THE HOLIWASH CYCLE

We’ve come a long way since “lather, rinse, repeat.” Washing your face isn’t rocket science, but you can mess it up if you don’t let your cleanser work the way it’s supposed to. There’s a proper time and place for it and that’s one-to-two minutes and at the sink. (FYI, in-shower face-washers, washing your face in the shower usually runs most of the cleanser off your face quicker than it needs to work properly.)

We can’t speak for all facial cleansers, but HoliFrog washes contain a mild range of gentle surfactants to cleanse skin without over-stripping your moisture barrier (you’re welcome). Tashmoo Water Lily Nourishing Milky Wash contains the least with 3%, Shasta AHA Refining Acid Wash has 3.4%, Kissimmee Vitamin F Therapy Balmy Wash has 5%, and Superior Omega Nutritive Gel Wash contains the most, with 8%. They’re all formulated at an optimal pH balance, counterbalancing surfactants and exfoliants with rich, nourishing oils to keep your skin in check. Each wash contains a unique set of active ingredients geared towards giving your skin exactly what it needs when you need it. All you have to do is give them the time to get to work.

Whether you’re an early bird or a sleepy bird, washing your face every morning is important. Your morning cleanse preps your skin so you can layer up your skincare products and makeup for the day. A full 60 seconds may feel like an excessive amount of time to push suds around your face, but that gives the formula’s actives a proper amount of time to get intimate with those pores. Think of it like a face wash sandwich: 30 seconds to dislodge any dirt and emulsify sebum, 30 seconds for the formula to penetrate pores, and in between you’ve got a very nice mini facial massage in the morning. Your skin deserves it.

After your day is done and before your head hits the pillow, pencil in washing your face. This is the big wash because now there are greater obstacles in the form of dirt, sweat, oil, sunscreen, makeup, environmental pollutants, and anything else that may have met your face throughout the day to remove. You’re tired, you just want to go to bed — but you also want nice skin and nothing sabotages a good skincare routine like piling products on top of pre-clogged pores. This is where [double-cleansing] comes in. Take one minute with a hardworking yet gentle oil-based wash to emulsify and whisk off surface grime and makeup, so you can effectively remove all aforementioned offenders. For the encore, massage a follow-up wash around your face for another minute to oust any clingy residue as well as nourish your skin with its own formula’s actives. Your pores can sleep easier at night, knowing that all of yesterday’s gunk is out of them.