Should You Wash Your Face After Using Cleanser
Cleanser and soap really do the same thing. Some skin types do better with cleansers and others do fine with regular soap. But there’s no need to wash after you use a cleanser as they both achieve the result of cleaning your skin of built-up grime from makeup and environmental factors.
Though we all love our towel sets, it’s a good investment to have separate facial washcloths. This way you don’t worry about makeup stains or not having one on hand.
How To Use Face Cleanser
Washing your face should be an essential part of your daily routine. Cleansers with Salicylic Acid help prevent acne and other blemishes by removing pore-clogging material from your face. Depending on your unique skin, you should find a cleanser that addresses your skin concerns and helps it look its best! Use our tips to find the best face wash for your skin and the best ways to use cleansers.
Yes This Is A Resolution You Should Keep
Leanne Delaptimer
Is it really such a darn big deal to not wash your face every night? Im so wiped after a long day of work and parenting and chores that by the time I get ready for bed every night a skin care ritual feels impossible. I make this a resolution every year, but I ditch it by the end of the month. Can you give me either motivation to do it, or a good excuse not to, please? Amy, Mimico
Im writing this response to you, Amy, with my own face not yet washed to start the day, which is also the same face I cooked and ate dinner with last night. By the time dishes were done for a table of eight, and the kids were busy setting up the firepit and card games and Netflix viewing station, I had grabbed my old dog and crawled into bed without passing the sink basin. Im not afraid to admit it is not the first time that has happened, but I wear very little makeup so I always think, who could I be hurting? Stay tuned, because I was surprised by the answer to that question.
There is really only one expert I would go to for the definitive answer for you here and that is Toronto dermatologist Dr. Sandy Skotnicki, who literally wrote the book on this subject. Her 2018 skin care bible has won her fans and celebrity around the globe, and the text has been translated into multiple languages .
Fragrance, she said, is personal preference, and both natural and synthetic fragrances can be an irritant, so if you have sensitive skin just say no to pretty smells.
Shop the advice
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Face Masks Have A Loooong History
Women have been using clay and fruits as face masks since Biblical times. Face masks have been around for ages, but modern-day masks have come a long way. Years ago, we all looked like martians, walking around with bright green or blue faces and scaring the heck of our partners or kids!
Now, weve got tons of more discreet great optionsespecially since most skincare professionals consider face masks an essential part of a beauty routine.
Why? Here are a few benefits face masks have for your skin:
Cleansing and Refreshing: Clay masks usually contain bentonite which is found to be effective in cleansing the pores.1 It also helps in healing skin blemishes, leaving the skin invigorated.2
Detoxifying and Hydrating: Certain face masks have detoxifying properties, like seaweed. In addition, seaweed may also help to hydrate your skin.3
Moisturizing: A good face moisturizing mask contains essential ingredients with soothing effects. Choose one with aloe vera and/or witch hazel oil, as these two are known as skin moisturizers.4
Exfoliating: A good exfoliating mask works best if it contains ingredients such as alpha hydroxy acid . It acts as an exfoliant and as an anti-aging solution by helping to remove dead skin cells and diminish wrinkle formation.5
Unclogging pores: As long as you have AHA as one of the main ingredients in a mask, unclogged pores can be yours.
Using Face Masks Against Skin Type

Oily Skin
Do you have shiny, moist skin most of the day, but especially during midday? Is your skin prone to skin disorders like blackheads, whiteheads, and cystic acne? You probably have oily skin or partially oily skin.
For oily skin, mud or clay masks are recommended because they can help to draw out and remove the excess oil from your face. One caveat: With clay masks, be sure you dont leave them on longer than the recommended time , or you might dry out your skin too much.
Normal Skin
If you are blessed with normal skin, you dont have any kind of roughness or oiliness. Your skin is balanced, usually supple, with even skin tone and no real signs of skin disorders.
Cream masks are ideal for you. Unlike clay masks, you can leave them on for longer periods of time.
Dry and/or Sensitive Skin
If your skin often feels tight, especially around midday, you may have dry skin. Or do you often see red patches and splotches after using skin care products containing certain ingredients that may be too harsh? You probably have sensitive skin.
The right kind of face mask for dry and sensitive skin is a hydrating mask. Its specially formulated to give you supple and moist skin right after treatment. You can also use face masks with oatmeal, as this calms stressed, sensitive skin.
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Faq About Using Differin
How often should I use Differin Gel?
Differin Gel should be used only once daily and integrated as an important step into your morning or evening skincare routine. Try to apply the product at the same time each day. For best results, first wash skin with a mild , non-drying cleanser apply a thin layer of Differin Gel to clean, dry skin and follow treatment with a moisturizer. If Differin Gel is used during the day, allow it to dry before applying sunscreen. Differin Gel should not be used more than once a day. Applying more than directed will not provide faster or better results.
Can I use Differin Gel as a spot treatment? Why should Differin Gel be applied to the entire face?
Differin Gel is different. Its highly effective, but you cant use it like a typical over-the-counter acne product. Its not a spot treatment and should not be used to treat a single pimple. For example, if you get acne on the face, Differin Gel should be applied to the entire face. Its meant for once-daily use, even when you see no signs of acne.
Can I stop using Differin Gel once my acne clears up?
For best results, its important to continue using Differin Gel even after skin looks clearer to help prevent future breakouts. With continued use, Differin Gel will continue to clear redness and inflammations caused by acne prevent blackheads and clogged pores, and, as a result, restore the skins texture and tone.
Is there anything I cant do after using Differin Gel?
Who should use Differin Gel?
Dont Lay A Finger On Me
We all know that touching our faces with dirty fingers isnt a good idea. Any bacteria on our fingers can easily transfer onto our facial skin, resulting in pimples. Aside from the actual health reasons not to touch our face , using dirty fingers to apply a skin care facial mask is one way to potentially negate the benefits youll get from the mask itself.
Wash. Your. Hands.
Using fingers to spread on a mask is convenient, but its not the only way to do it. Consider using a specific beauty mask tool set. For a quick DIY set, gather a small bowl, a foundation brush, and a small spoon you can use to spread the mask on your face smoothly and evenly. Think of this process as face painting for beauty-conscious adults!
As with your hands, wash your set thoroughly after you use it.
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Micellar Water Or Toner
Ursa Major 4-in-1 Essential Face Tonic and Darphin Azahar Cleansing Micellar Water.
One more way to rid your skin of any remaining debris is to use a micellar water or toner on a cotton pad.
Micellar water, since it’s actually a cleanser, will be the most effective. I like the formulas from Darphin, Caudalie, Bioderma, L’Occitane and BIOeffect. Although you don’t have to, I would recommend splashing with water after you use them, just so you don’t have cleansing agents left on your skin.
Or, you can use a tonerbut look for one like Ursa Major’s, which is designed to cleanse as well as tone.
Dont Rub Your Skin The Wrong Way
For a gentle but thorough cleansing, your best tools are at your fingertips in fact, they are your fingertips. “Your fingers do a terrific job and can actually provide a light massage during your cleanse that can stimulate circulation and promote lymphatic drainage,” says Jill Bucy, owner of Jill Bucy Skincare in Seattle.
For an extra-deep clean, sonic cleansing can more effectively remove water from the skin, says Zeichner. In fact, compared with manual cleansing, sonic-assisted cleansing more effectively removes particulate matter pollution from the skin, he adds. For basic cleansing, Zeichner recommends any of the Clarisonic brushes.
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You Havent Tried Multi
Who says you have to limit yourself to using just one mask? Try multi-masking which means applying different face masks to different areas of your face at the same time. Consider what skin concerns you have, then pick your face masks accordingly. For example, apply a clay mask to your oily T-zone, and a hydrating mask to any dry areas you might have. This way youre getting more customized results out of your skin pampering session.
The Most Important Thing Is To Cleanse Your Skin
Regardless of the product you choose, and at what time of day you do it, one of the main things we can do to keep our skin looking vibrant and healthy is to cleanse it. Remember at a minimum, cleanse in the evening. But twice a day is acceptable and recommended as well. Too much more than that may dry out your skin.
For other wonderful posts on skincare here at StyleCheer.com, please check out the following posts:
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How To Take A Shower According To Dermatologists
We love a restorative shower for its day-starting, head-clearing, muscle-relaxing power. But that long, hot shower that starts your day might not be doing your skin any favors.
Too much hot water can actually be bad for our bodies, according to experts in hair and skin care. We asked several dermatologists to weigh in on the definitive way to take a shower.
Dont Cleanse With Dirty Hands

If theres anything the year 2020 taught us, its that clean hands are a game-changing in our overall health. Theyre even more imperative if youre going to touch your face. Before cleansing your skin, wash your handsthat way you can help avoid transferring bacteria from your fingers to your face.
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Myth : Wash Twice A Day
While the jury is still out on how often to cleanse , all derms agree that over-washing can lead to irritation and a lack of moisture. “The reality is most people apply some sort of night cream or serum you want to make sure to get that off before applying your a.m. products. In the morning, it’s beneficial to use a gentle cleanser such as Cetaphil and at night double cleanse with an oil-based cleanser before following up with a more active exfoliative wash,” says New York City dermatologist Dendy Engelman.
The rule is to use common sense: Always wash your face after a workout to prevent breakouts, and wash excessively oily skin morning and night. For very dry or sensitive skin, stick to cleansing once daily in the evening. “Be careful of over-washing the skin, as this can really strip the face of natural oils and natural lipids, which leads to irritation,” says Dr. Tiffany Libby, assistant professor of dermatology at Brown University.
My Rice Water For Skin Regimen
Following the same routine from yesterday, I continued to use a cotton ball to evenly apply rice water on my face. So far, I really liked the results. Not only was the rice water super mild on my acne-prone skin, but my face continued to feel pretty soft and matte, despite the cold frigid air outside.
I began to suspect scaling back on my products may have contributed to this newfound softness. Yes, brightening serums definitely give my face a natural glow, but layering too many products on my skin has caused too much oiliness and unwanted breakouts in the past.
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What Is The Best Way To Wash Your Face
In short: quickly, gently, and thoroughly.
Its tempting to feel like using your facial cleansing product for a longer amount of time or with more ferocity will wash your face more effectively. But in reality, the length of time you spend lathering does not correlate to how well you cleansed your face. Keep it simple: Try to aim for 20 to 30 seconds of washing, or until the product lathers up on your face, because doing more than that could be too much for your skin. Washing too aggressively or for too longespecially if your cleanser contains any exfoliating ingredientscan quickly lead to red, irritated, angry skin.
To properly wash your face, Jerome Garden, M.D., director of the Physicians Laser and Dermatology Institute in Chicago, recommends wetting your face with lukewarmnot hotwater and using your fingertips to apply cleanser in a circular motion. Make sure to wash the T-zone and U-zone , as these are areas people tend to ignore, he adds. Once youve built up a nice lather, rinse and carefully pat dry with a soft, clean towel.
And about that water temperature: Using hot water in the shower or to wash your face might feel really nice, but it can actually be damaging to the delicate skin on your face.
Is Rare Earth Mask Suitable For Sensitive Skin
Yes, our clay mask is suitable for all skin types, even sensitive skin. In fact, our clay mask can be used to treat maskne. Rare Earth Deep Pore Minimizing Clay Mask is formulated with Amazonian White Clay & Bentonite clay to draw out excess oil and impurities and sustainably sourced Aloe Vera to soothe skin and facilitate the recovery process.
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Cleanser Vs Face Wash
cleanserface washWhat is the difference between a Cleanser and Face Wash?
- Cleansers can be used on a daily basis to effectively remove makeup and dirt from your face, more so than a face wash would.
- Unlike most soaps and body washes, cleansers do not contain the ingredient sodium lauryl sulfate, which is known to be a common skin irritant.
- A cleanser is more moisturizing and hydrating than your typical face wash.
- Face wash can be used as a substitute for soap.
- Cleansers are proven to be gentler than face washes and soaps.
- Face washes are perfect for those with oily skin, giving you a more matte look.
- Face washes foam up like soap when applied to leave you feeling clean and refreshed.
Here are a few of our favorite face washes: SkinMedica Purifying Foaming Wash efficiently removes dirt, oil, and impurities from clogged pores to reduce breakouts. Giving you a fresher, clearer, and more even complexion. Belli Anti-Blemish Facial Wash – A pure facial wash that leaves skin clear and refined, without over-drying. Features lactic acid to cleanse and gently exfoliate acne prone skin. For those looking for a Scrub, look no further than the NIA 24 Physical Cleansing Scrub– An all-in-one cleansing scrub removes dead skin cells. Pro-Niasomes, which are spherical Jojoba Beads infused with Pro-Niacin, help wash away skins visible imperfections. Customers describe NIA’s product as “an exfoliation product that is both gentle and effective.
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The Question Of Double Cleansing
First, lets discuss the merits of double cleansing as part of a thorough skin care regime for clean, healthy skin.
Double the cleansing equals double the products, double the money and double the faff, right? Well the first two are indisputable – the more involved your skin care routine, the more products youll have and the more money youll spend.
But the benefits of double cleansing are multiple. Our faces are exposed to an extraordinary amount of dirt, grime and pollution as we go about our daily lives.
Even if we dont go outside were still exposed to dust and dirt from our homes. Plus cooking fumes, soot from candles and general air pollution can all build up on our skin.
Then theres the things we put on our faces, such as makeup. Many of us also touch our faces a lot, potentially transferring oil, bacteria and dirt. Then there’s the sebum produced naturally by our own skin each day.
All of these things can build up and signal bad news for our skin if we dont carefully cleanse and remove them, twice a day. Without effective cleansing, we can suffer the consequences of blocked pores – spots, acne breakouts and generally stressed out, dull skin.
Thats why effective cleansing is so important, and why we advocate the benefits of double cleansing.
So, what is effective cleansing and how long should we dedicate to cleansing our skin?
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