The Most Common Face-Washing Mistakes Women Make

by Victoria Hoff

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Photo: Maciek Kobielski

It seems straightforward: Cleanse, scrub, rinse, and done. But there is a more nuanced method to properly washing your face—and knowing how to do so can make a world of difference for your complexion, both now and in the years ahead. (Spoiler alert: All that scrubbing is giving you wrinkles.) So from the correct water temperature to how often you should really be exfoliating, consider this Cleansing 101.

Mistake: Your Hands Aren’t Clean

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While it might seem like a silly extra step to wash your hands when they’re about to be covered in cleanser anyway, it’s important to expose your face to as little bacteria as possible. Better yet, try a muslin cloth, like the one included with Eve Lom’s award-winning cleanser.

Pictured: Eve Lom Cleanser

Related: French Women Don’t Use Face Wash—Here’s Why

Mistake: You Aren’t Switching Up Your Products

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Let’s say you fell in love with micellar water this summer. The thing is, even though it might be amazing for your complexion now, your skin will be an entirely different beast come winter. The weather and climate have a major impact on our skin, so it’s important to tailor your routine to your face’s current needs. If you’re REALLY a beauty nerd (like us!), you might even change things up depending on how your skin is looking on a daily or weekly basis. One last benefit to this: Your skin also “remembers” products, so using the same thing over and over again will be less effective as time goes on.

Pictured: Bioderma Crealine Sensibio Micellar Water

Mistake: You’re Exfoliating Too Often

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As much as we love our Clarisonic, it is NOT something that’s meant to be used every day. Exfoliating too often dries skin out, and can even cause broken blood vessels and discoloration over time. Stick to deep scrubbing just once or twice a week.

Pictured: Belmondo The Dunes Almond Oil Face Scrub

Related: How to NOT Break Out After Getting Waxed and Threaded, for Real

Mistake: You’re Scrubbing Too Hard

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Easy, tiger! Another crime to your Clarisonic is using the brush to scrub your face, which tugs at your skin, leaving it more susceptible to fine lines and wrinkles. The vibration does the trick by itself—just skim the device over your skin for the deepest clean you need. If you’re using a washcloth, a scrub formula, or your fingers, use a gentle circular motion (more on that below). And if your skin is particularly sensitive, just stick with soft, makeup-removing wipes.

Pictured: Josie Maran Bear Naked Wipes

Mistake: You’re Applying the Cleanser Wrong

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Skin guru Ling Chan once gave us a wonderful piece of advice: Think of your pores as roof shingles, with their openings facing down. Basically, in order to get any product deep into your skin, you have to apply it upward. To get the hang of it, apply a little bit of cleanser to the tips of your fingers, and brush it onto your face using a tiny circular motion.

Pictured: Ling Skincare Purifying Facial Cleanser

Related: News Flash: You’re Doing Face Masks Wrong

Mistake: The Water Temperature Isn’t Right

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Warm water opens your pores, leaving them open for your cleanser to get in there and get the job done. Cold water closes them back up again, keeping impurities out. Wash your face with warm water; finish off by splashing it with cold water. (Or you could skip water altogether, by using One Love’s waterless, makeup-removing balm.)

Pictured: One Love Organics Skin Savior Multi-Tasking Wonder Balm

Mistake: You’re Wiping Your Face Dry

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As tempting as it is to bury your sopping-wet face in the nearest towel, please practice a little resistance. (Remember that face-tugging, wrinkle-inducing action we talked about?) Instead, pat your face dry—and ideally, make sure the towel is very clean.

Pictured: Juice Beauty Bamboo Cleansing Cloth

Related: Are You Doing This in the Shower? You Could Be Sabotaging Your Skin

Mistake: You Wash Your Face… and That’s It

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Who said class was dismissed? Cleansing just provides a blank canvas for the rest of your skincare regimen. Even if you’re extremely low-maintenance, follow up with a toner (to balance skin tone and minimize pores) and a moisturizer, at the very least.

Pictured: Shamanuti Seaweed Toner


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