How to wash your face properly, and how often you really need to

How do you wash your face properly? Wet it with lukewarm water, massage a small amount of a mild cleanser over your skin with your fingertips, rinse until nothing feels slippery, and pat dry with a clean towel. That’s the method the American Academy of Dermatology describes, and it asks for no more than two washes a day, plus one after heavy sweating.

Simple, right? The details are where most people slip: water that’s too hot, a cleanser that’s too strong, or extra washes on oily days.

How to wash your face, step by step

How long should the massage take? There’s no official timer. A Cleveland Clinic dermatologist says it depends on your skin, your cleanser and your day, with one clear exception: cleansers with acne or anti-aging ingredients, like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, should stay on your skin for 1 to 2 minutes. Nubia’s routine shows how long each step takes, so your wash gets its own seconds too.

Is it bad to wash your face with hot water?

Yes, it’s harder on your skin. In a 2022 study, 50 healthy volunteers held one hand in hot water (about 41 °C, or 106 °F) and the other in cold water (about 11 °C, or 52 °F) for 10 minutes. Water loss through the skin, a standard measure of how leaky your barrier is, more than doubled after the hot water and rose far less after the cold. It was hands, not faces, and 10 minutes is longer than any face wash, but the researchers’ takeaway is clear: cold or lukewarm, not hot.

The why is in the cleanser itself. A 2026 paper in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology points out that cleansing ingredients can’t tell the difference between the grime you want gone and the fats between your skin cells that keep water in. Cleveland Clinic’s dermatologist adds that hot water can strip the skin barrier and leave it drier. So if you love a hot shower, wash your face at the very end, once you’ve turned the temperature down.

How often should you wash your face?

Once in the morning and once at night, plus as soon as you can after heavy sweating, especially under a hat or helmet. That’s the AAD’s rule, and it lists washing throughout the day among the habits that can make acne worse. Acne-prone teens who play sports may need a third wash after a workout, a Cleveland Clinic dermatologist adds. Beyond that, more washing tends to mean drier skin, not clearer skin.

Should you wash your face in the morning or just use water?

It depends on your skin. If yours is dry or sensitive, a Cleveland Clinic dermatologist suggests rinsing with water in the morning and saving the cleanser for night. Oily skin usually feels better with a cleanser in the morning too. Can only manage one wash? Make it the evening one, so sunscreen, makeup and the day’s sweat don’t stay on overnight. And yes, washing your face in the shower works just as well as the sink.

Combination skin can sit in either column, and a gel in summer with a cream in winter is a perfectly good plan. Micellar water and cleansing oils belong to the next episode, on double cleansing. Bar soap? Cleveland Clinic notes that liquid cleansers are generally milder than bar soap.

Is your cleanser stripping your skin? The signs

Clean skin should feel comfortable, a bit fresh, nothing more. These are the signs your wash is taking too much with it: your face feels tight within a few minutes of drying, it squeaks under your fingers, your moisturizer stings when it goes on, or flaky patches show up around your nose, hairline or jaw. Oily skin can get there too.

The 60-second rule: is it worth it?

The idea that went viral on social media is to massage your cleanser for a full minute, every time. Our verdict: useful in two situations and overkill in others. A minute makes sense for a medicated cleanser, which needs 1 to 2 minutes anyway, and on heavy makeup or sunscreen days when a quick swipe leaves things behind. For dry or sensitive skin, a full minute of rubbing twice a day is just more friction. Long enough to cover every part of your face is the real rule.

Safety note: If every wash stings or burns, or redness and flaking hang around after you’ve switched to a milder, fragrance-free cleanser, check with a dermatologist or pharmacist.