How To Wash Your Face Correctly?
Sucharita Mishra has a Master’s degree in Biotechnology and two years of experience in writing on topics related to Health and Wellness. She has worked on determining various heavy metals present in green tea for her Master’s dissertation at CSIR- CFTRI, Mysuru.
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Have you ever come home late at night and gone to sleep without washing your face? Chances are, you noticed some sort of breakout on your face the next day. This is because skipping cleansing can clog the pores on your face. Know all about cleansing your face and how to do it properly right here. Keep on reading!
In This Article
Why Is Cleansing Your Face Important?
Cleansing your face daily is important for many reasons:
- It helps remove all the makeup residue, dirt, grime, and oil that gets accumulated on your skin throughout the day.
- Clogged pores lead to breakouts and acne. Cleansing your skin daily gets rid of all the dead skin cells and unclogs your pores to keep breakouts at bay.
- It helps maintain the pH balance of your skin and keeps it hydrated.
- It prevents dullness and makes you look clean, bright, and fresh.
- It prevents oiliness and maintains the size of your pores.
- It helps your skin care products penetrate deep into your skin and improves their efficacy.
As you can see, cleansing your face is an essential part of your skin care routine. Check out the next section to find out how to do it properly.
How To Wash Your Face – A Step-By-Step Guide
Step 1: Wash Your Hands
Many people may not know this, but washing your hands before washing your face is extremely important. If you ignore this step, the dirt and bacteria from your hands may get transferred to your face and cause breakouts or an infection.
Step 2: Clean Your Face
The next step is to clean your face with some tap water. You can use a wet hand towel to clean your face or just splash some water on it directly.
Step 3: Apply Cleanser
Take a coin-sized amount of your favorite cleanser in the palm of your hand. Lather it up and apply it all over your face. Don’t use vigorous motions when cleansing your face. Massage it into your skin gently in circular motions while avoiding contact with your eyes.
Alternatively, you can use an exfoliating cleanser that will help exfoliate your face and remove dead skin cells and dust particles from your skin.
Step 4: Rinse And Dry
After cleansing your face thoroughly, you can rinse it off with cold water. Pat your face dry with the help of a soft towel. Remember to not exert too much pressure or rub vigorously while drying your face as it can damage your skin.
Step 5: Tone And Moisturize
If you are following the CTM routine, the next step after cleansing your face is to tone and moisturize it. A toner helps in removing any remaining dirt or dead skin cells from your pores. Then, apply moisturizer to rehydrate your skin and make it supple.
Cleansing your face the right way is the first step to maintaining the health of your skin. You also need to keep a few things that you need to keep in mind to do it the right way. Check them out below!
Do’s and Don’ts Of Washing Your Face The Right Way
- Use lukewarm or cool water instead of hot water to wash your face. This is because very hot water can damage and dry out your skin.
- Before cleansing your face, make sure to properly remove all the makeup with a good makeup remover. Just cleansing your face will not remove makeup completely. And, any makeup residue left on your face can clog your pores and lead to breakouts.
- Always dry your face with a soft, clean towel. It is recommended to pat your face dry rather than rubbing the towel vigorously all over your face.
- It is important to wash your towel every couple of days. Not washing your towel regularly can cause bacterial build-up on it which may then transfer to your face and cause breakouts.
- Use the recommended amount of the cleanser that you are using. Sometimes, your cleanser may feel like it is not working at all. This may happen because you are not using the right amount of product on your face. So, refer to the label of your cleanser to know how much you actually need to use.
- Always massage your face with a cleanser for no more than 20 seconds. It may feel like washing your face for longer will help in making it squeaky clean, but the reality is, doing so may cause irritation on your skin.
- Use a cleanser that is ideal for your skin type. First, figure out your skin type, which may range from normal to oily to sensitive. When you know your skin type, it is easier to buy a cleanser that is formulated especially for it.
- The last thing you should keep in mind is to not exfoliate your skin too much after cleansing. Exfoliating too much may damage your outer skin layer as well as cause irritation.
Conclusion
In the end, everything boils down to how serious you are about the basics of skin care. Cleansing is one of the most important things to do to maintain good skin. We hope this article has helped you understand how you can get the most out of cleansing.
Expert’s Answers for Readers Questions
How many times a day should I wash my face?
Wash your face as soon as you wake up in the morning and once at the end of the day. Remove your makeup with a makeup remover and then wash your face. Continue with your night time skin care routine or just apply a night cream before you go to sleep.
Should I use micellar water instead of tap water to clean my face?
If you have a sensitive skin or suffer from eczema or any other related skin condition, you can use micellar water to clean your face occasionally. It also helps in removing any leftover makeup residue from your face. However, you need to wash your face with water at least once a day to get rid of dirt and sebum. You can try to switch to using soft (drinking) water instead of hard (tap) water to prevent breakouts, dryness, and irritation.
How long should you wash your face?
Wash your face for no longer than 1-2 minutes. Cleanse your face gently in circular motions, starting at the forehead and working your way towards your chin. Over washing or scrubbing for too long can damage your skin in the long run.
How do you use a washcloth to wash your face?
Dip a washcloth in a mug of water or run it under cold water. Wring out the excess water and wipe the washcloth all over your face to get rid of the cleanser. Repeat until your face is completely clean and there’s no more residue.
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