Face Cleansing 101: Are You Making These Top 10 Mistakes?
Face cleansing couldn't be easier, right? You simply pick up some soap, lather it up, and pat dry!
Unfortunately, it isn't always that simple. The products you use and the way you apply them can have a direct effect on your complexion. If you're still struggling with dull, dry, or irritated skin, your daily regimen could be to blame.
In fact, a recent survey reveals that up to 80% of Americans use improper products and techniques to wash their face. If you're sudsing up and going out without giving any real thought to the process, this could include you.
The good news? There's always an opportunity to reverse any potential damage caused. The key is identifying where you're making errors and learning how to make smarter choices moving forward.
Today, we're sharing 10 common mistakes that people usually make when they cleanse their skin. Read on to discover the missteps to avoid and the products that can revolutionize your skincare routine, starting today.
1. Choosing the Wrong Cleanser
With so many options on the shelf, it's easy to become overwhelmed when you're shopping the skincare aisle. Yet, it pays to do your research and understand what you're putting on your delicate facial skin. The journey to flawless skin begins with knowing your skin type and choosing products accordingly.
Ultimately, not every cleanser is created equal. There are some best-suited to sensitive or breakout-prone skin, as well as those specifically formulated for oily, extra dry, or combination skin.
The Only Cleansing Cream You Need
Then, there are cleansers that are designed for use on all skin types thanks to balanced and gentle formulas. Our award-winning Cleansing Cream is a prime example of the best cleanser for dry and oily skin. At the same time, it's also the best cleanser for sensitive skin!
This deeply purifying and moisturizing cream is effective against dirt, grime, makeup, and pollutants, but gentle enough to leave your skin soft and glowing. What makes it such a powerhouse? Our Cleansing Cream is made with Glacial Oceanic Clay found only in Canada.
This clay lightly exfoliates while infusing your skin with more than 60 minerals and rare earth elements. Fragrance-free and scented only with natural essential oils, this is the natural skincare solution you can feel great about.
Other key ingredients include:
- Glacial Mineral Water
- Bilberry Fruit Extract: Treats infections and naturally conditions skin
- Sugar Cane Extract: Naturally exfoliates and brightens skin, delivers antibacterial benefits
- Sugar Maple Extract: A natural alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that helps repair dead skin cells
- Lemon and Orange Fruit Extracts: Antioxidant-rich exfoliants that promote collagen production
These anti-oxidant rich botanical extracts are a natural source of skin-loving ingredients, including Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) and vitamin C, that help encourage skin cell turnover and renewal.
For instance, glycolic acid, derived from sugar cane, delivers an instantly softer and smoother texture to your skin. In addition, our cleanser also includes lactic acid (an AHA extract of bilberry), citric acid from lemon and orange fruit, and malic and tartaric acids from sugar maple!
What happens when all of these skin superstars combine? Your complexion is left hydrated, detoxed, purified, and soothed.
In addition, our cleanser also tightens pores and delivers noticeable anti-aging benefits! In clinical trials, Glacial Oceanic Clay was found to reduce skin-surface sebum (excess oil) by up to 95% and increase collagen production by 70%.
As you shop for a new cleanser, be sure to read the ingredients, research the company, and make sure the product is designed to meet your specific skincare needs. With our Cleansing Cream, the answers are obvious, transparent, and refreshingly simple. To hear what others are saying about it, be sure to check out our product reviews on our website or Amazon!
2. Washing Too Often
It's a common misconception that scrubbing your face multiple times a day will make it cleaner or less prone to breakouts. While it's important to wash with a gentle cleanser at least once a day, many people tend to overdo it.
If you have dry skin, washing one time in the evening is often all that you need. If your skin is oily, you can cleanse both morning and night. Washing too often can dry out your skin and trigger the production of extra sebum, which can undermine your efforts.
3. Using the Wrong Water Temperature
As you cleanse your face, resist the urge to adjust the water as hot as possible. Doing so will not make your products more effective, and can even burn your skin. If you already suffer from acne or rosacea, the redness that follows a hot-water cleanse can also make your symptoms more noticeable.
At the very least, turning up the heat will result in excessive dryness which (as discussed), will encourage greater sebum production. Yet, it's also unwise to use ice-cold water, as this can seal your pores shut and prevent them from receiving all of the nutrients that your cleanser provides. For best results, stick to lukewarm water!
4. Rushing Your Cleanser
Are you used to slathering on a drugstore cleanser and immediately rinsing it off? If so, you could be depriving your skin.
When you invest in a premium-quality solution like our Cleansing Cream, it's important to understand how to use it correctly.
First, shake it well before using to evenly distribute the ingredients. Then, apply the cleanser to your fingertips and add a little water to emulsify the product and create a lather. Next, apply the lather to your face in circular motions. Rather than rushing this step, spending a few seconds massaging the cleanser into your skin to help break down any oils.
Finally, rinse completely with lukewarm water. Taking your time during this routine can help ensure that you get the maximum benefits possible out of your skincare products.
5. Over-Exfoliating
Exfoliation is an important part of your skincare regimen. Gently exfoliating helps remove dead skin cells and allows your products to penetrate more deeply into your pores. Yet, it's very easy to become overzealous with this step.
Relying on harsh physical or chemical exfoliants on a regular basis can leave your skin feeling tight, irritated, red, and dry. Instead of these extra products, stick an all-in-one solution like our Cleansing Cream that delivers a gently and effective daily dose of natural exfoliation without the damaging side effects.
6. Using a Washcloth
Still relying on a washcloth to get your skin clean? Unless you're swapping it out for a clean one every day, you could be introducing dirt, debris, and bacteria from yesterday back onto your skin.
It easiest (and cleanest) to stick to washing with your hands. Just remember to wash your hands before you wash your face!
7. Rubbing Your Face
Especially when you're always in a rush to get out the door, it's easy to fall into the habit of grabbing a towel and rubbing your face dry after cleansing. However, we always recommend gently patting your skin dry instead.
Why? Rubbing your face can irritate your skin and deprive it of the natural nutrients it needs, including proteins, lipids and important fatty acids.
8. Cleansing With Makeup Wipes
Quick-fix solutions such as makeup wipes are a byproduct of our convenience-driven culture. Yes, they're appropriate to stash in your gym bag for a quick cool-down after a sweat session, but they're never an ideal substitute for a real, thorough daily cleansing.
Most of these products actually smear and distribute dirt and oil on your face rather than actually eliminating it. If left to linger, this can lead to breakouts. If you must swipe on a makeup wipe, remember to properly cleanse as soon as you get home.
9. Skipping Toner
You should apply toner as soon as you pat your face dry after cleansing, while your skin is still slightly damp. Though it's easy to forget this step, it's more important than you might think.
Toners are lightweight, quick-absorbing liquids that help remove any excess traces of dirt, oil, and makeup from your skin. In addition, they can also help balance and restore your skin's pH levels and even help keep acne at bay. Today, you can find specially-formulated toners designed to tackle a variety of skin concerns, from aging and dryness to oiliness and redness.
For a natural toner suitable for all skin types, check out our Mineral Toner! One splash tones, refreshes, firms, and hydrates skin with glacial minerals and antioxidant-rich botanical extracts.
10. Skipping Moisturizer
Knowing how to cleanse properly and choose the right toner is the first part. Yet, don't forget to follow up your toner with a moisturizer. Doing so helps your skin lock in all of the hydration it just received.
Looking for a new one? Our Mineral Moisturizing Cream is the perfect solution, featuring Glacial Mineral Water extracted from Glacial Oceanic Clay, along with soothing ingredients including jojoba oil and aloe vera.
If you're cleansing in the morning, allow your moisturizer to sink in and feel dry to the touch. Then, remember to apply a facial sunscreen before you head out the door! At night, you can skip the SPF, but replace that post-moisturizer step with any serums or special applications (such as acne spot treatments) that your dermatologist recommends.
Face Cleansing Made Simple, Natural, and Effective
These days, you can find thousands of skincare products that promise to deliver a glowy, problem-free complexion. Yet, for all of this variety, face cleansing doesn't have to feel complicated.
For the most effective, long-lasting results, look to nature.
Our all-natural skincare solutions are sustainably harvested and clinically proven, designed around the incredible power of Glacial Oceanic Clay. To discover more about our products, feel free to check out the rest of our online store. Along the way, contact us with any questions!
Cleansing Cream
This deep purifying and moisturizing cleansing cream helps the removal of environmental pollutants, make up and dead skin cells to reveal a fresh, glowing appearance. Enriched with natural botanical extracts and minerals from Glacial Oceanic Clay to leave skin soft and fresh.
Suitable for all skin types | Size: 100 g / 3.5 oz.