The right cleanser is the most important step in skin care.

 The number one thing in a skin care regimen that has the most impact on skin is the cleansing step.   When someone is struggling with dry or dehydrated skin, inflammation, acne, or I can see their skin barrier is compromised, my first question will be:

  “What are you using for a cleanser?”

 Our skin has a barrier that is made up of the outermost layer of skin cells (called Corneocytes) and a layer of oil made of fatty acids, ceramides, and the moisture produced from that top layer of corneocytes.   This layer produces moisture at night while you sleep (how cool!), it holds moisture in your skin, and protects your skin from bacteria, pollutants, and anything else from entering the body via the skin.  It is also the ecosystem for our microbiome.  It provides the home and food for all of the microflora that live on the skin and are a crucial part of your skin's immunity.   I also want to add that our skin barrier is affected by our nervous system, so stress has an effect on the balance of our skin. 

(fun side note:  there is actually a lot of research that shows that meditation helps our skin barrier). We want the skin barrier to be robust! 

When it comes to a great number of cleansers out on the market, most of them do the cleansing step a little too well, and that is by design.  One of the biggest things that happened in the skin care industry, is hyping up the idea that our skin is incredibly dirty and it needs heavy duty cleaning, so most cleansers have what are called surfectants. These are ingredients that will dissolve oils (think Dawn dish soap), and unfortunately will dissolve the precious oil layer that makes up our skin barrier (this can happen quickly, or erode the barrier over time.)

So our skin will feel “squeaky clean”, and then we believe the product delivered on its promise, and then we trust the product, when actually the product just did your skin a disservice.

 So here is my question:  

After cleaning your skin, does it feel tight?  Squeaky clean?  Or do you have the immediate urge to apply moisture because it feels uncomfortable?  

 If this sounds familiar, then your cleanser is not friendly to your skin barrier, and it will keep you on an endless loop of trying to hydrate your skin, hence, needing more products to fix the dryness issue.  This will also lead to slower healing if there is any inflammation present from acne, rosacea, eczema, or any wound on the skin. 

This is where oil cleansing come in.  

 One of the top comments I have heard from clients through the years is 

“My mother/grandmother had the most beautiful skin, and all she used was Ponds cold cream to cleanse and moisturize her skin”

 YES!  That is because cleansers of that generation were formulated to emulsify, or “lift away” without stripping.  A big factor in their skin health was due to products were not damaging their skin barrier.  😁

This is why I will recommend oil cleansing, or finding gels and creams that are formulated to emulsify.   

 The oil cleanser I sell is from Live Botanical and I love it.  It's made from a blend of sunflower seed oil, jojoba oil, acai fruit oil, and green tea oil, with some soothing herbs added in.  It is typically what I start a facial with.  The scent is light and fresh.  

You apply it to dry skin and massage.  You then add a little water, and as you massage more, it becomes milky and picks up any makeup and debris from the day.  Then you rinse and massage it off, or you can use a soft baby wash cloth and gently wipe the rest of the cleanser off.  If you are removing makeup or a couple of applications of SPF, I would follow up with one more cleanse.   Your skin will feel soft, but it is still clean.  For some, it can take a little getting used to this because they are so accustomed to the idea of “clean” with feeling “tight, squeaky, and shiny”.  

 Bonus: massaging your skin with the oil and removing it will also gently exfoliate any of those top cells that have finished their job as a cell, and is ready to leave the body.  

 When I started using oil cleanser, I found it offered the perfect opportunity to spend some extra time massing my face, neck and décolletage.  So not only am I getting my skin clean, I have the perfect slip to relieve tension in my face and neck, bring circulation to the skin, and relax my nervous system.    

 I sell Live Botanical’s Cleansing Oil in my treatment room.  

I also sell a gentle gel cleanser from Blissoma, that I will recommend for someone who is experiencing any inflammation due to perioral dermatitis, or fungal acne.