As a lash artist I get a daily microscopic view of my clients’ faces and even without my magnified goggles I see one thing consistently: makeup residue on their eyes. They profess in exasperation that they cleaned their eyes, they swear they washed them – with a wipe. I hope this post goes viral because I have to tell you something: Stop wiping your face!!
Solely using a wipe to remove makeup does get some of the makeup off, but if you took one of those CSI black lights and shined in on your face it would look like a L’Oreal crime scene. The wipes leave a layer of makeup on your face and not only that, you are tugging and pulling on your skin while you force those layers to come off. Lastly, you’re leaving a film of cleanser on your face. That’s a nasty stew in my opinion. You’ve only got one face girl, wash it.
I’ve been an esthetician for almost 15 years and I still miss a spot, so don’t beat yourself up, but definitely ditch the wipes. The only time I use them is when I’m on a very long flight and I want to clean my face before I put on a sheet mask.
Here are my steps to washing my face.
1. Oil cleanser. Coconut oil DOES NOT WORK. It doesn’t break down the makeup the same way an oil cleanser does, I don’t care what anyone says. It’s solid at room temperature, it just doesn’t work. The MOST important part of this step is that you want to use DRY hands and a DRY face. Do not introduce water yet. Take your time breaking down the makeup. It is created to stay on your face for a long time, so take at least 30-45 seconds to break down your mascara and your foundation. Try not to SQUEEZE your eyes shut because you’ll prevent the cleanser from getting to your lash line, where the bulk of the mascara lives. Here are two of my favorite oil cleansers, neither are available on Amazon, just fyi. You’ll have to go to the store for these.
2. Rinse with a washcloth or a facial cloth. I watch so many women splash their face and push the old makeup and the cleanser to the sides of their face. Take a wet washcloth and rinse your entire face including next to your ears, the back of the jaw and the neck. If you mean business, then go ahead and include the décolleté because that area ages just as fast as your face and it needs skincare too.
3. Now wash again. I like to use cleansers that lather or foam because I feel like they break down the makeup and dirt better than a cream cleanser. Rinse with a washcloth. If I want to treat myself, I get Neogen Green Tea cleanser – at about $19 it is a bit more expensive, but this product lasts me 6 months. Olay Gentle Foaming Cleanser is a staple, it cleans without stripping my skin, and it costs less than $15 for a 3 pack.
4. Use a toner. Because guess what? You still didn’t get all the makeup off. I know, crazy. What’s even crazier is the toner I use. Sea Breeze. I just like it. Sea Breeze finds the extra bits of dirt, oil and makeup that I somehow missed in my two cleanses. I also love this brand Pixi Glow Tonic.
There! Your face, neck, and décolleté is clean. Now you’ll want to apply serums, eye cream and SPF for the day or night cream for…the night. Always protect and condition your skin. Wear sunscreen even if it is cloudy outside. For extra credit, you can go ahead and throw in a weekly mask and exfoliation. If you have any questions about my recommendations, or if there is something I’ve missed please reach out to me!
The eyelashes perform a very important function: to keep things out. When they are coated with week-old mascara, plus oil, sweat, tears and dirt from the city, well doesn’t that just sound nasty? I can’t stress this enough, simply wiping your face will not get it clean. That mascara will stay on your lashes causing buildup and potentially an infection. Mascara and makeup should not be on our eyes for five days. Girl, wash your face.
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