I learned something rather interesting during my recent demo presentation at Whole Foods Market.  I would love to share this in case you are like the woman I spoke with at my demo, making the same mistake.  I asked what she uses to wash her face and she immediately replied: "With Cetaphil".  Since I was not familiar with this one I did a small "investigation" to find out what's actually in it.

As appears  Cetaphil is a very common facial cleanser available everywhere. It's already a red flag for me, but nothing will give a better picture on a product safety than the ingredients which go in it.

Here are listed ingredients in Cetaphil: water, cetyl alcohol, propylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulfate, stearyl alcohol, methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben.  As you see 4 of the ingredients are synthetic chemicals and 3 are different kinds of alcohol!  Several are actually banned in the use of cosmetics in Europe!  Apparently one paraben was not harmful enough so the company added 2 more..  Alcohol as you may know is very drying for the skin.  The only reason the companies use it in beauty products is preservation.  Ironically water happened to be the ONLY safe ingredient in Cetaphil..

Yes, cleansing smart is very important!  We do not want to strip our skin of natural oils because the oil that is causing our face to appear shiny is the oil skin is producing to hydrate itself.

When we use cleansers with detergents or alcohols (which are great cleaning agents for household, but not for your skin) ALL oils are stripped away on the surface.  The skin retaliates by overproducing oil to get back to a hydrated state.  This is not what we want!  If you have a cleanser that foams up like soap, throw it away.  Trust me, your skin will thank you!  Cleanse with high quality natural and organic plant ingredients that are combined in a proper concentration.  It will do wonders for your skin!  Cleansing helps the skin dissolve the buildup on the surface while controlling excess oil production to maintain a healthy glow without the shine.

Consider a cleanser that provides topical cleansing ingredients like clays and essential oils.  By using gentle but effective ingredients you are ridding the skin of bacteria and dead skin cells that often create the perfect home for acne.  Vika's Facial Washes are perfect for this!  Make sure to choose the one that suits your personal skin type.

Start and end your day with Facial Wash !

To help your skin stay hydrated all year long after using Facial Wash follow with Floral Toner and some of Vika's light facial oil serums based on your skin type.  For oily skin I recommend lightweight Balancing serum, Earthly Elixir, Argan nut or Kukui nut oils).  For normal to dry - "Prodigal Sun" Serum, Anti-Wrinkle Serum, Virgin Pearls Serum  or  Sea Buckthorn Serum .

Applying these serums is a rich multivitamin treatment which I highly recommend for dry, combination and even oily skin.  Just remember all serums are very concentrated so less is better.  Always apply them on damp skin, right after Floral Toner in order to lock in moisture.

Keep your skin well hydrated and always be mindful of safe ingredients in your skincare!