Sunday 1 March 2020

Skincare Sunday #8 Clean Skin


Today's post is all about the best cleansers to remove make-up and leave skin clean, fresh and not tight or aggravated. 

I have dry/dehydrated/ somewhat sensitive/ not 20-something-anymore skin! For me, stripping cleansers are a no-no, so I'm going to suggest the best cleansers for my own skin type. Saying that, these could accommodate a wide range of skins as all are kind to skin.

I wear make-up most days and therefore cleanse twice in the evening-- once to remove product and then again to truly cleanse the skin. 

The cleanser that I love over any other is Emma Hardie's Moringa Cleansing Balm which is expensive, so I often try to find cheaper alternatives. The best one I have found is Beauty Pie's Plantastic Apricot Butter Cleansing Balm ( a crazy £35 saving, providing you are a Beauty Pie subscriber). This is a very affordable alternative which has a similar soft balm texture which is like a butter and melts into the skin. It removes even stubborn eye make-up really well and includes a muslin cloth and a scoop to hygeninically take product from the jar).

Having said that, nothing beats the scent and feeling of absolute bliss when using the Emma Hardie. It is so nourishing and pampering for drier skin and does not ever cause any sensitivity issues. Obviously, it is a needless luxury, but when I do treat myself I like to get it on offer and even have it as my 'Brand for Life' on FeelUnique.com which entitles you to a all-year-round 10% discount. 

To use a cleansing balm, I like to give my face a good massage with my fingertips and spend a good minute working the product into all of the parts of my face. I then use a muslin cloth or double-sided face flannel (Beauty Pie do an amazing dupe for the Emma Hardie ones) and buff the balm into the skin, picking up any make-up and grime along the way. I frequently rinse the flannel and then rinse my whole face with water. Clothes are a more environmentally friendly way of cleansing as they can be put into the washing machine after a few uses or hand-washed and dried ready for the next day.

Another gorgeous brand that I've recently found which is another one on the pricier side is Plenaire. This company are all about clean and simple products which do not contain unnecessary ingredients. The Rose Jelly Gentle Make-up Remover is an absolute dream to use. It is made from rosewater and has a sucragel base which turns into a soft milk when water is added. The smell is delicious-- rosy and sweet, beautiful! I use it with or without a cloth and tend to use it as a second cleanser as it is not as effective at removing a full face of make-up. You'd definitely have to go in with an eye make-up remover if you wear a healthy portion of mascara as I do.
                                               
A cheaper alternative -- and a beauty gem in my opinion-- is the Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser. This conditioning gel is made from a PH-balanced formula which is so gentle, cooling and soothing on the skin that it feels like a treat to use. The scent is very neutral and mild, but there is a pleasant scent of some kind. It can be used all over the face and eyes without any hint of stinging or tightness afterwards. This works well with or without a cloth and can remove make-up efficiently.

Cleansing is as much about the ritual as anything else, so providing the product you pick is not too harsh for you, it is worth investing a few extra minutes each day in the process. From experience of having flakier, drier and less happy skin in the past, the importance of a light manual exfoliation using a muslin cloth is a step I will no longer overlook. A small amount of pressure and circular movements, particularly around the sides of the nose, between the eyebrows and down the neck are important places that are often missed when exfoliating. Daily massage and exfoliation helps skin cells to renew and turnover which makes for a fresher looking complexion. In addition, the encouragement of blood flow to the skin gives your face a plumper look with a healthy flush.

Cleansing is a vital first step in a any good skincare routine. Invest in your skin now and hopefully it will pay dividends later in life.



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