6 Major Mistakes You Might Be Making With Your Face Wash

Between doing your makeup and hair every morning, washing your face seems to be the easiest part of any beauty routine.

It’s pretty hard to mess up washing your face…right? Well, actually, a lot of your skin problems can be tied back to your cleansing routine.

Dry skin, redness, acne, and excessive oiliness could come directly from the wrong cleanser or the way you lather it on.

If you’ve been experiencing sudden changes in your skin, here are 6 ways your face wash may be to blame:

1. You’re overdoing it: Unless you’re constantly sweating or reapplying makeup, washing your face twice a day is more than enough. If you cleanse excessively, your skin may start drying out and begin producing too much oil to make up for the change.
2. You’re using the wrong cleanser: After washing your face, you should feel perfectly clean. If there’s any residue behind, then you may need to buy a stronger scrub. On the other hand, if your skin feels tight, dry, or red after you wash your face, then you might want to opt for something gentler.
3. You’re exfoliating too much: According to Women’s Health, you should only be exfoliating 2 to 3 times a week max. Giving your face a good scrub is amazing for getting rid of dead skin cells, but too much can irritate your skin and cause inflammation. Also, try picking up sugar or fruit acid scrubs, instead of grainy ones, for a gentler clean feeling.
4. You’re using the wrong water temperature: You’ve probably heard that hot water opens your pores while cold water closes them. That’s not necessarily true, plus really hot water will do more harm than good for your face. Lukewarm water is the best to prevent over-drying and excess oils on your face.
5. Using irritating ingredients: Seriously, read the label on the back of the bottle before putting anything on your face! Women’s Health suggests watching out for irritating ingredients, like sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrances, colorants, and other synthetic preservatives like parabens. These ingredients can cause redness, inflammation, and all-around irritation.
6. You’re rubbing with a towel: Rubbing may feel good to dry your face, but it tugs at your skin, which puts your elastin at risk. Instead, Women’s Health suggests patting your face after cleansing and rinsing.

Do you make any of these cleansing mistakes? Tell us in the comments!

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