Deep facial cleansing at home

The pores of the skin on the face are especially susceptible to pollution, and properly performed deep facial cleansing at home helps not only get rid of the accumulation of dead skin particles, but also cleanse pores clogged with sebum, dust and residue from decorative cosmetics.

Indications for the procedure

The main indications for a thorough facial cleansing procedure are not only the feeling that the skin is not breathing, but also the presence of open comedones, that is, blackheads (called blackheads). Black comedones are sebaceous glands clogged with fat-containing skin secretion, which, rising to the surface of the epidermis and combining with skin pigment, is subject to oxidation. Blackheads rarely become inflamed, and it is facial cleansing that copes well with them, which cannot be said about white (closed) comedones, which are difficult to remove even mechanically.

In case of open comedones, cleaning can be done twice a month; hygienic deep cleaning of normal facial skin is sufficient to do once every 1-1.5 months; in case of dry skin – once every two months; if the skin is oily – twice a month in summer and once a month in winter. It is strongly not recommended to do deep facial cleaning during menstruation.

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Technique deep cleansing

In order for the procedure to be effective and not cause harm to your skin, a certain sequence of actions must be followed, that is, the correct technique for performing it.

First of all, the skin is cleansed in the usual way: you can wash with neutral, for example, baby soap, remove decorative cosmetics with a special gel, foam or milk. This preparation of the skin for deep cleansing is no different from that which precedes the application of a regular cosmetic mask.

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

The next step is exfoliation, which is the process of peeling off dead skin cells that can clog pores and cause acne.

To exfoliate, you need a scrub, which, by the way, you can also make in your kitchen:

• grind (not to powder) half a tablespoon of oats and a tablespoon of unroasted almonds in a coffee grinder and mix with 1/4 teaspoon of honey and a tablespoon of milk (if you have dry skin, add a few drops of olive oil);
• mix the puree of half a banana with a tablespoon of granulated sugar and a teaspoon of lemon juice;
• Mix dry cosmetic clay and ground dry medicinal plant with a small amount of water (in equal proportions); nettle, calendula and linden flowers, birch buds and sage are best for oily skin; chamomile flowers, oregano, horsetail, plantain are best for dry skin. Thyme, lavender and sandy immortelle are recommended for skin prone to irritation.

The skin is treated with a scrub using circular movements, without excessive pressure. The areas where blackheads accumulate can be additionally treated in the same way with baking soda or fine salt "extra" (by dipping a damp sponge in them). After that, rinse everything with clean warm water and pat the skin dry.

The third stage of deep facial cleansing at home involves widening the skin pores over steam; the "steam room" allows the pores to be freed, as all impurities are removed along with the sweat. The action of hot steam also helps to activate intradermal blood circulation and increases tissue metabolism.

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

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

After the steam room, dry the skin by patting it with a clean towel, wash your hands thoroughly (and additionally wipe them with vodka or chlorhexidine solution) and, wrapping your index fingers in a sterile bandage, press the comedone out of the pore with your fingertips on both sides of the skin. It is recommended to treat the areas of removed blackheads with a pharmacy 1-2% alcohol solution of salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide (2.5%) or 3% hydrogen peroxide solution. At the same time, these products provide narrowing of steamed skin pores. For the same purpose, you can carefully, with patting movements, treat the skin with a mixture of freshly brewed (cooled) green tea with the addition of natural apple cider vinegar (two tablespoons per standard cup). It is also recommended to rinse your face with cool water to close all the pores.

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

Advantages and disadvantages

Deep facial cleansing at home has both advantages and disadvantages.

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

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

By the way, during this “rehabilitation period” – at least for a day – you should refrain from using any decorative cosmetics.

The disadvantages, first of all, include undesirable consequences and complications - infection and subsequent inflammation. Although infection is not excluded in the case of using the services of cosmetologists...

Contraindications to the procedure

In case of chronic inflammation of the sebaceous glands, which manifests itself as acne vulgaris (papulopustular acne) and pustular acne (pimples), deep facial cleansing at home is contraindicated.

In addition, contraindications for this procedure include any form of dermatitis, rosacea, fungal skin lesions, rosacea (vascular mesh), demodicosis (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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Facial Cleaning at Home: Common Mistakes

Now let's briefly list the most typical mistakes that are made when performing deep facial cleansing at home:

• cleaning is carried out in the presence of contraindications (see earlier);
• they are trying to squeeze out deep, suppurating pustular acne in the nasolabial triangle area;
• First, steam the skin and then exfoliate;
• rubbing the exfoliant into the skin too vigorously;
• burn the skin with too hot steam;
• use a scrub or apply a cosmetic mask to the skin in the eye socket area;
• Apply makeup immediately after deep cleansing of the facial skin.

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