A Blank Canvas – Cleanse & Prep

Every masterpiece begins with a blank canvas.

The path to every great skin begins with cleansing.

But is there a right way to cleanse, or would any soap in sight do the job?

Here is a short list of the main dos and don’ts when it comes to facial skincare along with a bonus section tackling deep cleaning, geared towards dancers, performers and anybody who enjoys wearing heavy makeup daily.

• Steady your hair away from your face; remove and tuck away jewelry.
• Use lukewarm water to wet your entire face, neck, and the front part of your decollete.
• Chose a creamy, non-foaming cleanser or a gel. Avoid cleansers that contain microbeads – they are harmful for the environment and often deadly to some aquatic fauna.

Note: Foaming cleansers, while a lot of fun (who can say no to bubbles!), can be extremely irritating to the skin, especially when they contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS.)

• Chose a cleanser with a low p.H. Higher p.H. is acidic and can set off a sensitive skin.
• Make sure your cleanser doesn’t contain ingredients you are allergic to. Many people have unknown allergies (such as sensitivity to aloe vera, tea or gluten), and discover them only after application. It is always a good idea to perform a patch test on a small area at least 24 hours prior to using the product. 
• If possible, stay away from the following ingredients: benzoic acid, phenoxyethanol, EDTA, PEGs, synthetic fragrances, and dyes.
• Apply the cleanser/gel to your wet skin.
• Rinse or use a warm, wet washcloth for deeper cleaning.
• Pat dry.

~ STEP TWO ~ NOURISH.

Once your face, neck, and decolletage are thoroughly clean, it is time for your favorite toner/serum/moisturizer/deep repair mask.

For a deeper cleaning once or twice a week chose a detoxifying/pore-refining/deep conditioning mask.

~BONUS TIP: STAGE MAKEUP REMOVAL.

A gentle, creamy cleanser or gel will not do the heavy lifting of that water-resistant stage make up. 

We wish we could provide you with a simple, one-step stage makeup removal, however, it simply doesn’t exist. Think about how much time you spent applying, layering and perfecting your make up. It only makes sense at least some effort will be needed to take it off. Rest assured, your skin will thank you and you’ll wake up to a beautiful, rested, rejuvenated, complexion in the morning.

For deep cleaning, you will have to:

• Apply an oil-based cleanser or simply use an oil you are not allergic to (jojoba oil is excellent, but so is olive oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, almond oil, etc.) Take a cotton round and apply plenty of oil, then massage the eye area from the inside out in circular motion upwards (we always aspire to lift against gravity). Repeat as many times as possible until all eyeshadow, eyeliner, and mascara are gone.

Note: eyelash glue is the last to leave, so you might need some extra effort on that area.

• Once the heavy eye makeup, foundation, eyelash glue, and mascara are lifted, follow up with the regular cream/gel cleanser described at the beginning of this article. 

So, next time you walk into the beauty parlor, hold your head up high and know you are armed not only with your beauty but also with the unshakeable confidence of an educated consumer.

Yours in Beauty,

Kristina

Founder & CEO

VELV8 SKIN

ming; micro-beads or not? How to remove water-proof mascara or stage make-up? What about the eyelash glue?

Let’s cover the basics first, then we will analyze some unique situations.

• Steady your hair away from your face; remove and tuck away precious jewelry.
• Use lukewarm water to wet your entire face, neck, and the front part of your decolletage.
• Chose a creamy, non-foaming cleanser or a gel. Stay away fro microbeads as well – they are really bad for the environment, specifically to aquatic fauna. (Let me know if you’d like me to review a specific cleanser or if you need a list of recommendations.)

Note: Foaming cleansers, while a lot of fun (who can say no to bubbles!), can be extremely irritating to the skin, especially when they contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS.)

• Chose a cleanser with a low P.H. Higher P.H. is acidic and can set off a sensitive skin.
• Make sure your cleanser doesn’t contain ingredients you are allergic to. Many people have unknown allergies (such as aloe vera, tea or gluten), and discover them only after the application.
• If possible, stay away from the following ingredients: benzoic acid, phenoxyethanol, EDTA, PEGs, synthetic fragrances, and dyes. (Let me know if you want to learn more about why I don’t recommend them)
• Apply the cleanser/gel to your wet skin.
• Rinse or use a warm, wet washcloth for deeper cleaning.
• Pat dry.

~ STEP TWO ~ NOURISH.

Once you have cleaned your face, neck, and decolletage thoroughly, it is time for your favorite toner/serum/moisturizer/deep repair mask. (Feel free to put a note in the comments if you’d like me to write a specific article about recommended products.)

Once or twice a week aim for a deeper cleaning, such as a detoxifying/pore-refining/deep conditioning mask. (Let me know if you’d like me to write a specific article on that as well)

~ SPECIAL: STAGE MAKEUP REMOVAL.

A gentle, creamy cleanser or gel will not do the job of removing heavy, often water-resistant stage make up. To clean your skin properly, you will have to do two things:

• Find an oil-based cleanser or simply use an oil you are not allergic to (jojoba oil is excellent, but so is olive oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, almond oil, etc.) Take a cotton round and apply plenty of oil, then massage the eye area from the inside out in circular motion upwards (we always aspire to lift against gravity). Repeat as many times as possible until all eyeshadow, eyeliner, and mascara are gone. Note: eyelash glue is the last to leave, so you might need some extra effort on that area.
• Once the heavy eye makeup, foundation, eyelash glue, and mascara are lifted, follow up with the regular cream cleanser described at the beginning of this article. I wish I could provide you with a simpler, one-step stage makeup removal, however, it simply doesn’t exist. When you think about how much time you spent applying it, it only makes sense it will take some effort to take it off as well. But remember, your skin will thank you and you will wake up to a beautiful, rejuvenated, rested skin.

So, next time you walk into the beauty parlor, hold your head up high and know you are armed not only with your beauty but also with the unshakeable confidence of an educated consumer.

Yours in Beauty,

Kristina