It’s late. You’re dragging yourself into the bathroom to do your nightly routine, thinking only about how fast you can get yourself into bed. Don't skip this crucial step.
The first mistake, and the most tempting one is not removing your makeup at all. I can't tell you the number of times I just wanted to crawl into bed without undergoing that crucial process. I may even lie in bed for a while trying to go to sleep but I can't. Thinking about the damage that will do to my skin stops me every time. Resigning myself to my best skincare choice, I drag myself to the sink and do my full skincare routine.
If I just cleanse my face using my cleansing milk I'm sure to notice black rings under my eyes by morning. Why did this never used to happen? The answer is simple, makeup formulations have changed over time to include extended wear ingredients. Plus, I admit, I wear more corrective makeup than I did when I was younger. So makeup removal is just more difficult than in times past. Hence the invention of the double cleanse. First you use a product specifically designed to dissolve makeup - especially eye makeup. Then you follow that up with a cleanser designed specifically for your skin type.
Everyone likes a fresh start. If you want to wake up with clean, glowing skin, then you absolutely must take off all your makeup at night. This is the ultimate favor for your skin. Leaving your makeup on leads to acne (by clogging your pores), dullness (by inhibiting exfoliation), dryness (by drawing moisture out of the skin) and even more wrinkles (by preventing important actives like peptides from getting to the deeper layers of the skin). It also increases the likelihood of eye infections and eye irritation. How are your precious anti-aging serums going to penetrate past the surface if you don't remove that layer of makeup layer first?
When choosing a makeup removal product choose an oil free formula. Oil based formulas may be fast, but the residue they leave on your skin creates a layer that prevents any performance ingredients in your eye cream or face serum from getting into the skin and doing their important work.
You may have heard of micellar cleansing water as the chosen makeup remover for models and makeup artists. For many of you, micellar water is a quick and easy solution.
This popular skin-care product from France, looks and feels just like regular water and is great for removing makeup with just a few light swipes of a cotton pad. With micellar water, even the toughest waterproof mascara melts cleanly off your skin with zero irritation. It contains no alcohol and is comprised of dirt loving micelle molecules that attach to makeup particles to break them down. You want to be careful about choosing the right formula, however. Some brands of micellar water contain drying surfactants to dissolve makeup. Stay clear of products containing sodium lauryl sulfate - a harsh detergent. Also, soothing ingredients are essential to protect your sensitive eyes. Bioactive mushroom extracts help regulate the synthesis of signaling proteins responsible for both an anti-inflammatory response and to reduce sensitivity in your skin. They reduce UV induced inflammation as well, and irritation due to chemical and physical irritants.
Another important factor to look for in an eye makeup remover is Bio-Fermented Polysaccharides. These good sugars combine superb soothing, protective, anti-microbial and sensorial modulation activity. This means your skin will feel calmer, feel more pleasant to the touch and become better protected against microbial invasion and environmental damage that causes inflamm-aging as it minimizes redness and irritation caused by physical and chemical aggressors.
Be cautious of makeup wipes. Makeup wipes don't really clean your skin. Mostly, they smear around whatever makeup, dirt, and dead skin is hanging out on your face, leaving a trail of irritated skin in their wake. Makeup wipes can cause irritation due to harsh preservatives meant to prevent microorganisms from contaminating the wipes. In some, that means formaldehyde-releasing chemicals, solubilizers, surfactants, and emulsifiers. The bad stuff in travel makeup wipes is combined with drying cleansing ingredients. So, unless you follow your wipe down with a gentle milky cleansing lotion, you're increasing your risk of inflammation on top of dehydration.
HOW TO USE
The biggest mistake for those using micellar water is... impatience. You need to saturate a flat round cotton pad with micellar water. Then hold the pad over your eyes for 20 seconds. The key here is to let the eye makeup dissolve so it makes for less rubbing and tugging of the eye area. Give it time to break down your eye makeup while avoiding the rubbing that is so tempting to do. Rubbing is going to cause irritation and redness, even if it doesn't show up until the next morning. When moving the cotton pad over the skin make sure to get under your bottom lashes.
The other mistake that clients make when using micellar water is not rinsing it from the skin. Many manufacturers of this type of product tell you that micellar water is going to be a one step process that replaces your cleanser and toner. Wrong!
The problem with leaving an eye makeup remover like micellar water on the skin without rinsing is that even the good ones contains mild surfactants, which is what is used to break down the makeup particles. But, leaving any surfactant on your skin is going to dry it out. Take a warm wet cotton pad or baby wash cloth and rinse the micellar water from your skin. Then you follow up with your regular cleanser and toner on fresh skin that is now ready for an effective skin repair treatment.
Elizabeth Renee's version of micellar water is called Clean & Gentle Eye Makeup Remover. It is also a great makeup remover for all types of makeup (even lipstick) and should be used as your initial cleanser when doing the double cleanse. Afterwards use your regular cleanser which should be specific for your skin type.
Elizabeth believes in "Longevity Skincare", the idea that beautiful skin can endure throughout one's lifetime when utilizing the best that science and nature has to offer. LONGEVITY is a science-based skincare line that appreciates skin of all ages. LONGEVITY by Elizabeth Renee provides hydration, nutrition and protection from environmental aging. Your skin will receive high performance ingredients to help energize and repair its cells, resulting in a healthy skin with an enduring, vital glow.
Your article is very informative, easy to understand, thanks.