Have you been washing your face wrong all these years?!

1. Tie your hair back or use a headband
Your hair can carry additional dirt to your face.  I highly recommend putting your hair in a bun while you sleep as well since I realized part of the cause of my breakouts on the side of my eyes and cheeks was from sleeping on my hair!

2. Wash your hands before you start to wash you face
You don’t want to add more dirt to your face with dirty hands

3. Remove makeup before you wash your face
If you use makeup remover wipes, please be GENTLE with your skin! Rubbing pulls your skin which can cause fine lines and wrinkles.

4. Wet your face thoroughly with lukewarm water
Hot water does not open pores.  Cold water does not close pores.  Pores do not have muscles to open and close!  (Shocked? I was too when I discovered this!)

Hot water may also cause over drying which then may cause over production of sebum.

Let me say this a different way because I want you to really understand what this statement means as this was a life changing fact I discovered several years ago thanks to a great aesthetician who helped me transform my skin with this one fact.

Dry skin may cause oily skin.

I had been using products for combination or oily skin for as long as I can remember. Suddenly this new aesthetician was telling me I have dry skin and I needed to change my products from whatever I was using to products made for dry skin.  “What?! But I am so oily, especially in my t-zone I need 3 blotting tissues to remove the oil!”  She proceeded to tell me the reason I am oily is because my skin is so dry, it is trying to counter the dryness by producing more oil to compensate!  Sure enough, a few weeks after switching to a heavier cream as my moisturizer, my skin became less oily and the cystic acne subsided significantly!

5. Massage cleanser with your fingers in circular motion for 1 minute
Have you been doing it long enough?  I know generally I haven’t been, but trust me your skin will thank you for it because if you are cleansing well, your skin will show it!

Another aesthetician advised it is not recommended to use a face cleansing brush as it can lead to broken capillaries, excessive dryness, irritation, redness, and sensitivity and can harbor bacteria which will be carried to your face if not cleaned properly.  Please reconsider switching back to your hands if you are currently using a brush.

Using the right product will remove dirt and makeup without stripping away too much of your skin’s natural oils. Your face should not feel tight after drying. If it does, then you are not using the right product for your skin.  Consider using a cleansing oil or milk cleanser.

6. Exfoliate twice a week
Fight that urge to do it more often because you will be causing more harm than good. If you happen to be really dry and your skin is peeling, you may exfoliate once more up to 3x a week to help slough off the dry peeling patches of skin.

7. Rinse well
Rinse well, don’t rush!  Residue may build up if not rinsed off properly, which can clog pores or dry out skin.  Pay particular to your jaw, hairline and sides of nose which are areas typically overlooked.

8. Pat dry
DON’T RUB!  Rubbing with your towel pulls and tugs your skin which causes fine lines and wrinkles.  You want to prevent these, not cause them!

9. Apply treatments or moisturizers immediately after patting dry, while your face is still damp.
Active ingredients are absorbed more easily into damp skin vs. dry skin so don’t wait!