Washing your face may seem simple enough. However, there's more to cleansing than just splashing water on your face, applying a face wash, and rinsing it off. For best results, you have to understand your skin type.

Removing dirt, excess oil, and dead skin cells is important to maintaining healthy skin. Leaving impurities on your skin may lead to dullness, blemishes, or dry skin. If you already struggle with skin concerns like blemishes, washing your face is even more crucial. 

We will go over how to wash your face, how often you should do it, what facial cleanser you should be using, and how to achieve glowing, healthy skin. 

Table of contents:

• How Often Should You Wash Your Face for Optimal Skin Health? 
• How to Properly Wash Your Face: Tips and Techniques for a Refreshing Cleanse
• Is Exfoliating Your Face Necessary? What You Need to Know
• How to Choose the Right Cleanser for Your Skin Type: Tips for a Tailored Routine
• Face Wash for Oily or Acne Prone Skin
• Face Wash for Dry Skin 
• Brightening Face Wash
• Normal Skin Face Wash
• Removing Your Makeup: Best Practices for a Thorough and Gentle Cleanse

How Often Should You Wash Your Face for Optimal Skin Health?

Your skin type can dictate how often you should wash your face. Most people should cleanse their faces twice a day, in the morning and at night. 

When you sleep, you can get bacteria, oils, and hair products onto your skin from your pillowcase. Removing those impurities is essential to help avoid any skin issues. Plus, if you apply toner, serum, lotion, and other skincare before bed, you'll want to begin with a clean face before digging into your morning skin care regimen.

At night, it's about washing off the day and any impurities on your skin. Natural oils, sweat, and dirt can accumulate throughout the day. Cleansing your face is essential to maintaining healthy skin and avoiding skin irritation and acne. 

Depending on your routine, you may need to wash your face slightly more than twice a day. For example, after you work out, you should wash your face to remove buildup. You don't want to clog your pores. 

Three times a day is the max you should be cleansing your face. Otherwise, you can end up with dry or irritated skin. The dryness can trigger your skin to produce more sebum to replenish your skin, which can also lead to breakouts. 

People with sensitive skin can get away with cleansing once a day with a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser. They should still use water to rinse their face in the morning and after they work out. Water is the most gentle way to remove dirt and impurities without disrupting your skin's natural barrier. However, a face wash is still essential to get a deeper, thorough clean.

How to Properly Wash Your Face: Tips and Techniques for a Refreshing Cleanse

Once you have the right cleanser, you're ready to wash your face. The primary way people go wrong is the amount of time they spend massaging in the cleanser. You may think you can apply it all over your face and then immediately rinse it off. 

Here's how to properly wash your face. 

Use Lukewarm Water

Wet your face with lukewarm water. If you're in a hot shower when you wash your face, you may want to reduce the temperature first. Using hot water can damage your skin. It causes blood vessels to dilate and can hurt your delicate tissue. Hot water can also lead to dry skin because it strips your face of its natural oils. 

Cleanse

Apply a small amount of your cleanser to your fingertips and lather it onto your face. You can begin to massage it into your skin using circular motions. You don't want to wash too aggressively, be gentle to avoid irritation. 

Focus on your t-zone and u-zone, as some people forget to go over both. Your t-zone is the center of your face, middle of your forehead, nose, and chin. The u-zone is around your jawline.

Massage the cleanser for 60 seconds to allow the face wash to work its magic. The full minute also allows dirt and oil to break down fully and dissolve. If you only do 10 to 20 seconds, it's not enough time to get a deep clean. 

Rinse and Pat Dry

Rinse your face with lukewarm water, and make sure to remove all the cleanser. You can also use cold water if you want to tighten the appearance of your skin. Next, pat your face dry, and you're done.

You only want to use clean towels on your face. It may seem easy just to grab the towel you use for your body, but this is a big no. The towel you dried your body off with has dirt and other impurities on it. 

A fresh towel ensures you aren't adding potential contaminants to your skin. It may seem like a hassle, but you don't even need to use a hand towel. Invest in several washcloths that won't take up a lot of room in your laundry basket. 

You can dry your face on one side in the morning and the opposite side at night. In the morning, start with a new towel. Once you get used to this routine, you won't even think about using your other towels.

Is Exfoliating Your Face Necessary? What You Need to Know

Sometimes, you need a little more than your everyday cleansing routine. Exfoliating your face is important to many people's weekly skincare routine. It helps eliminate dead skin cells or gunk clinging to your face. 

Most people don't need to exfoliate their faces every day. Some people use acne products daily that contain salicylic acid, which is a chemical exfoliant. Others use serums or cleansers that use exfoliating ingredients like glycolic acid or other alpha or beta-hydroxy acids.

However, if you don't have acne, you can opt to exfoliate once a week. If you exfoliate too much, you can disrupt your skin barrier. People with sensitive skin may only need to exfoliate once or twice a month. 

You can use a chemical or physical exfoliant to get the job done. Both can do a great job of removing impurities. Try your favorite WOW Skin Science face wash with the built-in exfoliating brush. It's made with hypoallergenic silicone materials. 

The brush will gently exfoliate your face and deep clean your pores to help remove impurities. It can help reveal a brighter complexion and can help your skincare products absorb better with nothing blocking the way. 

How to Choose the Right Cleanser for Your Skin Type: Tips for a Tailored Routine

When choosing a cleanser to use for your daily face wash, consider your skin type. You can have oily, dry, normal, or combination skin. You may have sensitive skin, are acne prone, or you may have another skin condition to keep in mind. 

People with oily skin won't get the same benefits from using a foaming cleanser meant for dry skin types. If you're unsure, you can ask a dermatologist to help you figure out your skin type. Look to gentle, science-backed products to create a skincare routine customized to your skin's needs.

Face Wash for Oily or Acne Prone Skin

If you have oily or acne, prone skin, you need something that will be able to remove the excess oil. You may also want something that contains ingredients like salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, or apple cider vinegar that can help soothe your skin and help reduce the appearance of blemishes. 

Try WOW Skin Science's Apple Cider Vinegar Face Wash. This cleanser is formulated to remove impurities and deep-clean clogged pores for a complexion that looks more radiant.

Face Wash for Dry Skin

For dry skin, look for a gentle and nourishing cream cleanser or cleansing oil. You want to avoid harsh ingredients or anything that can strip your face of hydration. 

Try WOW Skin Science's Aloe Vera Hydrating Face Wash. This gel cleanser will gently wash away impurities while soothing and hydrating. It's packed with ingredients that will help replenish your dry skin. 

Brightening Face Wash

Skin can sometimes look dull, but you can use a facewash that will help your complexion look brighter and more youthful. 

Try WOW Skin Sciences Vitamin C Brightening Face Wash. It can give your skin a deep clean while also potentially soothing and helping to brighten your skin. This gel face wash contains mulberry, licorice extracts, vitamin C, plus lemon and orange essential oils to help potentially give you glowing skin. 

Normal Skin Face Wash

People with normal skin don't have any major skin issues. Their skin is already healthy and clear. To maintain your good skin, use a face wash like WOW Skin Science's Ubtan Face Wash. It will leave your skin feeling smooth, fresh, and nourished. 

Removing Your Makeup: Best Practices for a Thorough and Gentle Cleanse

Your face cleanser is probably not up to the task of removing a full face of makeup. Before washing your face, take off your products with a makeup remover or micellar water. This step is especially important if you wear waterproof makeup since some cleansers won't be able to get it all off. 

You can use an oil-based remover or cleansing balm to help break down your makeup to make it easier to wash away. Makeup wipes are another very convenient way to remove makeup. However, they can be formulated with harmful preservatives and leave behind a residue. Look into a gentle product like WOW Skin Science's Coconut Hydrating Foaming Face Wash With Brush.

No matter which way you remove your makeup, double cleansing your skin should be an important step every night. Washing your face after you take off your makeup will ensure all the dirt, oil, makeup, and grime is truly gone. 

Leaving your makeup on your skin overnight can have negative effects. Not only will you not be able to apply your nightly skincare, but it can also lead to blemishes and skin irritation. The makeup will settle into your pores, which can lead to a breakout. 

Your makeup can also end up in your eyes as you sleep. You may wake up with red eyes or even an infection. Plus, your pillowcase can become stained and will have to be changed. Avoid these issues by removing your makeup and washing your face every night before bed. You'll be happy you did in the morning! 

Follow Up With Skincare

After washing your face, your skincare isn't over. You need to at least follow up with a moisturizer. It will help replenish any moisture lost in the cleansing process. 

The majority of moisturizers have humectant ingredients and occlusive ingredients. Humectants help maintain the hydration that's already in the skin, and occlusives draw in water. You can apply your moisturizer while your skin is still a little wet from cleansing. Your skin will absorb the extra water. 

WOW Skin Science's Hyaluronic Acid Water Gel restores lost moisture. It can help deliver hydration to your skin using hyaluronic acid, pro-vitamin B5, and vitamin E. The water gel formula can help give your skin a smoother, more radiant appearance. 

You should always apply SPF during your morning routine. The sunscreen will help protect your skin from the sun's damaging UV rays. Use an SPF 30 or higher for the best protection. 

Incorporating serums into your routine can be beneficial. Try WOW Skin Science's Vitamin C Serum. This serum is packed with 20 percent vitamin C power in an oil-free formula. It can help tone, soothe, and hydrate your skin with just a few drops. 

If you are going to use serums, apply them before your moisturizer or SPF. Apply a pea-sized amount to your hand and dot the serum over your clean face. Press the product into your skin, and don't forget to take it from your neck to your hairline. Once the serum has had a minute or two to soak in, you can continue with the rest of your skincare. 

Get Healthy Skin One Wash at a Time

The biggest takeaway from how to wash your face is to keep your skin type in mind. Cleanse your skin according to your specific needs and lifestyle. 

Use a high-quality cleanser from WOW Skin Science that can give your skin what it needs. After washing your face, finish with other WOW skincare products that can help keep your skin feeling its best.