Facial skin is exposed to lots of cruel stressors and is affected by a variety of sources like pollution, smoking, sunrays, air-conditioning or heating, harsh climates, etc. We can’t avoid most of these skin invaders completely, but we can prevent them from causing damage to your face by taking precautionary steps.

The first and most basic step of skin care regime is washing your face.

Most of men around the world begin with this simple step, but they tend to forget to put more thought into the face product they’re using.

Everyday dirt and dust gets accumulated in the pores of our face, and without an effective cleanser, these impurities can result in pigments, dark spots, blackheads, dryness, and even premature aging.

Every skin type needs a different face wash that can serve to your needs. For example, a product like Boscia Detoxifying Black face cleanser is specifically formulated for acne-prone skin; it won’t work with the same performance for dry skin types. Similarly, Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser is a product that works better for dry skin. That said, you wouldn’t expect to get get positive results against oily skin.

This is what we’ll be talking about on this article. We’ll guide you through the complete skin care regime for your face depending on the type of skin you have. On top of that, we’re going to share with you a few tips for an effective routine along with some useful products to incorporate on your daily ritual.

Here’s why you should wash your face and properly

Washing face properly to rinse debris and avoid clogged pores

Image courtesy: GeorgeRudy/BigStock.com

Removes Build Up

Pollutants speed up the process of forming wrinkles, fine lines, and dullness on your skin. The most common benefit of cleansing your face is the removal of unwanted debris from the facial skin.

Daily face washing helps remove impurities and give you a fresh and clean facial appearance. Otherwise, your skin would be covered with a thick layer of dirt and grime which make it hard for cleansing products to penetrate skin properly.

Boosting Hydration

Dehydrated skin appears dull, wrinkles and dead. Cleansing manages pH levels of the skin and enables product retention.

Washing your face and following with a good moisturizer for men helps it maintaining a proper level of hydration.

Maintaining Clear Skin

Tiny sebaceous glands found in our skin produce sebum oil to protect it from external factors. The oil flows through skin follicles to reach the surface of the skin and prevents it from harmful agents.

Excessive dirt gets trapped in sebum oil, sweat and dead skin cells resulting in blockage of the follicles.

The lack of sebum on the outer skin layer gives room for bacteria to penetrate the follicles causing inflammation and acne.

Proper and regular face washing clears skin pores of impurities, allowing the sebum oil to reach the surface and decreasing the chances of skin breakout.

When should you wash your face?

Drying up your face after face wash or soap

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Experts say you should wash your face twice daily – once in the morning and once before bed. However, it also depends on your skin type; people with oily skin should wash their face less frequently than those with drier skin types.

If you are a bit lazy and want only one wash, you can skip the morning face wash. Nighttime cleansing is important to exfoliate your skin against aging ingredients like excessive oil, dirt, pollutants, etc. that work overnight.

You may want to wash your face midday if you have just sweat a lot. Ideally, 1-2 times daily should be a general range.

For normal skin, cleansing takes at least 20 seconds, and for oily skin, make it closer to 30 seconds to achieve the goal.

Why Should You Wash Your Face At Nighttime?

Cleansing before bedtime makes you look young and charming.

Many studies have shown that washing your face before bedtime is the best way to mitigate foreign factors contributing to aging. Our skin needs oxygen to repair itself overnight. If you sleep without washing your face, dirt and oils blocks the natural exfoliation process of the skin.

Nighttime cleansing lets anti-aging ingredients work.

If you sleep with excess sebum oil, pollutants, dead skin cells on your face, these can seep down the skin, clogging and enlarging pores. It also leads to skin inflammation and generates free radicals and collagen breakdown.

Skin temperature rises overnight that causes the skin to lose its water content. Therefore, it’s important to wash your face at nighttime so that you can apply a moisturizer to keep skin hydrated overnight.

Bar soaps vs. face wash vs. face scrub

Bar soap. Uses and ingredients

Liquid, gels, and creams have given a lot of competition to bar soaps due to their gentler and more effective formulas. However, manufacturers are now formulating better sulfate-free bar soaps for the face.

Unfortunately, there are only a few cases where bar soaps are good for the facial skin because the binders that hold a bar soap together have higher pH than a liquid face wash. So, they will most likely put a drying effect on your skin.

The face wash is a smooth, creamy gel specially formulated with mild cleansing ingredients for facial skin. It is designed for day-to-day- skin care regime. Unlike soap, it doesn’t contain detergents that kill and dehydrated skin cells.

While bar soaps and face washes are formulated for simply washing your face, the face scrub differs in that it has small beads or particles in addition to other ingredients. It helps to exfoliate the dull outer layer of the skin and bring out a newer, brighter and healthier skin.

Use face scrub once a week to maintain a healthy skin.

A few great face washes to consider

Origins Zero Oil Deep Pore Cleanser

This deep pore cleanser is a natural product and honest to its claims. It comes with a minty fresh fragrance due to the ingredients Saw Palmetto and Mint that make your skin refreshing and feel delightful.

Origins Zero Oil Deep Pore Cleanser also contains Salicylic acid that fights against all types of impurities be it debris or stubborn dark spots. Because of these powerful ingredients, this face cleanser exfoliates the skin up to the required extent.

Origins Zero Oil Deep Pore Cleanser uses the conventional get formula that doesn’t lather much but it very efficient in giving a good clean to your skin. It is quick and easy to use any time of the day. After washing your face with this product, you won’t feel so tight or dry because the cleanser doesn’t strip off natural oil from your skin follicles.

It comes in an ordinary yet sturdy, transparent greenish tube with a flip top cap to control the flow of the cleanser.

Overall, this face wash comes in a hygienic and mess-free packaging that won’t allow the cleanser to spill over the counter. Though the product is little pricey, it makes a great face cleanser for oily skin types.

Boscia Detoxifying Black Cleanser

It is a warming gel cleanser the deeply cleanses and detoxifies the skin. As this black cleanser comes in contact with the skin, it heats up, and de-clogs clogged skin pores.

The gel texture easily lathers well to rinse away all excess oil and impurities from the skin. Its major active ingredients are Artichoke leaf extract, charcoal, glycolic acid and vitamin C.

Artichoke leaf extracts improve skin’ elasticity and tighten enlarged pores. Charcoal draws out excessive oil lying on the skin surface that’s the major cause of oily and acne skin. Glycolic acid clarifies skin and provides an even look and feel. Lastly, vitamin C brightens skin tone and defends the signs of aging, free radicals, and fine lines.

The best part is that Boscia Detoxifying Black Cleanser is free of parabens, sulfates, and phthalates.

This black cleanser comes in a durable black pump dispenser which has a small locking clip on the top to avoid accidental leakage and spill.

It is a travel-friendly and child-safe product in true senses. It is also an expensive face wash, but once bought, it goes a long way. It is a great product for all skin types in winters.

Forest Essentials Mashobra

As the name suggests, this cleanser contains all natural ingredients with no chemicals at all.

It comes in a see-through sheer glass bottle of rectangular shape and features a pump for easy dispensing. This natural cleanser is infused with Steam Distilled Rosewater, Lemon Juice, Organic Honey, Royal Jelly, Nagkesar, Anantmool & Kumud. All of them are indicated on the white label of the product.

Wild honey from Mashobra is highly nourishing, moisturizing and skin detoxifying. Lemon and rose water lend it high levels of antibacterial and antioxidant powers to eliminate infectious germs and combat free radicals.

Due to its herbal formulation, the cleanser is very gentle and safe for all skin types. Talking about fragrance, it feels so forestry and fresh. It smells of rosewater with a hint of honey and lime.

The product looks like honey and has a consistency similar to plain water.

Forest Essentials Mashobra lathers well and leave behind a long-lasting fragrance. It doesn’t make your skin feel stretched or dry after rinsing it off with water. Another good part is that a 200 ml bottle lasts for around 2-3 months because just a little is enough for one wash.

Caudalie Instant Foaming Cleanser For Sensitive Skin

It is a soap-free gentle cleanser formulated to offer purifying benefits and soothing effects to your sensitive skin. Caudalie Instant Foaming Cleanser is an effective blend of grape extracts, chamomile and sage promise to detoxify and improve skin complexion.

The cleanser is free from harmful substances like parabens, mineral contents, Sodium Laureth Sulphate, etc.

This luxuriously thick and foamy face wash comes in an environment-friendly pure white plastic bottle that features a pump covered by a transparent, plastic lid. The product is a thin, watery liquid content that lathers well and creates weightless, airy foam.

The fragrance is very mild and fresh like cucumber that lasts longer after one application.

This effective cleanser will leave your skin with a rejuvenating feel and clear complexion no matter how sensitive your skin is. It costs around $25, and you can visit online stores to buy it at the best deal.

Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser for Dry Skin

Formulated with a sugar-derived glycoside foaming agents and effective emollients Squalane, Apricot Kernel Oil, Vitamin E, and Avocado Oil, this gentle face cleanser easily dissolves impurities on the facial skin. Its balanced pH formula maintains skin’s natural balance and doesn’t strip off natural oil from the follicles.

It’s a translucent white cleanser comes in a white squeeze tube with screw cap for easy dispensing.

To use it, apply a small amount on your fingertips, massage it in a circular motion on your damp face and rinse thoroughly with plain water.

Another good thing about Kiehl’s Cleanser is that it doesn’t leave any greasy residue behind after you wash your face.

It does not contain SLS, thus making a great choice for those who prefer soap-free face cleanser. However, it smells medicinal like a paste of medicinal tablet and water. But if you are looking for an effective and affordable face wash for your dry skin, this product is second to none.

Different way to wash your faces according to your skin type

Rinse soap well after face wash

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How To Wash Your Face Properly For Normal Skin – Step By Step Process

Follow these steps to wash your face if you have normal skin:

Step 1: Wash your face with lukewarm water to lift the debris lying on your skin.

Step 2: Gently massage the cleanser for 1-2 minutes on your face.

Step 3: Rinse it off using normal water and pat it dry with a clean towel.

Step 4: Apply toner on your face using a cotton ball.

Step 5: Top the toner with a serum for anti-aging, moisturizing and anti-inflammation.

Step 6: Apply a mild moisturizer to keep your skin hydrated throughout the day.

How To Wash Your Face Properly For Oily Skin – Step By Step Process

It’s not simple to maintain a dry skin. Using the wrong product and top of it, using the wrong cleaning method can mar your skin. Follow these steps to wash your face if you have dry skin:

Step 1: If your skin feels tighter and drier after cleaning, then your cleanser might be stripping off its natural oils. Switch to a gentler and hydrating product to pamper your dry skin.

Step 2: Try oil cleansing with a fragrance-free and organic oils like jojoba, argan, sweet almond and avocado oils. Massage the oil onto your skin for 3-5 minutes and then rinse it off with water to achieve a soft, supple and moisturized skin.

Step 3: Wash your skin with a face wash formulated specifically for dry skin.

Step 4: Follow with a good toner and moisturizer that is gentle on dry skin.

How To Wash Your Face Properly For Acne Skin – Step By Step Process

Facial skin with acne needs a gentler treatment because aggressive rubbing can worsen the condition. Follow these steps to wash your skin if you have acnes:

Step 1: Use a face wash formulated to deal with acne-prone skin.

Step 2: Wash your hands before touching the product or your skin.

Step 3: Be kind to your skin while massaging the cleanser. Over-scrubbing can disturb the pH balance of the skin leading to wrinkles and fine lines.

Step 4: Use lukewarm or plain water to rinse off the face wash.

Step 5: Pat dry your face gently using a clean towel.

Step 6: Use a mild moisturizer that has properties to fight acnes.

Dos and Don’ts of Face Washing

Do’s

  • Wash your hands before touching your face for cleansing. Otherwise, you’re just transferring impurities from hands to your face.
  • Use organic coconut oil on your face before cleaning it with a face wash.
  • Develop a habit to wash your face twice a day – morning and night.
  • Use a face wash made from organic and skin-friendly ingredients to avoid chemical damage.
  • Clean your face after washing your hair. It is because most of the conditioners contain pore-clogging agents that can cause acne on your facial skin. Rinsing your face after washing hair wipes out these agents from the skin.
  • Pat your skin dry with a clean and soft towel. Aggressive rubbing irritates epidermis, stretches the skin and damages elastin.
  • Follow cleansing with a good-quality moisturizer that meets your skin condition.

Don’ts

  • Don’t use too hot or too cold water. Extreme temperature can break the blood vessels and capillaries leading to ugly red marks. Hot water also strips off natural moisture required for younger-looking skin.
  • Don’t scrub too hard because aggressive scrubbing worsens the poor skin conditions.
  • Don’t use a cleanser that leaves your skin with a tight or dry feel.
  • Don’t use body soaps to wash your facial skin because body wash contains harsh chemicals and additives that can strip of skin’s natural oil. For further information. see our article on the differences between bar soap and body wash.
  • Don’t forget face washing is a 4-step process involving using the cleanser, using an alcohol-free toner, applies serum and then top the serum off with a moisturizer.
  • Don’t buy chemical-leached products. Read the label and ingredients list before purchasing it.

Concluding remarks

So the moral of this post is that your face is your first impression, and it’s your responsibility to maintain its health and appearance.

Facial cleansers protect you from all facial dangers like aging effects, dead cells, and dull skin. Everyone has a different skin type and so needs a different face wash.

Before you purchase a face cleanser, analyze your skin type so that your product addresses the actual issue.

 

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