With cleansing being one of the most important steps of your skincare routine, it’s vital that you do it correctly. Fail to properly cleanse your skin and not only will your complexion soon start to look dull and rough, but dirty skin also puts you at risk of breakouts, accelerated skin aging, and a number of other skin concerns.
So, to make sure that you don’t make any skin cleansing mistakes the next time you’re washing your face, read on as Celestolite talks you through seven things that you could be doing wrong when skin cleansing, along with tips on how to turn things around to give your skin the very best cleanse each and every time.
1. Using the Wrong Cleanser for Your Skin Type
All of the products in your skincare routine should be tailored to your skin type, and that includes your cleanser. There are so many different cleansers out there that it is, unfortunately, very easy to use the wrong formula. However, if you have dry skin and you use a cleanser designed for oily skin, your skin will only end up drier. Likewise, use a cleanser made for dry skin on oily skin and your skin will soon feel even greasier.
So, how do you pick the right skin cleansing formula for your skin type?
If you have dry or sensitive skin, you need a gentle cleanser. Ideally, you should be trying to preserve your skin’s natural protective barrier as much as possible, and this is something that a harsh cleanser will disrupt. Instead, go for a mild and moisturizing formula, such as a cream cleanser.
On the other hand, those with oily or combination skin may need something a little more powerful. Foaming cleansers are often favored because of how effectively they remove excess sebum.
Of course, some cleansers, such as mousse cleansers, are suitable for all skin types. Mousse cleansers are gentle and moisturizing enough to use on dry and sensitive skin yet they’re also thorough enough to tackle oily skin.
That’s exactly why the Celestolite Estrella Cleanser Mousse is such a hit. Not only will it leave your skin looking deeply cleansed and detoxified, but its infusion of amino acids will have your skin feeling stronger and more elastic. Even better, with a sprinkling of meteorite powder, your skin will be glowing once you’re done cleansing it!
2. Not Removing Heavy Makeup Before Cleansing
If you don’t wear much makeup, then you may find that a single cleanse is more than capable of removing any makeup residue from your face each evening. However, if your makeup usage tends to be heavier and you sometimes see makeup stains on your towel after you’re done cleansing, then this is a problem that could seriously be costing your skin…
Allowing makeup to remain on your face after your evening cleanse will not only leave your skin prone to dehydration, irritation, and clogged pores, but it also increases exposure to free radicals. Research confirms that free radicals in the skin quickly accelerate the skin aging process. They contribute to fine lines, wrinkles, sagging, and more, none of which you want to be dealing with sooner than necessary!
So, what should you do about this?
You have a couple of options. Firstly, you could use a dedicated makeup remover before applying your regular skin cleansing product. Another option would be to double cleanse. This involves using an oil-based cleanser first, which will remove makeup and other oil-based impurities. After this, you would then follow up with a water-based cleanser, just like the mousse cleanser we featured above. Double cleansing ensures a more thorough cleanse, making it ideal for those who wear heavy makeup.
3. Leaving Your Skin Bare After Cleansing
Each time you cleanse your skin, you leave your skin vulnerable to moisture loss and damage. This is down to how cleansing removes the sebum and dead skin cells that are sitting on the surface of the skin. These would have otherwise provided an additional physical barrier between your skin and the environment around you.
The longer your skin is left bare after cleansing, the more susceptible it will be to moisture loss and environmental damage. This makes it so important to follow up with the rest of your skincare routine as soon as you’re done cleansing.
If you’re trying to keep your skincare routine minimal, then all you need to do after skin cleansing is slather on a moisturizer, as well as a sunscreen if you’re cleansing in the morning. The Celestolite Nova Bright Skin Cream (SPF 30) functions as both, making it a great time-saver!
If you have some extra time to spare after cleansing and want to pamper your skin with a longer routine, we would recommend following your cleanser up with a toner. The Celestolite Estrella Facial Toner would be perfect because of how incredibly hydrating it is. It leaves the skin looking so plump and fresh!
Once you’re done toning, apply an antioxidant serum, just like the Celestolite Estrella Renewing Vitamin C Serum. Then, finish up with a moisturizer, plus SPF during the day.
The sooner you get started with the rest of your skincare routine after cleansing, the better it will be for your skin.
4. Not Cleansing Your Skin Enough…or Cleansing Too Often
When it comes to how often you should be cleansing your skin, there isn’t a set answer. Again, just like when determining the cleanser that you should use, this all comes down to your skin type.
Those with dry or sensitive skin often only need to cleanse once a day. Over-cleansing these skin types can exacerbate dryness and sensitivities. Ideally, save your daily cleanse for the evening. This way, you’ll be able to remove all of the dirt and impurities that have built up on your skin over the course of the day, instead of allowing them to settle into your pores while you sleep.
On the other hand, if you have oily or combination skin, a single daily cleanse may not be enough. Since your skin is producing so much excess sebum, you may need to cleanse twice a day in order to prevent your skin from feeling too greasy. Don’t be tempted to cleanse more often than this – it’ll only end up drying out your skin too much, which will stimulate it into producing even more sebum.
5. Using an Exfoliant as a Cleanser
Exfoliation is fantastic for giving the skin a deeper cleanse. While regular facial cleansers focus on the surface of the skin, exfoliants pull impurities out from within the pores. That’s how they’re able to leave the skin looking so bright, smooth, and radiant.
Because of this, it can be tempting to sometimes use your exfoliant as a replacement for your cleanser. However, this is something else that you should definitely avoid doing…
Why? Because, for starters, exfoliating your skin too often can lead to a number of problems. You’ll end up stripping away too much of your skin’s protective barrier. This can cause everything from acne to dryness to sensitivities. With symptoms of over-exfoliation being so broad, identifying your exfoliant as the cause can be tricky, meaning that you’ll likely end up making your problems even worse for a while.
Additionally, exfoliants will only work to their full potential when applied to clean skin. As mentioned, their role is to clear out the pores. The only way they can properly access the pores is if the surface of the skin is free of impurities, which is your cleanser’s role.
So, when it comes to skin cleansing, stick to a dedicated facial cleanser. Follow up with an exfoliant once or twice a week (again, this depends on your skin type) and your skin will soon start to look better than ever!
6. Skin Cleansing With Hot Water
There’s no denying how satisfying it can feel to use hot or very warm water when skin cleansing. This is especially the case on a cold winter’s day!
However, hot water is notorious for harming the skin. Studies confirm that exposing the skin to hot water damages skin barrier function. This, in turn, leads to a number of different skin concerns, from an increase in sensitivities to acne breakouts.
Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean that you have to suffer through frigid temperatures each time you cleanse your skin. Instead, opt for lukewarm instead. This will still be comfortable enough for you while also cool enough to preserve the integrity of your skin barrier.
7. Using a Dirty Towel to Dry Your Face
Once you’re done skin cleansing, you’ll need to somewhat dry your face before you continue with the rest of your skincare routine. The easiest way to do this is by patting your wet skin with a clean and dry towel to soak up excess moisture.
However, one big mistake that many people make is drying their faces with a dirty towel. As you can imagine, this instantly negates all of the benefits that cleansing would have brought you. Instead of allowing your skin to remain clean, your dirty towel will be transferring over new germs and bacteria. Since damp, freshly cleansed skin is so permeable, all of these impurities will quickly work their way into your pores where they’ll cause significant amounts of damage over time.
So, how often should you be cleaning your towel?
Ideally, after every three uses. Sure, you may only be using it to dry a clean face, which means that there shouldn’t be any germs transferring from your face to your towel, but your towel will still be picking up impurities from the environment around it in between uses. The cleaner your towel is, the cleaner your skin will be, so make an effort to wash your towels a little more often.
Summary
As you can see, it’s so easy to unintentionally get things wrong when skin cleansing. While each mistake may not make much of a difference to your complexion if they’re only carried out occasionally, regularly following the wrong skin cleansing practices could be seriously detrimental to your complexion in the long run. So, before your next cleanse, have another read through the seven tips above to make sure that you’re following the optimum cleansing techniques for your skin.
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