Pro Logic: Yes, There is a Proper Way to Wash Your Face
For all of my preaching this and that about beauty, I tend to be pretty slack about skincare. Yes, I wear serums, gel moisturizers and eye creams (sporadically); sure, I rub in lotions and body oils (sometimes). My problem is that I’ll get into the groove for a few months and then, quite suddenly, I do an about face and just totally lose focus.
But one thing I never veer from is washing my face. No matter how tired or inebriated, I’ll wash my face of the day’s grime. I’m religious about it—mainly because I wear a healthy amount of makeup, and that needs to come off in order to keep my pores happy. But also, I’m a very oily girl, and maintaining my face washing routine takes away the grease—at least for an hour or so.
Despite the fact that I wash my face day and night on the regular, I’ve just learned from dermatologist Dr. Susan Stuart that there are some under-the-radar tips and tricks to a more effective face washing routine—you know, so you keep skin from drying, peeling or breaking out. For instance, did you know that there’s a proper “path” for cleansing? Yep: Begin washing your face starting at your forehead and work your way to your nose, then outwards to your cheeks, and eventually down to your face and neck.
And, since November is National Healthy Skin Month (did you know that?), there’s no better time to share Dr. Stuart’s four steps to the skin-savviest face washing routine out there!
Face Washing in 4 StepsBet you didn’t know that there are four steps to washing your face. I didn’t. I thought it was: wet face, soap up and rinse. That’s three. Nope. Here are Dr. Stuart’s four steps to proper face-washing:
STEP 1: Begin by washing your hands. (You don’t want all of the grease, grime and germs from your hands on your face, do you?) And, if you have on any eye makeup, remove it before you begin to cleanse.
STEP 2: Wet your face completely with tepid water. Anything too hot will shock the skin and could even burst capillaries, resulting in those sensitive red marks usually found around the nose and cheeks. Next, squeeze a dime-sized amount of cleanser onto your fingertips and rub them together. Use your fingertips to massage the cleanser into your skin (anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute) in small and gentle circular motions.
STEP 3: One of the best ways to ensure that dirt and makeup are removed is by using a muslin cloth (Eve Lom makes some great ones) when you rinse. In addition, if you gently scrub in small circles, the cloth also acts as a light exfoliant. Also, don’t forget to rinse your hairline, your neck and the nooks on either side of your nose.
STEP 4: Finish by splashing your face two to three times with cool water (not freezing cold—again, you don’t want to shock your face) to close your pores. Then pat your skin dry with a clean towel.
And there you have it: The proper, most efficacious face washing routine!
Keep an eye out for Dr. Stuart’s eight mistakes people make when washing their face, which I’ll be posting next week—promise!
