Hands down… touching your face is a major NO-NO.
How often do you rest your chin on your hands, wipe hair away from your face, rub your eyes or nose? From turning door knobs, to handling money, to using railings along stairs, and pushing buttons…your hands come into contact with millions of germs. Some so frightening, they could star in their own horror film.
First off, a clean face. We have a great blog on how you should clean your face and you’d be surprised how many people do it incorrectly or use the wrong things to clean their face. Check out our step-by-step cleaning routine.
Also, here is a list of our Jan Marini, Sothys and Clarisonic favorites (which you can get in our salon and we have great specials going on!), proven to safely and effectively clean your face …
Jan Marini C-Esta Cleansing Gel
Jan Marini Bioglycolic Face Cleanser
Sothys line up of washes
Clarisonic Brush
Supracor Spa Cells mitts
Our skin is a precious organ
Our skin is a precious organ that needs tender loving care especially as we get older. We all now to wear sunscreen, to moisturize, eat right and exercise but, there are little things that sometimes we forget about, like not touching or rubbing our face, which can be harmful in many ways.
We’ve heard from many board-certified dermatologists that bacteria, viruses and allergens transfer from fingertips onto the skin. And, if that’s not bad enough, repeatedly rubbing the skin can do some real damage. For example, rubbing the eyes, can actually create microscopic tears in the tissue (making the eye area look older faster), break the capillaries in the eyelids (causing little thread-like veins called telangiectasia) or break the capillaries under the eye (intensifying dark circles).
Also, cleaning your everyday tools (brushes, sponges, glasses, etc) and keeping your hands clean is paramount for healthy, happy skin. The following is a list of some things to be mindful of…
Why everyday objects need a good cleaning
Make-up brushes (cleaning)– By far the best cleaning solution we have found is Colorescience’s BRUSH CLEANER (it’s hard to find but, we have it in stock!!). The perfect blend of Hydrogen Peroxide and essential oils to condition the bristles, it guarantees the longest life on your quality Colorescience or other makeup brushes.
Foundation Sponges – We want a cleaned sponge at all times. Sponges can be re-used up to 3 months if properly cleaned. Now, the tricky part…cleaning deep into your sponge and getting fossilized make up out? There’s options like Blendercleanser or even a little Dawn dishwasher soap gets the oils out really well. It’s a trusted brand that not only cleans your dishes but is known for saving wildlife from oil spills.
Eyeglasses – We tend to forget the obvious. Sure we clean the lenses when we can see thru them but, because these touch your hands and any surface you set them on, they become a hazard to your skin as well! Give the frames a mild alcohol swab every so often to fight germy gunk.
Pillow cases – If you wake up with skin irritations or breakouts, your pillow case could be the culprit. When your pillowcase isn’t laundered or changed regularly, a build-up of dirt and oil from the environment as well as your skin and hair touching the pillow is transferred back to your skin. This can clog pores and cause blemishes.” Yikes! Wash your cases at least once a week and some experts even suggest switching out your cases every 4 days. Time to stock up on cases!
We suggest silk pillow cases. Silk pillowcases have been likened to anti-aging products and are often considered to improve your hair’s health while being hypoallergenic temperature regulators that also moisturize your face. And, silk feels so sexy against the skin doesn’t it?
Money – This bit of info made us a little qweezy but, when you think about it…it’s an eye opener that isn’t too surprising. Paper money can reportedly carry more germs than a household toilet. And bills are a hospitable environment for gross microbes: viruses and bacteria can live on most surfaces for about 48 hours, but paper money can reportedly transport a live flu virus for up to 17 days. It’s enough to make you switch to credit.
Cell phones — How often does your favorite gadget touch your face? A LOT! Often you lay it down on tables, desks, it bounces around in cars and purses and then, you put it right up to your face. Talk about breakout city! Wipe it down often and once a week, give it a good cleaning with alcohol, micro cloth or Q-Tips.
Other hazardous objects to be wary of… door knobs, computer key boards, remotes, seats and so much more. Basically, look around you. What do your hands touch and then, how often do you touch your face or eyes? Kinda scary when you think about it. I know that I absentmindedly do these things a lot and I often wonder why I have a blemish the next day. Well thanks to Patricia Kaspian’s insight and expertise in skincare…I’m more and more aware and I have a happy healthy face:-)
‘Til next time,
DuPree