A good face routine is important but should you wash your face before or after using a cleanser? We've scouted around to see what top beauty experts have to say and gathered answers for you here.
We have two answers for you in regards to the proper order of washing your face and cleansing your face.
- You do not need to wash your face with soap and water after using a cleanser because a cleanser cleans your face.
- If you are using a facewash product rather than plain old soap and water, then you use a face cleanser first, followed by a facewash.
We'll touch on both of these options below, along with the difference between face wash and face cleanser and how they affect your skin. We'll also talk about when these products could cause breakouts and what to do about that.
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Should I Wash My Face After Using A Facial Cleanser?
A facial cleanser removes make-up, dead skin cells, oil, dirt, and other types of pollutants from the skin. It helps keep pores clear and prevents skin conditions such as acne. Because soap and water do the same thing, there is no need to use both. Soap can be drying for certain skin types, and a facial cleanser might be preferred.
This skin-balancing cleanser from Neutrogena has a milky consistency that melts away dirt and impurities that gather on your face. It's dermatologist recommended for dry and sensitive type skins.
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What About Using A Face Wash Product After A Facial Cleanser?
These two products work well in conjunction with one another. The facial cleanser is oil-soluble and will help melt away any makeup or grime from the day. The face wash gets the grime out of your pores and gives you a deeper clean. So, at night, when you want your face to be as free of dirt as possible, first wipe off the excess of the day with a cleanser. Then wash it fresh and clean with a face wash. Follow it up with a moisturizer.
This spa set from Trader Joe's features facial cleansing pads that will gently remove makeup and grime from the day. It also comes with a bottle of spa-quality facial wash to help eliminate impurities at a pore level.
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From Biore comes this two-part set that includes a daily purifying cleanser that penetrates pores and dissolves deep-down dirt and oil. Follow it up with the Rose Quartz Gentle Pore Refining Scrub for gentle exfoliation and deep cleaning.
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What Does Cleanser Do For Your Skin?
We know how grimy our skin can get by the end of the day for any of us who wear makeup or walk traffic-filled streets. Nobody wants to go to sleep with that gunk built-up on their skin, but sometimes soap and water can be drying. This is why cleansers came into being.
Cleansers are made for each skin type and work by dissolving away the day's makeup and grime. You apply it and wipe away the dirt and pollutants from your skin. This keeps your skin healthy and glowing and helps prevent breakouts of acne as well.
What Is The Best Cleanser For Oily Skin? Acne-Prone Skin? Dry Skin?
Oily and Acne-Prone Skin Cleansers
Gel cleansers are clear with a gel-like consistency. They're deep-cleaning with exfoliating properties and are ideal for oily, acne-prone skin.
This cleansing gel from Raya is made expressly for oily and breakout skin. It's a deep cleansing, oil-free formula that removes excess oil, surface impurities, and make-up. It helps exfoliates dead cells due to Alpha and Beta Hydroxy Acids and natural enzymes. Active Cleansing Gel is recommended for normal-to-oily, oily, and problem skin types.
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Dry Skin Cleansers
Cream cleansers are usually thicker and moisturizing. They cleanse without stripping your skin of its natural oils. These are ideal for dry or sensitive skin.
This cleanser from Acure is a soothing cleansing cream made for dry skin. It contains a soothing blend of organic argan oil, peony extract & sunflower amino acids. Rich in hydrating goodness, this gentle creamy cleanser will have your face feeling amazing after a few uses.
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Combination Skin
Foam cleansers create a foamy lather when dispensed from a pump. They are pleasant to use and remove excess oil as effectively as gel cleanser. These are ideal for combination skin.
This foaming cleanser from Aveena is gentle enough for everyday use on most skin. It removes 99% of skin-aging impurities, such as dirt, oil, and makeup, and is also dermatologist-tested and non-comedogenic so that it won't clog your pores. It's made with antioxidant-rich blackberry extract to help rejuvenate skin and is clinically proven to help preserve its natural moisture barrier.
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Should You Wash Your Face Everyday?
It's a great idea to wash your face at least once a day. If you can only do it once, then the recommended time of day is the evening. This way, you wash off all of the dirt and grime from the day and go to bed with clean skin. If you can work it into your schedule to wash more than once, dermatologists and skin care experts suggest once in the evening and once in the morning to wash off any oils built up during the night.
Can Face Wash Cause Pimples?
If you have sensitive skin, many things can cause breakouts. And too much of anything, or the wrong product, can cause pimples. With face wash, you want to be sure to look for something that is non-comedogenic and won't clog pores. You also want to resist the urge to wash your face more than twice a day. Overwashing can cause your skin to dry and get irritated, which can irritate breakouts.
Look for products specifically for problem or acne-prone skin when looking for a good face wash.
This facial wash from DERMAdoctor is explicitly made for acne skin. This non-drying, cleansing milk helps reduce oiliness, mattify shine & leaves the complexion feeling refreshed.
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Neutrogena has been a tremendous skin-care company for years and leave it to them to provide a product for every situation. This Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne-Fighting Redness Soothing Facial Cleanse helps fight breakouts, and visibly reduces acne's redness. The acne-fighting cleanser works to cut through oil, allowing medicine to penetrate to the source of breakouts, unclogging congested pores, and removing dirt and impurities, all without over-drying. Click here for this on Amazon.
Remember To Wash Or Cleanse Your Face
Whichever routine you decide upon for yourself, remember the most critical time of day to cleanse or wash your face is before bed. Use the product of your choice to wipe your face free of impurities and invest in your own beautiful, glowing skin. You're worth it!
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