Pre-cleansing: Is it important? / Should I do it?

Yesterday, while waiting for my appointment at my beautician, I was going through 'the 50 most asked beauty questions' booklet by Environ and one question caught my eye. So I decided to write about it in this post. The question was about pre-cleansing. For an instant, after reading the question in bold characters I thought, here it is another marketing strategy for pushing people into buying yet another product which they do not really need. But I was wrong. 

Pre-cleansing is simply double cleansing or preceding your cleansing routine with a makeup remover. I had never heard about the term pre-cleansing although it's pretty straight forward you would call this step this way. Once I started reading the answer to the question given in the booklet, I realized it's exactly what I do every time I wear my makeup. Pre-cleansing involves using a pre-cleanser or makeup remover as the first step of your skincare routine. It is normally only a step taken in the evening when you have makeup on your face. By using a pre-cleanser or makeup remover you are taking off the makeup as well as any sebum and environmental pollutants lying on the surface of your skin. This is a part of my cleansing routine I would never skip whenever I am wearing makeup because it helps me achieve a thoroughly cleansed face. Once you have used a pre-cleanser to remove the makeup and dirt on your face, it will be easier for your cleanser to clean the deeper layers of your skin through your pores. This is because the pre-cleanser works on decongesting clogged pores so that the cleanser can actually clean the pores. You should now realize how important pre-cleansing is, as without this step cleansing would simply take care of the outer skin but it won't clean your pores since these would be clogged. So, if you are not already pre-cleansing your face, I urge you to do so. Investing in a good makeup remover and a cleanser is the key to having good and clear skin. 

And if you are asking yourself, what about exfoliating, when should I incorporate this step in my cleansing routine? Using a gentle face scrub about twice a week is a good habit, especially if your face is combination to oily and if you tend to have clogged or large pores. Whenever it's time to exfoliate your face, simply start with your pre-cleanser and then continue with the facial scrub which will be replacing your daily cleanser. Or else, simply exfoliate in the mornings when you do not need to use a pre-cleanser. 

At the moment my favourite pre-cleanser or makeup remover is the Toleriane Dermo Cleanser by La Roche Posay.

Do you currently pre-cleanse? Which product are you using? Let me know in the comments.

STAY FAB