Washing Your Face – Just Right!

If there’s one step in a beauty routine that’s absolute – it’s washing your face. But there are a few myths about this deceptively simple procedure.

At some point some well meaning soul, Grandma perhaps, told you to wash your face with hot water as it ‘opens your pores and allows for a deeper clean.’ Sorry. That heat is drying and potentially irritating to sensitive skin. You want something just above luke-warm. As Goldilocks so succinctly said: not too hot, not too cold, but just right.

Next: Choose a cleanser suited to your skin type. We are each individual flowers and our petals need personalized attention. The key to removing makeup, dirt and environmental debris is motion and time. Massage cleanser in circular motions into your face for up to a minute. And when using an exfoliant – please, Please, PLEASE scrub gently. The exfoliant itself takes care of the deep cleaning – no need to add brute force.

Now hopefully you haven’t bought into the adage that if hot water opened your pores, cold water will close them. When it’s time to rinse off don’t change the water temperature. But do remember to rinse your whole face because leaving soap debris behind? Leads to breakouts.

When you’re ready to dry that beautiful canvas (after all, your face IS a work of art) do so gently with a clean towel. Rubbing leads to irritation, over stimulation of oil glands and even wrinkles. Adding a toner to your routine will not only remove residues in the water (like chlorine) it also brings skin back to its normal moisture level – so it’s ready (some might even say eager) to absorb your moisturizer.

(And for the ultimate in a cleansing regimen consider the Yon-Ka Eau Micellaire Cleaning Water to remove eye makeup gently and thoroughly – while preventing eyelid infections.)

Just remember no matter how much fun you’ve had – don’t go to sleep without taking a moment to clean and protect your face. So the next time you want to go out and play, you’ll have a lovely complexion on display.