How often do you wash your face?
If you fall into bed with your make up on and sleep in it overnight, your skin cells won’t be able to rejuvenate, and you’ll very quickly lose luminosity; if you have oily skin, you’ll break out. If you don’t wear make up and skip washing at night, your skin will be covered in environmental impurities, and in the morning, any products you put on won’t be able to penetrate through.
Cleansing your face sounds like the most basic thing in the world, but you’d be surprised by how many people get it wrong or, worse, don’t do it at all.
Gentle cleansing is one of the most important things you can do for your skin. In fact, it’s so nice, you should do it twice!
Wait, what? Twice? That’s right, removing your make up is phase 1 of cleansing, while a good wash is phase 2. The first removes surface debris, and the second cleans your pores. And if you don’t do both steps, or you do them improperly, your skin will look dull, congested, or depending on your skin type overly dry or oily.
There are more types and brands of cleansers on the market than any intelligent person can wrap their brain around, so whatever you do, just remember to never use a cleanser that contains sulfate and never use over-the-counter bath or facial soap. Both contain industrial surfactants that can damage the skin.
I can’t say it enough: you should always remove your make up before you wash your face. I know, I know—adding an extra step seems like a lot of work, and I even grown about it sometimes. But trust me, it removes the junk on your epidermis and paves the way for a clear palette when it comes time to wash your face. Both, coconut and jojoba oil make a great makeup remover and its also full of omega-3 fatty acids, and if you massage them into your skin using your fingertips, they’ll clear away all your makeup.
Before you wash your face, always wash your hands. If you touch your face with dirty hands, you’re basically spreading germs and bacteria all over your skin. Yuck!
Next, rinse your face with lukewarm water and massage your cleanser over your face with your fingertips, using firm, circular motions. This will stimulate stimulate your circulation and lymphatic system, getting your cells and lymph moving so your body can repair itself while you sleep. Don’t forget to wash your neck as well!
When you’re done, blot your face with a clean towel. Don’t use that dirty towel you’ve left hanging for two days it’s full of bacteria and mildew. I prefer to use paper towels, simply because I know they’re clean.
Your face shouldn’t feel squeaky clean after you’ve washed it. If it does, your cleanser is too acidic, so your skin will overcompensate by producing too much sebum and become oily. Instead, you should feel clean and refreshed and ready to apply your serums.
Finally, be sure to apply the products you’ve chosen within one minute of cleansing. Moist skin absorbs products more quickly, so you get more bang for your buck if you act fast!