Washing one’s face may look easy, but not everyone gets it right. Washing, rinsing and patting your skin dry feels like the drill, but yet many of us experience extreme dryness or oiliness after. When breakouts follow the situation gets even uglier. Which is why it’s important to perfect the basics first and then move to a more complex facial cleansing ritual. And as it is, removing your makeup and washing your face after a long day is the best feeling ever! Hence, it’s important that you do it right so that your skin stays dewy, healthy and glowy all day long!
Here Are 10 Common Mistakes We All Make While Washing Our Face
Helping you pave the way to squeaky clean skin, one tip at a time!
Mistake 1: Using Dirty Hands To Wash Your Face
There are so many women who just hastily pump face wash onto their hands and wash their face. Not once did they realise that using unwashed hands teamed with even the best facial cleansers can transfer bacteria from their hands to their face. Do not make this mistake. First, wash your hands, and then wash your face.
Mistake 2: You Use A Sponge To Wash Your Face
If it’s a fresh, brand new sponge then go for it! However, if it’s old and rough, it could damage your skin. You see, reusable sponges have bacteria growing inside of them the moment them come in contact with humidity in the air and water. This could cause breakouts if you continue to use them. Chuck them out after your five uses.
Mistake 3: Washing Your Makeup Off
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The right way to remove makeup is not to wash it off. Double cleansing is essential. You’ve first got to use a makeup remover and once you’re done, move on to cleansing. Post cleansing, pat your skin dry and then use a toner to remove any makeup residue stuck on your skin’s surface.
Mistake 4: Washing Your Face With Water That’s Too Hot or Too Cold
Remember this, if you wash your skin with cold water, it will cause your pores to shrink and if it’s too hot, it will dry out your skin. Lukewarm water is perfect for washing your face.
Mistake 5: You Wash Your Face Too Fast
Washing your face for 10 seconds is not enough if you want fresh, clean skin. You’ve got to wash your skin for a good 40-60 seconds so that the ingredients in the face cleanser can work on improving your skin’s texture. Also, remember to gently massage the product into your skin in circular motions for a more effective cleanse.
Mistake 6: Washing Your Skin Harshly Around The Eyes
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Do not do this. The skin around your eyes is thin and delicate. You should be extra careful here and not wash the area hastily or roughly. Be gentle, use light pressure and don’t rub too much.
Mistake 7: You Have Irregular Cleansing Timings
The key to amazing skin is consistency. You should wash your face twice a day, once in the morning when you shower and when you’re back home at night. You’ve got to make this a habit if you want a healthy complexion.
Mistake 8: Not Paying Attention To The Ingredient List
Products that have glycerine and niacinamide are great for your skin. However, if you have oily or acne-prone skin, consider using products that have ingredients like salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide or glycolic acid in them.
Any product that causes lots of foam is not good for you – be it a cleanser, body wash or a shampoo. Products like these have aggressive surfactants in them – that’s what causes them to foam so much. Moreover, looking at the ingredient list on your cleansers is very important. If they have unnecessary additives like fragrance, colour, alcohol and other irritants on the label – it’s best to steer clear. Especially if you have problematic, acne-prone or sensitive skin.
Mistake 9: You’re Using The Wrong Cleanser
You can’t pick any facewash from the shelf and expect it to work wonders for your skin. Know your skin type first. If you have oily or combination skin, use a gel cleanser or a light foaming cleanser. If you have normal, dry or sensitive skin, creamy cleansers rule!
As a thumb rule, stay away from cleansers that create a lot of foam. These may give you the illusion that the product is actually cleansing the skin, but it’s actually not. In reality, it’s just destroying its lipid barrier and interfering with your skin’s pH balance. Use products that create little to no foam, but just get the job done at cleansing your face.
Mistake 10: Rubbing Your Skin Too Hard
What do you do after washing your face? Towel dry it, right? Some of us aggressively rub our faces dry and this is a terrible habit in the long run. It could potentially be causing your skin to age faster. The best thing to do after you wash your face is to allow it to air dry. Apply body moisturiser while your skin is still a little damp to lock in all that hydration!
These tiny mistakes can lead to skin complications in the future. Hence, you should pay attention to the way you treat your skin and it will reward you with a healthy glow.
Also Read: Best face wash for combination skin
Images: Shutterstock