You’ve likely heard it before: “Always wash your face.” You’ve heard it so many times, it must be good advice. But is it? Can anything bad really happen if you don’t wash your face? Find out in this post.
Wash Your Face to Clean & Prep It
The main reason to wash your face is to clean it. A cleanser helps to remove dirt, make-up and oil that can accumulate on skin over the course of a day. Cleansing also helps to remove old, dead skin cells, which can build up on the surface, leaving skin looking dull and lifeless. The accumulation of these impurities along with dry and dead skin cells puts you at risk for clogged pores, which ultimately, can lead to breakouts.
In addition to removing debris and potentially damaging substances, a clean face preps the skin’s surface for the application of subsequent skincare treatments. Actives are more easily absorbed deeper into the skin where they can exert their action. Moisturizing ingredients – humectants (which draw moisture to the skin); emollients (which soften and smooth skin) and occlusives (which lock moisture in) are also more effective, leading to increased hydration. The good news is that hydrated skin looks healthy and younger.
Choose A Suitable Cleanser
Convinced yet? If so, it’s important to choose a cleanser that’s right for your skin. There are many to choose from – gels, creams, powders, oils and balms – and we’ve written about them before. Choose one based on personal preference and also on your skin type.
Sensitive skin tends to do better with milder, less foaming cleansers such as crèmes, balms and oils. Skin that is more tolerant can pick and choose. Cleansers can include actives such as alpha hydroxy acids (which help to exfoliate), moisturizing ingredients , antioxidants and anti-inflammatories.
At Apothekari we offer two cleansers that are suitable for a range of skin types:
- Cloud Nine Foaming Cleansing Crème. Rich with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ingredients to clean, moisturize and protect skin. Suitable for all skin types, including sensitive.
- AHA-Mazing Exfoliating Cleansing Gel. Infused with a triple combination of alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) to exfoliate, hydrate and help improve the health of skin. Caution sensitive skin.
How to Wash Your Face
When it comes to getting the deed done, you can follow a one or two-step method, which are explained in this post. The important bits:
- Use warm (not hot) water and rinse thoroughly
- Stay away from harsh surfactants (soaping agents) which strip away oils leading to dryness
- Ensure you wash your face at night. While there is some debate about a morning cleanse, at Apothekari, we feel that’s optional.
The world isn’t going to end if you don’t wash your face, but your skin will look much better. Trust us on this one!
