Facial Cleansing


To properly cleanse your face, you should first determine your skin type. To test for your skin type, cleanse and rinse your face after waking up in the morning. Continue with normal activities around the house, then after a few hours, take one layer of a tissue and press it against your cheeks, chin, nose and forehead. Examine the tissue in good lighting. If your skin is NORMAL, the tissue will be relatively clean. With COMBINATION skin, the tissue will stick to the T-zone area (forehead, nose and chin). Combination skin is often dry around the cheeks, eyes and neck, and oily in the T-zone area. With OILY skin, the tissue will stick to all areas, and oily spots can be seen on the tissue. Oily skin often has clogged pores, problems with blockheads and blemishes. With DRY skin, the tissue doesn't stick to the skin and the tissue will be clean. The face may feel tight after washing. The skin has invisible pores, fine lines and flaky skin.

 

The Regimen

Oily

Cleanse twice daily, in the morning and at bedtime. In the fall and winter, wash with a glycerin soap, an oil-balancing gel or foaming cleanser. In the spring and summer, use a milder soap formulated for oily skin. Follow with toner. Witch hazel is an effective and inexpensive toner. Use an oil-free moisturizer.

Normal / Combination

Cleanse twice daily. Use a lightweight moisturizing cleanser in fall and winter months. Use a glycerin soap in the spring and summer months. Use a mild toner. Follow with a light moisturizer.

Dry

Cleanse twice daily. Use a moisturizing cleanser or if you have super-dry skin use a cleansing cream to moisturize the skin while cleaning it. Use a mild alcohol-free toner or freshener. Follow with a moisturizer formulated for dry skin.

Sensitive

Cleanse at night. Just rinse face with lukewarm water in the morning. Do not use cleansing brushes, abrasive scrubs and grains or abrasive sponges on sensitive skin, this will cause irritation. Use mild cleansers that are fragrance-, alcohol- and lanolin-free. 

Clean, healthy skin isn't only for women.  Men also need to pay attention to this organ which covers the entire body and is the first line of defense against invading germs and bacteria.

By Gerrie E. Summers, Black Men