Have You Been Washing Your Face Wrong?

Washing our faces is something that we barely give a second thought to – it’s such a normal part of our daily routine.

Though it seems like the easiest thing in the world to do, there is a right and a wrong way to go about it. Whether you only use water or are a skincare fiend, you need to consider how the way you’re cleansing might be affecting your skin.

Our faces are exposed to skin-damaging dangers every day. The two main risks are sun damage and environmental pollutants.

Sun damage can accelerate the aging process and pose serious health risks, whereas pollutants clog your pores with dirt and can cause acne among other things.

Cleansing specifically tackles pollutant-infested skin, purging everything out and making it squeaky clean so that your skin is able to properly hydrate itself and you don’t develop blemishes or other skin problems.

1.The very first step is to make sure that if you wear makeup all of it is properly removed. If it isn’t, residue may block the cleanser and cause it not to work properly. Micellar water is a fabulous gentle product to use for this, and it has cleansing properties itself

2.Then go in with a gentle skin cleanser. It doesn’t have to be expensive as long as the 2nd, 3rd or 4th ingredient isn’t sodium lauryl sulfate or ethanol (alcohol). These two can strip your skin of moisture and damage it further. Ensure that it also isn’t a facial scrub that can create microtears in your skin or an ineffective and potentially harmful 3 in 1 product. There shouldn’t be any gritty exfoliants or beads in it.

3.Next, be sure to wet your face. It seems obvious, but some products give you the option not to and we don’t recommend that. Using lukewarm water will help your cleanser flush out your pores and won’t leave it irritated. If you’re someone who forgets to cleanse often, make it part of your shower routine! If your bottle of cleanser is always insight when you’re showering then it won’t slip your mind, and it’s less of a mission as you’re already wet.

4.Squeeze out about a R5 sized amount of product and give it a quick rub between your hands to get it nice and foamy.

Gently (and we mean gently) rub the cleanser all over your face for 45 seconds to a minute. Any less than that and you might not have cleansed properly, but any more and you run the risk of stripping and drying out your skin.

Don’t stop at your chin!

Make sure you get your jawline all the way to just by your ears. Also, make sure you’re getting up to your hairline and not just focusing on the middle of your face.

5.Once you’re done, pat (don’t rub) your face dry with a clean towel. It’s super important that it’s clean – unwashed towels and pillows are a big culprit of skin congestion.

If you use other products like a moisturizer, which we recommend that you do, don’t wait too long to apply them after you wash your face. If you leave it for more than about half an hour your skin will go dry or start producing oils, which cancels out the effects of your cleansing.

And there you have the right way to wash your face. If you’re making sure to do all this, you can be confident that you’re getting a thorough cleanse every time!

Feel free to experiment with your skincare routine and find out what works for you.

These things are often trial and error, so don’t settle for something that isn’t working for you.

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Mums, have you been washing your face properly as above?

If not, or if you have other tips to add please comment below to let us know x