Most recently updated 1/12/21

We won’t sugarcoat the truth: No matter what your skincare routine looks like, none of it actually matters that much if you’re not first cleansing your skin. First, cleansing regularly can help brighten skin, keep pores clear and tight, and even minimize inflammation. It also allows any skincare ingredients you apply to better reach and penetrate skin, making anything else you use that much more effective. All this to say: Cleansing is very important.

Even if you’re already cleansing regularly, there might be more to it than meets the eye, from what you use (skip the makeup wipes, please!) to the water temperature. But good news: Once you’ve optimized your routine, it’s as easy as ever. Wash, rinse, and (possibly) repeat is a good start, but a few tweaks to your routine can help you reap even more benefits.

Why You Need to Wash Your Face

Cleansing should always be the first step of your routine, because no other product you use works as well without it. “Cleansing removes dead skin cell build-up, environmental pollution, and excess oil production, promotes a healthy barrier function, and provides a smooth and clear canvas for product application,” says NakedPoppy skin specialist Tara Parenti. It makes sense: If there’s residue on your skin, that just makes it harder for any other ingredients to penetrate.

Not cleansing your skin can do its own damage, too. “Skin that isn’t cleansed regularly and properly can result in uneven texture, visible dry patches, and an increase in congestion, blackheads and blemishes,” Parenti explains. Sleeping with your sunscreen or makeup on — in addition to the accumulated dead skin cells and oil throughout the day — can potentially clog your pores.

Then there is, as Parenti mentioned, the matter of pollutants. Research has shown that particulate matter, which are super-small particles emitted by sources like cars and power plants, can contribute to discoloration in the skin — so it’s a good idea to rinse that off before bed. [1]

If you’re exhausted, simply cleansing and nothing more can offer you more perks than hitting the sheets as-is. It’s that powerful!

How to Wash Your Face

Cleansing seems like it should be the most straightforward step in your routine — and in many ways, it is. But there can still be a bit of a learning curve. Here, your cleansing cheat sheet.

  • Choose the right cleanser, i.e. one that rinses off and doesn’t contain harsh sulfates
  • Use a formula that complements your skin type
  • Massage it in to de-puff and revitalize skin
  • Do a double cleanse with an oil cleanser or micellar water to remove longwear makeup or sunscreen
  • Rinse skin with lukewarm water and pat it dry
  • Repeat again in the morning if desired

Choose the right cleanser

As with serums and moisturizers, cleansers should be targeted to your skin type. In general, they help to balance your skin type, which, says Parenti, “is determined by the size of our pores, the placement and layout of pores on our face and level and rate of oil production.” For instance, “for someone who is dry and whose skin is under-active in oil production, the ideal cleanser will be a milky or cream cleanser with a higher oil content to help replenish lipids that are naturally lacking in the skin,” she explains. Conversely, if you’re prone to adult acne, you may want to seek out ingredients like willow bark, which is a natural source of pore-clearing salicylic acid.  

Skip the makeup wipe

A makeup-removal wipe is not the answer, as they don’t offer effective cleansing. “These products tend to leave a film on the skin from the solution of the wipe,” says Parenti. “This can actually cause breakouts and irritation for some people.” They’re better than not cleansing at all, but save them for when you’re in the pinch and don’t have any other options.

Massage in gentle circular motions

If you have time to spare, a facial massage can help your cleanser go the extra mile. “It’s a fantastic way to naturally promote muscle lifting and rejuvenation, activate the lymphatic system, increase blood circulation, and enhance product performance,” says Parenti. 

“We have a ton of lymph nodes situated in the chest, neck, and face and want to work these to assist in detoxification. Our lymphatic system doesn’t have a heart like the circulatory system to help move stagnant lymph and therefore is reliant on our movement to aid this process,” she explains. “This is particularly important for individuals who tend to have swelling and puffiness, congestion and even breakouts.”

To start, warm your cleanser in your hands and apply to a slightly dampened skin. Then, try pressing into skin lightly with your fingers, doing upward strokes while alternating hands, or firmer circular motions and kneading. She recommends beginning at your chest or clavicle and working your way up towards the face. Once you’re there, “firm, upward strokes on the forehead will help to lift the eye muscle and smooth out lines and wrinkles,” she says. You can use a gua sha tool for this, as it complements the cleansing process. (We love Odacité Crystal Contour Gua Sha.)

Do an optional double-cleanse

Oil dissolves oil, which is why oil cleansers like Kari Gran Oil Cleanser are so good at removing longwear makeup or skincare formulas, such as waterproof eye makeup, foundation or concealer, and physical sunscreen. “Apply the oil to a dry face using dry hands,” says Parenti. “Focus on areas of stubborn makeup or congestion — such as the nose or chin — using circular motions with your fingers.” Then, you can either rinse with water, assuming the oil cleanser contains emulsifiers, or choose to follow it with a foaming cleanser, such as the NakedPoppy Refresh Cleanser, to make it easier to rinse.

If your skin is on the dry side, start with a cream cleanser with a high oil content, such as NakedPoppy Nourish Cleanser, which can handle stubborn oil-based dirt and debris. For an even more thorough cleansing, you can then follow it up with a micellar water, which contains micelles, little particles that gently lift away grime. Or, “reverse that usage and remove makeup with a micellar water and then follow with a traditional cleanser to clean and treat the skin,” says Parenti.

That said, a double-cleanse isn’t necessary every single night, depending on how your skin looks and feels post-cleanse. If you don’t have residue in the A.M. or aren’t wearing much makeup in general, using just one cleanser is just fine.

Always rinse with lukewarm water

A nice, warm lather might feel good, but it’s doing no favors for your skin. Just as a steamy shower dries out the skin on your body, rinsing with hot water can do the same for your complexion. The water should be lukewarm at most to ensure it doesn’t strip your skin.

Reconsider your sulfates

Sulfates, such as sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate, are surfactants that give cleansers their signature foamy lather. However, “sodium lauryl sulfate is known to be one of the most sensitizing sulfates. While it’s likely not harmful to a person’s health, it can be very irritating on the skin,” Parenti explains. “This is why it is included in NakedPoppy’s ‘No’ list.” Sodium laureth sulfate, on the other hand, is a milder surfactant often derived from coconuts with less likelihood to cause sensitized skin.

Cleanse at least once a day—and possibly more

Cleansing at the end of the day is a given. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve been wearing makeup, sunscreen alone, or nothing at all — sebum and pollutants can still build up throughout the day.

That said, a morning cleanse can also be helpful in the right circumstances, as it can remove sebum and dead skin cells that have collected overnight. Just opt for a gentle formula, as for many, “morning cleansing can potentially strip away beneficial oil that makes up a healthy barrier function,” explains Parenti.

Ultimately, she says, “as long as you are properly cleansing your skin at night and removing the environmental pollution, oil-based makeup and physical sunscreen, your morning cleansing step can consist of a gentle micellar water or even splashing water on your face.”

Whichever cleansing method you find works best for you, great! So long as you find you can stick with it, you’re on your way to healthier, more radiant skin.

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References

[1] Research has shown that particulate matter, which are super-small particles emitted by sources like cars and power plants, can contribute to discoloration in the skin:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412019314965