Signs your clients are over-cleansing their skin and how to fix it

Do your clients like that tight, overly clean feeling that you sometimes get after washing your face? Many people do, but there’s another approach to cleansing the skin which is better for skin health, and you need to educate them on it.

Traditional cleansing has seen clients use products with foaming agents that strip the skin of its natural sebum. Sebum is the complex blend of oils produced by the sebaceous glands and its production is metabolically expensive because it takes a lot of energy to make. But there’s one thing we know about nature; it is not wasteful, so why are we stripping the sebum from our skin and washing it down the drain?

Over-cleansing is having a negative effect on clients’ skin, resulting in an increase in sensitive and sensitised conditions. Stripping the sebum compromises the skin barrier and results in water loss leading to dry skin, which allows the penetration of pollutants and pathogens. 

Harsh cleansers also open skin up to opportunistic, non-beneficial microbes that accelerate ageing, and the microbial imbalance that follows a reduction in sebum quality can contribute to skin conditions such as acne, rosacea and dermatitis. 

How can I help clients switch up their cleansing routine for the better?

There is a complex ecosystem of microbes that live on the surface of the skin and the way skin is cleansed is one of the most important aspects to ensure a healthy microbial environment exists. The answer? Clients need to simplify their AM and PM cleansing routine and probiotic skincare brand Esse can show them how.  

A good place to start is to get clients to remove cleansing products from their morning routine. While they sleep, their sebaceous glands work to produce the sebum that keeps skin hydrated, so in the morning they can preserve this by simply rinsing. Sebum melts at 32 degrees and this makes it more prone to being washed away, so get clients to rinse with the coolest water they can manage. 

In the evening, tell them to avoid foaming cleansers when removing make-up and to choose something mild and cream-based if they can. If your clients haven’t worn make-up, then they can just rinse their face with lukewarm water for maximum microbiome protection.

5 products that will help your clients achieve ultimate skin health:

    

The Esse range of cleansers offer a variety of products that remove make-up and impurities with minimal disturbance to the skin’s natural state.

• Sensitive Cleanser is a pH-balanced, creamy cleanser formulated to minimise irritation to sensitive skin while still removing make-up effectively

• Gel Cleanser is a foaming, tingling wash that cleanses the skin without aggressively stripping sebum. Peppermint and spearmint oils refresh and improve micro-circulation to aid in the elimination of toxins. African aloe extract exhibits soothing properties.

• Cream Cleanser is a non-foaming cleanser that gently removes dirt and make-up. It binds with impurities, allowing them to be easily rinsed away. Jojoba and marula oils keep the skin moisturised during cleansing.

• Refining Cleanser is a lightly foaming clay wash that exfoliates and detoxifies. Bentonite clay particles act as superfine exfoliating granules while drawing out toxins. Kalahari melon oil adds omega-6 essential fatty acids to help maintain skin lipids.

• Make-up Remover is a water-based, ultra-light emulsion that thoroughly cleanses and dissolves make-up without irritation. 

For more information, visit Esse Skincare or become an Esse stockist by emailing [email protected]. 

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