I’m going to go ahead and say that even those with the littlest knowledge of skincare would know what a cleanser is, even to the extent of what it does. Through this post, I want to introduce Double Cleansing, highlight the importance of cleansing & what cleansers are best for you. (By the way, boys, splashing your face with water is not cleansing).
What is Cleansing?
Cleansing is the first step to any skincare routine for good reason, you need a clean slate. Otherwise, it’s just piling on expensive liquids on your face for no reason. Cleansing your skin eliminates any dirt or excess sebum in your pores to allow a clear path for your skincare to seep into your skin better. Easy enough, right?
But what happens when you don’t cleanse twice a day (if I can’t persuade you, I might as well scare you into it, right?). I know what you’re thinking – I thoroughly cleansed the night before, why do I have to cleanse again in the morning? Well, first off, if you knew the amount of bacteria on your pillow, you’d freak out. Also, your skin recovers through the night, so that means your dead cells resurface to skin level. Applying anything from skincare to makeup on top of it will cause congestion in your pores, and eventually.. acne.
Why cleanse in the evenings? Dirt, excess sebum and free radicals built-up are still there even if you go bare faced. New term alert: Free radicals. What are they? Scientifically, they’re atoms or molecules that do not have an electron attached to them. Think of them as a toxic friend. So they’ve just lost a friend (let’s name her Electron), and what do they do? They attack every other healthy atoms in your system to get another Electron. They can even go to the extent of being the cause for skin cancer and premature ageing. Where do they come from? Everywhere, from cigarette smoke, air pollution, to even being out in the sun (UV rays).
What is Double Cleansing?
Pretty self-explanatory; you cleanse twice, but with two separate products that have two separate functions. I know what you’re thinking, I’m even making cleansing complicated? Geez.
I’d like to think double cleansing as highly optional, but leaning towards necessary for those who wear make-up. Why? Your usual water-based cleansers can’t handle makeup. That’s why you’d want to use an oil-based cleanser first. As Dr. Whitney Bowe says it, like dissolves like. What this means is that cleansing oils grab onto other oils (like excess sebum and makeup) and sticks together when washed off. After applying them directly onto dry skin (with or without makeup), you’d want to give yourself a slight massage before emulsifying them with lukewarm water.
Which cleansers are best for you?
I want to bring you back to secondary school Science class. I want to talk about pH levels. With cleansers, you’d really want to take the pH levels very seriously. Why? It has everything to do with oil overproduction and can cause irritation.
So let’s recap. pH measures a substance’s ratio of acidity and alkalinity, 0 being the most acidic and 14 being the most alkalic. The skin’s in the best state at about 5.5, so that’s leaning towards slightly acidic. If skin is too acidic (0-5), it is prone to irritation and acne. If it’s too alkalic, it can be very tight, dry and dull. Find your balance.
Everyone has a skin protection barrier (made up of sebum and sweat) which prevents bacteria from easily seeping in through the pores. They’re called the acid mantle. They function best at a pH level of 4.5 – 5.5, whereas a broken or weakened acid mantle would leave your skin at a pH 6.5 or higher, allowing bacteria to penetrate easier. Read more about it here.
Acid mantles can be washed off or deteriorate when using cleansers that are high in the pH range (leaning towards alkalic), which is why you cannot use body wash on your face, because they usually contain a pH level of 8 or above.
Some recommendations for pH balancing cleansers:
- COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser, RM42
- SEBAMED Cleanser, RM38
- First Aid Beaty Cleanser, RM168
- HadaLabo AHA+BHA Acne Control Cleanser, RM30
Happy cleansing!
The Beautip 