SKIN CARE PRODUCTS

FACIAL CLEANSERS

Purpose of Facial Skin Cleansers

Skin cleansers are designed to remove dirt, grime and excess oil from your face without stripping it of all moisture or upsetting it’s delicate PH. Your facial skins natural pH is slightly acidic. Using the wrong skin cleanser, such as a body soap, can change the pH to alkaline. This promotes a favourable environment for bacterial infections that cause acne. Even . mild soaps tend to be alkaline. The one exception I do know of is Dove.

Only use a pH balanced face wash. A couple of good moderately priced cleansers are produced by :

• Neutrogena
• Johnson & Johnson's pH balanced face washes

Dry Skin Cleansers

Soap free cleansers for dry skin generally contain stearyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol and glyceride. These ingredients hydrate and moisturise the skin as they clean and leave a layer of moisturiser on your face.

Oily Skin Cleansers

For those with oily-skin, look for ‘mattifying’ washes that degrease the skin and do not add moisture.

Skin Cleansers for Acne Prone Skin

Specially formulated face washes that contain salicylic acid are especially good for acne prone skin. These cleansers penetrate deep into the pores of the skin to unplug blackheads, the forerunners of acne.

If you find your cleanser leaves your skin tight and tingly, it may be too alkaline, so use a pH restoring toner after washing.

Face Scrubs

Facial cleansing scrubs contain granular particles, often ground apricot kernels, walnut shells or synthetic granules in a cream base. They are designed to:

• Unclog Pores
• Remove grime and dead skin cells
• Remove blackheads
  
  Reduce pigmentation, when used regularly

Homemade scrubs can be made using sugar granules or oatmeal. Don’t use on sensitive skin as uneven rough edged particles can scratch the skin and lead to infections. Manufactured scrubs have uniform rounded granules to lessen the chance of damage.

Typical Ingredients in Facial Scrubs

Facial scrubs generally contain ingredients such as:

• alfa hydroxy acids to dissolve the upper dead layer of skin making it easier to remove
• Elderflower, Vitamin E and ginseng for anti-ageing and whitening purposes.

My favorites:

• Johnson & Johnson Facial Scrub – gentle enough for every day use
• St Ives Apricot AHA Scrub – a bit harsher for skin that needs a bit more sloughing.
  

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