Skincare Series: Facial Cleansing

Nakin’s skin cleansing feature, is part-1 of our skincare series. All about getting the best out of your skincare products, and taking care of your skin as well as possible. So read on to find out the how and why of clean skin, for facial cleansing perfection. At Nakin we have a lovely range of natural face cleansers that offer exceptional cleansing for the face, and help to keep skin looking clear and fresh. 

Clean skin is essential for fresh healthy skin. Cleansing is well regarded as the most important part of every beauty routine, it’s the advice from all the best beauty experts, and present in all beauty routines around the world - from France, to Japan and Korea. There’s a good reason that cleansing is such a vital part of beauty regimes, as effective cleansing leads the way for healthy, clear and glowing skin; an essential component to any look. Read on to find out everything that you need to know about effective facial cleansing.

WHICH CLEANSER IS BEST?

At Nakin we believe in a modern version of the traditional 4-step skincare face routine; cleansing, toning, moisturising and treatments. The cleansing element is the first important step. Make cleansing the priority in your routine, every day, morning and evening. Effective cleansing is somewhat an art, even if you have the best skincare products, using the right method is essential. We recommend using a pure gentle cleansing milk, like our Nakin Advanced Cleansing Milk, which is suitable for all skin types, including dry skin. It comforts skin while removing make-up, dirt and pollutants. It’s filled with skin beautifying ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid and Seaweed Extract, as well as antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. A cleansing milk is especially effective at removing dirt and make-up, including eye products. It’s like a lotion, and the fluid does not strip skin of its organic oils. Our natural sebum acts as a skin barrier, protecting against bacteria and toxins, and moisture loss. So it's important to support it. A cleansing milk removes dirt and improves skin, without stripping or drying, like a face wash can. If you do prefer a face wash though we have an excellent one that cleanses without stripping. This is our Rejuvenating Face Wash which offers an exceptional cleanse to the face and neck.

HOW TO CLEANSE THE FACE

Begin by tying hair back, and ensuring hands are really clean. Take a large coin size amount of product onto finger tips, apply it directly all over the face and neck. For a milk, press the cleansing milk into skin with the pads of all fingers. Then massage and sweep into skin, still using the finger pads, in upward movements. The massaging action helps to dislodge dirt and detoxify. Remove the cleansing milk with luke warm cotton wool pads. Or, for a facial exfoliation, remove with a lukewarm damp muslin cloth, applying small circular movements, and continually using a clean part of the cloth.

For a face wash massage it into the face and neck with water and either wash off, or use a cloth to remove it.

For a more thorough exfoliation we recommend using our Exfoliating Radiance Tonic and wiping over the face and neck, to free the skin of build-up, dead skin cells and hard to remove pollutants. Our exfoliator is an excellent modern product that is free from beads and glycolic acid.

TONING

It’s really important to take cleanser off effectively, as it keeps pores clear, and this is where a toner comes in. Toners have a liquid composition, so act as a double cleanse. They remove the last traces of cleanser and water-soluble deposits, such as daily grime and sweat. Toners are beautifully refreshing to skin, as well as delivering nutrients in a water format and deeply cleansing. A toner will also prepare skin for serum and oil treatments applied afterwards. We recommend using one like our Nakin Purifying Face Toner, which is suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin, due to the natural comforting formula. The Witch Hazel acts as a natural astringent, Seaweed purifies, Hyaluronic Acid conditions, and Aloe Vera brings anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits. Apply the toner to the face by soaking the product onto cotton wool, and sweeping over the face and neck. Repeat if required. Toner also prepares skin to be ready for the products applied afterwards. So as well as keeping skin in great health and condition, cleansing assists in keeping skin looking youthful and reducing the formation of lines and wrinkles. There are a lot of mist toners available now, but we believe that the toner needs to be wiped off with clean cotton wool, in order to clean well.

HOW SHOULD WE CLEANSE DIFFERENTLY IN THE MORNING & EVENING?

Typically, at night we have more time, which is helpful, as night time cleansing needs extra care. At night we need to cleanse skin of the many things our faces come across in the day. Such as make-up, pollution, contaminants, food and impurities. Cleansing is still essential in the morning, but it only has to clean off the reduced amount of dirt that we are subjected to while sleeping. Cell renewal and detoxifying happen during the night, so ultra-clean skin will assist our natural biological cleansing. At night you might want to repeat the first cleansing step with the milk, and/or toning, to ensure skin is thoroughly cleansed. We also recommend keeping hair really clean, as dirt is passed onto skin from the hair.

ADDITIONAL CLEANSING METHODS

For an extra treatment to help with specific skin issues, we recommend bathing skin with water and essential oils. Simply add a couple of drops of an essential oil to luke warm water, mix and gently bath skin using cotton wool. Soak the cotton wool in the skin bath, and apply to the face and neck all over. A lovely one to use is organic Lavender essential oil, as this essence has natural antimicrobial properties, so it’s great for an extra cleansing treatment. When used at night, it aids sleep, by helping us to relax with its calming properties.

We always advise to use products with natural ingredients supplied from the planet, instead of chemical ingredients. There are lots of different exfoliators used in the skincare industry; like Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHAs) including Glycolic Acid, and Beta Hydroxyl Acid (BHAs) including Salicylic Acid. Not to be confused with Hyaluronic Acid, which improves skin by assisting Collagen production, hydrating and cushioning. AHAs and BHAs can be quite harsh to skin, and can cause long term sensitivity. However, the AHAs that we use in our face wash and exfoliator are derived from fruits and offer a much gentler experience for skin.

If you enjoy using a face mask, then try to use a really natural one. Clay is particularly good, as well as being natural, it deeply cleanses skin and draws out impurities, deep down from skin. As the clay masks dries on the face, it pulls the debris in the pores with it. A gorgeous natural way to cleanse, detoxify and pamper, as well as improving oxygen flow and strengthening facial muscles, is a lymphatic drainage facial. A professional spa treatment like this, can be a worthwhile investment.

The traditional 4-step face care routine of cleansing, toning, moisturising and treatment may seem outdated, but it is still the best method that we have for looking after skin. Cleansing wipes are a common way to cleanse skin, but at Nakin we do not recommend using them. They tend to move dirt around the face, and the rubbing involved while using them, can cause skin irritation. Recently there has been a trend towards using oils and balms to cleanse the face, take care with them, as they can be hard to remove and leave a residue on skin. Many people enhance their cleansing routine with skin cleansing brushes and toning devices, which can be good natural additions to a cleansing routine. There are massaging cleansers that offer good detoxification. Although take care as some toning devices use conductive gel, which can be adding unnecessary and unnatural product to skin.

Nakin offer everything that you need for effective cleansing, as well as moisturisers, face and eye treatments. Find out more about Nakin's stunning award winning natural skincare range here. We also have our blog which contains a wealth of information about all sorts of skincare queries, from cleansing to skin hydration. Find out more about us online and see how our range can help to keep your skin clear and fresh.