How many times have you been tempted to crash into bed without removing your makeup? We don’t blame you – sometimes exhaustion at the end of the day can make even the smallest of routines feel like a chore. While we might sometimes feel lazy about removing our makeup, we almost always end up doing it anyway, as leaving makeup on at night is not the best for our skin. It’s a widely known skincare no-no…but what about our other cleansing habits?
After our many years of experience in the skin care industry, we’ve seen it all when it comes to cleansing – both good and bad! Let’s take a look at six major mistakes people make when removing their makeup, which prevent skin from regenerating correctly and stop it from looking as healthy and radiant as it should!
Table of Contents
1. Using products that aren’t suitable for your skin
The skin on your face is the most delicate on your body, and while it’s a natural barrier, it’s still exposed to environmental damage and free radicals. Therefore it’s important to remove dirt and impurities, but to respect your skin while you do. Your skin deserves gentle, non-aggressive formulas which will help wipe away the day without irritation. This is especially important for those with acne, eczema or rosacea, who need to be on the lookout for products with formulas ideal for their particular skin needs.
While you might feel that aggressive formulas that leave your skin feeling squeaky clean are necessary to get rid of the dirt and grime of the day, you can achieve the same with a gentle formula designed to work with the skin’s natural pH (slightly acidic, if you were wondering – around 5.5).
2. Mistreating the eye area
Gently remove your eye makeup, without using your fingers or wiping any product away without proper cleansing tools. You should try to use a dedicated eye makeup remover, and be gentle as you wipe the makeup away. Use cotton pads and don’t rub back and forth too much, as it could irritate the eye – it’s better to use sweeping motions, lifting up before you wipe again. We recommend using a single cotton pad for each eye for hygiene reasons, to avoid spreading any possible infection from one eye to another.
3. Forgetting about your neck
Along with the face and hands, the neck is an area where premature aging becomes more evident as time progresses. Taking care of your neck is very important, and you should always cleanse it thoroughly. You can use the same products as you do on your face to remove impurities..
4. Aggressively drying your face
After being as gentle as possible to your skin, caring for it and cleansing it as you should, don’t reach for the towel and scrub away as if your life depended on it! No matter the step, being gentle is the key to successful cleansing, and you should dry your face by patting it with a towel or pad, not rubbing with a flannel. Use a special towel or flannel for your face (not the one you use when you step out of the shower) and try to change it every two or three days as impurities and bacteria can accumulate.
5. Using very hot water
We recommend using warm water, even if this feels too much in the summer and too cold in the winter. Why? Very hot water is aggressive towards the skin’s natural lipid barrier, leading to dehydration and dullness.
On the other hand, while in summer cold water can feel like a welcome break to humidity and heat, it’s also not ideal for deep cleansing. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends wetting your face with lukewarm water, and washing off with water at the same temperature1. On a hot day, you could finish your cleanse with a splash of cold water to make you feel refreshed and more awake, but using it to cleanse is not ideal.
6. Only using cleansing wipes
After a long day, you probably don’t want to go through a full routine, and might be tempted to remove your makeup quickly using facial wipes, but you’re unlikely to remove all traces of it this way. In addition, using makeup wipes across the whole face can be irritating as you rub them into the skin. Your best ally is a cleansing cream, gel or micellar water, such as the ISDIN Micellar Solution.
Once you’ve perfected your routine, you’ll be able to treat cleansing as your nightly ritual and will look forward to taking the day off, helping you feel fresh and new! Develop good cleansing habits and follow them daily to see what a difference they can make to your skin.
Read more: creating the ultimate beauty routine
Sources:
1https://www.aad.org/public/skin-hair-nails/skin-care/face-washing-101
Behind the blog:
Article written and reviewed by:
Our namesake embodies the spirit of embracing life and all its wonder. As wellness journalists, we explore topics that invigorate the senses and keep curiosity alive. We believe that glowing skin is the result of a healthy body and mind. Weaving beauty with science, we aim to inspire you to live young at every age.
In addition to ten years as a primary care doctor, Aurora has over 23 years of experience developing and communicating healthcare products, most recently in dermo-cosmetics. She has co-authored many publications in dermatological journals and spoken at international health & beauty conferences. Ref: Colegio de Medicos de Madrid numero 282840102
Hi there, thanks so much for the post. It’s certainly given me some ideas for a basic facial skin care routine.
I didn’t know using hot water can damage your skin. Thank you for this post.