One of the most important steps of the skin care routine is cleansing. Skin is its own barrier for the internal body but there is not much barrier for the skin aside from hair. The pores, layers of derma and skin cells absorb a lot of what is touching your skin everyday so that is why it is so important to help it out and cleanse it everyday, usually twice!
What cleanser is suitable for my skin?
A nice cleanse is always the first step to any basic skin care routine. If you don’t regularly clean your skin or do not always remove your makeup you are doing your skin a disservice. A good cleanser gently removes excess sebum, dirt and makeup and leaves your skin feeling clean, fresh, and ready for the next steps in your skincare routine. A good cleanser will be gentle, fragrance, and irritant free. It is important that you choose a cleanser that is suitable for your skin type. This blog will help you to find the best cleanser for your skin whether you have oily, dry, combination, or acne and redness-prone skin.
What makes our cleansers special?
All cleansers only require one pump to cleanse the whole face. Typically a bottle will last 4+ months. Your skin will not feel dry after washing, the cleanser protects your skin’s barrier and does not overstrip the lipids. RFA cleansers are different from a lot of cleansers on the market due to the fact that they contain NONE of the top 5 toxic ingredients found in cleansers.
Propylene Glycol– causes chemical irritation, dissolves natural skin lipids and disturbs moisture barrier. So, the cleanser you use that makes your skin feel super dry, which people associate with being really “clean” probably has this ingredient.
Fragrance – is the most common cause of contact dermatitis in skin care products!! Linaloo is widely used as a fragrance ingredient. Linaloo oxides cause contact dermatitis in 5-7% of the population. It’s a terpene alcohol obtained from plants and insects. This ingredient is in 60-80% of scented cosmetics. Limonene is another form of fragrance that oxides potent sensitizers in more then 3% of the population.
So, remember if you love using products with a good smell… CHECK THE INGREDIENTS ALWAYS!
Methylchloroisothiazolinone (also known as Kathon)– a powerful preservatives that kills bacteria, mold and yeast
Parabens– are low cost, highly effective for cosmetic products. Avoid them, they are a cytotoxic allergen. It causes contact dermatitis and strips the skins barrier.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate– a synthetic detergent used widely to create uniform mixtures of oil and water. It is inexpensive and makes large volume foam consumers love. This is a powerful skin irritant, used as an irritation-causing “standard” for testing anti-inflammatory agents. This detergent removes natural skin lipids and dry outs the skin.
Moving on, the formulas for Avani cleansers are void of all those toxic ingredients and replaced with one of the main ingredients in all the cleansers.
Decyl Glucoside- is a sugar derived and that does not irritate the skin.
How to Cleanse Your Skin
I recommend double cleansing the skin at night or anytime you want to wash your face after wearing makeup. In the morning, if you wake up with a clean face a single cleanse is just fine.
PRECLEANSE
At night we want to do a “double cleanse.” I recommend using a foaming or gel cleanser first to pre-cleanse and remove makeup and debris from the skin followed by a second cleanse. Doing a precleanse at night to remove makeup or product from the day is crucial for optimal skin health. It ensures that no impurities are left behind. Apply cleanser to dry skin, slowly add water with finger tips to emulsify makeup and product using circular motions. Once emulsified, wet the Jane Iredale Magic Mitt (or use a makeup wipe or gentle washcloth) and gently wipe away the foamy cleanser. Do this until all cleanser has been removed.
SECOND CLEANSE = “Deeper Cleanse”
This second cleanse is used with treatment cleanser for night that foams up or lathers. This cleanser is tailored to your skin type for a deeper cleanse to remove the most impurities while leaving your skin soft and clean. This cleanse is used on pre cleansed skin to achieve max results! For most skin types, this cleanse can be used with finger tips and circular motions.
TIP: 3x a week, use RFA Exfoliating Scrub as your second cleanse.
Cleansing Mitt
Quickly and completely remove every trace of makeup without any soap or cleanser. The secret is the knitted micro-fiber cloth that relies only on water and tiny micro-fibers to penetrate oil and grime and wash it away.
Skin type: all skin types
- A knitted micro-fiber cleansing cloth that quickly and completely removes makeup using water only.
- Promotes the health of the skin because it does not affect the acid mantle. When this beneficial barrier is intact, it aids the skin in protecting itself from harmful and invasive bacteria.
- Made from a new generation of specially knitted micro-fibers many times thinner than a human hair and which are able to penetrate oil films.
- This hydro-mechanical process breaks the surface tension of the oils that bond makeup to the skin while the fibers gently exfoliate.
- The combination of warm water and micro-fibers turn the makeup into an emulsion that is easily swept away by the mitt. It will even remove mascara!
GENTLE CLEANSERS
If you are using exfoliants in your skincare routine such as retinol or any of the pads, keeping your daily cleanser gentle is KEY! You can incorporate an exfoliating acne cleanser or scrub just 2-3x per week, but your daily go-to should be GENTLE to avoid drying your skin out.
Gentle Foaming Cleansers
These are great if you prefer a light-foaming product that will thoroughly cleanse your skin. A light foaming cleaner removes most types of makeup, cleanses the skin thoroughly and softens your skin. Cleansers don’t have to foam to work properly, but many prefer foamy textures for cleansing.
Skin type: suitable for all skin types, but more specifically for dry and sensitive skin.
RFA Gentle Foaming Cleanser
RFA Gentle Foaming Cleanser is not only a gentle, non-drying cleanser, suitable for all skin types, it also doubles as a mask! Leave the cleanser on 3-5mins before rinsing off for an added soothing benefit!
- Non-Reactive
- Fragrance-Free
- Propylene-glycol Free*
- Can be used following any treatment
- Gentle enough for everyday use
- *removes excess lipids without over drying the skin
- *Soothing, anti-inflammation properties from Evodiox, Bisabolol, Ginger root extract
- Alternate with RFA Exfoliating Scrub for gentle but effective exfoliation as needed or as directed by provider
- 1 bottle will last 4+ months!
*Propylene-glycol is an ingredient that is chemically similar to plastic and is banned in many parts of the world due to its toxicity to the skin and environment.
Cream and lotion cleansers
If you prefer a cleanser that moisturises your skin. Cream and lotion cleansers have a silky texture and remove most types of makeup but if you use waterproof products you may need a separate makeup remover.
Skin type: normal, dry and especially great for sensitive or rosacea/redness prone skin.
RFA Gentle Cream Cleanser
- This dual-purpose product helps to calm redness and gently cleanse the skin without stripping vital oils, which can promote irritation and dryness.
- The non-reactive formulation includes soothing Evodiox, which is derived from the Chinese evodia rutaecarpa plant and reduces redness, as well as two additional key ingredients – Ginger Root to promote even skin tone and radiance, and Bisbolol, known for its anti-inflammatory properties.
- This is a wonderful choice for rosacea-prone or sensitive skin. Used as a mask, it may remain on the epidermis for 3-5 minutes before rinsing off.
- Great for all skin types, even the most sensitive!
- 1 bottle will last 4-5 months!
EXFOLIATING CLEAnSERS
Exfoliating cleansers are ideal for cleaning the top layer of your skin, primarily of dirt, debris, and skin oil. The act of exfoliating is used to clean away dead skin cells on the surface of your skin and get rid of some harder debris that digs into your pores.
RFA Exfoliating Scrub
- RFA Exfoliating Scrub is an emollient polishing cleanser with 1% Lactic Acid. Not only is this an effective exfoliating scrub, it can also be used as a mask. Put the 1% Lactic Acid to work and get an even deeper cleanse by leaving the scrub on for 3-5mins before rinsing! emollient
- *man made eco safe hydrated silica beads to micro exfoliate while cleansing the skin
- *creamy and moisturizing formula contains sodium lactate, glycerin, sodium PCA (naturally occurring in human skin)
- *great as a hydrating mask
- *can be used alternate days with the other cleansers
- Works great to mix in and alternate with your gentle cleanser 2-3x per week for that extra deep clean
- Can be used as the second cleanse in a double cleanse
- 1 bottle will last 4-5 months!
If you want more 1:1 recommendations I do online consults here!
XO
Racquel
