If you’re reading this post you’re either intrigued to see what I have to say about cleansing. Or you have now or at some point suffered from irritated skin.
Cleansing your skin is something I am pretty passionate about and mainly because I suffered with dry and sore skin with breakouts too. These days I have far from perfect skin but it is no longer irritated or flaking.
Consider the steps in your cleansing routine
Firstly, I would consider the steps you’re using in your cleansing routine. Do you wash your face twice daily? If not then I would start there. Splashing your face with water is not enough, if you have a cleanser use it.
Do you use makeup wipes or micellar water as a cleanser? If the answer to this question is yes, I can almost guarantee this is the issue.
Why you ask? You may know I’m not a huge fan of these because they’re often full of alcohols which dry out and irritate the skin there are fragrances added which again is a known irritant. Scrubbing your face with multiple cotton rounds just to get your makeup off before even being able to do a second cleanse is also leading you to irritation. However if you’re using these occasionally because you’re in a hurry,at the gym or a festival then of course they’re handy and don’t need water but these aren’t for every day use.
Consider the products you are using for cleansing
I’ve already touched on this topic above really with wipes and micellar water. However this is for you if you perhaps are using a traditional cleanser but its not working for you.
firstly are you using a foaming cleanser? If so, this may be the issue the surfactants included in these foaming cleansers can often affect the pH of the skin which would explain irritation plus the surfactants are known for drying out the skin too. Try using a non-foaming cleanser i.e. a milky cleanser or my preference is a balm cleanser.
You have a non foaming cleanser but it is still irritating. I would check the ingredients for fragrance this can be an irritant. Double cleansing instead of a single cleanse should ensure that all traces of makeup and SPF are removed too. It could be residual product causing the irritation.
Other Considerations for irritated skin
I would recommended double cleansing using a cleansing balm I like both the Emma Hardie Morninga balm and my favourite is the Elemis pro collagen cleanser. It is worth noting there are other more affordable balm cleansers out there. I would wash your face with running warm water and dirty water in the sink is just splashing dirty water on your face. Use a flannel with warm water over it. You can buy a set of 4 in M&S for £6. I would recommend two sets and then there is enough for every day of the week. Plus one for wash day.
You should consider all steps in your skincare and makeup routine if you have tried the above steps and the situation hasn’t improved.
If you have easily irritated skin make sure you use skincare specifically for this skin type. Or see a dermatologist for more tailored help.
