Cleansing. How difficult can it be? You lather up with soap, splash with water, rub with a towel and you’re on your merry way. Right? So wrong! There’s much more to it than you think, and you could *actually* be improving your skin while you’re at it!

Let’s get down to the basics: you wash your face to remove sweat, dirt, bacteria and makeup from your skin. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we know this. But, what we don’t know, or fail to always remember, is that we need to factor in everything from the products we are using, to the temperature of the water, to how often we are doing it. Face it - when we are bogged down with daily tasks, washing our face (properly, if at all) can sometimes fall to the bottom of our list. So here are some simple steps that are guaranteed to get you on your way to you're freshest face.

• Remove all of your makeup beforehand. Common ladies! If you do not wash your makeup up before you wash your face, you are not getting deep down into those pores. Break the habit and prevent any unwanted breakouts.
• Wash your hands. Would you use a dirty towel to dry off after a refreshing shower? Nope! Apply this same practice to your face. Dirty hands just move around the already-there dirt on your face - ain’t nobody got time for that.
• Use lukewarm water. Hot water can be too drying and it will strip your skin of it’s natural oils. Choose to use cool to warm water to help lift the dirt out of your skin.  
• Massage your face for 60 seconds. The only breath your glowing skin should take away is that of those looking at you. Make the time to massage your face in circular motions for 60 seconds to encourage oxygen and blood circulation.
• Do not forget your neck.  What the heck?! Your neck needs love too. After all, it is the one holding your pretty face up!
• Pat your skin dry with a clean towel. Pat, do not rub, and make it a habit to use a fresh towel each day so you can avoid problem-causing germs and bacteria. Towels that you use to dry your hair and body may have pore-clogging residue from your shower products on them. Toss them in the hamper!
• Apply skincare within a minute of cleansing. Now that you cleansed, get that post-wash part down pat. Every second your skin is left bare, dry air is pulling moisture right out of it. To avoid any unnecessary dehydration, apply the first layer of your skincare regimen within one minute of drying off. This will allow your nightly skincare products to work there magic much more effectively.

This may just be the world's best beauty secret. Happy cleansing!