How to Wash Your Face

Cleaning and moisturizing your face are the cornerstones of good skin care. Here's a simple routine to help you always put your best face forward.

Instructions

Step 1: Choose cleanser Choose a non-comedogenic, or non-pore-blocking, facial cleanser appropriate for your skin: dry or sensitive skin needs something gentle, fragrance-free, and dye-free; oily skin will likely benefit from a product containing salicylic acid, which helps clear out clogged pores.
TIP: Avoid ingredients such as acids, botanicals, and irritating preservatives such as ethanol and propylene glycol.
Step 2: Wash hands Wash your hands with soap and water to rid them of dirt and grease.
TIP: Be sure to pull your hair back so it does not get in the way.
Step 3: Wet face Wet your face by splashing it with warm water.
Step 4: Apply cleanser Following the product instructions, put an amount of cleanser into your hands and work it into a lather. Apply it gently to your face with your fingertips using small circular motions.
TIP: Don't forget to wash your hairline, eyebrows, and beneath your jaw.
Step 5: Rinse off Rinse the cleanser off by splashing your face with warm water.
Step 6: Dry face Pat your face dry with a clean towel.
Step 7: Apply toner Apply a natural, alcohol-free toner, such as one based on rose water or witch hazel, with a cotton ball or pad.
Step 8: Apply moisturizer Apply a non-comedogenic moisturizer that has an SPF of at least 15 and is appropriate for your skin type: sensitive skin needs something dye- and fragrance-free; dry skin needs a rich product, and oily skin needs an oil- and fragrance-free product that contains exfoliating agents, like salicylic or fruit acids.
FACT: Silent screen star Lon Chaney, a.k.a. "the man of a thousand faces," won renown playing such makeup-heavy roles as Quasimodo and the Phantom of the Opera.