Clean Skin 101: Skin Care Basics

You wash your face first thing in the morning, and every night before bed…your skin is clean, right? The answer depends largely on the rest of the products in your beauty regimen, your skin type and the type of cleanser you’re using. Here are a few basics to consider for a balanced, bright and clean complexion.

Step One: Wash Your Face (Every Night)

Ok, this one seems obvious—except it isn’t. After a night out or a long work day, it may be tempting to just slip into bed and skip that whole washing your face thing. You’ve done it, we’ve done it, everyone has done it. Don’t. It’s one of the worst things you can do for your skin, and if you make a habit of it (even if it’s only on the weekends) it will show. Your skin does an incredible job repairing itself when the body is at rest. This is the time to feed your skin with nourishment and give your pores a chance to breath after a long day under a layer of sunscreen and makeup. Wash. Your. Face.

Step Two: Your Cleanser Matters

After you cleanse, your skin should feel light and refreshed. If your skin feels tight, dry or itchy, your cleanser is too harsh and can ultimately be doing more harm than good. The last thing you want is for your cleanser to strip your skin of all its natural oils—especially if you have a particularly oily complexion. This may seem counterintuitive if you’re trying to minimize your oil production, but a complexion stripped of all its natural oils is only going to produce more oil to compensate. The key here is balance. Harsh detergents are never a good idea. If a deep clean, foaming cleanser is your preference, try Olga Lorencin’s Purifying Cleansing Gel.

If your skin is dry, mature, sensitive or environmentally damaged, look to cleansers that add hydration while calming and soothing the skin. You can even skip your cleanse and go straight to your toner in the morning. There’s no need to double cleanse when your skin is dry. (This does not give you a pass on cleansing at night). Our favorite cleanser for dry skin is Olga Lorencin’s Rehydrating Cleanser. The rich consistency can be used as a cream cleanser, or a gentle foaming cleanser when mixed with warm water. Added bonus: it’s gentle enough to remove your eye makeup.

Cleansing Towelettes Should Not Replace Your Cleanser

Those little facial wipes are convenient, they travel well, and a few even have some pretty impressive ingredients. They should not, however, replace your cleanser. Keep these for your gym back, glamping trips and carry-on bags.

Step Three: Don’t Forget Your Toner

The benefits of using a toner after your cleanse vary depending on the skin type you have and the toner you’re using. For dry, dehydrated complexions this could mean an added layer of hydration. For oily and blemish-prone it could mean a step towards clearer skin. Those benefits aside, toning the skin after you cleanse helps to remove any remaining product residue, adds balance, and preps the skin for better product penetration.

Step Four: Exfoliation is Necessary

Regardless of your skin type, exfoliation is a crucial step towards clean and balanced skin. The removal of excess buildup gives your cleanser a chance to really do its job, and hydrating products the ability to penetrate deeper into the skin.

Keep these basics in mind, and your clear, balanced, and oh-so-clean complexion will thank you for it.