How to effectively clean your skin

Good skincare starts with clean skin

The keystone of any good skincare routine is cleansing.

A good cleanser gently removes excess sebum, dead skin cells, dirt, pollution and makeup and leaves your skin ready for the next steps in your skincare routine.

Washing your face doesn’t need to be complicated, but it’s important to know that there’s a right way to cleanse and the result with any cleanser should be the same: smooth, soft, refreshed skin and never dry, tight, irritated, reddened or dull.

All skin types should use a gentle cleanser that should also not be greasy and clog pores.

Following are our step-by-step instructions for an effective skin cleansing:

At your sink, wet your face with cold or lukewarm water (never hot!).
Dispense a nickel- to quarter-size amount of cleanser into the palm of one hand.
Rub your hands together to disperse the cleanser in a thin
Apply to face using gentle, but vigorous, circular motions. Do this for 20–30 seconds, longer if you wear heavy makeup or you have dry Avoid pulling at skin as much as possible because that will encourage sagging.
Rinse your face until you don’t feel any cleanser on your skin.
Pat dry your skin with a clean and soft towel (never rub your skin).

Either if you’re using a water-soluble cleanser with a gel, cream, foam or lotion texture—by far the most common types of face wash or if have dry skin and you’re using a thicker, cold cream–style cleanser, cleansing balm, or cleansing oil, the steps to clean your skin are similar.

What about micellar water cleansers?

These liquid cleansers are, in many ways, similar to water-based makeup removers that contain mild surfactants. “Micelles” are minute structures that have to do with how surfactants (that is, the cleansing ingredients) combine with water; it is a way to formulate a cleanser that interacts with oils and debris to wash them away. Micellar technology is effective, but other than ease of use, this type of cleanser doesn’t have a strong edge over others. Here’s how to use micellar water:

Apply the micellar water to a cotton pad.
Gently stroke over the face (avoid pulling skin because, over time, that will cause skin to sag!), replacing each pad with a fresh one until you do not see any makeup or dirt on the pad.
With most micellar waters, the directions indicate that you don’t need to rinse, but because leaving even mild cleansing agents on skin for longer than necessary isn’t ideal and can cause skin irritation, we strongly recommend following with a regular rinse-off cleanser or rinsing with plain tap water before doing the rest of your skin care routine.

Eye-Makeup Remover

What about removing eye makeup? Most types of cleansers do a great job of removing light eye makeup (eyeshadow, pencil liner, regular mascara), but if you use long-wearing, waterproof formulas, it is better to use a proper eye makeup remover.

Double cleansing

While it can be helpful in some situations, the double cleansing method is not necessary for everyone. It depends primarily on your skin type and the type of makeup you wear.

Cleansers and skin types

Choosing the right texture for your skin type offers the best chance of achieving the results you want.

Read on to find out which texture is right for your skin type.

If you don’t know your skin type, you can follow our guideline to find it.

Normal Skin

It is important to properly cleanse your skin, even if you have normal skin. This ensures an effective skincare regimen and makes your skin benefit more from the ingredients.

A lotion texture or foams are best for normal skin.

Combination Skin

Combination skin needs a cleanser that is powerful for the oily parts of your skin, but also is gentle on the dry areas. Makeup should be completely removed, impurities cleansed and the balance of your skin returned more to normal.

A gel texture or foams is best for combination skin.

Oily Skin

The aim for an oily skin cleansing it to cleanse oily skin and remove all excess sebum without irritating the skin. This way you ensure that your skin is prepared for all other products and prevent breakouts.

A gel cleanser or light foam is best for oily skin types.

Dry skin

If you already have dry skin, you do not want your facial cleanser to dry out your skin even more. With cleaners specifically formulated for dry skin, you can be sure that you

get clean skin that feels comfortable, and also leaves the natural barrier of your skin intact.

Choose a creamy texture, oil or a cleansing balm to nourish and hydrate dry skin.

Next skincare steps

After cleansing your skin needs a range of products that will help prevent moisture loss, calm sensitive skin and keep your skin’s barrier function healthy.

Learn how to create your basic skincare routine.