Let a Dermatologist Show You How to Wash Your Face Properly

A woman with a smooth and radiant face.
The more exuberant, lively, and energetic your face is, the more positively you are seen. (Image: 818376 via Pixabay)

The world perceives you through your face. The more exuberant, lively, and energetic your it is, the more positively you are seen. In contrast, a dull, lifeless face tends to make people want to distance themselves from a person. Here is the perfect way to wash and take good care of it, as vetted by expert dermatologists.

Washing

Many people are confused as to how many times they should wash their face per day. Some people clean up every few hours, while some do it only in the morning. “Realistically, you only need to wash your face once a day — twice at the most… Most of us when we sleep have a clean face from removing the day’s grime or makeup off, so I tend to think that in the mornings you don’t need a thorough face washing outside of your normal showering routine,” dermatologist Todd Minars said to NBC News.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, you should use a gentle, non-abrasive cleanser when washing. The cleanser must not contain alcohol. First, wet the skin with some water. If the water is too hot, it will strip off the natural oils on the skin. If it is too cold, it would prevent pores from opening and expelling dirt. So, only use lukewarm water.

You should use a gentle, non-abrasive cleanser when washing your face.
You should use a gentle, non-abrasive cleanser when washing your face. (Image via Pexels)

Spread the cleanser on your fingertips and apply it to your face. Avoid using items like a mesh sponge or washcloth as this can irritate the skin. Scrubbing the skin should also be avoided.

Once the cleanser has been thoroughly applied, wait for some time and rinse it off with lukewarm water. Take a soft towel and pat your face dry. If you have itchy or dry skin, apply some moisturizer.

If you have dry skin, use cream-based cleansers. For people with oily skin, foam or gel-based cleansers are ideal. Those who use a lot of makeup should use a cleanser that is targeted at makeup removal.

People who sweat a lot must use cleansers that can deal with clogged pores. If you need to clean your face without using water, use cleansing wipes. Make sure that the wipes are soft and they don’t leave any sticky layer on the skin. Avoid pulling the skin when using the wipes as this can damage your skin.

Importance of washing the face

Regular cleansing boosts the skin’s hydration and enables it to maintain an elastic, youthful look. Make sure to use a good moisturizer as well. Without proper cleaning, your facial skin will start to dehydrate, develop wrinkles, and make you look older than you really are. Your skin can experience extreme dryness. Acne breakouts can also become rather common due to clogged pores.

If you don’t keep your facial skin properly hydrated, wrinkles can develop and make you look older than you really are.
If you don’t keep your facial skin properly hydrated, wrinkles can develop and make you look older than you really are. (Image: via Pexels)

Cleansing removes all the dirt and other impurities that have accumulated on the skin. “Throughout the day the skin on your face is continually covered with bacteria, pollutants, viruses, dirt, and old (dead) skin cells. Daily facial washing removes these impurities to give the skin a fresh look. Without washing, your skin would be covered with a thick layer of dirt and grime which make it difficult for other products to penetrate the skin properly,” according to Westlake Dermatology.

Only when you keep your face cleansed will your beauty products work as expected. For instance, using an anti-aging product on a face that is not cleaned thoroughly every day will produce little to no effect when compared to one that is properly cleansed two times a day.

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  • Raven Montmorency

    Raven Montmorency is a pen name used for a writer based in India. She has been writing with her main focus on Lifestyle and human rights issues around the world.

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