4 Tips for Keeping Skin Clean and Clear

Our facial skin is one of the first things people notice about us, yet — when our lives get super busy — it’s also one of the first things we neglect. Studies show we spend just 20 seconds washing our faces, a lazy approach that can cause zits and zap your glow. To keep your complexion clear, here is a four-step cleansing technique that will help you achieve a flawless face in next to no time. –mckenzie harris

The Preparation: Take off your eye and lip color with a gel or oil-based makeup remover.

Step 1: Rub a cotton pad with a drop of cream cleanser over your face to take off any foundation, bronzer or blush. Skin experts call this pre-cleansing, as it removes surface dirt and makeup so your face wash can be cleaned more deeply during step two.

Step 2: Wet your skin, add a quarter-size drop of cleanser to your fingertips, and make outward circular motions across your jawline, then from the sides of your nose over your cheeks. This method loosens dirt and oil better than rubbing does.

Step 3: To cleanse your T-zone, which is the oiliest area of the face, make even tinier circles (about the size of a dime) from your chin, up your nose, then across your forehead. The smaller and more concentrated the circles, the more dirt and oil will dissolve.

Step 4: Finish by splashing your face with warm water three to five times, then run a clean, damp cotton pad along your hairline and jaw line to remove any residue. (Don’t have a pad? Use a clean washcloth.)

Pro Tip: Pat skin dry with a towel, then apply night cream within 60 seconds. Still-damp skin absorbs the most moisture.