"Alexa, Wash My Face..." | Facial Aesthetics

Don’t we all wish it was that easy?

We’re going back to the basics to share why it’s important to step up to the sink, every morning and night.

Many people often question the importance of washing their faces. We’re here to remind you why it should never be skipped, and why using a good cleanser is a must.

Let’s start with nighttime. Going to bed with a clean face makes sense, right? You wash away the dirt, debris, pollutants and makeup from the busy day. The hard part is realizing it’s just as important as brushing your teeth at night, and if you skip that…maybe we should be having a different conversation?!

The morning cleanse is just as important. We know what you’re thinking: “But my skin is clean from the nighttime cleanse!” The truth is, it WAS clean when you went to sleep, BUT your skin produces oils overnight and rubs on a pillow or linens that can cause irritations or create allergens. Also, washing your face in the morning preps your skin for your morning routine.

So. now let’s get to the cleanser. Cleanser is realistically only on your skin for 10-15 seconds, then rinsed away with water. So, who should care if you use a bar of soap, a cleanser with foaming properties, or maybe a cleanser that’s medicated? YOU SHOULD.

Although cleansing your skin is a short process, the “type” of clean you experience from the product you use will lay the foundation for how effective all products applied after will be. You want to make sure your cleanser doesn’t take more from your skin than it should. Stripping skin of its oils leaves you feeling too dry, whereas leaving an oily residue on your face and not providing that proper balance isn’t creating a good base for your products.

Before choosing a cleanser: Evaluate your skin type. You may have normal, oily, dry, combination or sensitive skin. Remember to re-evaluate your skin care products frequently as your skin type can change at each season; and during different stages in your life. Owning more than one cleanser isn’t a strange thing to do at all. Our skin changes over time based on hormones, stress, medications or other factors that might mean alternating cleansers is necessary.

A little more advice

It’s not crucial to choose a cleanser based on your age:

The truth is that most cleansers do not include anti-aging ingredients in their formulations, as this is not a step in the skin care routine that is left to penetrate into deeper layers of your skin. Because of its short life cycle and being washed away with water, what matters about cleanser is how effective it is for your skin type and how it makes your skin feel after using it.

What should cleansing do?

Remove dirt, bacteria and dead skin cells. It should also restore your skin’s pH levels, balancing extremes of oiliness or dryness.

When do you use cleanser?

Morning and night. You use it in the morning to remove any residue left over from products used the night before. You also use it at night to clean your face of oils, dirt, and make-up applied and collected throughout the day. The first and most important step in an anti-aging regimen is finding and using a good cleanser.

After cleansing, the goal is for your skin to feel soft and smooth. Make sure skin is dry before applying the next products in your routine. Reminder to pat your skin dry – don’t rub as it can lead to irritation and stretching, which may cause unnecessary wrinkles.

If you keep it simple, always make sure you cleanse then follow that up with a moisturizer (and when in the morning, a good SPF!)