The Ultimate Beauty Guide

Washing your face; it’s one of those mundane hygienic happenings that we’ve all come to terms with since we noticed our first blemish in middle school. You put in the time, you ditch the grime. Yet even though cleansing is an everyday occurrence, regularity doesn’t always beget expertise. We recently caught up with Joanna Vargas, celebrity facialist and founder of Joanna Vargas Salon and Skincare Collection, who taught us that there’s an art to mastering the perfect cleanse. Here are her tips on how to suds up like a pro.

Go Tepid

Firstly, water temperature matters. Vargas suggests lukewarm water in lieu of hot or cold, as “extreme temperatures will dry the skin.”

Think Outside the Face

According to Vargas, many people don’t think to wash their neck when cleansing their face. Why does the neck matter? Well, “the neck shows the first signs of aging, faster than any other body part,” Vargas says. Another commonly neglected spot? Your hairline. “People tend to not rinse the edges of the face properly, which leads to breakouts,” she explains.

Circles Are Your Friend

Think you can just splash and scrub? Think again. “Spend time applying the cleanser in circular motions outward toward the hairline in order to stimulate the lymphatic system. Circular motions over both eyes will also break up the makeup faster and de-puff the eyes after a long day,” Vargas advises.