How to Clean Your Face, Yes Really, You're Doing It Wrong

I know, I may as well have titled this "how to suck eggs" BUT hear me out. The majority of people don't actually cleanse their skin thoroughly, that may be you, maybe not and if it is, it's really not your fault and you're not alone!

Cleansing is one of the most important things you can do for your skin (as well as wearing SPF daily) but no one ever really focuses on this basic skincare ritual. Working in the beauty industry I know how undervalued cleansing is, so here is my guide to cleansing your face.

• Break the 20 second rule. Apparently people only cleanse for 20 seconds, doesn't seem like much but time yourself, 20 seconds while cleansing can actually feel like longer. If you've invested in a cleanser promising the world but you slap it on then rinse it off you're not going to get the benefits from those wonderful ingredients. Take at least 1 minute to massage your cleanser in to your face, I like to do sections - neck, cheeks, chin, nose, forehead, eyes (make sure the product is suitable for the eye area) don't see cleansing as a task, enjoy this mini pamper. Massaging your skin is going to stimulate the removal of toxins, get the blood flowing and oxygen circulating, all awesome things for your skin.

• Once is not enough. That cleanse that needs to last for at least 1 minute, you need to do that twice. One cleanse isn't enough to thoroughly remove pollution, make-up and SPF from the skin, double cleansing really will give you a much better complexion.

• Cleansing in the morning is wiping away all the good things that happened to my skin in the night. No, cleansing in the morning is wiping away the sweat and dead skin that's accumulated while you slumber. If you've thoroughly cleansed as above the night before, one cleanse should be enough in the morning.

• Water is not cleansing! I hear it regularly, I cleanse with water. Imagine if you took a white tshirt covered in dust, cream and makeup then splashed it with a bit of water, would it be clean? No it would not and neither is your face.

• Cleanser makes my skin worse. That's because you're probably using the wrong cleanser. Choose a PH balanced cleanser for your skintype and not by it's brand/pricetag. And ditch the cleansing wipes, they don't do the job well enough.

• I use soap but it contains moisturisers. It's also very drying and has a high PH. If you have dry skin this is just going to make your skin worse, if you have oily skin, to overcompensate for the soap stripping off your natural oil, your skin is going to create more oil, leaving you oilier with flaky skin; yes even oil skin can become dehydrated. And the high PH? A great breeding ground for bacteria.

• Face flannels are smelly and mouldy. When they're left in the corner of the bath for weeks yes they are. Fresh, clean flannels are heavenly and will help to give you a much deeper clean, they're also a tired person's best friend. Once you're done, leave it to air dry and pop it in the wash the following day, always use a clean flannel.

• I'm always too tired to cleanse. I hear you, this is why I cleanse early. Put the children in the bath and if they're old enough to sit unaided, cleanse at the sink while they splash around. Children learn from us, get them interested in cleansing from a young age and it won't be so foreign when their zits start erupting. Also try opting for a cleansing lotion and remove with a face flannel, I find when I'm tired the last thing I want to do is splash water on my face.

• I have problem skin so I need strong products. No you don't, again harsh products will just strip your skin and when your skin is irritated, it's going to cause further breakouts. Look for products that are PH balanced but suitable for problem skin. After cleansing use an acid based toner which will instantly lower the skin's PH.

• I use a cleansing scrub every day but my skin is still dry. Scrubs should only be used once or twice a week, using them daily will just irritate the skin. If you do like to feel exfoliated, use a chemical exfoliator, look for cleansers containing glycolic acid, lactic acid or salicylic acid or use an acid based toner after cleansing.

• Use fresh water. Don't fill up the sink and splash your face, you're splashing your face with dirty water, always use clean, fresh water.

• Cleansing is the shower is bad! If you take hot showers or stick your face under a power jet then yes, not good but that doesn't mean you can't cleanse in the shower. If your shower water is cool enough, just cup the water in your hand and rinse. If your shower water is hot (hot water really isn't good for the skin but I'm not going to teach you how to shower) take in your trusty, clean face flannel, rinse, shake it to cool and then use it to wipe over your face, repeat a few times until all traces of the cleanser have been removed.

• When should I start cleansing? If you've reached 16 without needing to, well done but now is a good time to start. If you're a parent reading this and have a youngster experiencing breakouts, opt for a gentle cleanser. My 10 year old has been cleansing with a gentle cleansing milk for close to a year, if she misses a few days she has the most terrible breakouts, it may seem young but if your youngster is already developing a skin complaint, get them cleansing as soon as you can.

I do hope that helps you get the best from your cleansing routine and from your products. If you're hypersensitive or you're very conscious about using only natural ingredients, google the Oil Cleansing Method.