Japanese women pay a lot of attention to cleansing, which is for them the foundation of skin-care. Women in the west give more attention to creams and moisturisers, often forgetting to cleanse their skin before applying them, and they are often too lazy to remove make-up at night.
Remember that a cream can work only on well-cleansed skin.
The double cleansing method: oil + water
Typical face-washes are usually not enough to cleanse our face well. The Japanese recognise two types of dirt & impurities of the skin: oil based & water based. Each needs to be treated differently, and that is why cleansing is a two-step process.The first step of cleansing is using a cleansing oil or a makeup remover.
Oil dissolves oil-based impurities, and removes make-up. This step is usually combined with face massage (more on this later).
You might be thinking: What ? Oil ? On my face ? I'm trying to get rid of oil on my face ! Actually oil won't make your skin oilier, rather it will purify it. Read more about it *here*, I've included a recipe for your personal cleansing oil blend !
The second step is using a cleanser.
This removes the oil from the previous cleanser, and the rest of the impurities. If you are prone to oily skin or breakouts, remember to wash thoroughly, to remove all traces of oil. Those with dry skin may choose to massage the oil in.
This cleansing regime is the best way to keep the skin clear and blemish-free.
