Facial Cleansing Schedule (picture heavy)

Hello everyone!

Yes it has been a super long while, been well here and there and yeah! Hope you're all doing well! *^*)/

I've been meaning to make this type of blog post for a while now on how I take care of my skin and my routines etc as I do get alot of questions about it. But laziness kicks in to take my camera out ;___; (BUT NOT ANYMORE! :D ) 

Honestly my skin is not perfect nor is it even near to flawless - however I do enjoy taking care of my skin and it is a crucial routine in my life as my skin easily gets affected from many different factors like pollution, sun , wind, diet, hormones, etc. 

Before I talk about my routine/schedule - lets talk about facial cleansing.

SO! Why is cleansing important?
Cleansing your skin cleans your skin from the build up of impurities and oils and also removes the dead skin cells sitting on your skin. These build ups are one factor that causes your skin to be rough and break out (pimples).

Facial cleansers comes in different forms from gel, bar, scrubs, cream, foam, etc. Each cleansers have a unique benefit to treat and also have different uses such that some are for daily use whilst some for once or twice a week (exfoliates).

REMEMBER to NOT use body soap for your face as it may be too harsh for your skin causing skin irritation as the skin on your face is much more delicate (although I've heard that it gives a really nice feeling O3O; ).

Typically you should be cleansing your face twice a day, in the morning when you wake up and before you go to bed. However this all depends on your skin, BUT should be no more than twice a day. Reason being is that if you cleanse too much- it strips the good natural oils from your skin causing your skin to be dry HENCE producing more oil ;A; .

You should always be gentle when cleansing your face - treat it as a nice relaxing time to treat the skin and enjoy it *^*)/ Rinse thoroughly and pat your face dry with a nice facial flannel or towel or sponge (NOT RUB YOUR FACE DRY OAO!) and then treat your skin with your usual skincare ^__^)/

WOOH! Now that's outta the way, so what about my skin?
I have normal-combination skin but depending on the weather and situation, it may be on the oily side or even on the dry side. But usually it is on the oily side throughout the day T__T; 
Because my skin is prone to get affected from the surrounding - I only wash my face once a day and that's before I go to bed. I find that whenever I wash my face twice a day - my skin feels really dry even if I use a well hydrated gentle cleanser.

I usually follow the following cleansing schedule for the week :

Monday : Daily cleanser

Tuesday : Daily cleanser

Wednesday : Exfoliate & Mask

Thursday : Daily cleanser

Friday : Daily cleanser

Saturday : Daily cleanser

Sunday : Peel, Exfoliate & Mask

Of course this schedule sometime changes for example on Friday nights where I may be attending an occasion or a convention the next day - I'll use my daily cleanser and have a mask to treat my skin.

To assist in the cleansing process - I use a facial cleansing brush pad thing. It's made of silicon and has these tiny soft spikes or bristles that scrubs the skin gently and I find that it really does help clean the skin more than just using your hands with the cleanser.

Front

Back

The one I have here is a cheap 1 dollar one from EBAY and it works JUST AS WELL as the Sasatinnie one which costs like 10 dollars AUD. The difference is that it is smaller than the Sasatinnie one and that the bristles or spikes are more finer and longer whereas the cheap EBAY one is smaller and have shorter bristles. BUT it does the trick VERY WELL. To find - search on Ebay "Silicon facial cleansing brush" and you should find something similar or same to the one I use :D

Now I use ALOT of different daily cleansers as each of them have different textures and benefits and the use depends on each day. For instance if I have light makeup (BB cream) on , I use the cleanser that also removes makeup. 

On some days where I like to treat my skin - I like to exfoliate and use a mask to further aid in treating my skin to remove impurities like clogged pores, blackheads and dead flaky skin.
Exfoliators are used which have a more grittier texture or consistency which scrubs the skin gently to unclog (and shrink) pores and to remove the dead skin cells or any flaky skin. Exfoliation helps aids in skin renewal for healthy smooth skin as it invigorates and assist in breaking up the broken tissues (scars, wrinkles, fine lines etc). 
Masks are used to treat the skin- either to help cleaning the skin further (such as peeling masks) or to simply give nutrients back into your skin.

Here are just some that I am currently using and just a quick rundown on what it is and it's use. Will maybe do a proper for review for some of them later on ^__^

 
- Hada Labo Pro Anti-Aging 

• Foam Cleanser
• Collagen + Retinol
• Anti Wrink, Firming, Evening skin tone
• Unscented
• Usually used when skin feels tired

- USANA Sensé Gentle Daily Cleanser 

• Gel Cleanser
• Removes makeup (even waterproof and wax based)
• Aqua-sea mineral scent (that FRESH scent I can't explain >_<;)
• Oil Free
• Commonly used - almost everyday

- pHisohex Anti-bacterial wash

• Lotion Cleanser
• Medicated containing 1% w/v Triclosan (10mg/mL) - removes bacteria
• Regulates pH of skin
• Does contain Sodium Benzoate (5mg/mL) & Benzyl Alcohol (5mg/mL) therefore may be harsh on sensitive skin. For killing bacteria.
• Unscented
• Oil Free
• Specially for acne & pimple

- Cure Natural Aqua Gel 

• Aqua Gel cleanser (gel that forms to liquid)
• Used on completely dry skin to effectly remove dead skin
• cross between daily cleanser and exfoliator (more of exfoliator)
• Unscented
• Oil Free
• Used once a week/fortnight (on exfoliation days/nights)

- USANA Sensé Rice Bran Polisher 

• Cream consistency exfoliator with some grounded rice grains
• Soapy-rice grain scent
• Oil Free
• Used once a week especially when needing light exfoliation 

- St. Ives Apricot Scrub 

• Natural cream exfoliator with a more grittier consistency
• Fights blemishes and acne
• Contains salicylic acid to treat acne (may not be suitable for sensitive skin)
• Skincare cream with subtle fruity scent (typical cream smell ><)
• Oil Free
• Used once a week especially for more intense exfoliation

- Daiso Black charcoal peeling mask

• Natural peeling mask with a black thick gel consistency 
• Very slight scent (can't make out what it smells like ;__;)
• Gentle peeling helps remove dirt and oil. (May be harsh for sensitive skin)
• Unclog and tighten pores
• Oil free
• Used once a week after exfoliating

- USANA Sensé Nutritious cream mask

• Cream consistency
• Oil Free
• Cleanses & tightens pores
• Replenish's skin moisture
• Made from clay to draw out impurities and oils
• Used once a week as final step in exfoliation
• WARNING : SLIGHT TINGLING SENSATION. KINDA FEELS LIKE SKIN IS BURNING BUT IT'S NOT.

And that concludes this blog post on my facial cleansing schedule. ^__^)/

Hope this post is useful somehow ~

Until then, stay well & take care!