The Proper Way to Wash Your Face (The Deets)

The following information guides you on how to wash your face properly and effectively to rid the skin of dirt, bacteria, waxy sebum, sweat, makeup residue, dust mites, environmental pollutants, and more.

Let’s Begin!

 

  • Wet your face with warm water. Apply the recommended amount of cleanser to the palm of your hand then wet the opposite palm with warm water. Rub hands together vigorously for a few seconds to ignite a lather.

 

  • Immediately apply lathered hands to already dampened face and begin massaging over the face in short circular motions. Movements should be at an average speed.  Not too fast or harsh and not too slow or dull.  Medium action is optimal.

 

  • It is best to use the mirroring method to ensure you miss no areas. For example, right hand on right cheek, left hand on left cheek.  Simultaneously mirror your circular motions for either side of the face.

 

  • As you are cleansing and massaging the face, focus on areas of the face to cover all ground, for instance, the forehead, temples, cheeks, chin and jawline, nose, and don’t forget the T- zone. Give each section its time and attention approximately 5-8 seconds.

 

  • After approximately 45 seconds or so, the lather will begin to dry down or stiffen. At this point, slightly wet your hands again with warm water to reactivate the lather and massage the skin more.

 

  • This time around focus on problem areas. If you have activity anywhere (activity = breakout), show this area some extra love, gently massaging that area. If you have large pores, zero in on that area for a deep clean, if you put a lot of styling products in your hair, give some attention to the skin at your hairline.  ** This second round of activation is for deep cleaning once the initial cleaning has broken down all the dirt and grime.  It is purposeful, so do not forsake it. 

 

  • Once you have cleansed your entire face, you should be well at the 60-second marker. If you have activity (activity = breakout), you will likely hit the 90-second mark having administered extra attention; this is perfectly okay.  The average person with mild activity will spend about 90 seconds on a proper face wash.  The old rule of thumb is "no less than 60 seconds/1 minute and no more than 120 seconds/2 minutes".

 

  • I digress! Once you have cleansed your entire face, you should be well into the 60-second mark. It is time to Rinse! Using lukewarm water splash your entire face clean, as many times as it takes to clear the skin of all traces of cleanser.  Once fully rinsed, adjust the temperature from lukewarm to the coldest temperature setting.  Then splash your face 2-3 times with cold water to seal the pores.

 

  • Finally, grab a clean paper towel, lay it on your face, and gently press, allowing the paper towel to soak up 75-80% of the water from your face. Throw paper towel away and let your face air-dry the remaining 20-25% of the way.  (generally, takes 40 seconds to finish air-drying)

 

  • IMPORTANT: Wait a complete 2 minutes to allow your skin to equilibrate before moving to the next step in your skincare routine.

 

 

   And there you have it! The proper way to wash/cleanse your face.  Once fully dry, your skin should feel crisp and clean. It should not feel uncomfortably dry or striped. Nor should it feel clammy of residue.  If your skin feels anything but fresh and clean after cleansing correctly, you may be using the wrong cleanser for your skin type.

 

 

  (Final Remarks)

Although it may seem like a lot of steps, and perhaps a little drawn out while reading it,  proper face washing takes all but 2 minutes of your time -start to finish.  You will notice the difference cleaning your face properly makes in your skin.  The key takeaway here is the amount of time you spend washing your face. It must, at a minimum, be 60 seconds.  You do not necessarily need a fancy cleanser or high-tech spin brush to cleanse and deep clean your face effectively.  Although these things are beautiful to have, they are not a requirement.  All you need is 2 minutes, and a basic cleanser, with little-to-no fragrance, is best ;) 

 

Be Well~

BHADSHEBA