Saturday, December 13, 2008

An Effective Cleansing Regimen For Your Skin

By : marilynn Syrett

Just about everyone aspires to have healthy and squeaky clean skin that glows with radiance. And that can be a possibility, provided you take good care of your skin. And one of the primary steps is to wash your face with a good cleanser! It’s that simple!

Importance of Cleansing your skin
During the course of the day, your skin tends to accumulate all the sweat, debris, pollution particles and even bacteria. These elements tend to clog the skin pores. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to use a cleanser that is non-irritating and is safe to use or it may causes additional acne.

Some people wash their face with a regular soap in place of a cleanser. However, soaps contain fats, oils and salts that plug the hair follicles and make your skin dry and flaky. When the surface of the skin degreases, the bacterial growth flourishes thus leading to cellular damage.

Importance of using a Skin Cleanser
The skin is the first layer of defense against harmful chemicals and other infections. Your face and neck area are the most vulnerable spots as they are exposed more environmental contaminates. So, it becomes almost imperative to clean them regularly.

Skin cleansers act like emulsifiers. They scrape out all the dirt, debris, excess oils, bacteria, and cosmetic residues and exfoliate the skin cells. There is only a thin line between excess oil on the skin and fats that waterproof it. The cleanser only washes off the oily layer and nothing else.

How to use a Skin Cleanser?
Here is a step-by-step guide to using a skin cleanser effectively:

• Wash your hands thoroughly so that no germs or bacteria get transferred to the face
• Hair care products are the first to attract dirt, so start from your hairline and gradually lather down to the face and neck area.
• Gently massage your face for a minute and wipe off all the dirt with your fingertips. If you put on make-up, then it is best to use cotton balls for effective removal of cosmetic residues.
• Rinse your face with water. Remember, the water should be neither very hot nor very cold as they may cause breakage of capillaries.

Skin Cleansers based on skin types

Normal Skin
People blessed with normal skin types can experiment with a variety of liquid, soap and gel skin cleansers. However, select a mild cleanser and after the cleansing process, rinse it off with lukewarm water. Restrict the use of soap for hands only.

Dry Skin
For dry skin types, its better to stick to a cream cleanser that contains non-detergent ingredients. For extremely dry skin, hard milled cleansing bars or gentle cleansing lotions should be used. Steer clear of hot water as it may take away all the moisture from your skin.

Oily Skin
Use a gentle cleansing face wash that removes all the dirt and excess oil without scraping off moisturizing fats from the skin surface. People with oily skin should completely restrain from wax-based cleansing gels as they tend to clog oil-prone pores of the skin.

Combination Skin
Use a cleansing face wash in the mornings to clear away the oil components and use cream cleansers for the dry areas at night.

Sensitive Skin
C cleanse your face with water-soluble cleansing lotions and rinse with lukewarm water. Avoid all gels and soaps that contain alcohol and acids.

Author Resource:-

Dr. Marilynn Syrett is a graduate from Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine Of The Pacific and researches about various facial skin care and skin treatments.

Article From Article Health And Fitness

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