I am pretty certain you must have heard arguments for and against why washing your face with sponge is either good or bad for you. While this article will not seek to prescribe one over the other, we shall be presenting you with unbiased facts about the truth of the matter.
So, let’s get on with it.
According to Renée Rouleau, celebrity aesthetician ( fancy word for a beautician!), it is okay to use a washcloth—with a few major buts included.
- Opt for a baby washcloth, which will be softer and less likely to irritate your skin. But don’t ever (ever!) scrub your face with it. Even a little irritation from washcloths can lead to dark spots on your skin, especially for those with darker complexions.
- Always use a fresh washcloth every time you wash, since a damp washcloth is a breeding ground for bacteria. But some suggest that if you cannot use a fresh one each time, you should ensure to dry it in the sun, since the UV rays of the sun can kill bacteria.
- Use a separate washcloth for the face, and ONLY for the face.
Yet another beautician writing on Helena Beauty Blog suggests using a face sponge instead of a wash cloth, which she says are a bit rough and unhygienic (because of the propensity to be breeding grounds for bacteria). She lists the advantages of face sponges thus:
1. They are natural sponges
2. They absorb water, so no dripping
3. They absorb the products, make it foam, and spread the foam evenly over the face
4. When rinsed with cold water, can be used as a quick compress against bags in the morning, and with warm water, to relieve stress in the evening.
5. They are very cheap and available anywhere, usually in the nail clippers section.
6. They are soft enough to use them over your eyelids and under eye skin, which will help you to remove oils from your eye make up remover (if you use make up), which would have to be removed with even more cleanser without the sponge.
7. You don’t have to dry it, just squeeze it and let it sit somewhere for next use.
Other Useful Tips
- Once you are done cleansing your face, resist the urge to rub your face dry. This can cause inflammation, which may lead to irritation and redness. Instead, gently pat dry, pressing the washcloth or towel against your skin until most of the moisture is absorbed.
- Once you are clean and dry, make sure to slather on a serum or moisturiser within 60 seconds. Because the water you have just washed with hydrates the skin, but it instantly starts to evaporate. But by applying a hydrating product immediately after, you not only get the benefits of the product, you are also locking in the moisture you got from washing.
- Exfoliating daily is not only unnecessary, it can do more harm then good. It takes two weeks for cells to make their way from the base of the skin to the surface, and another week or two to accumulate and make skin start to look dull. Hence, a weekly exfoliating session will be enough to keep you glowing.
- Since most face scrubs are based in a cleansing agent, there’s no need to use a cleanser and a face scrub; sticking with either one of the two is enough.
I hope we got you good, and leave you after having read this article, better able to care for your pretty or handsome face (if I must add!).