the morning again? It's not like you put make-up on before bed or went for a run, right? Wrong! [said in southern American accent.]

Remember those super awesome cellular processes mentioned above? (If you don't, you're either multi-tasking &/or not concentrating. Snap out of it or come back later.) Well, secretion and excretion are part of your cellular processes. Most of the time these processes end up on your skin icluding, yes, your face. Perspiration would also be a good example. Many people perspire while sleeping. Do you really want to go about your day with last night's waste product on your face? Is it really necessary to give your skin that much more to deal with? Be nice!

The only time you do not have to cleanse twice a day is when advised your dermatologist or medical practitioner. Got it?

Also, if you're using a gel/foam cleanser, please take care to avoid the eye area, it can be extremely drying causing discomfort and revealing premature ageing. A quick rinse with a splash of water after using your eye makeup remover or eye cleanser is sufficient for cleansing this area.



Miss B