A salon treatment always begins with cleansing, because all the following steps take place on clean skin. This first stage frees the surface of make-up, excess sebum and accumulated particles, and it allows the beauty therapist to observe the skin.
It is often the step the client notices least. For the professional, it conditions everything that follows. The dermatological literature also underlines the importance of cleansing before aesthetic procedures (Mukhopadhyay, 2011).
What the skin carries when it arrives
Over the course of the day, the surface of the skin accumulates very different elements. Sebum and sweat mix with dead cells that detach. Make-up, sun protection and dust from the air are added to them.
Some of these elements are water-soluble. Others are oily and only come away with the help of a cleansing agent. Cosmetic cleansing has the function of removing this whole combination. Dermatologists remind us that a cleanser must achieve this while altering the skin barrier as little as possible (Draelos, 2018).
A technique in several stages
In the treatment room, cleansing follows a precise order. Beauty schools give it varying names. The logic remains the same.
Make-up removal. It first removes eye make-up, then that of the face. Make-up products hold on the skin through their fatty substances and pigments. They must be loosened before cleansing.
Cleansing. It then eliminates sebum, sweat and remaining residues. The beauty therapist works with her hands or damp sponges, in regular movements, from the centre of the face outwards.
Rinsing. It carries away the product and what it has loosened. Careful rinsing avoids leaving surfactant residues, which would prolong their contact with the skin.
The lotion. Applied at the end, it completes the cleansing and refreshes the skin before the next step.
Observing the skin
Skin that has been cleansed and freed of make-up can be read. The beauty therapist sees its texture, its radiance, the distribution of oily and dry areas, temporary redness. She feels under her fingers its suppleness or roughness.
These observations guide the choice of techniques and products for the rest of the treatment. They are difficult on skin covered with make-up or shiny with sebum. This is one of the reasons why cleansing is never skipped, even when the client arrives wearing little make-up.
In the case of an unusual or persistent sign, a beauty therapist does not make a diagnosis. She advises her client to consult a dermatologist.
Cleansing without harshness
An effective cleanse remains gentle. Aggressive surfactants can damage the proteins and lipids of the stratum corneum, resulting in a feeling of tightness and dryness after washing (Ananthapadmanabhan et al., 2004). Mild surfactants interact far less with these constituents.
Professionals also take into account the natural acidity of the skin, whose surface has an average pH estimated at 4.7 (Lambers et al., 2006). The choice of cleanser, the water temperature and the duration of the technique adapt to this.
In the treatment room, therefore, the therapist works with lukewarm water, enveloping movements and a measured contact time. The skin is dried by patting.
A moment of transition
Cleansing also has a less technical function. It is the first contact between the beauty therapist's hands and her client's face. The rhythm of the movements, the temperature of the water and the quiet of the treatment room set the tone for the treatment.
It is often at this moment that relaxation begins. The rest of the treatment builds on this transitional time.
What you can take home with you
Professional cleansing inspires a few simple techniques at home.
- Remove make-up before cleansing, in two stages if the make-up is heavy.
- Use lukewarm water.
- Massage without rubbing, from the centre outwards.
- Rinse thoroughly.
- Dry by patting.
This article is part of the PHYTO 5 Library.
Sources
- Ananthapadmanabhan KP, Moore DJ, Subramanyan K, Misra M, Meyer F. Cleansing without compromise: the impact of cleansers on the skin barrier and the technology of mild cleansing. Dermatologic Therapy. 2004;17(Suppl 1):16-25. DOI : 10.1111/j.1396-0296.2004.04s1002.x
- Draelos ZD. The science behind skin care: Cleansers. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2018;17(1):8-14. DOI : 10.1111/jocd.12469
- Lambers H, Piessens S, Bloem A, Pronk H, Finkel P. Natural skin surface pH is on average below 5, which is beneficial for its resident flora. International Journal of Cosmetic Science. 2006;28(5):359-370. DOI : 10.1111/j.1467-2494.2006.00344.x
- Mukhopadhyay P. Cleansers and their role in various dermatological disorders. Indian Journal of Dermatology. 2011;56(1):2-6. DOI : 10.4103/0019-5154.77542