One of the greatest skin rituals you can do for yourself is to thoroughly cleanse your face, morning and night. And though it seems simple enough – slap on some soap, then water – there are some tricks and tips to making the most out of your cleanser and to learn how to really clean your face for soft, beautiful skin!
- First, make sure the water you wash your face with is not too hot or too cold. Cold water makes your skin more prone to broken capillaries, and hot water … well, you know what hot water does. Luke warm water is the best.
- Lather up your cleanser in your palms, and start by applying the cleanser to your face with gentle circular motions. Start at your cheeks, then proceed to your t-zone, chin, and then another round all over your face. Allow the cleanser to be left on for at least 30 seconds (I once read an article that said 2 minutes is the recommended for all the ingredients to soak in properly, but that’s a bit long, so leave it on at least half a minute).
- If you have oily skin, apply another layer of cleanser, or if you have any oily areas (for me, it’s my cheeks!), cleanse on just that area one more time. (This is recommended for the warmer times of the year or if you live in a hot climate, though. If you’re in a cold climate and you over cleanse when it’s not needed you may dry out your skin too much.) (And if you don’t know what your skin type it, check out my post How to Find Your Skin Type to find out.)
- Gently allow water to run over your face and gently rub off your cleanser, massaging your face at the same time. After, take a few pieces of face tissue and pat your face dry – don’t rub your face because it’s too harsh for the skin.
Et voila, you are done. Apply your moisturizer and show off that pretty face. What do you think of these tips? How do you cleanse your face – do you have a ritual or is it a simple wash-and-go for you?
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thanks for the tips! do you have a favourite cleanser you could recommend? i need to buy a new one soon :)
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Hey! I do have one to recommend, how silly of me to forget to mention it! I actually use Clinique’s Liquid Facial Soap and I ADORE it. I’ve been using it for a couple of years now and it has changed my skin. It’s a tad expensive, though :(
What have you been using in the past? If it works for you, you should just keep going! I think Cetaphil is a really good cleanser as well, very gentle for your skin. :D
i should try that, i’ve heard clinique ones are very good, i’ve used a couple of clarins ones which are good but i want to try different brands.
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hey i just washed my face and then came on the website…
i used to be really lazy with washing my face, if i didnt feel like it i would just skip it, but i started to see that my face was breaking out and was very oily, so i got back to washing it day and night. WHAT A DIFFERENCE!
question: after we massage the cleanser on, then we have to wait 30 seconds?
Hey Meli – yes, please try to wash your face twice a day. It really makes a difference. I think in the past 5 years I missed it only once because I was staying over at someone’s house and forgot my cleanser: a big no no! :D
And yup, once your cleanser is on, either just leave it there for 30 seconds or just continue to massage it in for 30 seconds … as long as it stays on your face for awhile for it to really “work”.
Hey Renee, long time no talk ! I’m often late in the morning so I don’t leave the cleanser on, I just wash and dry :/
Bonjour Krib! How have you been? :D
Aw, if you’re in a hurry don’t worry, as long as you wash it in the morning it’s fine. If you reeeeally want it to work though, it’s recommended to leave it on for a little bit! Just wash a little longer at night, hehe. :-P Or maybe you can apply your cleanser first and leave it on while you wash your body, so it stays on longer?
That’s a good idea, thanks :p
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Happy Saturday!
I wash my face and apply Witch Hazel toner, it makes my skin feel REALLY clean, without being dry :-)
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Happy Sunday! :-P (I’m half a day ahead of you, I think!)
That’s great, Vanessa! :D I have heard alot of good things about witch hazel but haven’t tried it myself.
Oh no, don’t try the witch hazel. It can be a skin irritant.
http://www.paulaschoice.com.sg/KNOW/skincare370.html
Oh dear! :( Thanks for the link, April. I am trying to figure out why I thought I have heard a lot about witch hazel, though… Maybe it was for something other than the skin, my memory is crazy! But thanks for letting us know.
Vanessa, is it a pure witch hazel product or is it just called that ’cause it’s a minor ingredient?
I was just wondering, Renee, what is your favorite cleanser?
Hey Alicia! My favorite is Clinique’s Liquid Facial Soap. I’ll prob use it forever :-P Some others I’ve tried in the past that I’ve liked (but was not as good as Clinique’s, personally) is Cetaphil, Simple and Therapeutic.
What’s your favorite cleanser? :D
I usually use anything from DDM, because of zits. I hadn’t seen much result in it, though, and your post got me thinking- maybe it was because I didn’t leave it on! I’ve tried this for a few days now, and my skin looks considerably clearer. Thanks so much! :)
thanks for the tips :) i am very bad, i wash and go, i should leave it on much longer for it to work! i’ll try it out :)
Do try it out, it really makes a difference, Lesley :D
That’s exactly how I do it, although I generally don’t go over my oily areas more than my normal/dry areas. Perhaps I will try this though, although I doubt it will help (my oily areas are usually oily because they are dehydrated, especially my forehead. It’s been oilier now in the winter than in the summer because of dehydration!)
I always massage it all over and count to 30-45 in my head. I find that if I do it for too long, it tires my hands out haha. But I do agree, massaging it in for longer than 5 seconds really does make a difference.
Hey Ashley – so true, anything longer than 5 seconds works! :D
As for the oily bit tip, since you are in a colder climate it may dry your skin more so maybe you should skip that! I was told that tip by a facialist I tried out because she said my cheeks were oily and that that method would help. I guess it also has to do with the fact that I live in a BURNING hot country so we tend to get extra oily, haha. I apologize for that mistake, I will edit it to say it’s probably better for those in warmer climates.
Ah, thanks! Although I think that when I cleanse, I do go over my t-zone a little more than my cheeks without thinking about it… Maybe that’s why my t-zone is dehydrated! I will try going over my face more evenly today and see if it makes a difference.
But perhaps I’ll try it once winter is over and summer begins, since our summers can get quite hot! (Well, anything above 10 degrees Celsius here in Canada is basically hot).
Yeah! :D Def try it out in summer … I think for now all you need to do is wash normally and MOISTURIZER is crazy. (Canada must be freezing right now, right?) I wish we had seasons here, the seasons we have is Hot, Hotter, or Rain :-P
i cleanse my face with noxema astringent…ive noticed it takes out so much dirt than a cleanser “cleanser”. the cotton literally comes off black sometimes…although i do proceed it with washing my face with a vitamin c facewash. clean as ever :)
Oh Maria I am intrigued! Can you tell me more about this astringent? :D I know they clean very well, but do you find it’s strong for your skin? I’ve been told it can be harsh.
And a Vit C cleanser sounds so nice! I bet it smells nice? :D
people generally do find it harsh because it gives you this light tingly sensation on the skin …but i on the other hand like it atleast i know its working…and since i wash my face afterwards instead of leaving it on it doesnt dry my skin at all…im very fair with sensitive skin so if it works for me i bet it’ll work for everybody. the vitamin c facewash is great…i use the one from loreal ‘visibly clean’ and my skin has become visibly clean after using it :D
That’s great you found such a great product, Maria! :D I too have sensitive skin so I feel your pain – everything I tried in the past used to make my break out/peel/burn! I have not seen that line by L’Oreal yet, will have to keep an eye out the next time I’m at the store! :D
i love your posts!
this one is pretty simple but very vital.
keep’em coming ^^
Hey Nada, thanks so much, I appreciate it :D Nice to meet you! :)
I used to do this, but I find that using Pond’s cold cream works so, so well! I just put it on and remove it with a wet face towel. It is amazing how much dirt is on there. Then I go for a gentle face wash or if I’m in a hurry a bit of water is good enough!
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Luana, that sounds great – I have never heard of this cleansing method before, I am very intrigued! I don’t think we have that over here, you’ll have to tell me more! :D
ive used this method for taking off my makeup…it does work really well…i do use ponds cold cream as a night cream though..and my skin has become noticebly soft and supple
Thanks Maria for your review on it too! :D Hmm I have to hunt this one down, I really have never heard of it before, it sounds so good…
I hadn’t heard of it before either, my mom showed me how because she used to be in theater and they used it to take off all the makeup. Right now I get all my stock from the US or Venezuela from my father, I think it’s unfortunately discontinued elsewhere!
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Hi,
My tip is to get your washcloth and leave it on your face, when its hot to alow your pores to open up enough to absorb the product.
Also i love muslin washclothes and the Evelom clenser range!!
1) Pores don’t actually open or close, as they do not possess the mechanisms to do so. The hot water can help loosen up what is in the pores, hence the “open”, and cold water will usually shock the pores “closed”.
2) This technique is a no-go for us gals with sensitive skin. Using something very hot or very cold on the skin can lead to minor traumas like broken capillaries and overall irritation :( Believe me, I’ve tried and failed in the past.
Muslin cloth.. is that exfoliating at all? I have some microfibre cloths that I use at the gym as my sweat rags (everything else is too rough!) but I’ve been thinking of using them once a week to exfoliate in place of my scrub, and just use the scrub once a week. How soft are muslin cloths?
Muslin clothes don’t need to be exfoliating, i dont use it for its exfoliating propertys. I use it to apply and remove product, to massage it into the skin.
I don’t think its fair for you to be critical of advice that’s offered just because it doesn’t suite your skin type. There are other people reading this than yourself, surely that’s the point?
I wasn’t “critical”. I simply told her that the technique she uses likely wouldn’t work for those of us with sensitive skin. How is that criticism? I think that stating the fact that it’s not a suitable idea for those with sensitive skin is helpful, because as you said “there are other people reading this”. Which means that perhaps women with sensitive skin are reading this, and it’s beneficial for them to know that it’s not a very suitable technique for their sensitive skins. Had I been critical, I would have said something childish like “pft, hot washcloth? What, are you stupid? That is totally unsafe for the skin”. Which, clearly, i didn’t. If I came off in a different light, then that definitely was not my intention. Obviously it works for her, and I’m glad it does! But, that doesn’t mean that I cannot voice my opinion on how it will not be very suitable for women with sensitive skin.
Oh, Ash and Natalie, don’t fight! :( Your comments are all welcome here, like you both said, I open the post for everyone and was just sharing some tips I know, hoping to help those wondering out! I just think maybe some that was written here may have been taken the wrong way, but I know it wasn’t any of your intentions at all! I am sorry on my behalf as well. :(
I’m a little confused on what you said though, Ashley, are you disagreeing about a wash cloth that Nat wrote about or what I said in the post? When you say “she”, did you mean me? :-P I’m a little confused, ’cause I don’t remember writing about washcloths, haha!
But either way, I agree with both of you – some people prefer washcloths, and that’s totally fine! I was just writing what I know and I do welcome tips from readers, in fact I ask for it – it helps us all out. :) Like you said Ashley, I do agree that washcloths may be harsh for those with ultra sensitive skin, and I do agree with Nat that it doesn’t have to be used for exfoliating purposes, especially if it’s very soft. :D
OK… group hug now! :D
Thanks for tips, i always used to wash my face with cold water, it said that it tighten pores, now i think i will use “normal” water xD.
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