How to Really Cleanse Your Face : the Game-Changer

Did you know a lot of traditional cleansers are soap based and often quite harsh in their cleansing approach. We have a delicate pH balance and natural oils on our face (different to other parts of our body) that we need to protect. If either of these is disrupted we can experience skin breakouts, uneven skin tone, dull skin, oily and dry patches in different areas of our face and skin roughness. Read on for a super easy substitute which will give you clean skin without disrupting your natural oils and help you need less makeup (if you use foundation now) for that natural healthy glow.

Bamboo is a wonder plant.⠀It's one of those miracles gifted from mama nature. It uses much less water than other crops like cotton as it grows through a running root system, it can be harvested over and over again, from the same plant, it is strong like steel (they use it for scaffolding and supports when pouring concrete on multi level buildings - in many Asian countries) yet it is also extremely soft like silk.

Bamboo is antimicrobial meaning it kills or suppresses the growth of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microorganisms - hence why it also doesn’t require much interference like pesticides when growing as it has its own in-built in. Good for the earth and good for us! It was actually my beautiful parents who planted the seed of creating a cloth as a cleanser. I chose them well! ⠀⠀

HOW TO USE THE BAMBOO CLEANSING CLOTH

I've designed these to use in the evening, we're usually not needing a cleanse in the morning after sleep, and it's best to prep your skin for during your beauty sleep (more on this below).

TO USE

To use just wet under warm water and use circular motions - medium pressure, to move all over your skin, even your lips, then move under your chin, along your neck and behind your ears. Rinse out (first check how dirty the cloth is !!! I always love seeing how much grime comes off) then hang to dry using the little tag I sew on with love. I suggest using your cloth 1-2 days then washing with whites on hot. There are single cloths and 3 packs so you can have some ready for back up each day. I occasionally use my cloth in the morning too - with cooler water and lighter pressure. Just play around and see what suits you best.

If I do use my cloth in the morning I follow with the 'nourish face cream' and at night I use the 'restore face oil' (the lighter version - there is a richer version / the original 'restore night oil' available too!). I even use the cloth on my body to freshen up during the day or just before bed! A quick armpit wash and behind my neck if I'm after a pick me up and just about to throw my cloth in for a wash.

CLEANSING WITH AN OIL IN COMBINATION WITH THE CLOTH

Are you ready ...... This is the ultimate in easy and super powerful face cleansing, and you will notice the immediate difference while your skin will love the gentleness of this approach.

Wet your face with warm water. Add a few drops of either of the 2 ILA + AVA face oils to your fingertips and massage together then massage into your face. Move around your whole face, under eyes, chin, neck. Then get your 'Bamboo Cleansing Cloth', wet it under warm to hot water. Using both hands press the open cloth over your face and gently steam it (like those godsent little hot towels in the plane, I think they still offer them ... ) Then placing one hand under your cloth use circular motions to gently with medium pressure buff your whole face, under chin, behind ears and neck. Move all over your face, moving gentler under and around eyes.

Then add a few drops of either of your ILA + AVA face oils to your palm and rub together to gently warm. Press the oil into your face and neck then gently smooth and distribute. Rub your hands together and allow any residual oil to nourish your hands.

Done. Clean, healthy, glowing skin. Enjoy the fresh and luminous look and feel.

I want to hear from you if this is your new cleansing ritual !!!!

A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE BAMBOO CLEANSING CLOTHS

I refer to it as the other cleanser (and better one) ....  as you just need to add water! Yes, just (warm) water. Plus other traditional cleansers are often soap based (some even have alcohol in them which is super drying) - and have so many weird named ingredients that just aren't good for us inside - or our skin on the outside.

I've heard from countless people who have countless stories of how so many cleansers they've used have led to dry skin and crazy breakouts. And I'm not surprised. Just think of what soap does to our hands when we wash them - or when we are washing dishes ..... it breaks the fat / oil particles to degrease. Although our skin - especially our face, can get pretty icky, particularly after a long day, we still need to be gentle and protect our natural oils. They're there to keep our skin safe - and balanced. Most cleansers can disrupt this natural oil balance by stripping them and also change and imbalance our pH of our skin - which also disrupts bacteria - the good ones that are all over our skin (and in our body) to protect us and ensure everything is in proper working order and happy.

I hand sew (and cut!! - it's a big job haha) these beautiful cloths myself, and I love each one I make because I love the way my skin feels with using them - yes I use mine every day!, and I love that it just doesn't get any easier than this while also protecting mama nature.

BENEFITS OF BAMBOO 

 super soft 

- great for all skin types even sensitive skin

- it's soft like silk

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 very strong fibers 

- naturally help to buff and cleanse the skin without stripping the natural oils or changing the pH of the skin

- it's strong like steel (as mentioned they use it for structural building)

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 green footprint 

- reusable (machine washable)

- only water is needed for this style of cleansing = no toxins on your skin or into our waterways

- bamboo uses less water to grow than other harvested textile crops

- bamboo is a sustainable crop

- the same plant can be harvested over and over which reduces land clearing and replanting

- bamboo takes in more CO2 than other tress 

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 anti-bacterial 

- stays odor free after use

- prevents bacterial growth on skin when re-using 

These are just some of the reasons I have chosen to add this beautiful plant fibre to the range. Are you are bamboo cloth and oil cleansing fan ? And have you noticed the difference in your skins glow and tone since converting to a cloth and oil for a cleanser? If you're ready to simplify your beauty routine and want great skin you can find the cloth here and oil here (oil is also used as a face oil and serum).

With love,

Miriam x

ILA + AVA organic skincare

'Clean skincare made simple.'