We all know the drill when we start our daily skincare routine: makeup removal, toning, moisturising. Most people focus on the moisturising part – adding serums, face creams, and other similar products. For most people, cleansing is just a step. However, what they don’t realise is that cleansing is not just a step – it’s the step. Without proper cleansing, your skin may not look the way you want it to – no matter how religiously you follow the other steps in your routine. Read on and find out why cleansing is actually the most important part of your skincare.

What Happens When You Skip Cleansing?

We’ve all been there at some point: you come home after a long day, and you cannot be bothered to cleanse your skin. “I’ll just remove it in the morning,” you say. Or, at most, you just use a makeup removal wipe. But regardless of how harmless it may seem to you now, this habit spells bad news for your skin.

Did you know that if you sleep with your makeup on, you are basically aging your skin by up to 8 days? Yikes! It may not seem like much to you, but when you keep forgetting to go through this step, those days keep adding.

Also, what most people overlook is that cleansing is not only for removing makeup – it’s for removing all dirt, pollutants, and debris from your face. That’s right; you have to cleanse your face at the end of the day, even if you are not wearing any makeup.

Dirt and debris can enter your pores, clogging them and enabling the growth of bacteria. This can lead to various skin conditions – the most common being acne. As the area inside your pore gets infected, the pimple forms. You may also get a variety of other conditions, including but not limited to eczemas, dryness, dermatitis and premature aging.

Moreover, if your skin has dirt and pollution on it and inside the pores, it can prevent the skincare products from properly penetrating your skin. All those wonderful serums and face creams – won’t be able to perform at their optimal level and can a waste of products and money.

Plus, if you have dirt in your pores and you cover them with other skincare products, the bacteria will start breeding there – once more leading to breakouts. All of this can easily be prevented if you simply cleanse your face in the first place. This is also why you need to cleanse your face every day, regardless of how tired you may be.

Your morning cleanse is just as important and not to be overlooked. Not only does your morning cleanse remove the dust, debris and bacteria that builds up on your skin overnight, but it also allows for better application and absorption of your morning skincare.

A big cleansing no-no is over cleansing, cleansing more than twice a day is unnecessary and not recommended unless you are exercising a lot or sweat excessively. The temperature that you cleanse with is important as well go for cool to luke-warm water, never hot.

Tips and Steps for Cleansing Your Skin

We know what you are thinking: what’s so special about cleansing? It’s just washing your skin, isn’t it? Well, it’s a bit more than that. Many people who underestimate the importance of proper cleansing simply think that a makeup removal wipe will do the trick. Not cleansing correctly can do almost the same damage as not cleansing at all – so, here is how to make sure your skin gets the correct type of cleansing.

1. Get a Good Quality Cleanser

We know, there are many cleansers on the market – and it’s always tempting for a no-name, no-brand, cheap cleanser just to get the job over with. It’s a cleanser, so it should do its job, right? Well, wrong. Not every cleanser does the job right from the start, so you’ll have to wash your face multiple times. This not only dries your skin but also leads to waste of product.

This is why you need to make sure that your cleanser does the job thoroughly and doesn’t leave any makeup, pollution, or dirt residue on your skin. Depending on how heavy your makeup is, you might need to wash more than once – but the higher the quality of the cleaner, the easier it will be for it to get all the residue off.

2. The Cleanser Needs a Gentle Formula

In your attempt to cleanse your face and take the makeup off, you often forget that your face skin is actually quite sensitive. You wash and wash with the cleanser until everything is gone – including the essential barrier of your skin.

Remember, the goal here is not exactly squeaky-clean skin; it’s debris-free skin. Your skin needs those oils, so protecting your essential barrier is a must. Ensure that your cleanser nourishes your skin with the right ingredients. This can include Jojoba oil, macadamia oils, coconut oil, or B-vitamins to keep your skin clean yet protected.

3. The Cleanser Should Match Your Skin Type

Not every skin type is the same, so the “one size fits all” technique won’t work. If you use a cleanser for dry skin on oily skin, all you will do is over-clog your skin with oils – in which case the shine will be visible from another continent. The opposite applies too, as using a cleanser for oily skin on dry skin can cause skin flaking and irritation.

You need to choose specific extracts for your skin type. For instance, if you have dry or sensitive skin, a cleanser containing coconut oil and B5 can be very efficient. On the other hand, B3s and Macadamia oil are more efficient for oily, acne-prone skin. It’s all about your skin type! Choose a cleanser that is great to use for your skin type. Remember, beautiful skincare is self-care!

Products to Use for Cleansing

During cleansing, you must use the right products. Here are our recommendations:

1. Cosima Nourishing Foaming Cleanser

3. Cosima Gentle Cleansing Milk

If you have dry and sensitive skin, this cleansing milk will dissolve all the impurities from your face, and its hydrating formula will protect your essential barrier and rebalance your skin. The key ingredients here are coconut oil, B5, liquid crystals for hydration, calendula extract, marshmallow extract, and bilberry extract.

4. Cosima Microfibre Cleansing Pad

When cleansing and removing makeup, we tend to use disposable cleansing pads –not only is this a waste, but it can also damage your skin. A microfibre cleansing pad such as this one is reusable and it’s also gentle on your skin. The good part is that you don’t need any other cleansing solution. You can just wet the pad with warm or cold water, and it will do the job perfectly – removing dirt and makeup. It works on all types of skin – even the sensitive kind.

Final Thoughts

So, remember that cleansing is the one step you never want to skip. It sets the stage for your skincare routine, creating a clean canvas so that all the other products can be absorbed properly into the skin and work at their best.

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