5 Of The Most Common Facial Cleansing Mistakes You Might Be Making
It seems simple enough. Wet your face, lather up with a cleanser, and rinse. But the reality is washing your face is the key to overall skin health and appearance. It’s how you set your skin up for success and maximize the performance of the rest of your skincare ingredients. Which is why even a few seemingly harmless facial cleansing mistakes can wreak some serious havoc on your skin. Here’s how you clean things up and give your skin what it needs.
1. Not Cleansing For Your Skin Type
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is not cleansing for your skin type. Cleansing is not a “one-size-fits-all approach,” which is why accurate skin analysis is the key to any skincare routine. The goal is to correct, balance and improve the quality of the skin by using a cleanser formulated to address your specific skin type and challenges. The benefits of taking the time to understand your skin type and then choose the appropriate cleanser for it include:
- Controlling pore size by unclogging pores and preventing the production of excess oils leading to clearer skin.
- Specific ingredients that will enhance the way your skin looks and feels.
- Improved skin health and minimal side effects or issues such as, stripped or dehydrated skin.
2. Cleansing Too Much
There can be too much of a good thing and this includes cleansing your face. The truth is washing your face more than twice a day will actually strip it, causing your skin to dehydrate and produce more oil to compensate. However, with the right ingredients such as oils replete with fatty acids, phospholipids or tocopherols, you are replenishing and balancing the skin while giving it a thorough cleanse. We suggest cleansing in the morning with a gel or milk cleanser formulated for your skin type, and then using a cleansing duo at night to help remove all the dirt and pollutants that accumulate on your skin during the day.
3. The Water is Too Hot…or Cold
While we all love the feel of a hot shower, your face does not. Never use hot or cold water to wash your face. The wrong temperature can strip your face of natural oils, inflame skin conditions such as rosacea and overall be too harsh on your skin. Lukewarm water is ideal for cleansing and rinsing your face.
4. Rubbing Dry, Instead of Patting
One of the worst things you can do is scrub or rub your face with a towel or washcloth when washing or drying. Instead, gently pat the skin dry after cleansing. Rubbing can pull too much on the skin and contribute to fine lines and wrinkles.
5. Waiting to Apply the Rest of Your Skincare Products
It’s best to start applying your serums and then moisturizer about 60 seconds after you pat your skin dry. Applying a moisturizing product while still damp helps to lock in the hydration your skin received from the water before it starts to evaporate.