I’m told that I must properly cleanse my skin before moisturizing. What does this mean?
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Your skin acts as the shield that protects your body against the damaging effects of external environmental elements like bacteria, UV rays, heavy pollution and dirt. Hence, it is important to make the best decision when it comes to your skin care regimen. To maintain healthy skin, you need to go beyond healthy diet and exercise. You need to do a routine personalized home care to keep it clean, supple, soft and smooth. Cleansing is a vital to proper skin care regimen. It is what frees the body from dirt and toxic build-up, which you accumulate every moment of your life. Actually, your body has the natural capacity to cleanse itself, but seems like dirt accumulates faster than your body cleanses the skin. When dirt build-up is not thoroughly removed, your skin becomes prone to irritation, breakouts, redness and other unsightly symptoms. This explains the importance of cleansing.
Experts recommend proper and thorough skin cleansing before applying moisturizer. There is a good explanation behind that. When regular cleansing regimen helps stimulate circulation, it also prepares the skin to receive topically applied nutrients. Cleansing is done in preparation for the application of moisturizer. To get the full benefits of your good quality skin moisturizer, you first need to remove all the dirt and blockages on your skin’s pores. As you gently wipe cleanser wetted cotton pads or sponge, you remove the bacteria, old sebum and old skin surface, leaving behind a new dirt-free layer.
You need to remember that not all cleansers are created equal. This is to cater to the specific and healthy cleansing requirements of several skin types. For instance, dry, oily and combination skin types need to use the appropriate type of cleanser to thoroughly clean the skin without stripping too much of its protective oil film. Also, sensitive, aging, blemished, and inflamed skin conditions require gentle cleanser formulations to prevent aggravating their symptoms. As a rule of thumb, never use harsh products or products that use too many chemical ingredients as they can tend to disrupt the protective lipids and proteins on your skin. They also strip the skin completely with its protective film of sebaceous oil, causing sensitive, dehydrated and dry skin. Dry and sensitive skin might react badly to some of the normally tolerable and beneficial ingredients of your skin moisturizer. Using chemical-laden cleansing products is not only a bad habit; it also limits the benefits you can gain from a great skin moisturizing regimen.
Since different skin types have different skin care requirements, moisturizing cleansers were made to remedy the itchy, spotty, flaky and other unsightly symptoms of extra sensitive to extra dry skin. When properly used, it could be a great addition to an effective and safe skin care regimen. Aside from clearing up a day’s worth of grime, it delivers nourishing moisturizing elements that will help maintain healthy and youthful looking skin.
More than proper cleansing and moisturizing practices, selecting the right cleansing product is also vital to proper skin care regimen. Thorough cleansing ensures thoroughly moisturized skin. Use only the product that can deliver everything your skin needs using a lot less chemical to limit possible side-effects and optimize skin care benefits.
