How to Wash Your Face
When it comes to preaching the steps to great skin, you can’t get anywhere without an A+ cleanse. Here are the steps you need to take, plus the common mistake you might be making when it comes to the most important skincare step – the cleanse. Read all about it and then watch our master skin cleanser Cassie show you the proper two-minute cleanse!
Cleansing is the most important step
Oftentimes, cleansing gets the least amount of love – but that’s so wrong! This is a huge mistake and sets the rest of your routine up for less success. We’ve seen so many skin transformations with simply the use of the right cleanser used in the right way.
Use a high-quality cleanser
If you are using a drugstore cleanser and only investing in more expensive serums, then you are wasting some money. Although these cleansers are widely (incorrectly) thought of as “gentle” and “safe,” they contain low-quality ingredients that strip and irritate the skin over time. Also, they just aren’t getting your skin that clean, which translates to other products not penetrating as effectively as they should. Use a cleanser that gets your skin clean and that also has ingredients specific to your skin concerns. Our two favorites are Purify for dry skin and Mandelic Acid Wash for normal and oily skin.
Gentle, gentle, gentle
Leave the intense exfoliation to your professional! When it comes to cleansing, skip washcloths, devices, silicone brushes, etc. And, SLOW DOWN and focus on massaging the cleanser in the skin versus scrub-a-dub-dubbing which will tug on the gentle skin tissue. Also, please use lukewarm water!
Two minutes – ready, go!
If you don’t know if you are cleansing for two full minutes, chances are that you are not. It may feel long, but oftentimes when you’re not paying attention – you’re really just quickly cleansing for about 15-30 seconds. Watch this video on how thorough Cassie is and time yourself to make sure cleanses are two minutes long. This time and focus will get the cleansing ingredients able to get your skin properly clean (which then makes your skin the perfect canvas for your other active products) and then the active ingredients in the cleanser into the skin!
Removing your makeup
There are three different Skin MPLS-approved approaches to cleansing properly for makeup wearers. We’re ok with any of these techniques:
Start by splashing your face with lukewarm water and really work to start loosening your makeup and rinsing it. Once you feel like a good chunk of your makeup is rinsed, grab a quarter-sized amount of cleanser and get going on your two-minute lather sesh. A great cleanser like Green Tea Cleanser, Mandelic Acid Wash, or BP 3% Wash can do it all (remove your makeup and cleanse and treat your skin). You’ll likely want to finish with a swipe of Bioderma Micellar Water to touch up any leftover traces of mascara and eyeliner.
Do a quick-ish, sloppy, or gentle cleanse first to get your makeup mostly removed. Then, grab another squirt of cleanser and dig in for your two-minute thorough cleanse. (For dry skin or more sensitive skin, use a gentle cleanser like Green Tea Cleanser or Ultra Gentle Cleanser for your first cleanse and then your regular cleanser for your second, more thorough cleanse.
Start with Bioderma Micellar Water and our Skin MPLS 2x2 cotton wipes to first remove the bulk of your eye makeup and face makeup. Please be gentle about this step, no need to rub like crazy or use too much pressure. Then, follow up by rinsing your face with water and then digging into your serious cleansing time.
More tips!
We recommend turning the water flow off once you start your two-minute cleansing and then just back on to rinse when you’re done. This will not only save water, but also it prevents you from rushing! And you won’t make a mess this way because with just your hands dampened and your face dampened, there’s so much less splatter and drippage.
For the big finale, take a clean, soft face towel (like these) or a dry washcloth and simply dab or pat your face mostly dry — never rub or apply too much friction. Your skin does not have to be dry-dry. Damp is great, especially for those of you dry-skinned peeps. And, of course, the best finish to any cleanse is to follow it up with your favorite toner.