Cleansing is the first step in your skincare routine. It is essential to remove the days dirt, grime, make-up and dead skin cells. All of these things, left on your skin, pose the potential to clog your pores and cause break-outs. Cleansers work by absorbing dirt, which is attracted to oil loving tails, and removing these impurities when rinsing away with water loving heads. (a ridiculously brief description of the science behind the cleansing process). So let's talk about the types of cleansers we currently have in our line, and a few that will be introduced soon!
Cream Cleanser - a lotion-like texture, containing moisturizing ingredients, like coconut oil and triglycerides, hydrating waters such as aloe vera juice, witch hazel water and vegetable glycerin, a natural emulsifier and gentle plant derived surfacants (we use decyl glucoside and capryl glucoside) to gently but effectively remove light make-up, dirt and oil. Cream cleansers are ideal for dry, sensitive and aging skin. They should be ph balanced (ours is 5) to maintain the skin barrier's integrity. This simply means they will not strip the skin of necessary natural oils, which protect against pollutants, and prevent dryness and redness. We suggest massaging the cleanser into dry or damp skin for about 60 seconds; the milky texture will not foam up, but instead provides a very gentle lather. Rinse with warm water, or a warm washcloth to gently exfoliate too, and pat dry. If you would like to try one of our Cream Cleansers please see them here.
Micellar Water - consists of cleansing molecules (surfacant molecules that assemble themselves into micelles), suspended in water (ours contains flower water, aloe vera juice, glycerin) and works by the molecules attracting impurities and drawing them into the water solution. Apply with a (reusable) cotton pad. Some people insist there is no need to rinse when using micellar water, others feel it is always necessary. We are of the always rinse belief, to avoid any unnecessary residue being left behind. Micellar water can be used as a cleanser on it's own, or before the cream cleanser to remove heavier make-up first. See ours here.
Clay Cleansing Powder - coming soon to our line of cleansers! We have formulated this cleanser with oily and combination skin in mind. It is a dry powder that you add water to yourself. The cleanser contains kaolin clay, dried botanical powders, ground oatmeal, jojoba oil and an amazing cleansing agent that will create a nice lather. The clay will draw out impurities and absorb oil from deeper within the pores. This is a fantastic product to cleanse and gently exfoliate at the same time.
Cleansing Balm - we have been researching this one for awhile. These balms use oils, butters and emulsifiers to remove make-up and impurities. They often contain gentle surfacants for extra cleansing power. They are usually in a buttery or solid form that melts into warm skin and emulsifies into a milky liquid when water is added. It is important to rinse the cleansing balm off with a warm wash cloth. We will talk more about "how to use" once we officially add it to our line.
Cleansing is the first step in a good skincare routine. After cleansing we recommend a hydrating toner, followed by your favourite serum and moisturizer. We will blog about these products soon.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave a comment below. We always love hearing from you! Until next time ..... stay wild!
