Ultra Glow Cleanser and why it’s an essential part of your daily routine?

May 9, 2023

This month we are spotlighting the Glow & Skin, Ultra Glow Cleanser and looking at its amazing ingredients. We will explain how the Ultra Glow Cleanser works in synergy with the other Glow & Skin products to achieve brighter, healthier, fresher skin.

To appreciate how the Ultra Glow Cleanser can improve skin health, we must firstly understand the benefits of cleansing and why it is one of the most important stages of every home care routine.

Why do we need to use a Cleanser?

Cleansing twice a day is essential for skin health and maintaining the integrity of the skin's barrier function. Some may think that a cleanser is only needed to remove makeup, but there are many more reasons why a cleanser is an essential twice-daily product.

Cleansing prepares the skin for all the preparations, skin actives or treatments that are to follow. Without completing a thorough cleanse, much of their activity and effectiveness will be significantly reduced.

Our skin has a layer of protective oil called sebum. Sebum is a natural oil produced by tiny glands attached to our hair follicles under our skin. Sebum is the skin's natural moisturiser, as well as helping it defend against harmful bacteria due to its anti-bactericidal properties. Sebum is pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory, which means it can cause inflammation and reduce it.

When sebum mixes with sweat, it creates something called the acid mantle. This is a protective layer on the skin, which, as the names suggest, is slightly acidic and gives the skin's surface a pH of between 5.0 and 6.0.

Maintaining the skin's pH is directly linked to maintaining a healthy sebum balance. Too little, the skin becomes dry, cracked, sensitive and open to infection. Too much, the skin becomes inflamed and blocked, leading to blackheads, spots and red skin. Both conditions cause a breakdown in the skin's barrier function, which causes unhealthy skin.

Using the intelligent Ultra Glow Cleanser will ensure enough natural oil is retained without stripping too much of it away.

The microbiome of the skin

Have you heard the expression "making your skin crawl"? Well, if you were to see your skin under the microscope, you might be shocked! Our skin is covered with creepy crawlies, otherwise known as skin flora or microbiome of the skin. Sounds gross, but these microscopic organisms, including bacteria, viruses and mites, live on our skin and are integral to our skin's defence and immunity function.

These microorganisms not only live on our skin but also attach to our eyelashes! But no need to panic. We need these little creatures for several reasons, including wound healing and exfoliation. But it's all about balance, and if these colonies become overgrown, we start seeing skin problems and inflammation. Cleansing is essential to maintain this balance, or homoeostasis, of the skin, but over cleansing and stripping the skin can cause as many problems.

Cleaning with the Ultra Glow Cleanser will maintain a healthy microbiome and stop them from causing harm.

Skin actives in the Ultra Glow Cleanser

The Glow & Skin Ultra Glow Cleanser is a foaming gel cleanser that is super easy to use. It is a wash-off cleanser which can be used in or out of the shower. It comes in a pump dispenser, which means no waste, no fuss and no mess! Once it is mixed with water, it gently foams, allowing it to get into all areas of the face and neck. The foam removes dirt, impurities and residue, leaving the skin soft, smooth and hydrated.

It has a gentle fragrance which is subtle and reassuringly natural. So, let's look at these ingredients.

Glycolic acid

There is so much to say about Glycolic acid, and we shall focus on it in more detail another time. The Glycolic acid Ultra Glow Cleanser is gentle enough to lightly exfoliate dull skin but powerful enough to unclog pores and clear a pathway for all the other products to actively penetrate the skin. This tiny acid really packs a big punch, and its one of the reasons we love the Ultra Glow Cleanser.

Gentle Surfactants

It doesn't sound very sexy! But surfactants are a necessary part of the formulation of a cleanser as they allow water and fat to mix, which can lift and remove dirt from the skin. The difference is that the Ultra Glow Cleanser doesn't have the harsh cleansing ingredients used in many other formulations. Natural surfactants, including decyl-glucoside and coco glucoside, which is derived from coconut, are used, which is why a gentle foam is produced to thoroughly degrease the skin without leaving it feeling tight, dry or uncomfortable.

Corallina O cinalis

This ingredient is extracted from Marine Seaweed. Known as coral seaweed, it is rich in micronutrients, magnesium, zinc and calcium, all of which support healthy-looking skin.

Salvia O cinalis Leaf

This natural extract from the sage leaf has long been used in natural medicine to treat various conditions, including rheumatism and inflammatory disorders. The Ultra Glow Cleanser contains this aromatherapeutic essential oil for its clinical properties to help reduce skin sensitivity to irritants and lighten the appearance of facial pigmentation.

Krameria Triandra Root

Extracted from the root of the Rhatany plant, it has long been used in medicine as a natural remedy for swelling and pain. Krameria triandra Root extract has many properties and has been selected for the Ultra Glow cleanser for its natural astringent, purifying, anti-reddening, healing, soothing and anti-inflammatory properties. It is gentle enough for dry and irritated skin and helps fight the effects of oxidative stress on the skin.

Lycopene

This natural but powerful antioxidant is a phytonutrient derived from tomatoes. It is well known for its effects against skin photodamage. While it gets to work on skin discolouration caused by sun damage, it also helps improve the skin's texture and fine lines and wrinkles.

Glycerin

Glycerin is a natural humectant which draws water into the skin, keeping it hydrated and minimising water loss, known as Trans Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL). Glycerin can remain in the skin for a period of time, which helps the skin to retain moisture continually, even when exposed to damaging environmental aggressors like pollution. This means the Ultra Glow Cleanser is working harder for longer.

Summary of the benefits of cleaning morning and evening with Glow & Skin Ultra Glow Cleanser

Gentle and soap free.
Increases the penetration and activity of all your other skin products and treatments.
Controls the microbiome of the skin and sebum build-up on the skin without stripping the skin.
Removes environmental pollutants and dirt which would otherwise accelerate ageing and pigmentation.
Gently exfoliates and leaves skin feeling fresh and clean.
Boosts hydration, reducing trans epidermal water loss.
Anti-oxidant properties which counteract oxidative stress