How To Properly Wash Your Face.

The other day I saw a meme likening skincare to an Olympic sport. It made me giggle, because a) I take my skincare routine very seriously and b) I feel like I’m the only person I know who isn’t (wasn’t? is it over now?) watching the Olympics!

Before we dive in I did want to remind you that my entire skincare routine is always kept up to date in The Beauty Hub. It is there that I list out my full morning and evening routines, as well as proper order (always a big question mark!). I also have a blog post about skincare product order.

Washing your face is arguably the most important step of skincare. Even if I don’t wear makeup I always take the time to properly wash my face at night. Even if it doesn’t feel dirty. Between SPF and the humidity and sweating and dirt and grime and just city life and being outside (not to mention dead skin cells), you still need to wash your face. Besides “taking the day off” (I feel like that was a Clinique slogan in the nineties?) it also helps to prep your skin for what’s to come: all of those fancy serums and creams. Or face masks, Properly washing your face prepares the skin and lets your serums, creams, and masks absorb more quickly… letting them do their best work.

Two little sidebars!

one – I’m just not a fan of micellar water or makeup removing cleansing wipes. I know not everyone agrees with me here (and that is FINE, I am not criticizing you!) but I personally just need water. I do not feel like my skin is truly clean if I don’t get my face wet! Sometimes I will start my face washing routine with micellar water to remove dirt or heavy makeup but it’s just one step. I really prefer to use an actual cleanser.

two – If you properly wash your face in the evening, I personally don’t think you need to do much in the morning (I’ll usually splash my face with water and then go right into serums and creams)

Also: my current skincare routine, and a note: I have very dry skin. So if you have oily or acne prone skin, my advice may not be right for you – skin care depends so much on your skin type!

How To Properly Wash Your Face

Without further ado, my face washing routine!

Use a soft microfiber cloth.

You don’t want to use a grimy old wash cloth, especially if the texture has gotten rough – that can actually create small tears in the skin. Microfiber is gentle on the skin, gently taking your makeup off without damaging the skin. Also: use a fresh cloth every time you wash your face. Experts say that reusing the same wash cloth will spread around bacteria on your face and nobody needs that. I really really like these and they are super inexpensive. These also look great if you are a “no white face cloths” kind of person.

I love a good double cleanse.

I do not always make the time and can be lazy but nothing beats double cleansing. It feels decadent and luxurious and gets your skin super clean. Start with a cleansing balm, an oil based cleanser, or even acream cleanser and then use a gel cleanser or foam cleanser afterward. The cleansing balm or cream cleanser removes dirt and oil and then the gel cleanser gets anything left behind. Remember, oil attracts oil! I wrote an entire post about how to use a cleansing balm, which is a great resource. Whenever I have time I really like my cleansing routine to feature both a cream/oil and gel.. double cleansing is the best!

Don’t Wash Your Face in the Shower.

I know, I know (and sometimes I break this rule but if you like a hot shower, it’s just too much for your face. Any board certified dermatologist will tell you this… the water is just too hot, which is no bueno for your skin barrier. You really want to wash with lukewarm water. I try to avoid getting hot hot water on my face when I’m showering.

Along those lines, temperature matters.

Hot water is really drying (and bad for the skin barrier, especially if you have dry or sensitive skin). Always, wash your face with lukewarm water. For extra credit, finish with a cool rinse (just like you would when you wash your hair!).

Take your time!

Take your time with your cleansing routine. Make this feel luxurious. I like to do a little facial massage as I use the cleansing balm. I apply the cleansing balm all over my face and really massage it in using a circular motion. This feels really good but also helps to loosen stubborn makeup and SPF. I do my eye makeup last, that’s where things get messy. And I don’t want to rub my eye makeup all over my face.

Gently Pat Dry.

Don’t rub. Pat dry with a soft towel. I take a hand towel and just pat my face dry and then begin the rest of my skincare routine. It’s such a small thing but just like using a rough wash cloth, aggressive rubbing can be really bad for your skin. Also! you want to get your skin totally dry before applying your serums, especially if you are using a Vitamin C serum (water will impact its performance).

Keep your skin barrier in mind, always!

If you screw up your skin barrier, you’ll end up with irritated skin . . . and frankly, it takes a long time to fix that! I’m always very gentle with my skin. Besides using lukewarm water, I never scrub! Exfoliating is important, but I like to use a chemical exfoliant vs. rubbing with a wash cloth or a harsh scrub. There are so many ways to irritate your skin, take it easy and be gentle!

Avoid Over-Washing: 

Washing your face too often can strip it of its natural oils. Limit washing to twice a day, morning and night, or after sweating. Wash your face twice daily, unless you get really sweaty. Once in the morning, and once at night, though I will caveat that I often skip morning cleansing if I did an elaborate cleanse the night before.

I also wanted to share some favorite facial cleansers!

My favorite cleansers!

I know some people are fine with just a bar of soap but I am not! For a cleansing balm, I love love love the Elemis one (it’s been a favorite for years and years and just smells like the SPA) or the Farmacy one. I will say that the Farmacy one rinses clean without stripping the skin of natural oils, whereas the Elemis one leaves behind more of an emollient finish. Because of that, if your skin is really dry I’d say do the Elemis, otherwise you will probably prefer the Farmacy. I REALLY like them both but again, I have dry skin!

For a gel or foam cleanser (I like to do this afterward) I love either the Farmacy foaming one (this is especially great for oily types – I have dry skin but oily skin definitely requires something more astringent) or the Fresh Soy Face Wash. Also: it didn’t make it into the photo but I have been using the brand new Biossance gel facial cleanser every day for the past couple weeks and really really like it. It’s super gentle and would be great for sensitive skin.

For something really luxe, U Beauty’s The Mantle is epic. Velvety smooth, the texture is everything! I’ll add that I think this new cleanser from Experiment feels very similar, at a much better price.

photography by Clay Austin.

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