cleansing rituals
Are you cleansing effectively?
Since the beginning of humanity, people have been obsessed with cleanliness. Mainly for health reasons and to stay free from disease, cleanliness rituals in all civilizations have taken place even to the point of being associated with holiness. So the question I have is why we all dread washing our face twice a day? And begging my client’s to double cleanse? Forget about it!
From the amount of blackheads I have to extract on each client during a facial and myself oftentimes, I’m going to assume that none of us are cleansing effectively. I want to give some tangible tips to make cleansing your face not only more enjoyable, but more effective.
TURN IT INTO A RITUAL- The definition of the word ritual is a ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order. I suggest doing it first thing when you wake up and right when you get home if you’re staying in. Light a non-toxic soy candle with soothing essential oils, pour a kombucha or small glass of organic wine, turn on calming music for the nervous system like cannons, lower your indoor lighting, create a vibe that allows you to make space for your cleansing ritual.
GET A SOFT MICRO-FIBER OR ESTY APPROVED CLEANSING DEVICE- The last thing your precious skin needs is a scratchy, cheap washcloth to ruin everything, or even worse- using just your hands. Manual cleansing has been clinically proven to leave behind 79% of debris on the skin. This means when you cleanse with your hands most of the makeup, sunscreen, skincare products, sebum or naturally secreted oils, sweat, bacteria from touching your skin & pollution from the environment is left behind and clogging your pores.
CLEANSE WITH THE RIGHT WATER TEMPERATURE- I’m guilty of loving hot water so much, so this one is particularly painful to write. The perfect water temp is not cold or hot, but a perfect mix of both- warm.
DOUBLE CLEANSE- For the first cleanse, wash your hands, then wet your face and add either an oil or creamy cleanser to hands gently mixing together and apply to face, neck & décolleté and massage in for 1 full minute including eyes as long as there are no actives in it. Take your microfiber and run under warm water and squeeze excess out and put over face and gently wipe cream or oil cleanser off entire face including eye makeup. You’re only half way there.
SECOND CLEANSE- The second cleanse should be a gel cleanser or exfoliating cleanser depending on your skin type/concerns and what your Esthetician has recommended. Add appropriate amount of cleanser onto your hands and mix with just a quick splash of water- or until the right consistency and keep adding water drops until a beautiful foaming lather. Massage all over face, neck and décolleté for at least 1 full minute paying special attention to the T-zone where blackheads collect like nose, forehead and chin. This should be medium pressure- not too soft or too aggressive. Close your eyes and remove by rinsing with warm water until that uber-clean feeling is apparent. Good job- You’ve successfully double-cleansed. If you only have time for double cleansing in the evening, that is the most important time to do it after a long day, but try to create this cleansing ritual for yourself and see how little breakouts you begin to have and how clean your skin feels. Now it’s time to apply serums and the rest of your skincare routine.
Don’t forget your daily sunscreen every morning to prevent premature aging and preserve your beautiful face! Let me know if any of these tips are helpful.
My favorite double cleansing system for different skin types & conditions would be:
Dry, Normal, Sensitive, Reactive- Lavender Cleansing Lotion & Wildflower Herbal Wash
Combo, Oily, Hyperpigmentation, Breakout Prone- Wildflower Herbal Wash & Willowbark Clarifying Cleanser
Email me with any questions- hello@courtneyparkhillskincare.com
Your Esthetician,
Courtney