WHAT IS A FACIAL CLEANSER & HOW TO USE IT?
When it comes to skincare, so often we focus on the magical pot of moisturiser to help us with all of our skincare woes: a wonder cream that is going to fix everything. However, sometimes we're left feeling a little, well, underwhelmed with the results and find ourselves asking the same question time and time again - is this doing anything?
That's why we are here to help you discover how to use a cleanser, what facial cleansers actually do, and the many benefits they have when worked into your skincare routine.
MILLIE LLOYD Customer Experience Manager UK & IRELAND
Having worked for L’OCCITANE since 2013, I’ve had the pleasure of trying hundreds of our delightful products from Provence. From skincare to fragrance, candles to shower oil, many have become staples in my beauty and wellness routine and I’m so looking forward to sharing my recommendations, tips and advice with you.
Our Favourite Face Cleansers
Finding The Right Cleanser For Me
What does cleanser do? A cleanser should leave your skin feeling clean, yet comfortable, which is why choosing the right cleanser for your skin type is so important. If using a cleanser has left your skin feeling like a woolly jumper that’s been over tumble-dried; tight, shrivelled and shrunken, then it’s likely it’s too drying for your skin and you’d benefit from a more nourishing formula. On the other hand if your skin is having trouble absorbing the rest of your skincare routine following the cleanse, this could suggest you are using a formula that's too heavy, and I would suggest opting for a lighter, more gel-like formula. Let’s take a further look at the different textures of facial cleansers and the skin types they tend to be most suitable for, starting from the richest, heaviest formulas and working our way to the lightest.
Foaming Cleanser
A foaming cleanser can come in a few forms; a pre-foamed formula, a cream-to-foam, and a gel-to-foam. Whilst these textures are traditionally geared towards a more combination skin type, at L’OCCITANE, our foam formulas are designed to still provide a boost of hydration to the skin, making them suitable for all skin types.
Try our Immortelle Precious Cleansing Foam to experience a silky foam cleanser, which is both effective at removing impurities and being gentle and kind to your skin thanks to the addition of our signature Immortelle Esssential Oil.
Milk Cleanser
A more traditional texture for cleansers, the milk cleanser offers the gentlest clean of all, suitable for all skin types, even the most sensitive. Used to both remove makeup, as well as cleanse the skin itself, the benefits of milk cleanser mean it is a brilliant all-in-one product to have on your bathroom shelf.
Try our Shea Cleansing Milk, a creamy, gentle face cleanser that softens & soothes facial skin while removing impurities & makeup.
Micellar Water
Whilst not necessarily providing a deep cleanse, there is absolutely a time and a place for a gentle micellar water. Whether it be to remove make-up, whilst travelling or simply in a rush, a micellar water will be able to refresh your skin and cleanse the surface, without drying out your skin like a traditional face wipe.
Our Shea Micellar Water leaves skin feeling invigorated and softer while deeply removing even the most stubborn make-up. Also, its pH-balanced formula helps to maintain skin's balance while moisturising the skin.
Oil / Balm Cleanser
The richest of all our cleansers, oils and balms are great for a luxurious cleanse whilst being suitable for drier and more mature skin types. There are many benefits of oil cleansers, as they are nourishing on the skin, but also make for the most powerful make-up and SPF remover of all the formulas.
Try our Immortelle Precious Cleansing Oil for a powerful, yet soothing cleanse with the comfort of immortelle Essential Oil and Calendula.
When To Use A Cleanser
Cleansing is the first step in your routine, to be used as part of both your morning, and evening skincare routine.
A morning cleanse is going to help to rinse away and gently remove any build-up accumulated on the skin overnight (hair grease, dead skin cells, pillow bacteria) and allow for an instantly refreshed complexion for the day ahead. Not to mention ensuring a great base for the rest of your skincare routine and make-up if you wear it!
Your evening cleanse is one, which is going to remove impurities and external aggressors from the day (pollution, bacteria transferred from hands, make-up and SPF) and help prevent these factors from causing congestions and ageing to the skin over time. By cleansing as a regular part of your nightime skincare routine, the end result will be a more radiant, clear complexion, allowing for the beautiful active ingredients in your serums and moisturisers to get to work and achieve your desired skincare results.
How To Use A Cleanser
No matter the type and texture of your preferred cleanser, (we’ll get onto that in a second…) apply the product into your hands and onto a dry face, adding in water to loosen if needed. Massage into the skin, using a medium pressure and taking extra care to buff any areas which are more typically prone to congestion, such as the sides of the nose, your chin and in between your eyebrows.
Once your face has been suitably polished, you are ready to remove your cleanser – an underrated but equally as important step. As tempted as you are to splash, resist, as you run the risk of the residue gathering and building up along the jawline instead of down the plughole. Instead, take a warm, dampened flannel or reusable cotton pad and sweep across the face. Apply a medium pressure to ensure all residue can be removed, whilst also benefiting from natural exfoliation from the texture of the towel against your skin – a very welcomed bonus for glowing skin!
How To Double Cleanse
Now you know how to use a cleanser, why not learn how to double cleanse? Double cleansing is exactly what it says on the tin (or in our case, the bottle!): cleansing twice in one go. To break it down further, it's a cleansing ritual divided into two simple steps:
Step 1) Removing surface aggressors such as SPF, make-up, pollution and sweat
Step 2) Cleansing the skin and pores.
Without effectively removing the surface aggressors, your beautiful facial cleanser in all its glory, packed full of skin-benefiting ingredients, has very little hope of ever reaching your actual skin! After all, sunscreen is designed to work effectively as a physical barrier for your skin and make-up is designed to be long-wearing and in some cases, even waterproof. Therefore in order to maintain a clear, radiant and even-textured complexion, these elements need to be thoroughly removed from your skin, which brings me nicely onto the first cleanse.
The First Cleanse
Like removes like, so in skincare’s case, oil removes oil. With this in mind, we always recommend opting for an oil, balm, or milk based cleanser as the most effective way to first cleanse as these textures have the ability to break down every bit of grime from the day. My personal favourite is our Immortelle Precious Cleansing Oil, enriched with Immortelle for an additional hit of antioxidants to combat daily aggressors such as pollution – the joys of living in London! I find this formula gentle enough to even use on my eyes, removing every trace of my trusted waterproof mascara, as well as the rest of my face make-up all in one go. My top tip; remove your first cleanser with a warm, damp flannel for the most thorough cleanse of all.
The Second Cleanse
Now that we’ve done the dirty work, we can move onto conditioning our skin. Most opt for a lighter texture for the second cleanse such as a foam or a gel – although you absolutely can use the same cleanser twice, especially if your skin tends to be a touch on the drier side. As someone with combination/normal skin, I personally prefer something that feels a little fresher such as the Immortelle Divine Foaming Cleansing Cream which nourishes and softens my skin whilst ensuring my pores are left clear, without a trace of aggressors from the day. Needless to say I use another flannel to remove this cleanser although not the same one as before as I don’t want to reverse all of my hard work – and yes, I’m quite sure I own more flannels than socks at this stage!
And that’s it! Yes, it’s an additional step that takes a couple more minutes than before, however give it a try and see the glow, radiance and clarity of your skin speak for itself.
You’ll never look back 😊
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