What do you see when you look at your little bottles of skincare product on your bathroom sink? You know what we see? An olympic gold medal team. 

Look at your skincare products and regimen as a little team– each little bottle of cleanser, serums, moisturizers, etc. play an important part in treating your skin, and they all have to work together to achieve your skincare goals. See! Skincare IS a sport.

One of the MVPs of your skincare routine is your cleanser, which is quite literally the foundation of your entire routine, and sets the tone for how the rest of your products interact with each other and treat your face. It’s critical to wash your face a) correctly (yes, there is a right way!) and b) with the appropriate cleanser for your skin type.

Using the wrong cleanser can easily strip your skin of moisture, damaging the barrier and causing your skin to be dehydrated and reactive. On the flip side of that, the wrong cleanser could clog your pores, building up sebum and causing acne and breakouts. Either way, using the wrong cleanser could make the serums and treatment products you apply afterwards less effective, not effective at all, or even worse, could cause further damage or dryness to your face.

First things first: are you you washing your face correctly? Here are some quick tips & tricks:

Step 1: Remove all makeup and eye makeup

Step 2: Wet your face & apply a dime-sized amount of cleanser to your fingertips
Side note: if you are using a cleansing brush, we are impressed! Cleansing brushes are a great way to remove dead skin cells, clean your face properly and promote circulation. We recommend using a silicone cleansing brush– they are super easy to clean and do not hold bacteria.

Step 3: Massage your cleanser on your face in circular motions for 60 seconds (gently– don’t scrub!!)

Step 4: Splash water on your face and rinse!
Side note: ditch the wash cloth! Wash cloths are breeding grounds for bacteria. 

Step 5: Gently pat your face dry.
A few things to note here: First, do not rub a towel on your face to dry it, this can damage and irritate your skin. Secondly, do not use the same towel you use to dry your hands or that you shower with. Lastly, microfiber towels are great for gently drying your face, but make sure you are swapping them out frequently!

Ok, so now that we are all pros and know how to was our face, let’s learn about a few of our favorite kd cleansers and superstar ingredients.