Is your face wash good for you? Find out why herbal face powder cleansers score over chemical face washes.

When it comes to beauty treatments or personal care products, it’s easy to name people’s number one area of concern – the face! We spend so much time, effort and money ensuring the skin on our face is kept moisturized, toned, blemish free and bright. And the face deserves all that attention – after all, it’s part of your identity!

Talking about skin care for the face, the most recommended routine is the CTM one – cleansing, toning and moisturizing. The first step in this – cleansing is also the most important, since you can’t work with a dirty canvas. Yes, our faces may not be doing as much work as our hands, but they get dirty all the same. Our hands touch all kinds of things over the course of the day, and when you adjust your spectacles, retouch your makeup, scratch an itch or touch your face in any way, you’re transferring all those germs to your face.

So there is no question about the fact that you need a cleanser for your face. Most of us tend to use gel, cream or liquid type face washes sold everywhere from medical stores to high end department stores. However, there is another kind of face cleanser – the herbal face powder.

As its name suggests, face powder cleansers are a powder made of various botanical ingredients like oats, almonds, rice powder, dried flowers and essential oils, among others. These are mixed with water and used as a face wash. Face powder cleansers have been used for centuries in ancient India, Korea and Japan. In fact, this is one of the beauty secrets of the geishas!

Today, we look at how chemical face washes compare with herbal face powders, based on various aspects of skin care. Wondering what the outcome will be? Let’s see!

Face Powder Cleansers – Why they’re better than Chemical Face Washes

Clogged Pores

Clogged pores are a cause for many skin troubles. Pores naturally let go of sweat and excess oil, but if not cleared, they can get clogged with dead skin cells. As a result, the skin can’t breathe and ends up with acne as well as blackheads and whiteheads. When chemical face washes are applied, the chemicals can further clog the pores and exacerbate the issue. That is why in spite of washing your face frequently, you can’t seem to find any relief from acne or blackheads.

On the other hand, powder cleansers have a grittier texture to them, which helps them do double duty as a cleanser and exfoliator. Unlike chemical exfoliators which may contain plastic microbeads or harsh particles, herbal powders are made with natural ingredients like oats or rice powder and offer the right amount of exfoliation to deep clean the pores and reveal fresh new skin.

Dryness

Many of us have noticed a tight, dry feeling after washing our face with a face wash. This is a common experience and the reason behind this can be traced back to the ingredients in the face wash. Most face washes are soap-based which strip the skin of its natural oils. To overcompensate, the skin produces more oil, leading to greasiness and acne. The result is that dry skin gets drier and oily skin gets oilier. Another reason is the presence of alcohol, which is inherently drying. People with dry skin conditions like eczema, rosacea or psoriasis are particularly prone to extreme dryness due to chemical based face washes.

The thing about herbal face powder cleansers is that they contain naturally moisturizing ingredients that preserve the skin’s natural moisture. Herbal face powder cleansers are not of a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Since it is a powder, you can add as much water as you want for a gentler or stronger wash. You can also mix in a face oil if your skin is too dry.

pH Level

One thing many of us don’t consider when choosing skin care products is the pH level of the skin. Our skin is slightly acidic, with an acid mantle that protects against external agents and preserves the skin microbiome by preventing infections. Any disturbance to this layer can cause infections and conditions like acne, dermatitis or eczema. In order to tackle this problem, most skin care products like face washes contain ingredients like DEA to balance the product’s pH level so that it matches that of the skin. However, DEA is quite dangerous and cause serious damage to the liver, kidneys and even the brain.

That’s why herbal powder cleansers score over the chemical face washes. They are made of ingredients that naturally balance the skin’s pH, doing away with the need of chemical substances like DEA. What’s more, since they are in powder form, the potency of the ingredients is maintained so you get the maximum benefit from the cleansing process.

Allergic Reactions

Most of the ingredients commonly found in chemical face washes are known allergens. DEA is one example, which caused such severe allergic reactions that major brands have stopped using it. Proplylene glycol is another skin irritant. It is actually the main ingredient in anti-freeze agents and can cause liver and kidney damage as well. Most antibacterial face washes contain triclosan, which causes skin irritation in adults and asthma and eczema in children.

Cut to herbal face powders, which contain none of the above ingredients. What’s more, since they’re made of 100% natural ingredients, face powder cleansers are safe for use on all skin types, including sensitive skin. On adding water, the enzymes in the powder get activated, providing deep cleansing without any irritation.

Cancer Risk

This is probably the most important disadvantage of using chemical face washes, but one that people realize only much, much later. Chemical face washes contain several ingredients that are known to increase cancer risk, like SLS, phthalates, parabens and formaldehyde. Even the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has warned about the possibility of phthalates being human carcinogens. Parabens have a chemical structure similar to that of estrogen. This can cause breast cancer in women and low testosterone in men.

Coming to herbal face powder cleansers, the biggest advantage here is that they are dry powders and don’t contain water. Due to this, they provide a tough environment for bacteria and fungus, increasing their shelf life – without the need to add chemical preservatives. This makes herbal powder cleansers a much cleaner and safer alternative.

Besides being bad for humans, chemical face washes aren’t good for the environment either. All the residue that we wash down the drain gets accumulated in our water bodies and soil, coming back to us in the food we eat and the water we drink. Herbal face powder cleansers also offer several skin benefits thanks to its various natural ingredients.

Powder cleansers are also easy to use – just put a little in your hands, mix with a little water and apply on damp skin. You can also replace water with rose water, aloe vera gel, honey, yogurt or raw milk for added benefits. Now that you know why powder cleansers are miles better than chemical-laden face washes, it’s time to ditch that tube! Switch to the wholesome goodness of 100% herbal face cleansing powders and your skin will thank you!

Did you find our “Face Powder Cleansers – Why they’re better than Chemical Face Washes” interesting, please let us know in the comments section.

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