Skincare Focus: Cleanse

Wash your face every day, but use a gentle cleanser so natural moisture is not stripped away. There is no need to wash more than once a day unless you have gotten particularly dirty (with sweat, dirt, sunscreen, or environmental yucks). I like using a clean washcloth to dry off with. You can use a hand towel, but I find it easier to store clean washcloths right by the sink - I throw it right in the laundry and get a fresh one the next day - and it's big enough to do the job!

Cleansers remove oil, makeup and dirt

• Elements cleansers
• Anew cleansers
• Clearskin cleansers

Sweat clogs pores

Be sure to cleanse! Exercise and sweating is actually GREAT for your skin, as it helps remove toxins. Unfortunately, after you cool down, if sweat remains on your skin, it can contribute to pores getting clogged which can lead to acne issues. Find a cleanser. The best thing to do is cleanse your face before you exercise and after you exercise. You should cleanse before because leaving makeup on your skin can prevent the sweat from excreting and can block pores. You should cleanse after because the sweat accumulates and can clog pores or contribute to infections.

Keratolytics (acne treating ingredients)

Certain ingredients in cleansers and masks are keratolytics, which help to loosen the dead skin cells and hardened materials trapped inside pores.

• salicylic acid
• benzoyl peroxide
• glycolic acid

Why Facial Masks?

Regular cleansing is super important to help keep your skin clean and healthy. So why bother using a facial mask?! Here's why: When you cleanse your skin every day, you are removing makeup, dirt and other impurities from the SURFACE of your skin. Cleansing removes the oil build up, makeup we wear and other dirt and particles from the epidermis. But, the epidermis has multiple layers (5, in fact!). Mask once a week to avoid overcleansing, which can actually produce more oils!

Facial masks help do three key things in addition to cleansing:

1. Facial masks exfoliate dead skin cells from the epidermal layers. Exfoliating revealing the healthy skin cells below. 
2. Facial masks invigorate the skin and encourage blood flow, and that increased circulation will also give you a healthy glow. 
3. Facial masks will unclog pores, allowing cleansers to remove the built up oils and dead skin cells that have accumulated.

Facial Masks

• Clearskin® Pore Penetrating Black Mineral Mask
• Clearskin® Professional Liquid Extraction Strip
• Planet Spa Amazonian Treasures Hydrating Face Mask with Brazilian Acai and Berries
• Planet Spa Perfectly Purifying With Dead Sea Minerals Face Mask