Cleansing your face has got to be the easiest thing to do, right? I mean, how tough can this be - you splash water on your face, rub in the cleanser and then rinse. Over the top, this is how you do it yes, but if you want to know how to properly wash your face, then today you will take away a thing or two. To begin with, not cleansing your face correctly can lead to skin problems like acne or dullness. In addition, any skincare product you apply thereafter, will not penetrate your skin fully, as there is still uncleared debris on your skin. Not just that, having a squeaky clean face also has to do with the fact about when, how often and what kind of cleanser you use. Simply cleansing your face right will shoo away all these problems, so what are we waiting for? Let’s begin.
How To Wash Face Correctly?
The duration
As a thumb rule, you should massage your face for a minimum of 30 seconds to 1 minute. Any less and the product did not have enough time to clean your skin, any more, you might dry out your skin.
The quantity
It might seem the more product you use, the better results you reap. But, that’s not the case. Always follow the quantity mentioned on the product. If there isn’t any, then a coin-sized amount should suffice.
The water temperature
Your face’s skin is waaayy thinner and sensitive than the rest of your body. So, even though you might love those long hot showers, always cleanse your face with lukewarm water. Why? Couple of reasons here. Hot water can dilate blood vessels and cause breakage in the delicate tissue. It can also dry out your face, making it scaly over time.
The frequency
Ideally, you should be cleansing your face twice a day - once in the morning and once before bed. Although, if you do have extremely dry and sensitive skin then you may swap the morning wash with a water-only rinse. But say, if there is excessive sweating after a workout or so, you should use a cleanser.
The perfect match
Do you feel as if your skin is greasy even after cleansing? Or does it feel too tight or rough after you’ve cleansed it? In both cases, you can be using the wrong cleanser. You need a gentle and creamy cleanser if your skin tends to be dry and sensitive. Those with oily skin should pick a gel or foam based cleanser. If your skin is prone to acne, pick a cleanser with ingredients like tea tree oil or salicylic acid for best results.
The additional step
Guess what, learning how to wash face correctly may require an extra step. It’s for those who wear long-wear, smudge-proof makeup, where your gentle cleanser may not cut through. What you need here is micellar water, or an oil-based cleanser. This is the concept of double cleansing. You melt away stubborn makeup using either of these, then follow up with your regular water-based cleanser. Doing this will eliminate traces of makeup and dirt like no other.
The right order
Splash your face with lukewarm water, take a sufficient amount of your cleanser and massage your face, jaw and neck for 30 seconds - 60 seconds. Then thoroughly rinse, and you’re done! Always ensure that you’re using a clean face towel and following up with moisturiser.
