How to cleanse your face at home: Detailed Manual

Facial skincare is a key element of our daily hygiene and beauty routine. Regular and proper face cleansing is not simply a beauty procedure, it is at the core of our skin health. Properly cleansed skin breathes better, easily absorbs the active ingredients of the beauty products we use and has a fresh and radiant look.

It is true that professional skincare procedures cannot be easily dismissed, but proper face cleansing awareness and skills would certainly be valuable for all women who care for the condition of their facial skin to have. It is far more affordable; it can be part of our daily skincare routine and it can also help us get to know the needs of our skin better. Apart from that, in the comfort of our own homes, we can easily experiment with different products and techniques until we find out what works best for us. 

1. Daily face cleansing routine

Daily face cleansing has a number of important aspects to consider. The first one is to remove impurities, which is recommended to do both in the morning and in the evening. Morning face cleansing removes excessive sebum and dead cells which appear during the night to prepare the skin for the next day. Evening face cleansing is not less important – it removes make up, sweat and other impurities, allowing the skin to recover during the night.

For our daily skin cleansing we can choose from a number of products, such as:

● Cleansing foam: Foaming cleansing products are very popular. Nevertheless, their main shortcoming is the fact that their chemical formulas often contain sulphates, which can be too aggressive to sensitive skin.

● Cleansing gels: Depending on their active ingredients, such products can be appropriate for different skin types. They are effective for removing excess sebum. They are used on wet skin because they are activated by water.

● Milk cleansers: Ideally developed for dry and sensitive skin since their cleansing effect is gentle and does not dehydrate the skin. They can be used on dry or slightly wet skin. Alteya Organics’ Organic Face Cleansing Milk, for example, has been particularly developed to delicately cleanse, hydrate, soothe and brighten the skin at the same time. It contains a combination of essential and plant-based oils, which helps even out the skin tone.

● Milk cleansers: Ideally developed for dry and sensitive skin since their cleansing effect is gentle and does not dehydrate the skin. They can be used on dry or slightly wet skin. Alteya Organics’ Organic Face Cleansing Milk, for example, has been particularly developed to delicately cleanse, hydrate, soothe and brighten the skin at the same time. It contains a combination of essential and plant-based oils, which helps even out the skin tone.

● Cleansing oils: Contrary to the widespread myth, this type of cleansing formulas can be used on different skin types. Their main advantage is that they are able to effectively remove stubborn impurities and water-resistant makeup.

How to cleanse our face – step by step guide

1. Choose an appropriate product depending on your skin type and the needs of your skin. Pay attention not only to the product texture (foam, gel, milk or oil) but on the active ingredients as well. As we already mentioned, they are the key factor for determining if a particular formula is good for dry, normal, combination or oily skin.

2. Wet your face with lukewarm water.

Too hot water can irritate and dehydrate your skin. In case the product you have chosen is to be used on dry skin, skip this step and move on to the next one.

3. Apply a small quantity of the cleansing product you have chosen. Perhaps, you will be surprised to find out that a small quantity, the size of a pea seed would be enough for most products.

4. Massage the product onto your skin with gentle, circular motions, especially focusing on the T-zone (forehead, nose and chin), where the skin pores are larger. Avoid aggressive rubbing or exerting too much pressure.

5. Rinse away with lukewarm water until you have removed the cleansing product thoroughly.

6. Repeat the cleansing procedure if necessary. Sometimes the built-up impurities can be too stubborn to remove at once, so the steps will need to be repeated 3 to 5 times until your face is well washed.

7. Dry your face off with a clean soft towel, patting it tenderly rather than rubbing hard.

Double cleansing

Double cleansing is a technique which includes the use of two cleansing products, one after the other. It has been gaining popularity because it is very effective, especially for people who wear heavy makeup or who are exposed to excessive pollution during the day.

The first step usually consists of face cleansing with an oil-based product. Oils are very effective for dissolving water-resistant makeup, removing excessive sebum, sunscreen residues or other fat-soluble pollutants. The second step includes a water-soluble face wash, which removes residues of the first product and cleanses the skin further. This technique provides deeper cleansing and better prepares the skin for absorbing you daily skincare routine products.

It is important to know that for most people double cleansing is absolutely safe to do even twice a day. But, in case your skin is dry or sensitive, perhaps it would be wise to use it once a day (preferably in the evening) or even once every other day. The most important rule is to listen to your skin and to follow the signals it gives you.

2. Periodical deep cleaning

While the role of our daily face cleansing routine is to remove surface impurities, periodical deep cleaning is meant to more effectively remove dead cells and skin sebum, along with other impurities which block the skin pores. It is a more intensive procedure and thus should be done less frequently – once or twice a week, depending on your skin type.

Special products and techniques are employed to achieve deep face cleansing, such as facial steaming, purifying clay and charcoal masks, as well as some cosmetic tools for mechanical cleansing. Let us have a closer look at them.

Facial steaming

Facial steaming is an effective method which helps open skin pores and soften impurities, thus making them easier to remove. Here is how to perform facial steaming at home: 

1. Pour hot water (but not boiling) into a bowl.

2. Lean over the bowl and cover your head with a towel to keep the steam inside.

3. Leave the steam work on your skin for 5 - 10 min, being careful not to scald your face.

As regards the use of essential oils in the steaming water – it is a popular practice but should be considered with care. Essential oils can add benefits of the procedure if used properly:  

● Safety: Essential oils are highly concentrated, so if used undiluted, they can irritate the skin. Always dilute essential oils before use.

● Recommendation: Add only a few drops of the essential oil you have chosen into the hot water used for facial steaming.

● Benefits: Different essential oils have their specific properties. For example, lavender oil soothes the skin, while the tea-tree oil has antibacterial properties.

It is essential to note that people who suffer from or are prone to different allergies or other medical skin conditions should always consult their dermatologist before including essential oils in their skincare routine.

Deep cleansing face masks

Deep cleansing face masks are another method for unclogging skin pores. Two of the most popular types are:

● Clay masks: They absorb excessive sebum and toxins, which makes them especially suitable for oily skin.

● Activated charcoal masks: They help unclog skin pores and reduce the appearance of blackheads.

Apply the mask on clean skin and leave it on for the time recommended in the instructions (usually 10-15 min). Rinse well after that.

Mechanical pore unclogging

Mechanical pore unclogging consists of physical removal of импуритиес which clog skin pores. Although professional pore unclogging is the most effective procedure, there are a few safe methods that can be used at home, like:

● Deep cleansing nose pore strips: They are meant to remove blackheads from the nose zone.

● Pore cleansing brushes: They are meant to gently exfoliate and clean face pores.

It is very important to be very careful when performing mechanical cleansing so that you would not damage the skin. Avoid aggressive extraction of pimples and blackheads and do not use sharp tools.

3.Facial exfoliation

Facial exfoliation is a type of face cleansing method which involves removal of dead cells from the surface of the skin. It is important because it stimulated the natural skin regeneration processes and improves its texture. At the same time face exfoliation facilitates the penetration of cosmetic products and thus strengthens their effect.

Types of exfoliants

There are two main types of exfoliation:

1. Mechanical exfoliation: dead cells are removed with the help of physical microparticles or special tools.

2. Chemical exfoliation: different acids or enzymes are used to break the bond between dead cells.

Mechanical exfoliants:

● Fine particles scrubs (for example apricot kernel meals scrub or sugar scrubs);

● Exfoliating sponges – konjac or loofah sponges;

● Electrical and manual exfoliating brushes

● Ultrasonic pore cleansing and blood circulation improving devices.

When using electrical devices, it is important to start with lower intensity and then increase it gradually if your skin reacts well to the treatment. Keep the devices absolutely clan so that you can prevent bacteria build-up.

Chemical exfoliants:

● AHA (alpha-hydroxy acids) like glycolic acid or lactic acid;

● BHA (beta-hydroxy acids) like salicylic acid;

● Enzyme exfoliants (with papaya or pineapple extracts for example) – a delicate option for sensitive skin.

Both types of hydroxy acids are exceptionally effective exfoliants. The main difference between them is that AHA are water soluble while BHA are fat soluble. The former are used to cleanse the uppermost skin layer whereas the latter can penetrate deeper in the skin pores and thus remove excessive sebum and dead cells. In some cases, both types of hydroxy acids can be used in combination.

It is important to use chemical exfoliants with caution. Make sure you read the how-to-use instructions carefully and measure the exact time of impact with your skin. Do not forget to perform a sensitivity test before using a particular product.

How should we exfoliate properly?

The proper frequency of exfoliation would depend on the type of your skin. The general rule is the following:

● Normal to combination skin: once or twice a week;

● Oily skin: up to three times a week;

● Dry or sensitive ski: once a week or every second week

Steps for safe and effective exfoliation:

1. Cleanse the face skin well.

2. Apply your face exfoliant in tender circular motion, avoiding the zone around the eyes.

3. If the exfoliant you are using is chemical or enzyme one, leave the product on your skin as long as recommended in the instructions for use. Skip this step for physical exfoliants.

4. Rinse well with lukewarm water.

5. Apply a hydrating product immediately after exfoliation.

It is important not to do this procedure too often since over-exfoliation can ruin the self-protective skin barrier and lead to irritation or oversensitivity.

4. Homemade face cleansing formulas

Homemade cleansing products can be an adequate alternative to ready-made cosmetic products. It is especially true for cleansing oils. A suitable combination of organic carrier oils can easily turn out to become your favourite face cleansing formula.

But, of course, if you have decided to prepare your cosmetic products yourself, it is important to well-informed before you start. To be able to make your homemade cosmetic formulas not only effective but safe enough you will need to study the properties of different oils in depth, to check what their comedogenic index is and to learn how to combine and store them properly.

When preparing homemade cosmetic products, you can either use available recipes or try to develop your own formulas, following the “principle of the four oils”. According to this principle, a cleansing oil should consist of four components:

1. Base - this is the main ingredient of your homemade formula. Depending on your skin type you can choose between hemp seed oil; grape seed oil; sweet almond oil or olive oil to mention but a few. It should be 50% of the mixture.

2. Cleansing oil - the ingredient which has cleansing and antibacterial properties, for example castor oil for more oily skin and a mixture of castor oil and coconut oil for drier skin. The cleansing ingredient can be around 30% of the mixture.

3. “Luxury” oil - in order to enrich your home-made formula, you can add ingredients such as argan oil; jojoba oil; evening primrose oil; rosehip oil, etc. These oils have valuable medicinal properties but they are a bit more expensive than base or cleansing oils.

4. Essential oil - if the presence of a pleasant fragrance is a favourite part of your daily cosmetics routine, then you can add a few drops of your favourite aroma. Be careful when using an essential oil as a cosmetic ingredient for the first time. Use only small quantities of well-diluted essential oils and do not forget to perform a sensitivity test for each essential oil you decide to use.