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Beauty Breakdown: Everything You Need To Know About Washing Your Face
Some beauty topics are noticeably more technical than others. Ask me about the burgeoning science of growth factors and regenerative dermatology, and I can nerd out for days (though that's a story for another day).
Then there are the categories that seem straightforward on the surface but actually contain some subtle distinctions—like, say, washing your face.
Sure, you may know you need an everyday cleanse, but do you know how long, exactly, you should scrub? Do you know the right cleanser for your skin type? Do you know the best time of day to head to the sink? That, friends, is where the nuances lie.
So today, I present you with all the nuts and bolts of washing your face. Let's dive in!
The 101 on washing your face
Even if you don't wear a stitch of makeup that day, "You still need to remove dirt, oils, residues of past skin care products, and air pollutants that may clog pores, cause irritation, and contain free radicals that lead to oxidative damage of the skin cells," board-certified dermatologist Hadley King, M.D., previously shared with mbg. Washing daily helps remove that buildup, even if you can't physically see the debris running down the drain.
Plus, "Impurities on the skin can prevent active ingredients from penetrating," board-certified dermatologist Jennifer Herrmann, M.D., says regarding a good cleanse. Even the most potent serums and tonics cannot penetrate pores filled with debris—you need to wash away all the gunk.
As for the type of wash you should use? Well, we'll get to that in a bit.
The 7 things we're getting wrong right now
Washing your face is not as simple as you think.
- Not washing your face: Forgetting to wash your face will not only lead to clogged pores and accelerated skin aging, but your subsequent serums and creams won't be able to do their jobs. We repeat: A clean canvas is necessary for all that follows!
- Using a stripping cleanser: Some cleansers contain a host of stripping ingredients, including sulfates, as well as irritating ones, like parabens and fragrance. If your face feels "tight" or itchy after cleansing, that's a telltale sign your cleanser might be too harsh.
- Not washing long enough: While washing your face, you need to, well, wash your face. Simply sudsing up your skin isn't enough; you need to massage the formula into your face long enough to actually dissolve SPF, makeup, and overall grime. And if you have an active cleanser, you might need to leave the goop on longer—but more on that later.
- Your hairline isn't wet: "The small strip of skin just before the hairline is often skipped while cleansing," organic esthetician and skin care educator Katie Sobelman once shared with mbg. Over time, this can lead to forehead breakouts, especially as makeup and hair care products start to accumulate in the area.
- Ignoring your skin type: Not all face washes are created equal. Someone with oily skin may want a purifying cleanser, while drier skin types may fare well with a gentle, milky wash. Determining your skin type is the first step to finding your perfect product lineup.
- Over-exfoliating: It's so easy to over-exfoliate, especially during your cleansing step. If you are planning to exfoliate later on in your routine, check your face wash label to make sure it isn't infused with acids—you'd be surprised by how many formulas sneak AHAs and BHAs into the mix!
- Using too hot water: Hot water has the ability to strip the natural protective oils and lipids from your skin. Derms recommend washing your face with cool or lukewarm water to avoid compromising that precious lipid barrier.
The 5 steps you need to know
You know you need to wash your face. But do you know these expert-approved steps?
Double cleanse.
Double cleansing is a K-beauty skin care method, in which you first cleanse your face with an oil cleanser, followed by a water-based face wash.
That first step easily melts away makeup and sunscreen, which are often oil-based, and dissolves excess oil on the skin (since like calls to like). "Makeup and SPF are usually heavy oil-based products, so it's easy for oil-based cleansers to break that down since the molecular structure is similar," esthetician and skin care educator at Heyday Skincare Glenise Gomez previously told mbg.
Then by following up with a gentle foaming or milky water-based cleanser, you provide a deeper cleanse and remove any lingering product residue.
Now, you don't absolutely need to double cleanse—especially if you have an innovative, biphasic face wash that provides those two steps in one product. "The point is to thoroughly and effectively cleanse and remove any impurities and excess sebum and debris from the skin without stripping or irritation," says cosmetic chemist and product development specialist Charlene Valledor, president of SOS Beauty. If you only need one wash to achieve a true bare face, then you do you!
Wash at night.
How often you wash your face will ultimately depend on your skin type, activity level, and overall lifestyle. Some prefer to wash twice a day, every day, but if you have dry or sensitive skin, you can forgo the morning cleanse if that suits you (a simple rinse with water will do).
If you are only going to cleanse once, experts recommend doing so in the evening to get all that daily gunk off your skin. "If you only want to do it once a day, do it at night so you can take all the pollution off before you go to sleep," says Jeanine Downie.
Celebrity esthetician Joanna Vargas agrees: She previously told us, "Your skin must be clean before bed, so you can repair the skin overnight and not break out more."
Your skin is also more permeable at night1, which makes piling on the hydrating actives and creams before bed all the more important—and they need a clean canvas in order to do their jobs effectively.
Leave active cleansers on longer.
"Ideally, we recommend washing your face for at least 30 to 60 seconds," board-certified dermatologist Divya Shokeen, M.D., FAAD, once told mbg. "This is enough time to remove dirt, oil, and impurities from your skin without over-drying it."
A caveat: If you're using an active cleanser (i.e., one with potent players like salicylic acid, glycolic acid, or benzoyl peroxide), you'll want to leave it on for longer. Shokeen recommends keeping it on for at least 60 seconds to ensure these ingredients work their magic—otherwise, you're literally washing them down the drain.
Use lukewarm water.
Since hot water has the ability to strip your skin of its precious oils, experts encourage washing with moderately warm or lukewarm water. Don't worry; you can still dissolve grime and bacteria without scorching your face—that's a total myth!
Washing with hot water can cause broken capillaries, dryness, a ruddy complexion, and just generally way more harm than good. In fact, that's why most derms advise against washing your face in the shower: While convenient, the steamy shower spray is likely way too hot for your delicate facial skin (even though derms recommend dialing down the water temp, anyway).
Always moisturize after.
We'd be remiss not to mention the following step: Always nourish your skin with hydration after cleansing. Otherwise, any lingering water on the surface of your skin will evaporate into the air, making your complexion even drier than before.
Here, you can find our favorite moisturizers for every skin type.
3 extra tips
Looking to go above and beyond? I applaud your determination! While not capital "N" Necessary, here are some extra tips to supercharge your cleansing step:
- Use a cleansing brush: Cleansing brushes help deeply cleanse the skin through manual exfoliation. While they're not for everyone, "For those with buildup of dry skin, this can help smooth the skin and improve skin texture," says board-certified dermatologist Andrea Suarez, M.D., FAAD. Find our favorite (gentle) picks here.
- Use a muslin cloth: These multilayered, finely woven, 100% cotton fabrics gently exfoliate while remaining extremely soft on the skin. That's why those with sensitive skin tend to love them, as they physically slough off dead skin without any sort of intense scrubbing or potentially irritating product—just a simple cleanser (or even water) will work. Find a full guide and shopping list here.
- Triple cleanse: As the name suggests, the method involves a three-step cleansing process: an oil cleanser, a water-based cleanser, then a swipe of an exfoliating toner. "This three-step approach effectively removes sunscreen, dirt, debris, makeup, and solution off of the skin while effectively cleansing the skin and removing it from dead buildup [of] dry flaky skin cells," notes board-certified dermatologist Alexis Stephens, M.D., in a recent TikTok video. We'd suggest triple cleansing only on nights you choose to exfoliate or on days you wear heavy makeup.
The 7 best products to try
Features
- Sulfate-free
- Invigorating aroma
- Great for reactive skin
- Fabulous in the morning
This has become my go-to morning cleanser. It’s gentle, calming, and leaves my skin feeling so supple. It’s quite thick when you pump it out of the bottle—if you told me it was a moisturizer, I’d honestly believe you! It’s that rich and creamy (thank you, shea butter) yet it dissolves into a deliciously milky confection.
I also adore the sweet ylang ylang scent, and I’m not someone who typically gravitates towards scented products (even if they are naturally fragranced). If you have angry, easily reactive skin or are simply looking for a gentle morning wash, I highly recommend you give this one a go.
Features
- pH balancing
- Gentle, plant-based surfactants
- Hydrating sugar complex
- Fragrance-free
You may associate foam cleansers with tight, stripped skin—and rightfully so. The foamy, sudsy cleansers of years past likely sent your skin’s pH into a spiral as you worked the formula into a bubbly lather.
Your hesitation is well-warranted, but rest assured, that isn’t the case with this ILIA number: It starts as a fluffy, cloud-like foam as soon as you pump it out of the bottle—no harsh sulfates at play here. Gentle, plant-based surfactants great a gentle lather that effectively removes all trace of makeup and sunscreen without throwing off pH, while a natural sugar complex sugars attracts moisture into the skin for a hydrated, supple finish. I’d argue it’s the most gentle foam cleanser I’ve tried as of late.
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Features
- Lightweight texture
- Fragrance-free
- Great for a double cleanse
- No greasy residue
Found: the silkiest oil cleanser ever (IMO). I’ve used it both as a gentle morning wash and to remove stubborn makeup at the end of the day, and it works like a charm for both ventures. Even waterproof mascara is no match for this sunflower-infused and grapeseed oil-infused beauty.
Features
- Gentle PHAs
- Smells great
- Nice lather
- No harsh sulfates
- Antioxidant extracts brighten skin
Gel cleansers are typically water-based, which makes them a great second step to your double cleanse. This refreshing blend contains a base of orange fruit water, along with polyhydroxy acids (PHAs) to gently exfoliate the skin. PHAs have a larger molecular structure than AHAs and BHAs, which means they do not penetrate the skin as much (thus making them less irritating); that said, if you do use this cleanser, it will still count as your exfoliating step.
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Features
- Ultra-fine rice powder
- Cranberry enzymes
- Fragrance-free
- Hypoallergenic
- Dermatologist tested
Those with sensitive skin may shy away from using facial scrubs (understandable), but this gentle wash was formulated with easily reactive skin in mind. It’s hypoallergenic, derm-tested, and completely fragrance-free (that’s right; no essential oils!). Along with ultra-fine rice powder to physically lift grime, you’ll find cranberry enzymes to gently dissolve dead skin cells and leave behind a noticeable glow.
Features
- Calms redness
- Silky texture
- Fragrance-free
- Solid balm-to-oil
This balm trumps in terms of texture—I would expect nothing less from the luxurious Japanese beauty brand. Just a light press of my fingertips, and the solid formula instantly dissolves into a lush, silky oil. A little product also goes a very long way: Just a dime-sized dab of balm is all I need to remove all traces of makeup.
Tatcha’s Indigo Collection is my all-time favorite of the brand (though the Dewy Skin Cream comes at a close second), so I’m personally ecstatic by the new addition.
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Features
- Super-fine rice powder
- Kaolin clay
- Fruit AHAs
- Hydrating snow mushroom
- Fragrance-free
I love a good powder cleanser. Not only do they typically last you a long while (there’s no water in the formula, hence no water-loving bacteria), but powder cleansers also offer very mild physical exfoliation. While proper scrubs can include harsher granules—sometimes even jagged shells and salts—powders feature super-fine particles that oh-so gently buff away dead skin.
This Humanrace option features soft rice powder and kaolin clay for that physical exfoliation, as well as fruit AHAs to chemically dissolve dead skin cells, too. If you consider yourself a skin care minimalist, this option will help you get the most out of your cleansing step.
The beauty breakdown
While washing your face may sound self-explanatory, let me tell you that it's not so simple. How often you wash, the products you choose, and your specific cleansing techniques can all affect how "bare" your face truly feels (that is, stripped completely dry or not clean at all), and it may take some detective work to discover your Goldilocks routine. This guide provides a pretty good start—and if you want to browse more star formulas, see here for some more staffer picks.
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