Face Cleansing 101

What's your skin type? It may seem like a simple question, but knowing your skin type, then washing with the right products, is the vital first step to beautiful skin. The cleansers and tools you choose to wash your face can not only make your skin care products work more effectively, but make your skin look better than ever before.

What you first need to determine is your skin type and condition - whether it's oily, normal, dry or some combination. You may also be dealing with certain conditions such as acne or rosacea. Most skin types should use mild, lukewarm water. Those with roseaca will benefit from cool water.

Cleansing tools. What you use to wash your face is also important. Have you ever imagined what's in that wet washcloth of yours? Hold on - because you're going to be surprised. Believe it or not, your soggy washcloth could be the host of millions of bacteria! So, what else can you use?

A much better choice would be a powered skin care brush. This remarkable kind of cleansing brush removes six times more makeup, oil, and dead skin cells than a regular washcloth. And it does it all with sonic energy.

Sonic energy gently yet deeply cleanses the skin. Wrinkles, fine lines, roughness, uneven tone, skin pigmentation, and acne can all be improved with one of the many powered skin care brushes available today. They also help exfoliate rough, dead skin and build up the epidermis. Best of all, these sonic energy brushes are gentle enough for those with rosacea.

Cleansing agents. The next step is choosing the appropriate cleanser. If your skin is oily or acne prone, you need special ingredients in your cleanser that remove large amounts of oil. Some products have a 2% salicylic acid to kill bacteria and menthol to keep the skin surface calm. Other use anti-bacterial ingredients and botanicals to treat acne and reduce irritation.

If you have dry, sensitive, irritated skin or rosacea, your skin will benefit from gentle cleansers. Some of the best products have non-soap formulas, including willow bark, licorice root and lavender, to calm the skin and reduce redness.

Should you have either normal or a combination of skin types, you'll want effective cleaning while keeping your pH balanced. Look for products that use a foaming gel to gently remove dirt, oil and makeup while correcting the pH balance of the skin.

Great looking and feeling skin is dependent upon how you start your cleansing regiment. Learning the proper way to cleanse and using the right products for your skin type will make all the difference in the world.