How to Properly Wash Your Face
When you have acne, learning how to do something as basic as washing your face can actually make a difference in your success at beating your breakouts. The first thing you need to do is remove any makeup with a gentle makeup removing product and cotton balls. We suggest using a an oil-free cleansing cloth, such as Neutrogena Deep Clean Oil-Free Makeup Remover Cleansing Wipes ($6.99). The reason why you want to remove any makeup before using your daily and nightly acne-fighting cleanser is because makeup can take a lot of cleansing to remove and you don’t want to waste the great active ingredients in your face wash on removing the makeup. You want those actives to also do something for your skin!
Now that you’ve got a blank slate to start with, you can let the real cleansing begin. At Clear Clinic, we have a very focused skin cleansing regimen. Our soon-to-be launched line of products offers a few different cleansers, tailor made for different skin types. Whichever cleanser you use, it’s very important to dampen the face first with lukewarm water. Water that is too hot will irritate the skin, yet you want warm water to help exfoliate and open the pores. After splashing the face with warm water, begin working the cleanser into the skin in gentle circular motions. Rub in the cleanser for about 30 seconds and then let it sit on your skin for two minutes to allow the active ingredients to get absorbed.
To remove the cleanser, you will want to splash the face again with the warm water and then use a clean cloth to pat it dry. It’s very important to use clean washcloths each time you cleanse the skin, as bacteria can get trapped in dirty washcloths and then get reintroduced back to the skin when you use them again. It’s important to get all of the cleanser off the skin, as cleanser that is not removed can irritate and dry out the skin. You are now ready for your treatment products!
