First I'd just like to point out that if you're a guy, then a more useful series for you would be from VanityMr who I mentioned on Twitter a couple of days ago. He also makes video format so that's also a great idea to check out as well! (Not saying I won't be of any use...I'm just going to be more orientated around makeup and female products!)
If you're lazy and there's only one step in a skincare routine that you actually follow religiously, it should be cleansing. Cleansing is the basis for everything. You can't moisturise, tone, apply makeup or anything without a clean and hygienic base!
What is cleansing for?
There are many reasons why we cleanse our skin. It removes our makeup, it removes impurities and often removes dead skin cells and allows our skin to become more hygienic.
Cleansing is the first step of the skin routine as it allows our skin to breathe and accept more products basically. Imagine applying toners and essences to your face after you've just come home without cleansing? You'd still have all the impurities from the outside world and probably still makeup on your face! You'd just be rubbing this all into your skin more, so cleansing is used to clean the canvas before you work on it.
Even if you don't wear makeup, you should still cleanse. You'll have excess oils, impurities from the pollution and dust of the outside world - especially if you live in a city. The same as washing your hands, cleansing should become a habit!
When should I cleanse?
At least twice a day. Cleanse your skin once when you wake up to remove the excess oils and sweat which has developed during your sleep and then again near the end of the day to remove everything and your makeup. You don't need to use the same types of cleansers in the morning though, the morning one is just for refreshing and quickly cleaning up your face. Whereas the evening cleanser is a more deep cleanse!
What types of cleansers are there?
There are so many types and I probably won't have even covered them all! But I'll share with you the most popular and the ones I use.
The basic cleanser is just a cream. This does not foam when it meets water and is probably the gentlest to the skin. My main example of this is Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish. It's probably most recommended to teens because it's suitable for sensitive skin and doesn't contain any harsh chemicals, it also doesn't require any sort of tools. Just the cleanser and perhaps a cloth to wipe your face. The main point of this is getting the right about of product for the face. Try not to apply a large amount because it could strip the face completely of any oils and you'll end up suffering from dry and flaky skin then! These sorts of cleansers are definitely a staple though!
Wipes. These tend to split into two categories, cleansing and makeup. Makeup wipes are more specialised into cleansing from makeup, to allow makeup to be removed from the face. If you purchase a good type then it should also remove most waterproof makeups. These are the most travel friendly product and don't require any water. They usually come in packets similar to wet-wipes. The cleansing wipes I find to be softer and I don't get redness from cleansing wipes whereas I do from makeup ones. Most skincare brands will produce makeup wipes and according to Get It Beauty, the best cleansing tissue is from the Korean brand Innisfree.
Next is foaming cleansers, these are popular as they're pretty economically friendly in my opinion - not much of the product is required to get it to foam well! And they're also very gentle and effective at pore cleansing. These are the most able to use with tools including pore cleansers and exfoliation tools which I'll be sharing with you later! If I had to just pick one type of cleanser to use for the rest of my life, it would be a foam based one. Although I don't find it removes makeup that well, it's the most effective and efficient use of my time during my skincare routine. I own a number of foam cleansers at the moment, however my ultimate favourite foaming cleanser is from Etude House
Wait...How do I find out my skin type?
When I first got into the world of skincare and makeup I was terrified about skin types. Skin types, like body shapes and face shapes, are the hardest thing for me to define. I hate putting myself into a category and no one really knows my skin well enough to do it for me. Finding your skin type is something you really need to do yourself. Your skin is likely to change depending on the weather, time of year, hormones and diet so don't worry about needing to stick to one type of skin! I used to have very oily skin in my early teens, now I have slightly dry skin as the weather is drying out my skin quicker. Feel flexible with your skin type and learn that there are pros and cons to each type! One type of skin is no better than another so don't be disappointed with your skin type! Love it and work with it not against it.
Before I figured out my skin type, I remember pretty clearly one time I when I was in Center Parcs... I went to the Aqua Sana with my mum on a spa day, it was one of my first times so I must have been about 13/14 and there was a woman with a table full of different face masks. She had rice ones, clay ones, oil ones... and the woman asked me what my skin type was... I just froze and looked at my mum for help. I had no response to her! At the time, my mum was buying my cleansers and skin care products as I had absolutely no knowledge of anything - if anyone cares, I was exclusively using Liz Earle at the time... My point being, don't worry about it! Sit in front of a mirror, take all of your makeup off and just wait for an hour or two to let your skin settle. Then notice if your skin has turned flaky, oily or a combination...or none. Your skin should be able to fit into 4 categories: Dry (which is also usually sensitive), Oily, Combination (you're most likely to have an oily t-zone and dry cheeks/forehead area) or Normal - also known as perfect skin! You've got a good oil balance and don't have any dry areas or particularly have any problems. Whilst cleansing you need to address any problem areas such as sagging skin, acne, acne scars and dark spots, so take this into consideration whilst picking your cleansers!
How do I use my cleansers?
So now you've got the cleansers, you know your skin type and you're all sorted... you need to know how to use them! How you use and care for your product directly affects the results and effects on your skin. You need to ensure you keep proper hygiene both on your skin and with your products.
Now I'm going to share with you my evening routine for cleansing specifically. I'll admit that my routine is pretty long...by hey! We're trying to get perfect ulzzang milky skin! So you need to make sure that your skin is properly cleansed and all impurities are removed!
This is the routine I use every night and the products I use, you can substitute the oils and foams to suit your needs and if you prefer a basic cleanser or makeup wipes then feel free to put them in as well. Try not use makeup wipes on their own if you use them, replace the oil with makeup wipes and still use either a foaming or cleansing cream instead to keep the moisture in!
