Cleansing your face is often a step that is easily dismissed by many women. Regardless of whether you wear makeup or not, cleansing this area of your body is just as important as any other bathing you might do.

Why you need to wash your face

Everyday, you are exposing your face to the environment. This includes pollution, dust, dirt and the elements. Just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean the grime is not there.

Our skin is constantly renewing itself and shedding old skin cells. Lack of a proper skin cleansing ritual leads to a dull complexion and blocks your pores which can create breakouts.

Those of us that wear makeup, cleansing removes the last traces of the makeup, gives your face a chance to breath and freshens our face.

Basic Routine

Choose a cleanser that you like. If shopping at the big department stores, ask for a sample before you buy the full size product. There are many options for cleanser out there, from gel to liquid to bar soap. You may need to try several before you find one that is perfect for your skin.

All you need is a dime sized amount of cleanser for you entire face and neck. Surprised? Don’t be, more cleanser doesn’t equal cleaner skin, it just means you’ll be running out a lot sooner.

Rub onto your face gently using either your fingers or a washcloth. A cloth does double duty as it also helps to lightly exfoliate your skin. Whatever cleanser you’re using, make sure you read the directions because some cleanser are not meant to be used around the eye area. In that case you will need a separate eye makeup remover for that.

Rinse your face several times with tepid water, not HOT. Hot water is too drying to the skin and can lead to broken capillaries leading to unsightly red veins on your face. If you think that hot water is the only way you feel clean, think of this, what happens to a grape when it’s exposed to heat, you don’t want to be a raisin face do you? I follow the tepid water rinse with a few splashes of cold water to tighten my skin and refresh it.

Toner is truly optional. Toner was used to clean away the residue of cleansers and the last bit of makeup but cleansers have come along way. If you do choose to use a toner, make sure its alcohol free otherwise you could be drying your skin and stripping your face of the natural oils it needs. This creates a vicious circle where your skin begins to produce even more oil. I like to use rosewater which is available in most baking sections of the grocery store. I find it freshens my skin without stripping its natural oils.

The best time to cleanse your face is both am and pm. If you have a tendency like I do, to fall asleep watching television, do your evening cleanse once you get home from work, or after eating dinner. Another great time to cleanse your face is while in the shower, you’re already washing the rest of your body, might as well multi-task and do your face as well. If your really tired use cleansing wipes, I have used both the M.A.C. and drugstore brand. And the only difference in these was the cost.

Choose what products work best for you and make cleansing your face, a habit you won't want to break.