In today’s world where competition and pressure to look aesthetically pleasing is greater than ever, skin appearance is given great importance. Beauty in general and clear-looking skin are considered one of the major goals in life and a healthy skin care routine, especially a cleansing routine, is a must if you want to achieve and maintain this state.
However, it is essential to know that not all the cleansing procedures and products do have a positive result. In actual sense, there are some that you may be damaging your skin more than benefiting from.
Let’s look at how some of the habits in your cleansing routine are toxic to your skin, and learn tips on how to adjust your cleansing routine to restore balance and promote skin perfection.
1. Over-Cleansing: Stripping Natural Oils
One mistake most people usually do is that they over-wash their skin. Because of this people wash their face with water and soap or other products in a bid to get rid of dirt, oil, and makeup from their face more than once daily.
Even though, this is true that cleanliness is the key to success but it is equally unworthy if one’s skin gets damaged due to overuse of the scrub to the extent that it removes all the natural oils of skin which is very essential for covering its natural shield. This can cause a person’s skin to become dry, easily irritated, and sensitive, which is why it should be avoided.
In addition, when most of the natural skin oils were gone, a condition that results in an increased generation of sebum is created to provide a remedy to the problem, worsening the condition of acne.
Solution:
Choose a lotion, better still a soap that is mild and does not dry the skin and ensure rinsing only twice, in the morning and before going to bed.
For the oily skin people, choosing a suitable cleaner with ability to reduce oil formation without drying skin.
Moreover, the use of a moisturizer that is appropriate for your skin type will assist in enhancing the skin moisturization and balance.
2. Harsh Ingredients and Sensitive Skin
Most of the cleansers have chemicals that are not suitable for sensitive skin such as Sulfates, Alcohol, and fragrances. These components, albeit very helpful in removing deposits, cause dryness of the skin and lead to swelling, redness and irritation of the skin.
Sulfates can remove the skin’s natural oils and make the skin even drier while alcohol can cause skin sensitivity and tightness of the skin.
Solution:
Use gentle facial cleansers that do not contain these chemicals; compounds such as sulfate, alcohol, and fragrance among others.
Seem for products that contain aloe, chamomile, or glycerin that will not irritate the skin of your baby.
Opt for mild cleansers with soothing ingredients, such as zinc soap, which has anti-inflammatory properties and helps manage acne without being overly drying.
3. Physical Scrubbing: Micro-tears and Damage
Peeling is not only important in the process of skin care to remove the layer of dead skin cells to improve the skin tone and texture.
Yet, washing with water and particularly with the abrasive materials may harm the skin and cause micro cuts and thus it will become sensitive.
When you rub your skin too much, whether chemically or physically, it damages the top layer of skin, which reduces the skin’s ability to protect itself and causes the skin to age faster.
Solution:
If you are a fan of scrubs, then opt for the chemical scrubs such as AHAs or BHAs since these types of scrubs dissolve the dead skin cells without causing any sort of harm.
If you use physical scrubs, select those ones that have small, round particles; it is desirable that you limit the usage of such scrubs.
Another important step is using a hydrating serum or a moisturizer that would help the skin’s barrier in the following step.
4. Removing Contaminants using Hot Water
Most individuals tend to prefer washing their skins with hot water regarding it as being more adequate in eradicating nuisances.
Although, warm water is not about your skin and hair as it may pose some harm to the skin of your body. It can even remove the skin necessary oil and moisture which results to dry skin and chaffing.
Furthermore, this exposes the skin to immediate damage due to high temperatures and direct contact with hot water decreases skin proteins and reduces the strength of the skin’s outer layer thus becoming easily susceptible to outside factors such as radiation or any bacterial infection.
Solution:
Use lukewarm water for cleansing. Especially skin and makeup remover that is highly efficient in removing dirt and makeup without stripping off skin’s natural oils.
Cleansing should be followed by rinsing with cold water to minimize the pores and apply a sheet of cover against the environment.
5. Overlooking the Right Cleansing Technique
The further technique which is employed during the process of cleansing plays a very important role in determining the efficiency along with the aggressiveness of the process.
If you scrub or rub your skin too hard, especially when removing makeup, it can cause skin inflammation. If not done properly, this can leave substances on the skin that can clog pores, leading to acne.
Solution:
Adopt a gentle cleansing technique. Massage the cleanser onto your face in soft, circular motions and rinse with lukewarm water.
Make sure that the item that will be used to wipe the area or the face for washing, whether a washcloth or sponge or even hands, are clean and used lightly so they do not introduce bacteria into the skin or irritate it mechanically.
6. Failing to Adapt to Changing Skin Needs
The skin condition changes as a result of genetics, a person’s age, hormones, their lifestyle, and even the climate in which they live. A cleansing routine that may have been harmless in one’s youthful years may become a no-no as one age.
Choosing creams and lotions that are appropriate for skin type and conditions can result into skin dryness, itching, or worsening of the existing skin problems.
Solution:
This is because the skin changes from time to time and there is need to change the cleaning pattern from time to time as well. If you face skin issues such as dry skin as you age, it will be helpful to change to a better cleanser or a moisture-enriched one.
For people experiencing more oiliness or acne, then a face cleanser containing salicylic acid or niacinamide would be more suitable. This is so because consulting a dermatologist that will assess the skin to check for any indication and give advice depending on the skin type.
7. Failure to Perform Double Cleansing
In this case, for those who use cosmetics including those of long-wearing or water-proof kind, just one rinse may not suffice.
Sunscreen with SPF is also known to cause acne when the makeup is not properly removed from the surface of the skin. It is known that these problems can be averted if you do not skip twin cleansing, first with oil and then with water.
Solution:
It requires the use of double cleansing at nighttime. The first step is using an oil-based makeup remover to dissolve makeup and sunscreen, then a water-based cleanser would have to follow to remove any remaining impurities.
This technique also BIOS functions to give a deep cleaning of the possible of giving the surface a rough scraping.
8. The Misuse of Cleansing Tools
Cleaning tools such as brush, sponges are used for cleaning and exfoliation if adopted appropriately. But if used incorrectly, they spread bacteria, cause skin irritation or lead to an uneven skin texture. This tool has a potential to hold water that breeds bacteria and the use of it with much pressure could strip the skin.
Solution:
For instance, opt for cleansing tools that are made of natural and porous materials such as konjac sponge or loofah among others as they do not harm the skin.
What cleaning is necessary? They need to be cleaned regularly and preferably after every use or at least every three days, and they must also be allowed to dry.
Pat the skin lightly to ensure that they do not feel sore after washing, avoiding any implements to which one’s skin might be sensitive to.
Also Read – Skin Diseases – Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Prevention
Conclusion
Skin is the largest organ in the body and is revealing about the health of an individual, thus skincare should be done in the right manner. Purging is an initial and basic process in skin care to remove impurities from the skin surface; nonetheless, it is important to note that not all cleaning routines are good for the skin.
Thus, with knowledge of how over-cleansing can be damaging, upon recognizing the ingredients, procedures, and tools are unfavorable, you can create a cleansing routine that benefits the skin instead of stripping it.
A well-balanced cleansing routine is key to achieving skin perfection. Avoid over-cleansing, choose gentle products like zinc soap, and always follow up with hydration.
As much as it is needed, skincare routine can be very different for one person to another depending on the skin type. According to the skin’s current requirements, it is vital to learn to heed its message and adjust the treatment regimen accordingly.
David Donovan 
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