Common Mistakes: 5 Ways you’re washing your face wrong

Cleansing is not only the first step of your skincare routine, it is also one of the most important. Unfortunately, it is also a step that is usually taken for granted. Most of the tips here sound like common sense and may seem obvious, but many women are guilty of committing these silly crimes. Are you one of them?

You’re using the wrong cleanser

Many women tend to over-compensate by buying cleansers that are too “strong” for their skin. Women with dehydrated skin would recoil at my recommendation of a cream cleanser; all because they think the absence of sudsy soap bubbles meant cream cleansers were less effective at cleaning.

So if your skin is dry, opt for a calming cream cleanser and leave the oil-free cleansers for women with oily skin. Women with sensitive skin should keep an eye out for gentle formulas or alternatively find out what their dermatologists recommend.

You’re not patting your face dry

Are you guilty of roughly rubbing your face with a towel? Rubbing can irritate your skin, especially if you have sensitive skin. Try patting water off your skin with a soft fluffy towel instead. With fragile areas like that around your eyes, it is always important to be gentle when handling your face.

You’re not using a dedicated face towel

On the subject of face drying, be sure to use a separate facial towel to dry your face. Not only are facial towels softer, it also minimises the amount of bacteria that you’re introducing into your skin. Speaking of bacteria, be sure to change and wash your face towels regularly!

You’re cleansing your face in extreme water temperatures

 Do not wash your face with hot water even though the old wives’ tale says it kills bacteria. What hot water really does to your face is dry it out, stripping your face of its naturals oils. On the other hand, don’t use too cold water either. The belief that cold water shrinks pores is an outdated one. It may feel really good to splash cold water on your face after a long hot day but the truth is your pores were not made to withstand extreme temperatures. As every individual is different, there isn’t a magic number to temperature. Instead, you have to find your just right “goldilocks” temperature.

You’re not using circular motions when cleansing

Remember what we said about treating your face gently? That goes for the actual cleansing, avoid rubbing your face and pulling your skin in a thousand different directions. Instead, use circular motions and starting from the center before moving out and up. Massaging your face this way is not only calming, but also stimulates the lymphatic drainage and reducing puffiness in your face.

Bonus Tip

This seems like a no-brainer, but most women don’t take enough time to massage the cleanser into their skin. Take about a minute to cover your face, not forgetting your jawline and along the hairline.

Amanda Lim