Facial Cleansing
by Complete Skin Care Therapy

All too often people overlook the importance of facial cleansing and go right to the moisturizer or other skin care products. However, cleansing is a crucial step in your skin care regime. Proper cleansing with products specific for your skin type will improve your overall appearance. Daily cleansing is important to remove dirt and bacteria, sweat, air pollution, excess oils and offers exfoliation to the skin's surface to promote circulation.

Proper facial cleansing starts with clean hands. This prevents the transfer of bacteria to your face. Apply your cleansing cream at the forehead and then sweep the cleanser over the face, lips, and neck. Massage the cleanser into your skin in a gentle circular motion. Eye make up can be removed with specially formulated eye creams, as some facial cleansers are not suited to be applied to the eye area. Thoroughly rinse your face with cool or tepid water (not to hot or to cold). Extreme hot or cold water can cause flushing and break sensitive capillaries in the skin.

The best cleanser is those that clean the skin without stripping them of the natural fatty oils that protect and waterproof the skin. Removing excess oils in the skin can be accomplished without harsh soaps and strong cleansing creams that dry out the skin. This drying affect leaves the skin exposed to bacteria, cellular damage, and prone to fine lines and wrinkles due to lack of moisture.

Normal Skin
No matter what skin type, choose a mild liquid or soap gels for cleansing your face. Soaps made for bath, body and hands tend to be drying no matter what skin type you have and should be avoided on the face and neck. When buying store bought cleansing creams look for natural and moisturizing ingredients.

Dry skin
First, stay away from hot water when cleansing the face and neck. The hot water opens the pores and extracts the natural moisture quickly. Your cleansing creams should contain non-detergent ingredients that will rinse off easily. Additionally, avoid foaming cleaners. When selecting your cleansing cream look for products that contain natural ingredients such as almond, olive or jojoba oils.

Oily skin
Avoid wax-based cleansers, as they are prone to clog pores. Additionally a foam based cleanser may be called for but they too can be drying. Oily skin, while it does not need moisture, it still needs hydration. Consider a toner after cleansing to restore pH balance.

Combination skin
Use a foaming face wash in the morning to keep oily areas at bay. Your evening skin care regime you should use a cream cleanser to soothe the dry areas.

Sensitive skin
Consider a gentle, milky, water-soluble lotion and use tepid water. Avoid gels or soaps and those with fragrance.

As indicated above cleansing is the first step to a great looking complexion. I am also a firm believer in toner to restore pH balance. Here are some toner recipes.

Herbal Facial Cleanser

rich in tea tree oil, get your Herbal Facial Cleanser!

Oily Skin Face Wash

Oily Skin Face Wash is a gentle cleanser that does not use harsh surfactants to cleanse. Herbal extracts deep clean pores along without oils that make your skin oily. An omega blend to stimulate collagen growth.

Dry Skin Face Wash

This alcohol-free toner deep-cleans and tones skin. Herbal extracts, essential oils and a combination of Zinc PCA clean while super-moisturizing dry skin..