Skincare 101: How To Super Clean Your Face

The easiest way to remove eye makeup; when not to wash your face; and how to apply toner cost effectively.

SATURATE — When removing eye makeup or waterproof mascara, start with a good-quality makeup remover. Soak a cotton pad with the makeup remover and gently press and hold it against your eye for about 15 seconds—don’t rub right away!

Allowing the makeup remover to saturate the eyelid and lashes gives it a chance to do its thing: break down the makeup. Then you can gently rub away the makeup more effectively, more efficiently and with minimal irritation to your eye. If you are using extremely long-wearing products, you may have to repeat the procedure to ensure all the makeup has been removed. Follow with your preferred facial cleansing care, then moisturize.

NIX — If you removed your makeup and washed your face before you went to bed, you can nix the a.m. cleanse. The only thing that should be on your face in the morning is the last traces of your night moisturizing routine and harmless pillow debris. Splash your face with water a few times (or use a cotton pad soaked in cleansing water, if you prefer) and then pat it dry and follow with your toner and daytime moisturizing regime.

SPRITZ — Even the most conservative user will go through the average bottle of toner in about eight weeks, if used every day. That translates to about six bottles of toner a year, not to mention the ridiculous amount of cotton pads. Try misting your toner onto your face with a spray bottle and forget about the cotton pads altogether. You will end up using about 50 percent less product in the long run and that will save you money.

Toner is meant to be applied to the skin, not wiped aggressively with barely saturated cotton pads! When you apply moisturizer to slightly damp skin, the product will spread farther and absorb more quickly. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t use a toner, but there is definitely a benefit to using it, not to mention the money saved on moisturizing products because you require less.

*If you are using a toner that is part of an acne treatment, or contains AHA (glycolic acid) or BHA (salicylic acid), the spray bottle technique is not recommended. These liquids are meant to mildly exfoliate your skin on a daily basis so they are best used with a cotton ball or soft cotton pad and wiped gently from the centre of the face and outward, avoiding the eye area (try Shiseido Cotton Pads —these cotton pads are so soft, never leave fluff, and you can even rip them in half to conserve them). —Allison Emery