2-minute tutorials: Getting your face wash right

Washing your face twice every day is no beauty secret. It’s something we all do. But there are some secrets in doing it the right way! Keeping in mind a list of basic do’s and don’ts helps get the most out of this everyday ritual – with no extra time or money spent! Ready? Here are our top Do’s and Don’ts of washing your face

The Do's

Wash your hands, before you start washing your face. Reason: the greasiness in your hands takes away from the cleansing activity of your face wash, especially if you are using a gentle one (which you should).
Pin back hair falling on your face, before you start splashing your face with water. Yes it is basic, but we tend to forget this in our rush.
Take a coin-sized amount of face wash. Using fingers, gently apply it in small circles (upward-outward) over your face. Don’t forget your neck. Focus more on forehead and chin. Be gentle around the eyes.
Everyday exfoliation is good for skin especially, as you fight a daily battle with the sun and pollution. But please, please make sure your face wash has very gentle exfoliators. Apricot and walnut-shell-based scrubs might be great once a week, but definitely not daily. They are way too harsh, despite being natural. Go for softer scrubs like polyethylene beads (we don’t like this because it’s not eco-friendly) or cellulose beads (we like this).
Splash enough water, to get rid of cleanser completely. Residue left on face can lead to dryness.
Use gentle soap-free face wash. This is perhaps one step you would be already doing – right? Go for SLS and paraben-free cleanser. There are some who advise against SLES (sodium laureth sulphate) as well, but our view is that it is an absolutely safe ingredient that’s well suited for Indian conditions.
Use face wash designed for your skin type. Just because a face wash suits your friend does not mean it will suit you. Check label on the face wash.

The Don'ts

Don’t skimp and hesitate to invest in a good face wash. You deserve it. A lot us are very generous, when it comes to buying serums, night cream, eye cream, etc. but when it comes to face wash- we tend to be little stingy, thinking ‘it’s not going to stay on my face for more than one minute, then why spend money on it?’. Well think about it again. To create a beautiful portrait one has to invest on the canvas first and then on the colors…
Never wash your face with hot water. Use water at normal-temperature, or at best, lukewarm water
Do not use bath soap on face. Soap (irrespective of brand) has a pH of 10.5, and the pH of skin is 5.5. This imbalance leads to dryness and skin damage. On the contrary, most face washes are pH balanced these days.
Don’t rub your face hard after washing your face – it means that you are still dissatisfied with the work done by your face wash. Pat your face dry, with a soft towel. Remember that it is not the job of your towel to deep-clean your face.
Don’t get stuck to the same face wash- see whether it is doing its job of making your face feel clean (but not dry) after the wash
- The job of a good face wash is to clean dirt, grime, and extra oil on your face- not to strip it of all nutrients. After face wash if your face feels ‘stretchy’ rather than ‘clean’, switch to a milder face wash.
- On the contrary, if your face still feels sticky after a face wash, it’s again time you changed your face wash
Don’t over wash your face- even the gentlest of gentle pH balanced soap-free face wash is not to be used more than thrice in a day. If you wash your face too frequently, you will be stripping your face of all important nutrients and its moisture-barrier. Certainly not the best thing to maintain youthful skin.
Don’t apply too much pressure on your face - If you apply too much pressure while using a normal face wash or a scrub-based face wash, you will get a temporary rosy glow, but it can damage skin in long run, and will add to lines on face. So be gentle.