I used to think a quick cleanse was enough before extractions

A client came in last week for a facial and her skin felt rough, even after my usual double cleanse with a foaming wash. I was about to start extractions when she mentioned she'd been using a mineral sunscreen that week. It hit me that I wasn't using an oil-based cleanser first to break that down. I switched to an oil cleanser for the first step, and the difference in what came out during extractions was huge. Has anyone else found a specific product type that changed their pre-extraction routine?

3 comments

3 Comments

susan75215d ago

Oh wow, did you ever have that moment where a basic step you skipped suddenly made all the difference? I was totally in the "one good cleanser is enough" camp for ages. Then I had a client with stubborn blackheads that just wouldn't budge, and I realized her makeup primer was silicone-based. Adding a micellar water as a first step to cut through that completely changed the game for me. The plugs came out so much easier and her skin was less red after. What kind of oil cleanser did you end up using?

the_jennifer15d ago

My sister swears by a cheap drugstore oil cleanser (the kind in a green bottle) for her waterproof mascara.

kai56415d ago

Totally get what you mean, @susan752. I had the same stubborn texture on my forehead for years. Finally tried a double cleanse with a basic jojoba oil from the health food store, massaging it in for a full minute before my regular face wash. It broke down all the sunscreen and grime my gel cleanser was missing. The next morning my skin felt smoother than it had in a decade. That simple change made me realize I was just moving dirt around before.