The case for the slow cleanse

There is a version of cleansing that is really just rinsing. Water on, product on, water off, towel. It takes twenty seconds and it removes very little. Then there is the slow cleanse, which takes about three minutes and changes the condition of the skin over a season rather than an evening.

Why the time matters

A cleanser needs contact time to work. The cocoa pod ash base in our heritage formulation lifts oil and city dust by binding to it, and binding is not instantaneous. Thirty seconds of light circular work across the face, then a further thirty at the jaw and hairline where congestion tends to gather, gives the base something to hold on to.

Temperature is the second half of it. Hot water strips faster than any cleanser will. Tepid water, close to the temperature of the skin itself, keeps the barrier intact while the botanicals do their work.

A compromised barrier is rarely under cleansed. It is almost always over cleansed, too hot and too fast.

The three minutes, in order

Wet the face with tepid water and warm a small measure of cleanser between the palms. Work it across the face in slow circles for a full minute, without pressure. Spend a further minute at the jaw, the sides of the nose and the hairline. Rinse without haste, then press the skin dry with a linen cloth rather than rubbing. Apply oil or butter while the skin is still faintly damp, so the moisture is sealed rather than left to evaporate.

What to expect

The skin should feel soft and comfortable afterwards, never squeaking. Squeaking is the sound of a stripped barrier. If it happens, shorten the contact time or cool the water before you change the product. Given three or four weeks of this, congestion settles and the surface begins to hold its own moisture again.