How to Clean Your Skin The Right Way!

The Do’s and Dont's for your skin

Run the water, add soap, lather your face, and rinse. That’s all there is to cleansing your skin, right?

Um… not quite. Not if you want healthy and clean skin. There are a few things to keep in mind about technique, and which are the best cleansers for your skin type.

1. First of all, wash your hands thoroughly before washing your face. If your hands are dirty, you will be washing in dirt and bacteria rather than washing it off.
2. Wash only twice a day, unless…. You don’t want to strip your skin of natural oils—which may cause your skin to compensate by releasing even more oils. So a good cleansing twice a day is plenty—unless you have been sweating a lot (like after a good workout). Heavy perspiration will open your pores and allow your makeup and bacteria to get in, so another good wash is a good idea afterwards, particularly if you have acne-prone skin. *If you are acne prone, consider keeping some cleansing cloths in your gym bag like our Anywhere Anytime Acne Wipes.
3. No scrubbing. Scrubbing and rubbing is not the same as exfoliating, and you may irritate your skin and cause broken capillaries if you are too rough on your skin. For gentle cleansing and daily exfoliation, use a clean washcloth—be sure it is clean for each use because washcloths are great bacteria breeding grounds.
4. Do not use hot water, do not use cold water—use warm or room-temperature water. Water that is too hot will strip your natural oils, aggravate sensitive skin or skin with rosacea, and can damage small blood vessels. Cold water closes the pores; it is fine to do a final rinse with cold water, but you want your pores open while washing so that you can get in and clean them.
5. Wash your face last. This means wash your face after you have shampooed and conditioned your hair so that you will remove any hair product residue left on your skin.
6. Apply your moisturizer before your face is completely dry. You want to lock in the water moisture your skin absorbed when you washed your face, but you don’t want your face to be wet when you apply the moisturizer because too much water left on the skin can prevent moisturizing ingredients from being absorbed.
7. Last step: If your moisturizer doesn’t contain sunscreen, apply your sunscreen after you have moisturized. Even small amounts of daily sunlight can bring out melasma and cause more sun damage, so sunscreen every day is a necessity. Use a product with at least 50 spf if you will be outdoors a lot during the day.

Okay, so now you know how to wash your face properly. Time to choose a cleanser that is best for your skin type. Here are some great suggestions:

• Perfect skin: Oh, lucky you! And you want to keep it perfect, right? So never use deodorant soap on your face, and go with a good, basic, non-irritating soap, such as Dove for Sensitive Skin, available at most drugstores and supermarkets. This soap may leave a slight moisturizing residue that you might like—or you might not. In you don’t like it, choose from one of the cleansers listed below.
• Combination Skin or Sensitive Skin: If you have mild acne, or dryness, or oily areas, or sensitive skin, or you’ve recently given yourself a peel and need to be extra gentle for a while, or you are just unsure what is the best cleanser for your skin, a good all-around cleanser that won’t leave residue is the Gentle Cleansing Lotion by The Skin Regime. It contains a special botanical blend to help regulate skin pH and moisture balance. There is no irritating residue and can be used even for the most sensitive skin.
• Acne Prone Skin: You want cleansing agents that perform some exfoliation while cleansing, so try the AB Cleanser. This cleanser has glycolic, salicylic, and lactic acids to accelerate the removal of dead, dull skin, and helps keep pores clear and less inclined to form acne comedones.
• Anti-aging: If you need extra moisture and something to brighten and refresh your skin, try the Lactic Anti-Aging Cleanser. This luxurious, creamy cleanser is great for dry and/or sensitive skin, and will hydrate and provide gentle exfoliation.
• Oily Skin: If you want exfoliation and a cleanser with that will give you softer, smooth-feeling skin—and your skin is not too sensitive—try the Basics 3-in-1 Cleanser. Loaded with fruit acids (10% combination of glycolic/malic/citric/salicylic), antioxidants and scrubbing crystals, this wash will leave your skin feeling amazingly smooth. 

Where can I buy Dana's Book?

The Skin Regime; Boot Camp for Beautiful Skin, available as a Kindle download or Buy paperback to buy your paperback copy from Platinum Skin Care. You can also read the first chapter--FREE--by click here to read 1st chapter.

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