By MaryAnna Nardone

Cleansing, cleansing, cleansing. If I had a dollar for each time I have explained how to cleanse, I would be a billionaire by now. Here is what every woman needs to know.  First, absolutely no hot water or facing the shower and letting your face be hit with hot water!

I am always amazed at the stunned faces looking back at me with that “WTF” are you saying? Hot water dries out your skin, so if you love to feel squeaky clean, you are actually throwing your skin’s pH into overdrive. In essence, if you remove too much oil, your body will produce more oil to catch up.  Dry sensitive skin will be dryer and you can get blotchy patchy feeling skin.  Over moisturizing will also not compensate.  You will feel dryer and your skin will drink it up and require more.  Once again, balance is the key. Instead of washing your face in the shower, I teach how to cleanse properly with cotton pads and recommend using bottled water for those who suffer with skin impurities.

Most women, especially younger women, are product whores, trying all the latest bells and sparkly new trends in skincare and skincare tools.

Exfoliating

There are many misconceptions about skincare, like exfoliating or using harsh scrubs or rotary brushing, which are not new by many means, ladies, just reinvented. I believe I got a Bonnie Bell battery operated handheld brush under the Christmas tree in 1975, as my mom already knew I was obsessed with my skin. Skincare companies instruct over cleansing and scrubbing your skin, like it’s the kitchen floor—stop the insanity. Just because you see a beautiful model on TikTok doing it, doesn’t mean it is okay. It’s wrong, wrong, wrong.

Exfoliating is important; however, it can be accomplished by topically applying a retinol product that doesn’t need a prescription.  There are many very good over the counter retinoids that work. If you are using a retinol product, then you most definitely do not want to scrub.  Prescriptions like Retin A that your dermatologist can prescribe, help the epidermis to slough off dead skin, as well as over the counter ones.

Skin has cycles that are 28-30 days to 50-60 days depending on lifestyle, medications, and abuse of alcohol and of products that are too harsh. Let me also add that you aren’t able to clean those brushes properly once wet bacteria gets in, reintroducing bacteria onto your skin daily.

Scrubbing or using any of these rotary brushes, which claim to remove dead skin, also tear capillaries, causing broken blood vessels and patchy red blotchy skin.  My advice to clients over the years has been to get harsh exfoliating out of your system, spare your precious face and scrub your body as much as possible.  Treat your face like it is a satin pillowcase and each and every touch can cause a wrinkle.  I know it sounds extreme —I watch how roughly woman apply even simple creams. My point is gentle, gentle, gentle, and if you practice what I preach you will see results fast. My clients have seen a huge difference just stopping the shower cleansing. Using a Gua Sha stone is great as long as you are gentle, and it is a wonderful way to do light lymphatic massage.

SPF

I cannot emphasize this enough. Use at least a 20 SPF everyday all year.   In the summer and warmer climates closer to the equator, you should use a 35-50 SPF daily.  Anything over 50 SPF is full of chemicals. In case you didn’t know, the FDA has never approved anything over 50 SPF.

Tanning beds still exist, but I honestly don’t know why. In just 15-20 minutes, the amount of UVA (aging) and UVB (burning) is magnified as though you were at the beach for 4-5 hours.  To me, it’s an insane choice to expose yourself to rapid skin damage or possibly skin cancer.  Today we have so many other great options for spray tanning, even ones that come from plants like beets, with no chemical nasty smells.  Gone are the days of looking orange. Today’s spray tanning or at home tanning kits are natural looking. I have my own personal favorites like “Love My Tan” made by an Australian company. You can find it on Amazon.

Daily Skin Care Routine

The morning cleanse should be a splash of tepid water, unless you have gone to sleep with make-up on, a big no no, or did some other fun activity that requires you to cleanse again.  A simple basic is first layering a humectant, like my Daily Addiction, mostly hyaluronic acid, which restores 1000 times its weight in water.  My formula is made with plant botanicals, and flower essences, as well as being infused with my Reiki healing energy.  Follow that with a light moisturizer if you need to, then SPF, unless your make-up has SPF already in it.  Be mindful that SPF is the last thing that goes on your skin.

Unlike hair care, where it is recommended to switch shampoos every other month or so, skincare loves consistency. So let’s get your gorgeous faces ready.

Always cleanse your skin in the evening. This should be done with tepid water on cotton pads, removing cleanser in upward motions until the last cotton pad is clean.  Now your face is ready to apply one of the treatments of your choice.  This is the time to do a hydrating mask once or twice a week.  Evening is always about treating the skin, using a moisturizer or night serum, eye gel or cream, and neck cream.  Remember all products go a long way. Don’t overuse. It will only end up on your pillowcase.

Add a humidifier to your home or sleeping area. And remember, no scrubbing, no hot water, no facing the shower with hot water, and no rotary brushes that are too harsh, in addition to spreading bacteria due to no sterilization.  And FYI, hot water or alcohol doesn’t sterilize rotary brushes.

If you suffer with very dry skin or live in colder climates, take omega 3 fish oils to lubricate from the inside out, add a teaspoon of coconut oil to a shake, and drizzle over a salad.  One teaspoon daily will dramatically aid dry itchy flaky winter skin.

I know that in the last five years everyone has become overly obsessed with skincare, but please leave the chemical peels and micro needling to a professional aesthetician. I have seen more horrors of permanent damage from at home treatments. Just because you can buy it, please know that you can cause injury that is irrevocable.

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MaryAnna Nardone’s story begins with her passion and love of treating skin & skincare.  As an entrepreneur, raising two sons, she began creating her skincare products over 20 years ago.  Her passion became her purpose or dharma, as she watched the results of her formulations do their healing magic!  The blend of plants, flowers & essential oils from Mother Earth have evolved into her collection of skincare infused synergistically with the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda + Aesthestics = MaryAnna Nardone Skincare. Watch for her book, “Finding My Ruby Slippers…a Soul’s Journey to Self-Love” will be published this summer by The Three Tomatoes Publishing.  Visit her skincare website.