I’ve blogged before about the importance of cleansing, a part of my skincare routine I hadn’t paid enough attention to in the past. My latest discovery is that it’s not just about which cleanser you use, but how you remove it.
It makes sense really… imagine a toddler’s face covered with pasta sauce. Which will remove it more thoroughly:
- wiping it with a dry tissue or cotton pad
- a damp, freshly wrung out warm cloth/flannel
It’s a no brainer, right? A warm, damp cloth will remove most if not all of the dirt, whereas a tissue is going to leave some residue behind. Yet so many of us opt for number 1.
I’m not a fan of water on my face, but since using this method I’ve noticed an improvement in the condition of my skin because my makeup is being removed thoroughly. Sometimes we really do need to go back to basics: remove all makeup, clean makeup brushes, don’t touch our faces with anything less than scrupulous hands. All obvious, I know, but sometimes the reasons our skin plays up can be more simple than we think.
All of this leads on to my latest discovery: Washi cloths. I spotted @farrah_gray and @britbeautyblog discussing these beauties on twitter, clicked the link and couldn’t resist!
I bought the pack of seven, pictured at the top.
They look pretty much like an ordinary flannel (or facecloth as we always called them in our house), but they’re quite thin, loosely woven, have smooth seamed edges and are very soft. They’re just bigger than my hand, which is good - it really bugs me when I have too much flannel for my face (yes really!).
I find them gently exfoliating, without any need for hard rubbing - they do all the work for you. The thin texture makes them easy to wring out, so they don’t harbour the makeup or dirt.
It was a lovely surprise to receive a complimentary hot cloth with my order (though I can’t tell the difference between this and the washcloths)
I also ordered this cute little set of Washi Spirals, or cotton buds to you and I.
They’re basically cotton buds with the ends twisted into a tight spiral, which makes them perfect for makeup touch-ups.
I find it impossible to apply mascara without getting some just above the base of them on my lid. Is this strange - is it my lashes? Anyway, these mean that I can remove it without getting little wisps of fluff stuck in my lashes.
So my new cleansing routine goes like this:
1. Remove eye makeup with Vichy waterproof eye makeup remover on cotton pads. This product is fabulous - works on waterproof mascara and the heaviest eye makeup. It is slightly oily but doesn’t irritate my very sensitive eyes.
2. If I’m wearing heavy makeup, remove excess with micellar water (review coming up)
3. Remove cleanser with my Washi cloth.
Prices
- Vichy Purete Thermal Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover - Chemist Direct £9.00
- Washi Cloths set of 7 - Lucris Ltd £5.45
- Washi Spirals, cotton buds - Lucris Ltd 99p
Bargain alert: Before I was lured by the Washi pretties, I had planned to buy this set of 10 from Ikea for £2.99 - or pick some up in Primark. You don’t need to spend a lot on something to remove your makeup and thin, cheaper flannels are likely to be more effective than thick fluffy ones!
Oh and a quick word on muslin cloths - I’m not a fan. Am sure they do the job perfectly fine, but I find them too thin and fiddly to work with.
So how do you remover your cleanser?
