The 6 Biggest Face Washing Mistakes You're Making

Let's face it (pun intended), washing your face is a lot bigger deal than it should be. To some of you, washing your face may sound deceptively simple, perhaps even a lot like "washing your hands." But in reality, everything from determining your skin type, applying the right skin care products, using the right water temperature, and even choosing the right drying method all make "washing your face" is more than a simple procedure.

Here's the really lame part: you're probably washing your face incorrectly. We often get so used to our face washing routine that we slowly begin to integrate bad habits when we wash our face. The good news is that creating a proper face washing routine is easier than you think. It's time that you clean up your face washing act with these simple tips.

Here are six of the biggest mistakes you're making when it comes to washing your face (and how you can correct them):

Mistake #1 -Buying Products With a Long List of Ingredients You Don't Understand

We totally spelled that wrong, but that's the point. Those long, exciting words that you see on the back of your facial and skincare products are tough to spell, difficult to read, and disastrous on your skin. Your skin has never heard of those mile-long chemical creations formulated in a lab, and so it reacts, thinking "What on earth IS this stuff?!", leading to massive breakouts or premature aging.

A symphony of 47 different foreign ingredients on your skin at one time is hard for your body to process. So,  when it comes to your face, keep the whole "less is more" saying in mind. Your skin is natural. It works best with simple natural ingredients. Don't try to outsmart your skin, just give it what it wants. 

Mistake #2 - Using the Wrong Water Temperature

Here's the deal: Your pores don't open and close with muscles. They actually open with hot temperatures and close with cold temperatures. Like most things in life, balance is everything, so for best results, we recommend that you wash your face using lukewarm water alongside a cream or gel cleanser. Warm water helps lift dirt and other debris out of your skin, unlike hot water which can actually lead to dry, brittle skin. Then, gently pat your face dry with a clean, dry towel. Avoid vigorously rubbing your skin as this can lead to wrinkles.

Mistake #3 - Washing Too Much

Our face produces healthy oils our skin truly does need and actually benefits from. Over-washing your face can mess with the PH balance of your skin, causing oily skin to become even MORE oily in an effort to counterbalance your intense oil-reduction methods! This, of course, makes you want to apply even more intense oil-reduction techniques (i.e. washing) and leads to a nasty cycle of oily skin and constant washing. In fact, dehydrated skin, premature wrinkles, rashes, and skin sensitivity are caused by over-washing. Resist the urge to scrub! Unless you've just finished an intense workout or have somehow worked up a sweat, washing your face once a day is good enough.

Mistake #4 - Not Using Oil

Turns out, the old "don't put oil on your face!" tip is a big, outdated myth. Contrary to what people believed years ago, recent studies show that natural oils, like coconut oil, olive oil, and palm oil, don't actually clog the pores, but help eliminate dirt and bacteria on your skin. Meaning that we're now able to moisturize our face while cleansing our skin. Talk about a complete win-win! You don't have to whip out the heavy duty chemicals that strip your pores. Simply use natural oils.

"With its antimicrobial properties and moisturizing abilities, coconut oil for skin is perfect to clean your face. I love my homemade face wash recipe. It’ll kill any bacteria (goodbye, pimples!) while hydrating skin to keep it looking and feeling vibrant." - Dr. Axe

Mistake #5 - Using Irritating (and Harmful) Ingredients

Do you sometimes feel like your skin hate you? Does it break out often, feel oily, look dry, or have red bumps? Synthetic dyes, synthetic preservatives (such as parabens), Sodium Stearate, and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (to name a few ingredients) strip your skin's natural oils and upset the natural PH balance of your skin. It's no wonder your skin is freaking out — it thinks you hate it! When looking for a face serum, gel or cleanser, remember to keep the ingredients list simple and do your homework. If hundreds of trusted websites and articles say an ingredient in your skincare product is or could be harmful, it's best to look for something new.

Mistake #6 - Using the Wrong Product

As you've seen above, the most common mistakes you're making when you wash your face can be solved with ease. The biggest battle you face is finding the right skincare products that are gentle on your skin and easy on your wallet. And, as you read in point #5, this is no walk in the park. It seems the skincare aisles at Target, Sephora, and other beauty supply stores are miles long. Remember, the ideal skin care product is one that has: 

• ZERO chemicals that irritate the skin (the typical cleanser has 12-20 chemicals inside of it)
• ZERO fancy terms you can't read (you need to know what we're putting on our skin!)
• ZERO "sodium" anything (trust us, you don't want to strip your skin of those natural oils and become an oil-producing factory or have dry, flaky skin)
• Natural oils
• Natural ingredients (ones your face and body won't freak out against) 

The solution? Well, you can either go down those long health and beauty aisles and start reading all of the 47+ ingredients you'll find on the back of each label (good luck and our condolences). OR, you can grab a bar of goat milk soap and give your skin the nourishment and moisture it craves.

Each bar of our Goat Milk Soap has four ingredients: fresh goat's milk, coconut oil, olive oil, and red palm oil. Toss in some all-natural, soothing essential oils and you have a luxurious, 100% natural facial cleansing bar your skin will absolutely love. Browse our entire collection of Best for Acne skincare products that are best suited for acne and washing your face with here.

Think it sounds too good to be true? Check out what people are saying about our soap here. Have you been using our Goat milk soap to wash your face? If so, join the discussion by leaving a comment below.