How to Maximize Your Cleanser's Benefits: A Mom's Guide
You chose a great cleanser that is ideal for pregnancy and nursing, now what?
There are actually a few things you can do to make sure you are maximizing the potential benefits for your skin!
Make Sure to Use Lukewarm Water:
Hot water might feel soothing, but it can wreak havoc on your skin. Very high temperatures can strip your skin of its natural oils, leaving it dry and dull. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends using lukewarm water to wet your skin and working in your cleanser with your fingertips.
Double Cleanse:
To really ensure the surface of your skin is free of impurities such as dirt and excess oils (and especially if you’re wearing makeup,) you may find that double cleansing is beneficial. A two-step cleansing process may seem like extra effort, but it shouldn't take too much time and provides a more thorough cleansing.
Don’t Forget your Neck and Chest:
Your neck and décolleté is an often neglected area, but they are just as sensitive to signs of aging, dry skin, and breakouts. Be sure to cleanse the area at least once daily.
Use a Cleansing Tool:
If you feel like your skin is never quite clean enough, a cleansing tool could really help! A cleansing brush, glove, or other tool can help provide a deep clean and helps exfoliate and remove dead skin cells, too. Make sure to use a gentle tool and you might want to limit this to a few times a week if you have sensitive skin.
Clean Your Makeup Brushes Often:
Admit it - that foundation brush hasn’t been washed in longer than you’d like to admit. Using dirty makeup brushes and sponges on your skin can add back bacteria that you just cleaned off, so it’s important to clean your tools to ensure they’re sanitary. Once a week is a great goal.
Try Dry Cleansing:
Instead of cleansing while your skin is wet like usual, try applying your cleanser to dry skin. Massage cleanser on your skin with dry hands in a circular motion, and then add a little lukewarm water and massage a little more before washing your cleanser off.
The major benefit is that you get the full strength of the formula without diluting it. “Since you’re not diluting the actives with water, you can get a more concentrated delivery of beneficial actives for better results from the cleanser,” says board certified dermatologist Loretta Ciraldo, MD, FAAD. It can also help with exfoliating dead skin cells, further removing impurities from your skin, and helping your serums and moisturizers absorb better.
Drink Lots of Water:
You can have the best hydrating cleanser in the world, and if you aren’t drinking water, your skin will still be dehydrated. Drink plenty of water and opt for filtered water when available.
Try out these tips and let us know what you think!
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