Skin Care 101: The Right Way to Wash Your Face

Washing your face is extremely important and should be a part of the best skin care routine for anyone, at any age. Coming in a close second to applying sunscreen daily, washing your face is a key anti-aging and beautiful skin component. You have to remove the dirt, oil and environmental pollutants that build up on your skin over the course of any given day – even if you did not go outside or put on makeup.

First, you must make cleansing your skin a part of your morning and nightly skin care routine. Beautiful skin is fresh and ready to absorb all of the ingredients from your skin care products. Skin that has not been washed will have a harder time letting ingredients seep in deep enough to work to their best potential. If you wear makeup, you should consider double cleansing, first remove your makeup and then wash your face with a cleanser to remove remaining sweat, dead skin cells and excess oils.

If your skin is prone to breakouts, be careful to not over cleanse, which can strip skin of natural oils it needs to stay hydrated. Try using a foaming cleanser, like Ideal Clean™ All Skin Types Foaming Gel Cleanser, you won’t want to use anything that is too harsh; your goal is to remove dirt, but not to irritate your skin. If you have dry skin, consider using a creamy cleanser like Age Perfect® Nourishing Cream Cleanser.

Follow these cleansing tips for the best skin care routine for fresh, beautiful skin:

1. Wet your face with lukewarm water. Water that is too hot may be uncomfortable for the skin and water that is too cold will not dissolve make up and oil as well. 2. Massage your cleanser between your fingers to activate its ingredients. Then in circular motions massage it into your skin, allowing the formula to foam up. 3. Give the cleanser enough time to clean your skin. Read your cleanser’s instructions to ensure you have given it enough time to clean the skin before rinsing. 4. Don’t scrub your skin with vigorous motions. Scrubbing may be irritating and make your skin sensitive to products that you plan to apply after cleansing. 5. Pat, don’t rub, dry. Rubbing can also cause extra sensitivity that can easily be avoided by patting your face dry instead. 6. Apply moisturizer while skin is still damp.

The American Academy of Dermatology suggests applying moisturizer two to three minutes after cleansing to help seal in moisture – this step can be especially beneficial for those with dry skin.