The secret art of double cleansing.

By Clare O’Hanlon, Business Development Manager for Juliette Armand Skincare Ireland

Firstly we must understand why cleansers are so important as the first step to a great skincare regime. Initially it removes makeup, dirt, oil and SPF so the skin is left clean. Also throughout the day, our skin becomes oily, dirty and pollution causes it to age. When we cleanse our skin, we allow our other products to penetrate properly.

The reason we need to double cleanse is because the cleanser has many roles? The main thing a cleanser does is clean the skin, this is the importance of the first cleanse. The second cleanse is to help balance out you skin and work on skin conditions. Cleansers come in different textures and can be characterised for different skin types. Some cleansers are stronger than others. At the end of the day, cleansing your skin will make you younger looking and fresh, prevent breakouts and blackheads from trapped dirt and prevent dehydration to the skin.

What type of cleansers are there? There are many types of cleansers; the best known ones are a foam wash, milk cream, gel, water based and soapy. Everyone has a preference as to what they enjoy but also our skin type/condition will direct us to a more suitable cleanser. Milky cleansers are generally for dry/aging skin, foam washes are great for oily/acne skin, gel cleansers are soothing for sensitive skin and micellar water is for all skins.

At what stage in your skin routine should you add a cleanser? A cleanser is the very first product that should touch your face in the morning because at night we can produce excess oil on our skin and dirt from our pillowcase may rub off our skin. By cleansing, we are preparing our skin for the serum and moisturising stage. There is nothing nice about layering our skin with products over makeup and dirt. We would look dirty and wrinkles form very quickly because the skin cannot renew at night, hence why we cleanse at night before bed. Our skin needs time to breathe and renew at night so we cleanse away the daily pollution.

How can you pick the right cleanser for your client? The reason there is more than just one cleanser out there is because we all have different skin to one another. Someone suffering from acne breakouts will need a different cleanser to someone with very dry skin. This is because the ingredients are designed to help that specific skin type and the PH may be different too. As I mentioned before, everyone does have their preference as to what texture they use on their skin so it is important to ask and lastly it all depends on how much time a client has to dedicate to a good cleansing regime, perhaps all they have time for is a foam wash to use in the shower!

Are there any dangers to watch out for when using a cleanser? The main dangers would be ingredients and whether or not they are going to cause more aging to the skin, some cleansers are known to strip the skin of it’s natural oil and water. Sometimes cleansers have added AHAs that exfoliate the skin and if they are also using an exfoliator they can over do it. A cleanser should also be used maximum twice daily.

How best can you retail cleansers in your salon? Educating the client on the importance of a cleanser is a must. We know it’s the first part of a skincare regime - it would be like going for a jog but doing no stretches beforehand! Clients need to bin the wipes and the soap as these cause havoc to the skin and cause premature aging. By continuously drying out the skin, it would make the skin over produce in oil to compensate. A cleanser recommended for the right skin type will improve the skin enormously and the client will see the changes as well.