How To Use A Cleansing Balm In Your Mature Skincare Routine
I love it when my skin feels squeaky clean. There’s just something about wiping the day away before bed. Keeping my skin looking its best is a priority. So my skincare routine always evolves to ensure my skin is happy and nourished. Enter the cleansing balm. At first, I wondered about them and whether I wanted to use oil-based products on my skin to clean it. Now I am hooked.
Funny what we remember from childhood. My mother used to always use her “cold cream” at night. Yes, this was back in the 1970s and 1980s. She always took good care of her skin and it is so funny that I still remember the pink jar of Merle Norman cold cream in the bathroom. I do believe that cold cream is now some form of cleansing balm.
Before I share my guide to cleansing balm and why you need to have it in your routine you might want to check out some other beauty posts that I have written:
- Body Butter vs Body Lotion: Which Is Better For Your Body?
- Anti Aging Handcreams For Wrinkles And Dryness
- Easy Ways To Hydrate Skin Naturally This Winter
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Why You Should Add A Cleansing Balm To Your Mature Skincare Routine
Every time I visit my aesthetician she reminds me that I need to be gentle with my skin and avoid stripping it of any natural oils. She also reminds me that she won’t pluck many eyebrow hairs because every one of those counts once we hit midlife. Yes, I get the same reminders every time I see her.
I like being a member of the clean skin club. It is so important to wipe the day away even if all you are wearing is sunscreen. The key to doing that is doing it gently as we age. I have always been a fan of gentle liquid cleansers, but sometimes they don’t get everything off. A second cleanse is sometimes needed. However, once I started using a cleansing balm I haven’t looked back. Now I look forward to how clean and soft my skin feels after I use one and that’s before I even put my nighttime moisturizer on.
What Is Cleansing Balm
A cleansing balm is a solid or semi-solid facial cleanser that contains oils and emollients. These oils and emollients remove makeup, dirt, and other impurities from the skin. This solid or semi-solid cleanser turns into a silky oil once you start to massage it into your skin. The oil attracts all of the dirt and impurities from the day and sweeps it away. Leaving you with squeaky clean soft skin. Cleansing balm can be good for all skin types including dry and sensitive.
Why It Is Good For Mature Skin
Let’s face it, as we age our skin gets drier. It is just part of the aging process. We must do our part to keep our skin as moisturized and nourished as possible. Cleansing balms are good because they can help avoid drying out the skin and reduce irritation. The oils and emollients in the balm don’t strip your skin or its natural oils.
The Benefits Of A Balm
Here are a few benefits of using cleansing balm in your nightly routine.
- No Mess. It is solid or semi-solid so no spills.
- Remove your makeup and SPF with one product. Yes, a balm will remove your waterproof mascara, eyeliner, oil-based foundations, and broad-spectrum SPF. Thus , eliminating the need for an eye makeup remover.
- Gentle. Balms are gentle since they are an emollient. They will not strip your skill of its natural oils, leaving your skin soft to the touch.
- It just feels good. To properly use a cleansing balm you have to massage it into your skin. Now who doesn’t love a little self-massage at night at the jaws or temples? It is a nice addition to any nighttime winddown routine to set yourself up for a good night of rest.
My Favorites Balms
One of my favorite things about blogging is that it makes me try new products. Even if I find something that I like I will still try more than one of something because you never know. It’s also nice to compare different price points. Just because something is expensive doesn’t mean that it is the best product for your skin.
Balms That I Have Tried and Liked
Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm. I will be honest. This is my favorite cleansing balm. The scent, the texture, the way it makes my skin feel. It is just everything for my skin. It is not inexpensive. I try to catch it when it is on sale.
CeraVe Makeup Remover Cleansing Balm. If CeraVe has a skincare product type I always have to try it. My dermatologist and her team always recommend their products. The price is always right; however, CeraVe Cleansing Balm does come in a small jar. That is always something to look at. A little goes a long way with this product. It does a good job, leaves my skin feeling clean. If you travel frequently this would be a great product to keep in your travel bags so you don’t have to worry about leakage.
Farmacy Green Clean. I always like to try a “clean beauty” product when I can. This cleansing balm smells nice, does a great job on my eye makeup, and leaves my skin feeling clean and soft. They will do special edition scents from time to time so that might be fun to try if they make a scent you like.
What’s On My List To Try
Like I said, I like to try new products. There are a couple more cleansing balms that I would like to try on my skin when I finish the ones above. Both of these have different ingredients in them that I find helpful for my skin.
It Cosmetics Bye Bye Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm. It Cosmetics makes a few products that I really like. What intrigues me about their cleansing balm is that it contains Vitamin C for brightening. Another bonus is that you can use it as a hydrating face mask (they include instructions for that). It is also a vegan formula.
Glow Recipe Papaya Sorbet Smoothing Enzyme Cleansing Balm. This is another “clean beauty” option. I like the idea of a papaya enzyme as a natural exfoliant and cleansing balm all in one.
How To Use Cleansing Balm
Using a cleansing balm is different from using a traditional face cleanser. The main thing is that you use it on dry skin. So here’s a step by step on how to use a balm so your skin reaps ALL the benefits.
Step 1
Scoop a small amount out of the jar onto your fingers and apply it to dry skin.
Step 2
Use your fingertips to gently massage it into your skin. You want to massage it for at least 30 seconds. Maybe take a deep breath or two while you are at it to relax a little. This massage time will have your balm melting into oil and penetrating your skin so that you get rid of all of the impurities. You will want to focus on the areas that have more makeup like your eyes. You can also add a little water to it if you like so that it lathers a bit.
Step 3
Get a warm washcloth ready to wipe everything away. I like to use a soft bamboo washcloth for this. The bamboo cloths are known for being gentle on the skin. The warm, steamy washcloth just adds to the relaxation of this nightly ritual.
Step 4
Remove the balm. I like to start with my eye area since that is the messiest part (the mascara just melts off). After I get all of my eye makeup off I then use upward strokes on my face to remove all of the balm. Sometimes I will rewet my wash cloth with warm water, squeeze out the excess water and gently wipe my face again to make sure I got everything.
Step 5
Pat your skin dry. After you have finished with the warm washcloth pat (no wiping) your skin dry with a clean cloth. I prefer to use a clean microfiber cloth for this. Make sure that you use a clean one every night for this. Microfiber cloths are great for those of us with sensitive skin.
Thanks, Let’s Keep In Touch
Thanks so much for stopping by. Did I convince you to add this product to your daily routine? If so, let me know which one you plan to try. Cheers to squeaky clean, soft skin every night.
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