Skin Cleansing 101

Ahh… you’re probably wondering why cleansing makes such a drastic difference to our skin care regime as a whole. The answer is simply: The first step always counts and in skincare - that begins with cleansing.

Cleansing the skin is the very first step to the rest of your evening/morning routine. Just like a canvas, we need to start fresh! Cleansing the skin properly, not only makes your skin feel incredible, it removes sebum build-up, pollutants, dirt and free radicals from the skin's pores and surface. By doing so, the skin is left bacteria-free and rid of potential infections that can lead to pimples and blockages under the skin.

How should you begin the process?

Let’s start with the water temperature.
The temperature of the water you use to cleanse your skin has a significant impact on how your skin reacts and your skincare results. The water temperature should be lukewarm. Lukewarm water does not leave the skin scorched or highly sensitive and susceptive to dryness compared to hot water. Cold water, on the other hand, fails to open the pores and does not remove build-up on the skin properly e.g. SPF, make-up and oil. Therefore, lukewarm water is the only temperature you should be washing your face with when attempting to properly cleanse it. Water temperature may just be the crucial step that is either making or breaking your skincare results. (You can thank us later!).

Where do you go from there…?

Once you’ve got your water under control (that sounded better in my head), let’s move on to the cleanser that works for you and your skin.

Various cleansers work for various people and their skin types. This starts with reviewing your own skin texture. Cream cleansers such as Kōtia’s own Exfoliating Cleansing Milk, is a gentle and moisturising cleanser, that leaves your skin cleansed and hydrated all at once. Ingredients such as Lime-Pearl, helps to properly cleanse the skin whilst retaining moisture. Cream cleansers work best for those with naturally drier & dehydrated skin, as it assists in retaining moisture and adding vibrance to the skins’ appearance.

As oily-skin sufferers are more prone to deeper dirt and bacteria hidden in the pores of the skin, oily skin types should look at using either a foam or gel cleanser. These work to deeply penetrate through the oil barrier and effectively cleanse the skin.

For how long and how many times?

The number of times you should be cleansing your skin every day, is dependant on your day-to-day activities. For those who wear make-up and SPF on a daily basis, you should be cleansing the skin every night, twice. Yes, we said TWICE! and for 60 seconds.

Let’s break it down…

1. The first cleanse attempts to remove most of the dirt and build-up from the skin, however it fails to penetrate deep enough into the pores and does not effectively remove remaining bacteria. Cleansing should consist of a 60-second gentle circular-motion around the face, targeting areas of concentrated build-up e.g. nose, eyebrows and jaw.
2. The second cleanse works with the pre-cleansed skin, to dig deeper into the grooves and pores that may not have been fully cleansed upon the first go. The second cleanse is essential to making sure the skin is properly cleansed and prepped for the following skincare routine. If the skin isn’t cleaned properly, other moisturisers and serums can block and lock in pre-existing dirt into the pores, resulting in bacterial growth and risk of excessive sebum production (Oily skin).

So that’s our tips on getting in a good ole’ cleanse, whether it’s because you don’t cleanse enough, or your water is far too hot or maybe you’re just not using the right stuff for your skin. This is your chance to see what’s missing in your skin cleansing routine!