Has anyone taught you how to properly wash your face? Unless you’ve been taught by your esthetician, it’s likely that the extent of your face washing knowledge has been to wash your face until it feels clean.
Proper face cleansing is the cornerstone of healthy, glowing skin. Without properly cleansing the face to start, everything that comes after cleansing will be set up to fail.
Here’s my thorough guide on how to properly wash your face, and common mistakes to avoid.
Double Cleanse At Night
Double cleansing is the most important step in your nighttime skincare routine, and it’s essential for everyone!
Double cleansing removes makeup, sunscreen, and environmental buildup to thoroughly cleanse your skin.
When double cleansing, start off with a cleansing oil, balm, micellar water, or makeup remover liquid. After this first step, move onto your facial cleanser. Use a milk cleanser or a low foam gel cleanser to wash and purify your skin.
Techniques According To Face Wash
The biggest mistake I see when it comes to cleansing one’s skin is rushing through the washing process. Make sure to cleanse your skin for 30-60 seconds depending on the cleanser type.
When first applying your cleanser onto your skin, work it into the skin using gentle massage movements. Ensure that you’re covering all areas, including the nose, chin, and neck/décolletage.
Milk Cleansers: For milk cleansers like those from Biologique Recherche, avoid introducing water to the product until you're ready to rinse it off. Start with dry hands and a dry face, apply 3-4 pumps of cleanser, and massage it into dry skin for at least 1 minute for the best cleansing experience. When you’re complete, rinse off with water.
Gel-based Cleansers: If you’re using a gel-based cleanser like Sebu-Wash from Environ, wet your face before application or emulsify the product in your hands for 15 seconds before applying. Massage the product into the skin for 30-60 seconds.
When rinsing the cleanser off your face, make sure that you’re not using water that’s too hot or too cold. You want to make sure that you use cool-tepid water when rinsing. Ice baths have become a skincare trend, but it’s not a professional skincare practice! Neither is rinsing your face with hot water. Hot water can increase inflammation and worsen existing vascular skin conditions.
Avoid Scrubs And Harsh Cleansers
Avoid all scrubs, brushes, and washcloths to “scrub” your face. Avoid harsh foaming cleansers with a high Ph as well. No skin ever needs this form of harsh cleansing or exfoliation!
These types of scrubs and cleansers increase inflammation of the skin, stripping it of its essential lipid layer, which throws off the skin’s pH. It also encourages transepidermal water loss (TEWL), a condition where skin cannot retain moisture due to a compromised skin barrier.
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