Simple But Effective Face Wash Routine

Let’s FACE it, we easily max out our credit cards on skincare products to get that flawless look. Our bathroom cabinets are filled with tubes and jars that may not deliver the benefits their labels claim. We try the latest exfoliators, serums and eye creams to wish for miraculous skin transformation. But all we really need is to stick to a good face wash routine, the most effective way to maintain healthy skin.

Wake-up Routine

1. When we wake up, wash face with clear water is good enough. There is no need to wash face with a cleanser if we cleansed the night before. Excessive use of cleanser may cause skin dryness and increase skin sensitivity. For people with oily skin, use a light cleanser helps remove facial oil secretion during sleep.
2. Apply a daytime serum.
3. Use a SPF moisturizer, or apply a separate sunscreen if we will spend a long time outdoor later. Make sure to use a lightweight sunscreen if we are going to wear makeup over the sunscreen.
4. Make sure to use eye cream under the eye only. Don’t use it on the eyelid because it may interfere with eye makeup.
5. Apply makeup if necessary, and get ready for a bright day.

Bedtime Routine

1. We MUST wash face before going to sleep every night. We don’t want blackheads and breakouts to build up during sleep. Accumulated dirt, bacteria and makeup are the enemies of flawless skin. Exhaustion from late night party is not the excuse to skip face wash.
2. Get a remover and good quality cotton pads to remove all the makeup. Pay special attention to the eye area. For those who don’t wear any makeup, move on to the next step.
3. Apply a cleanser for our skin type to clean the face. Find a cleanser with little or no fragrance and detergent to minimize skin irritation.
4. Use a cotton ball instead of a towel to pad the face dry.
5. Apply a few drops of serum or treatment product to nourish the skin. Generally, serums go under moisturizer.
6. Gently massage a SPF-free cream or lotion, or a night cream onto the face, the neck and the chest. This helps boost the blood circulation to the face.
7. Put on eye cream gently around the eye, and close eyes for a sweet dream.

The untold secret of applying products onto the face: Massage from bottom to top on the forehead and towards the temporal region, and in the opposite direction of wrinkles. This anti-gravity stimulation improves skin firmness and elasticity, and help reduce fine lines.

Of course, diet, exercise and the quality and compatibility of skincare products affect the skin condition. We’ll explore them more in-depth in future blog entries.