If you struggle with oily skin, acne, or dry spots, you may want to reconsider the proper way to clean your face.
For example, using cleanser on your face before removing your make-up won’t necessarily get it as clean and oil-free as you would like. Foundation and concealer in particular can go deep into the pores and should be removed with a cotton ball or pad along with a liquid antiseptic first.
Below are some other simple techniques for cleaning your face that you may not have considered.
Keep a Consistent Water Temperature, and Don’t Overdo It
Perhaps you have always heard that you should wash your face with hot water and rinse it with cold water. Many people believe this opens and closes the pores. What actually happens is that the extremes in water temperature can cause dry skin, irritation, and even rupture of blood vessels. For consistently clear skin, try using lukewarm water for the entire cleansing procedure.
It’s a natural reaction to try several different products when you’re dealing with acne breakouts or other common skin problems. Unfortunately, this usually makes the problem worse. When you wash and exfoliate your face too often, it leads to inflammation, infection, dryness, and general irritation. These problems make it difficult for your skin to eliminate the bacteria that causes pimples.
Take Your Time and Be Gentle
Spending a minimum of two minutes cleaning your face each day is the best way to ensure that it remains healthy. This gives you enough time to remove all dirt and oil that has built up during the day. It’s also not necessary to scrub your face hard to get it clean. This actually causes stretching and small tears in the skin.
The most effective thing to do is to start at your neck and work your way up using small circular patterns.
Use High Quality Products
Buying discount facial cleaning products at the drugstore may save you money, but it won’t produce the results you want. Making an investment in quality products such as the Obagi line we sell and endorse at Dermatology Associates allows you to achieve healthy skin from the start.
The Right Way to Dry Your Face
After you have gone to the trouble of cleaning your face in the best way possible, you don’t want to ruin your efforts by not drying it right. Maybe you learned to rub your face after washing it as a child and never considered doing things differently. The problem is that rubbing damages elasticity of the skin. This can cause issues with irritation as well as facial sagging as you age. For skin that’s as clean and clear as possible, it’s important to pat your face dry instead.
If you have skin issues and would like to get a personalized treatment plan, feel free to contact us to set up a conversation.
Dermatology Associates offers a full spectrum of leading edge medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology services from offices in Savannah and Vidalia.
