Facewashing is probably a chore that you don’t give much thought to, just like brushing your teeth.
According to Emily Parr, cofounder of the new face wash line HoliFrog, “The foundation of your skincare regimen begins with this very important step. All of those expensive serums and creams can’t give you glowing skin unless they’re working on a properly cleansed canvas.”
A chronic face washer (she cleanses three to four times a day, mostly due to her workout schedule), Parr had just gotten back from a 10-mile run after a hot yoga class and needed to wash her face for the third time that summer day. “My skin was practically crying at the thought of another lather and rinse,” she recalls. “In that moment, I realized that there was nothing on the market that could keep up with my wash cycle. What I dreamed of was a wash wardrobe that could cleanse my skin from all of the ‘elements’ it comes into contact with, but also flood it with nutrients.” That’s how the idea for HoliFrog came about.
Though most of us tend not to give much thought to face cleanse, it’s actually a crucial step in our skincare regimen.
“Pores are tiny, so they can be tricky to clean,” Parr says. “If you’re wearing makeup or live in a place with less than pristine air quality, they need a little help to stay happy. But using a cleanser that is harsh or contains irritating ingredients is self-sabotage.”
Parr set out to make HoliFrog different from other cleansers on the market. “I noticed that most brands treated the cleanser category like an afterthought,” she says. “Instead of real innovation, I found that most cleansers were really just water and surfactants with a few ‘key ingredients’ mixed in. As a result, they felt so harsh on my skin—and I have oily, not dry skin!”
HoliFrog offers four face washes, and they’re all suitable for all skin types. “Each wash contains a unique set of active ingredients geared toward giving your skin exactly what it needs when you need it,” Parr says. “They’re formulated at an optimal pH balance, with rich, nourishing oils to keep your skin in check, and gentle surfactants (we use cleansing agents derived from coconut or glucose).” Parr believes that since there are different skin types, there should be a range of cleanser types, too. “One-and-done isn’t going to cut it, in my opinion,” she says.
Next time you cleanse, give it a little more thought. “The proper time and place is one to two minutes at the sink,” Parr says. “Sixty seconds may seem like an excessive amount of time, but that gives the formula’s actives the optimal amount of time to get to work. Your skin needs 30 seconds to dislodge any dirt and emulsify sebum and 30 seconds for the formula to penetrate pores.” At night, she recommends taking a full two minutes, since there’s more to wash off, such as dirt, sweat, oil, SPF, makeup and pollution. “Take one minute with an oil-based wash to emulsify and whisk off surface grime and makeup, so you can effectively remove said offenders,” Parr recommends. “For the next 60 seconds, follow up with a gel, scrub or acid wash to nourish the skin with the formula’s own actives.”
Consider washing your face to be a small act of self-care—you’ll look and feel better. “You deserve this ritual and your skin deserves the benefits from the ingredients,” she says. “Cleansing shouldn’t be looked on as a chore.”