I'm not one of them.
I guess it's a similar compulsion to my need to wash my hair every single day. If I don't wash my face it the morning, it simply doesn't feel clean to me. I can tell myself all sorts of things about the delicate acid mantle and my skin's need to stay moisturized by its own healing oils, but it makes little difference. If I don't wash my face, it feels greasy and unclean to me. My oiliness is the major problem, but then there's also the fact that I'm a delicate princess and I drool and sweat and flounder around all night long.
I've also found that if I don't wash my face in the mornings, my skin looks greasier throughout the day. It can affect the wear of my makeup. There are a lot of perks to having oily skin: reduced fine lines, less need to moisturize, much fewer signs of aging, and a general glow that many folks have to get from a spritz of hydrosol or some kind of dewy luminizer. I am grateful for all of these things. What I don't like is the feeling and look of greasiness, especially at work or when I'm out somewhere trying to look pretty. So I wash my face every morning.
All that being said, I've become much more cognizant of the need to be careful with my face, especially as I get (gasp) older. I don't want to strip my skin of nutrients and moisture, I just want to remove any sweat, dirt, or grease that's accumulated overnight. I want something gentle and refreshing that will provide the proper base for makeup. I used to use raw, local honey -- which works fantastically, don't get me wrong! -- but I think I've found something even better.
Skin by Ann Webb is a local brand here in Austin that is something of a cult secret. I suspect that it will become less so now that it's being carried in several area Whole Foods. This is a brand that I want to talk more about in a later post, so I won't ruin that for you and I'll just focus on the product that got me started with Ann Webb: Peppermint Cleansing Milk.
This cleanser hits all the marks for me as far as morning use: it's supremely gentle, easy to use, and the peppermint makes it quite a refreshing and invigorating way to wake up! This product is a thin, white liquid cleanser that doesn't foam or do anything fancy like that. The directions tell you to apply a thin layer of the product to your face, wait for a few minutes, and then massage away. I do this sometimes, but more often than not, I simply use it like a normal cleanser. I do like the option of using it as a brightening mask, though. I simply find that I don't have time to bother with that in the mornings.
The Ann Webb website lists this cleanser as ideal for sun-damaged, dry, mature, and aging skin types, and that's basically the opposite of how I describe my skin! However, this was recommended to me at the Ann Webb spa in Austin as a gentle way to help with some of the breakouts I'd been having.
There are a lot of great ingredients in this product that provide some gentle exfoliation as well as help with hydration and age prevention, including green tea, lactic acid, hyaluronic acid, myrrh, cucumber, jasmine, and of course peppermint. Be aware that it does contain phenoxyethanol as a preservative, but I trust this brand to keep their preservatives free of contaminants. More on this issue later, I promise!
So what results have I seen? A definite reduction in breakouts, as well as healing of my previous breakouts. My skin tone has also appeared subtly more even and -- dare I say -- bright. \Be wary -- when I did leave it on as a mask, it was just the tiniest bit drying. Of course, I also have hard water and my showers run hot. Honestly, it wasn't a bad thing for me, especially since it didn't leave my skin tight or uncomfortable, simply less moisturized than usual.
All in all, I'd highly recommend this as a morning cleanser, or an evening cleanser for those who don't wear makeup. It works great for my oily skin, and I certainly wonder how it would work for other skin types.
Has anyone else out there tried this product?
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