Deep cleansing of the face at home

The pores of the skin on the face are especially susceptible to contamination, and properly performed deep facial cleansing at home helps not only to get rid of the accumulation of dead skin particles, but also to clean pores sealed with sebum, dust and remnants of makeup.

Indications for the procedure

The main indications for carrying out the procedure for thorough cleansing of the face are not only the feeling that the skin does not breathe, but also the presence of open comedones, that is, blackheads (which are called black dots). Black comedones are sebaceous glands, clogged with a fat-containing skin secret, which, rising to the surface of the epidermis and connecting with the skin pigment, is oxidized. Blackheads rarely become inflamed, and it is the cleaning of the face that cope well with them, which can not be said for white (closed) comedones, which even mechanically are removed with difficulty.

With open comedones, cleaning can be done twice a month; hygienic deep cleansing of normal facial skin is enough to do once in 1-1,5 months; with dry skin - every two months; If the skin is oily - twice a month in summer and once a month - in winter. It is strongly advised not to perform deep cleansing of the face during menstruation.

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Technique of the deep cleansing of the face

In order for the procedure to produce an effect and not harm your skin, a certain sequence of actions must be followed, that is, the correct technique for its implementation.

First of all, the skin is cleaned by the usual method: you can wash with a neutral, for example, baby soap, remove decorative cosmetics with a special gel, foam or milk. This preparation of the skin for deep cleaning is no different from the one that precedes the application of a conventional cosmetic mask.

Home cleanser for any type of skin can be prepared by mixing three tablespoons of fresh apple juice, six tablespoons of whole milk and a tablespoon of liquid honey.

The next stage is exfoliation, that is exfoliation, the purpose of which is to get rid of the dead skin cells of the stratum corneum, which can clog pores and promote the appearance of acne.

For exfoliation you need a scrub, which, by the way, can also be cooked in your kitchen:

• grind (not to powder) in a coffee grinder half a tablespoon of oats and a tablespoon of unroasted almond kernels and mix with 1/4 teaspoon of honey and a tablespoon of milk (with dry skin add a few drops of olive oil);
• mix the puree from a half of a banana with a tablespoon of sugar and a teaspoon of lemon juice;
• mix with dry water a dry cosmetic clay and a milled dry medicinal plant (in equal proportions); For oily skin, nettle, marigold and lime flowers, birch buds and sage are best suited; for dry - chamomile flowers, oregano, field horsetail, plantain. With a tendency to irritate the skin, it is recommended thyme, lavender, immortelle sand.

Skin treatment is carried out in circular movements, without excessive pressure. Places of accumulation of black comedones can also be treated in the same way with baking soda or shallow "extra" salt (dipping wet sponge in them). After this, rinse off with clean, warm water and soak the skin dry.

The third stage of deep facial cleansing at home involves expanding the pores of the skin over the steam; "Steam room" allows you to empty the pores, as all the dirt goes away with the excreting sweat. The action of hot steam also contributes to the activation of intradermal circulation and increases tissue metabolism.

The technique of steaming is similar to inhalation: boiling water is poured into the bowl, which needs to be allowed to cool for a few minutes (to not burn your face with hot steam), you should bend over the bowl (at a distance of 20-25 cm from the water), cover your head with a towel and sit over bowl for 10 minutes. If the skin is sensitive, this time is limited to 5 minutes.

To enhance the effect in boiling water, you can put some medicinal herbs (see above), dry green tea or drop 3-4 drops of essential oil (rose, lavender, tea tree or rosemary).

After the steam room, the skin should be dried by soaking it with a clean towel, thoroughly washing the hands (and additionally wiping them with vodka or chlorhexidine solution) and wrapping the index fingers with a sterile bandage, pulling the skin on both sides of the comedon with pads of fingers to remove it from the pores. Places of removed black dots are recommended to be treated with a pharmacy 1-2% alcohol solution of salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide (2.5%) or 3% peroxide solution. Simultaneously, these agents provide narrowing of the steamed skin pores. For the same purpose, you can gently massage the skin with a mixture of freshly-brewed (cooled) green tea with the addition of natural apple cider vinegar (two tablespoons on a standard cup). It is also recommended to rinse your face with cool water to close all pores.

The procedure ends with a moisturizing face mask or moisturizing cream application (because the skin has lost some moisture during steaming). It should be borne in mind that care for oily skin requires no less moisture than skin care for dry skin. Hydration of any skin type plays a crucial role in the normal functioning of all layers of the epidermis and maintaining the optimal level of collagen. In addition, a lack of moisture in the skin provokes an increased production of sebum, which clogs the pores.

Advantages and disadvantages

Deep cleansing of the face at home has both advantages and disadvantages.

Among its unconditional advantages are its low cost (compared to the price of this procedure in the salons), the ability to use natural products and the minimum of unpleasant sensations that can arise when working with your face in a beauty salon.

In addition, during home cleaning, the rehabilitation period - that is, the time during which the skin after the procedure comes back to normal (the possible redness or swelling disappears) is much shorter: instead of one or two days several hours. Moreover, when cleaning the house, you do not need to go out immediately (which can not be avoided when visiting the salon).

By the way, during this "rehabilitation period" - at least a day - you should stop using any decorative cosmetics.

Among the disadvantages, first of all, include undesirable consequences and complications - infection and subsequent inflammation. Although infection is not excluded and in the case of the use of services of beauticians ...

Contraindications to the procedure

With chronic inflammation of the sebaceous glands, which is manifested by vulgar acne (papulopustular acne) and pustular acne (pimples), deep cleansing of the face at home is contraindicated.

In addition, contra-indications for this procedure include any form of dermatitis, rosacea, fungal skin lesions, couperose (vascular network), demodecosis (subcutaneous mite), eczema, psoriasis, as well as spontaneous pustular, erythematous or squamous (flaky) rashes on the surface of the skin of the face .

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Cleaning the face of the house: typical mistakes

And now let's briefly list the most typical mistakes that are allowed when deep cleansing of the face is carried out at home:

• Cleaning is carried out in the presence of contraindications (see earlier);
• Try to squeeze out deep festering pustular acne in the nasolabial triangle;
• First, steam the skin, and then apply exfoliation;
• too intensively rubbing the skin exfoliative;
• they burn the skin with too hot steam;
• apply a scrub or apply a cosmetic mask on the skin in the eye sockets;
• apply makeup immediately after a deep cleansing of the face.

Periodic deep cleansing of the face at home is of great importance in maintaining the health and freshness of the skin. But do it right, and also observe all the basic rules for skin care.