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Your poor, poor pores
Your face faces some frightful funk. Smog, smoke, dust, dirt, and grime collect on your skin. Recirculated air dries it out. It's been said that even fluorescent lights are bad for your skin. And that's just the external stuff. There's also makeup, moisturizers, and your own body oil. It all adds up, layer on layer, clogging and enlarging pores, creating ugly blackheads and yucky pimples. But all it takes is a few minutes each day to keep your face clean and healthy. In fact, it's so important to get rid of the dirt, makeup, and built-up oils that clog your pores, that a thorough cleansing twice a day is the best thing you can do for your face.
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Avoid Industrial-Strength Cleansers
- Cleansers contain agents called surfactants that cajole oil and water into mixing and lift off the day's dirt and grime. Problem is, overachieving surfactants can also strip off the natural oils that protect skin from the elements. So go for mild versus mighty.
- Using an overly strong cleanser followed by a heavy-duty moisturizer is not the way to dewy skin. The most likely results are clogged pores that eventually lead to pimples.
- Some cleansers are endowed with abrasive particles that exfoliate as you cleanse, which is a fancy way of saying that they rub off dead skin cells. This is a good thing, because those excess cells only dull skin and clog pores. But excessive exfoliation can slough away the good stuff, too, so be gentle.
Match Your Skin Type
- If your skin is on the dry side, look for cleansers with built-in emollients that replenish some of those protective oils. Beware, however, of oil-based products that can plug up pores -- most cold creams qualify. If you don't want to give up cold cream, look for a water-soluble product that rinses off with water.
- If your skin is more oily, a strong cleanser won't solve the problem. Oil glands have a mind of their own and all they'll do is work harder to replenish what you've taken off. Do, however, stay away from emollients and oil-based products.
- If you're blessed with normal skin, the world's your oyster. Just avoid anything that's skin-damaging in strength. A dash of emollients probably won't hurt, either.
Cleansing Tips
- Use tepid water, not hot. Remember that skin is delicate by nature.
- Fingers are fine for working up a lather and gentle on the skin. If you prefer to use a washcloth or sponge, be sure to rinse it thoroughly and let it air dry between cleansings or you may be setting yourself up for a bacterial invasion.
- Rinse thoroughly -- the experts say you need at least a dozen splashes to get rid of the grime your cleanser has lifted off. Cool water is best and a few splashes of cold at the end help close pores.
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Emollients
Oily or oil-like chemicals, emollients work by forming a protective layer over the skin, keeping in moisture. Olive oil and other plant oils are very effective emollients, as are mineral and silicone oils and water-repellant chemicals like petroleum jelly and lanolin. They all soften and relieve dryness of the skin.
Silicone-based oils
Silicone-based products are actually synthetic emollients. Like other emollients, they condition by coating and helping prevent water loss.
Oatmeal-based
These products contain ground-up oatmeal, which has a soothing and lubricating effect.
Exfoliants
These acids help gently dissolve the first, outer layers of dead skin and stimulate the production of new layers. They also have good water-binding properties and make great humectants. Exfoliants are generally carboxylic (organic) acids. Some of the more popular acids also have hydroxy groups added, such as alpha-hydroxy acids and beta-hydroxy acids.
Preservatives
Preservatives are added to various products to prevent the growth of microorganisms and inhibit the degradation of chemicals. Preservatives are often (but not always) the culprit when you have an allergic reaction to a product.
Humectants
Humectants are novel chemicals added to soaps, hair care products, and lotions, to help soften the skin and relieve dryness. Unlike emollients, which moisturize by trapping water in the, humectants actually attract water to the skin. However, they can be washed off very easily and therefore do not have the lasting power of emollients. Your best bet is to get a product with both an emollient and a humectant.
Surfactants
Getting dirt and oil off your skin would be hard without surfactants. Surfactants are equally at home in oily or watery substances, or both at once. They are the sudsy agents in soap that help get your skin clean. They are also used to ensure that all the various chemicals in the soap stay mixed together. One part of the surfactant likes to be nestled in oil, while the other part prefers water. Therefore, when you wash the surfactant away with water, the water-like half washes off, dragging along the oil-like half, which brings the dirt with it.
Quaternary ammonium compounds
Quaternary ammonium compounds act as surfactants, disinfectants, preservatives, and emulsifiers.
| Emollients | Ingredient | Description |
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| Fatty acids | ? | Include stearic acid, lanolin acid, plasmatic acid, and oleic acid. They help soften and soothe skin. | | Fatty alcohols | ? | Include cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, and lauryl alcohol. They help soften and soothe skin. | | Lanolin | ? | Derived from sheep wool, it helps soften and soothe skin, and prevents skin dehydration. It can cause skin irritations. | | Mineral oil | ? | Derived from crude petroleum, it helps prevents skin dehydration. It is also nontoxic and helps soften and soothe skin. | | Plant oils | ? | Come from plants like olives, corn, and sunflower; help soften and soothe skin and prevent skin dehydration. | | Silicone-Based Oils | Ingredient | Description |
|---|
| Cyclomethicone | ? | Lighter than natural emollients, they help protect and maintain moisture in skin. | | Dimethicones | ? | Help protect and maintain moisture in skin; lighter than natural emollients. | | Oatmeal-Based | Ingredient | Description |
|---|
| Colloidal oatmeal | ? | Has a soothing effect on skin. Oil should be added to help smooth skin. | | Exfoliants | Ingredient | Description |
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| Butyric acid | ? | A beta-hydroxy acid that acts as a mild skin exfoliant. | | Benzoic acid | ? | A beta-hydroxy acid and mild skin exfoliant. | | Citric acid | ? | This alpha-hydroxy acid is a mild skin exfoliant that lightens freckles and similar pigment blotches, and aids in treating acne. Excess use will dry skin. | | Glycolic acid | ? | One of the better known and understood alpha-hydroxy acids, it acts as a mild skin exfoliant to lighten freckles and similar pigment blotches. Also treats acne. | | Lactic acid | ? | A mild skin exfoliant that helps lighten freckles and similar pigment blotches, and treat acne. | | Malic acid | ? | This alpha-hydroxy acid is a mild skin exfoliant that helps lighten freckles and similar pigment blotches, and treat acne. | | Salicylic acid | ? | The best known and understood beta-hydroxy acid. It acts as a mild skin exfoliant and is also used to treat acne. | | Tartaric acid | ? | An alpha-hydroxy acid that acts as a mild skin exfoliant to lighten freckles and similar pigment blotches. It also helps clear acne. | | Preservatives | Ingredient | Description |
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| Sorbic acid | ? | Used to inhibit the growth of fungi, like mold and yeast. | | Chlorhexidine | ? | A basic antiseptic, it could cause irritations in some individuals. | | Polyquaternium-32 | ? | Also a quaternary ammonium compound that has antimicrobial activity. | | Benzoic acid | ? | Effective against microbes. | | Methylparaben | ? | Widely used with good antimicrobial properties. | | Propylparaben | ? | Effective against microbes. | | Humectants | Ingredient | Description |
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| Organic acids | ? | Excellent water-binding agents at concentrations of less than 2%. They are also acid balancers, along with citric acid. At concentrations of 5% to 8%, they are effective skin exfoliants. | | Urea | ? | An excellent water-binding agent at concentrations of less than 2%. It is also an acid balancer (like citric acid). At concentrations of 5% to 8%, it is an effective skin exfoliant. | | Glycerin | ? | One of the most effective moisturizers, it attracts and holds water in skin. | | Sorbitol | ? | One of the most effective moisturizers, it attracts and holds water in skin. | | Butylene glycol | ? | Attracts and retains water in the skin, but it's not as effective as sorbitol or glycerin. | | Polyethylene glycol (PEG) | ? | Moisturizes skin, but is not as effective as sorbitol or glycerin. It also can cause skin irritations. | | Mucopolysaccarides | ? | Also referred to as glycosaminoglycans, these compounds are a combination of protein and polysaccharide. The are excellent humectants. | | Sodium PCA | ? | Derived from proteins, it's a natural component of the skin. | | Surfactants | Ingredient | Description |
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| Sodium lauryl sulfate | ? | Relatively strong, it should be avoided by people with sensitive skin or anyone with noticeable irritation. | | Sodium laureth sulfate | ? | A strong, rich, foaming cleanser that is milder and less drying than other cleansers. | | TEA lauryl sulfate | ? | A cleansing agent that should be avoided by people with sensitive skin or anyone with noticeable irritations. | | Ammonium lauryl sulfate | ? | A gentle cleansing agent. It should not be used by people with sensitive skin or anyone with noticeable irritations. | | Ammonium laureth sulfate | ? | A gentle cleansing agent. | | Cocamide (DEA, MEA) | ? | A very fatty cleaning agent that is often used as an emulsifier and foam builder. | | Cocamidopropyl betaine | ? | A very fatty cleaning agent, it's often used as an emulsifying agent and foam builder. | | Cococamphodiacetate | ? | A very fatty cleaning agent that is often used as an emulsifier and foam builder. | | Sodium cocoglyceryl ether sulfonate | ? | Acts to emulsify mixtures and produce foam. It is a very fatty cleansing agent. | | Sodium lauryl sarcosinate | ? | A cleansing agent. | | Quaternary Ammonium Compounds | Ingredient | Description |
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| Guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride | ? | Helps combine all the various chemicals and acts as a preservative. | | Dicetydimonium chloride | ? | Helps combine all the various chemicals and acts as a preservative. | | Behentrimonium chloride | ? | Helps combine all the various chemicals and acts as a preservative. | | Behenalkonium chloride | ? | Helps combine all the various chemicals and acts as a preservative. | | Benzalkonium chloride | ? | Helps combine all the various chemicals and acts as a preservative. | | Quaternium-18 | ? | Helps combine all the various chemicals and acts as a preservative. | | Stearalkonium chloride | ? | Helps combine all the various chemicals and acts as a preservative. | | Cetrimonium chloride | ? | Helps combine all the various chemicals and acts as a preservative. |
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Appropriate Uses
Cleanser
Removes oil and debris from the surface of the skin.
Common Misconceptions
Cleanser
Cannot shrink pores. The evaporation of the product from the skin may cause irritation, causing the skin to swell, which makes pores appear smaller.
Use Products Carefully
Avoid contact with eyes, nose, and mouth.
Cleaning Off the Day's Grime
- Make sure your hands are clean.
- Wet your face with warm water.
- Apply a small, dime-sized amount of cleansing product to face.
- Using a circular motion, gently rub product over your face.
- Gently rinse face with warm water and blot dry with a clean towel.
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Your Delicate Face Needs Special Care
- Avoid using if you are allergic to any ingredient in the product.
- Do not ingest.
- Keep out of eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Do not use any product that causes your skin to burn, sting, redden, swell, flake, or break out.
- Avoid facial cleansers containing alpha-hydroxy acids -- they may irritate the eyes.
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Websites, Organizations & Manufacturers
Sources & Further Reading
Books
- 1. Food & Drug Administration. Federal Register 6/3/94; 10/2193.
- 2. Winter, R. A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients. New York: Random House, Inc., 1994.
- 3. Michalun, N and MV Michalun. Skin Care and Cosmetic Ingredients Dictionary. Albany, NY: Milday Pub. Co., 1994.
Find more books on health and wellness at  barnesandnoble.com.
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