Why a good cleanser is important?

When choosing a cleanser look for these things:

Humectants
Hydrating and balancing actives
Chemical exfoliants over physical exfoliants
Gentle surfactants

How to wash your face properly:

Cleanse twice a day
Use Luke warm or cool water to rinse the skin
Separate your physical
Cleanse for 60 seconds to 2 mins for best product absorption

Undoubtedly our skin fights many things off everyday, environmental damage, pollution, uva and uvb exposure, etc so we need a routine that can help us to keep up healthy skin.

We know that we are supposed to wash our faces every night and possibly do a skincare routine. For some, it ranges from 2 to 20 plus steps. Whatever you choose though, cleansing is the first and most important step in any effective skincare routine.

While double cleansing isn’t riding shotgun in the skincare community right now it is still important for us. Cleansing properly is a key step in producing an effective and functional skin care routine. Whether that’s with a cleansing oil or balm, micellar water or washing twice with the same cleanser double cleansing matters, especially if makeup was worn throughout the day.

If cleansing is an important step, then an effective and gentle cleanser is key. A good cleanser can make or break your skincare routine. For some it may be drying, too harsh, doesn’t cleanse enough, burns, stings and the list goes on, especially when different skin types enter the chat. That is why our Grapefruit & Aloe cleanser was formulated for even the most sensitive of skin types to use twice a day.

Speaking of twice a day how often should you wash your face? Washing your face twice a day is ideal both am and pm are essential for healthy skin. Three times is recommended if physical activity has occurred eg. working out = sweating everywhere!

Cleansing in the morning is also important to prevent clog pores, “while you’re tossing and turning at night, bacteria from your saliva and oils from your hair are easily transferred to your face and eyes,” says Rachel Nazarian, M.D., a dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York and New Jersey. So even if you wash your face at night and your pillowcases often, an A.M. cleanse is best practice for your skin care routine to help prevent clog pores and help to maintain healthy skin.

During the day sebum (natural oils produced by your skin) is produced and is mixed with environmental factors such as dust, pollution, sweat etc, and these cause build-up on the skin. Not removing all this dirt and gunk at the end of the day can cause skin irritation, inflammation, and acne breakouts.

At the bare minimum, wash your face every night. Washing your face at night is a hard-and-fast rule when it comes to caring for your skin, and it holds true even if you don’t wear makeup.

Keep the temperature balanced

Now we’ve gotten the point that washing your face twice a day is a must, but another important point is the temperature of the water you are using to rinse your cleanser/s off your face. Using hot water in the shower or washing your face might feel really nice, but it can actually be damaging to the delicate skin of our face.

“Extreme temperatures, such as hot, steamy showers or hot water, can cause dilation of blood vessels and breakage of delicate tissue,” says Dr. Zeichner. “Further, the hot water naturally strips ‘the’ skin of the necessary oil barrier that helps maintain skin integrity.” This means your skin will dry out faster and become more itchy and flaky over time.

This is especially an issue for those with dry or sensitive skin to be aware of because their skin is already more vulnerable to drying out or reacting badly to extremes. Also, heat can be a trigger for rosacea, a skin condition that causes redness and acne-like bumps. So, it’s important to use lukewarm water to wash your face instead.

Separate products with different functions

Have a separate product just for exfoliating. It may seem like using a scrubby plant-derived particle exfoliant is an easy way to knock out two skin-care steps in one.

But the truth is that you probably don’t want to be using an exfoliant every day—and there are almost certainly better cleansers out there that will be kinder to your skin.

Our Grapefruit & Aloe Cleanser is formulated with organic ingredients to be gentle for cleansing every day without drying out the skin’s natural oils, allowing your skin barrier and natural oils to remain at balanced levels.

Timing is everything

It’s tempting to feel like cleansing for a longer amount of time or with more ferocity will wash your face more thoroughly. But not quite. In reality, the length of time you spend lathering does not correlate to how well you cleansed your face.

Instead, try to aim for at least 60 seconds, the#60SecondRule was coined by Nai an esthetician based in LA. As this gives the actives in the product some time to perform their benefits.

But doing more than that could be too much for your skin if it is not with an oil cleanser or cleansing balm. Washing too aggressively or for too long—especially if your cleanser contains any exfoliating ingredients—can quickly lead to red, irritated, angry skin.

A balancing act

“Washing your face more than twice a day to remove germs is not a real necessity for people unless they are prone to skin infections,” says Jerome Garden, M.D., director of the Physicians Laser and Dermatology Institute in Chicago.

“Not only does too much washing lead to dry, irritated skin, but it can actually lead to the skin paradoxically producing too much oil.” So, the vast majority of us should stick to the twice-a-day routine.

Skincare Tips on What to Look for in a Cleanser!

“The ideal cleanser would function by removing dirt, oil, environmental pollutants, and harmful bacteria from [the] skin without disrupting or removing the beneficial lipids, proteins, and normal flora that contribute to the integrity, function, and health of normal skin. “

The best ingredients for normal skin in cleansers are retinol, salicylic acid, vitamin C, and chemical exfoliants says board certified dermatologist Dr Carol Cheng. All of these encourage skin cell turnover, increase hydration, and soften the skin to keep it healthy.

To reduce oil, shine, and prevent breakouts, look for a face cleanser that contains salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and glycolic acid as these clear out remove and reduce excess oil from your pores.

Gentle surfactants

“Surfactants are the [principal] ingredients in cleansers responsible for removing oil and debris from the skin surface. ” We use the gentlest and most effective surfactants in our Grapefruit & Aloe Cleanser, we use Cocamidopropyl Betaine and Coco-Glucoside. Both are sourced from Coconut Oil, this soothing raw material is reputed to exhibit similar qualities, such as its non-greasy hydrating properties, which cleanse the skin while its conditioning property prevents it from drying out. With ultra-gentle cleansing properties, Coco-Glucoside is well-suited to all skin types.

Humectants

“A humectant attracts moisture from the air into the top layers of the skin, improving the water content and hydration.” In our Grapefruit & Aloe Cleanser, we use two humectants Honey & Glycerin.

“A plethora of in vitro studies have revealed that honeys from all over the world have potent antimicrobial activity against skin-relevant microbes. Moreover, several in vitro studies suggest that honey is able to modulate the skin immune system. Clinical research has shown honey to be efficacious in promoting the healing of partial thickness.” burn wounds while its effectiveness in the treatment of non-burn acute wounds and chronic wounds is conflicted.

Glycerin is hydrophilic or water-loving, so it attracts water to the skin and pulls that moisture in which in turn helps to improve the skin’s hydration levels.

Both honey and glycerin also help to heal and protect the skin, prevent moisture loss, and provide anti-aging effects.

Actives

Actives can both tell the story of a product and be the foundation for its claim. Like in our Grapefruit & Aloe Cleanser we have both Grapefruit, Aloe, and Silk proteins to support the skin in brightening, soothing and anti-aging effects.

Grapefruit is packed with vitamin C and has a whole host of other skin benefits. You can learn more here.

Aloe is a natural skin soother for all skin problems from sun damage to irritated skin. You can learn more here about its skin benefits.

Silk proteins act as an extension of your own skin barrier by creating a shield to defend your skin against aggressors. This helps seal in hydration and stabilize active ingredients so they can work harder. By replenishing your skin’s barrier function, silk proteins reduce fine lines, smooth texture, and improve skin firmness and elasticity. Silk bonds with other proteins and molecules in the skin, firming it up and increasing hydration levels. It may also help deliver ingredients that are notoriously hard to get into the dermis.

Grapefruit Extract

Learn more

Salicylic Acid

Learn more

Aloe Extract

Learn more

Chemical exfoliants

Chemical exfoliants are gentler and exfoliate more than physical exfoliants which makes them more popular amongst all skin types. Using beta hydroxy acids can dramatically improve the appearance of your skin. Especially your complexion. By supporting skin cell renewal and encouraging exfoliation, the skin will look brighter, more even toned, and smoother. We use Salicylic Acid common and safe BHA in our Grapefruit & Aloe cleanser.

Leanora & Co Grapefruit & Aloe Cleanser with Salicylic Acid

A supremely soothing, gentle-foaming cleanser that’s non-stripping, removes makeup, hydrates skin and works to gently dissolve buildup and impurities in pores.

Personal preference

While it may seem daunting to try to figure out what cleanser is right for you with the sheer amount and types of cleansers. We can give you 8 take away points to always keep in mind.

What are your skin concerns that you would like to improve with the cleanser?
Do you struggle with acne, eczema or other skin irritation?
Is there a low environmental impact from using this product?
What are the ethics behind the ingredients in the product, and how are they sourced?
What is your skin type?
How to reduce and recover from the problems?
What is a good price to pay for a cleanser?
Do you want your cleanser to multitask, e.g., remove makeup, resurface, soften, brighten, etc.?

We hope these tips will help you find the right cleanser to start off your skincare routine on the right foot! Ready to try our much-raved Grapefruit & Aloe Cleanser with Salicylic Acid for yourself? Below is our Vogue featured best-seller cleanser for you to consider.

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More about the author

Lilly Carter

Hi there! I'm Lilly, an enthusiastic science nerd fixated on beauty and saving the planet. Addicted to matcha lattes, glass skin and cozy blankets. Oh, did I mention that I also love researching everything about skincare?
#LeanOnLeanora

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