Cleansing is an extremely important part of your skincare routine. Not only is this the time you remove makeup, but it is also when dirt, impurities and oil are washed away, leaving your skin the perfect canvas to apply your toner, serums, oils and moisturisers. But, how long do you actually spend washing your face? 10 to 15 seconds?
It’s an interesting question, given it’s probably something you do on auto-pilot and it was recently highlighted in a TikTok video from dermatologist Dr Alexis Stephens. According to Dr Stephens, we should be spending 30 seconds on cleansing. Yep, 30 whole seconds spent massaging cleanser into your skin.
In the video titled “3 common skincare mistakes”, which also included not wearing enough sunscreen and putting your skincare on too close to bedtime, Dr Stephens said: “The third mistake is that you’re not cleansing your face long enough. Sing or play your favourite song up until the hook.”
Dr Stephens recommends singing the first part of your favourite song while washing your face as a handy way to track the amount of time you’re spending cleansing. While singing a song in order to track time isn’t a new idea — it is often recommended to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ while washing your hands to ensure you’ve spent enough time actually scrubbing your hands — it’s undoubtedly a helpful hack.
The length of time spent massaging cleanser onto your face means you’ll be breaking up makeup effectively and shifting any dirt or grime that might be on your face before washing it away with water. And, taking the time to properly cleanse your skin means the products you apply following cleansing will be able to properly penetrate your skin.
