How to Wash Your Face, For Every Skin Type

The very simplest, most basic skin advice involves simply two steps: Cleansing and moisturizing. From this perspective, it’s possible to see the act of washing one’s skin as of equal importance to moisturization. This is misleading; It might actually be more important than any other part of the skincare process.

The best skincare routines could be any number of steps long, but every one starts the same: By washing skin. Not only does this step ensure the removal of build-up, but it should also leave skin in a neutral state, ready to let whatever comes next—be it a juicy hydrating serum or skin-sealing moisturizer—work to its optimal potential.

Before it began looking into cleansing technology, the skincare brand Tatcha has been interested in cleansing techniques. It was the face washing routines of geisha that inspired Tatcha’s own collection. They named the “Kyoto Cleanse'', after the two-step protocol they observed watching these performers caring for their skin backstage, first with a makeup-lifting oil, then with a skin-polishing powder. As a result, their skin remained luminous. It was well-cared for, which is to say, well-cleansed. This guide will help you understand how to wash your face according to a similar strategy, one that cares while it cleanses. 

Why wash my face?

Why wash anything? In our own lives, other cleansing rituals abound. We cleanse our bodies after workouts, our clothes after wearing, our kitchens after cooking. All of these are acts of care for the people, places, and things that keep our lives going—acts that we all partake in. A proper wash is required in the maintenance of many kinds of things, from pets to products; we cleanse them to ensure their longevity.

One of the main reasons for washing your face regularly follows the latter logic. Dermatologists agree that cleansing your face at least once daily is necessary to maintain your skin’s health, by purging environmental aggressors like dirt or pollution as well as excess sebum and sweat from the skin’s surface. A regular cleansing practice can also help minimize acne breakouts, even decrease inflammation, by keeping the environment atop the skin clean and clear. Keeping the skin on your face clean is also recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But another reason for washing your face is to show care to your own skin—and, by extension, your self. A skincare routine, even employed once daily, can offer a short but significant amount of time for an act of mindfulness. The necessary act of washing skin can provide clarity in more ways than one. 

How to wash your face: Step-by-step

All you need on hand is a gentle face cleansing formula, plus a clean and dry towel—extra skincare is entirely optional, and it’s recommended that you consult your dermatologist before finalizing your routine. The below steps, adapted from the official recommendations put forth from the American Academy of Dermatology Association, should give you an idea of what constitutes best practices in a face washing routine. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to wash your face:

Step 1. Wash your hands. If our goal is to ensure skin cleanliness, it’s a good idea to start by washing our trusty applicators.

Step 2. Remove makeup. Residual makeup can get in the way of our skincare, which is why we want to clear it all away before the cleansing can officially start. This step is often the first part of a double cleanse, but keep in mind that some cleansers, like oils, can remove makeup while they wash the skin.

Step 3. Apply cleanser to wet skin. Most face wash formulas will offer specific recommendations for how they’re best used, and more often than not, the directions will specify applying to wet or damp skin.

Step 4. Gently lather and massage. Though scrubbing won’t get you nowhere—it could make things worse by pulling and tearing at skin. Consider softly massaging skin for a full minute while the cleanser works its magic.

Step 5. Optional exfoliation. If your skin needs a little more gentle cleansing power, it could be a good idea to double up on formulas, in the manner of the Kyoto Cleanse. Following your cleanser with an exfoliant may help improve the results of your skincare routine, as well as the quality of your cleanse.

Step 6. Rinse with lukewarm water and dry. A soft touch is key to cleansing, which is why it’s generally advised to rinse using not-too-hot water and pat dry with a soft, clean towel.

The best face washes for every skin type

Need help choosing a cleansing formula? Your skin type can help determine which face wash might be best for you. Just as skin is a matrix of water and oil, so, too, are there various formulations—each defined by its own oil and water content—to best navigate it.

For normal or combination skin: The Rice Wash

Cream cleansers sit towards the middle of the oil to water spectrum, often based in water with thickening ingredients—like plant butters—to make them creamier. This best-of-both-worlds makes them exceptionally gentle on skin, and perhaps is why The Rice Wash is one of Tatcha’s best-selling cleansers. An effective cream cleanser for a soft, luminous complexion, every time.

For dry skin: The Camellia Cleansing Oil

This cleansing oil borrows its namesake ingredient from a geisha beauty secret — tsubaki, or camellia oil, with its molecular weight that is nearly identical to that of human skin. The vitamin rich oil lifts away dirt or residual makeup, and supplies essential amino acids and gentle AHAs like lactic acid to resurface as they hydrate.

For oily skin: The Matcha Cleanse

Tatcha’s answer to oily skin was inspired by the ingredient Kyo-Matcha, a centuries-old strain of green tea native to Uji, Japan noted for its anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and antioxidant prowess. Enshrined with other skin-refining botanicals, it comprises the skin-balancing engine of The Matcha Cleanse, a water-based gel that lathers into a sensorial foam. One cleanse washes away dirt, oil, and makeup while lightly hydrating for a feeling of refreshment, not one of dryness typical of other gel cleansers.

For sensitive skin: The Indigo Cleansing Balm

When it comes to the gentlest of cleanses, few formulas do it better than balms. These oil-dense cleansers cushion skin into relieving itself of daily-build up. It’s no wonder that Tatcha’s choice for sensitive skin, the Indigo Cleansing Balm, follows this formula. The addition of soothing Japanese indigo helps this balm to visually calm skin while cleansing lipids effectively remove long-wear makeup, waterproof mascara, and daily build-up, and restore moisture in the process. It’s the power of a good cleanser: Skin is strengthened, and the rest of your routine hasn’t even begun yet.