When and How to Wash Your Face After a Facial: A Complete Guide

Getting a facial can leave your skin glowing, hydrated and truly refreshed. Skincare professionals exfoliate, massage, hydrate and treat your skin, leaving it smooth and radiant. However, many wonder if they should wash their face after the facial or how long they should wait before cleansing again.

Washing immediately may strip your skin of all the nourishing ingredients just applied. But leaving the products on too long can clog pores. This guide will share when to wash face after facial correctly. So, read on to learn about it.

Can I wash my face after a facial?

Many people raise query about after facial when to wash face. Well, it is generally advised to avoid washing your face immediately after a facial. Many facials use delicate serums, antioxidant oils and hydrating masks. Washing the face immediately can remove all the nourishing ingredients put into the skin before complete absorption.

Additionally, facials involve exfoliation, which removes dead skin cells from the surface of your skin. Right after exfoliating, your skin is vulnerable and sensitive. Using cleansers too soon may irritate or inflame the exfoliated skin. Click here to check on Is facial good for skin?

After facial: when should i wash my face?

It is best to wait 6-8 hours before cleansing your skin after a facial. If you get your facial in the evening, overnight is often easiest. Allow the serums, masks, and creams applied during your treatment plenty of time to penetrate your skin. While some products absorb quickly, many continue hydrating and treating for hours.

If you get a facial treatment earlier in the day, avoid cleansing your face until evening. When you do wash your face, be very gentle. Opt for a mild, non-stripping cleanser like The Pink Foundry's Vitamin C Face Wash to prevent skin disruption.

Brightening & Exfoliating Vitamin C Daily Face Wash

How can we use face wash after a facial?

1. Once it has been at least 6-8 hours, you can wash your face, but be very gentle. Using a mild, sulfate-free cleanser, lightly massage the skin with your fingertips to lift dirt, oil and product residue. Avoid abrasive scrubs or brushes. Splash skin with comfortable water and pat gently with a soft towel.
2. Look for a creamy, non-foaming cleanser that won't disrupt your skin's protective moisture barrier. Soothing botanical oils like jojoba, coconut, or argan are great. Or try a gentle gel cream that cleans without stripping essential hydration.
3. After washing, apply a hydrating facial serum or essence, such as a Niacinamide Face Serum, to help nourish the skin. Niacinamide is a form of Vitamin B3 that can improve skin moisture, brightness, and tone.
4. Top with a gentle Waterlight Gel Moisturiser as well. This combination helps seal in hydration.

Shop Waterlight Gel Moisturiser

Do's and don'ts for after facial skincare

Follow these simple do's and don'ts once you get home from your facial appointment:

Do's

1. Use a mild, non-stripping cleanser

Use a gentle, creamy cleanser when washing your face after a facial. Avoid foaming washes or cleansers with harsh sulfates that can strip your skin. Massage the mild cleanser lightly across damp skin to remove residue, dirt, and oil without disrupting your skin barrier.

2. Hydrate skin with moisturisers and serums

After cleansing your skin post-facial, apply hydrating serums containing nourishing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, glycerin, aloe vera, and plant oils. Follow with a moisturiser to seal in the hydration. Well-hydrated skin looks supple, smooth, and glowing.

3. Apply sunscreen before sun exposure

Apply broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen before going outside after a facial. Many facials make skin sun-sensitive, so you must protect your fresh skin from UV damage. Reapply sunscreen every few hours.

Don'ts

1. Avoid active ingredients like acids and retinol

Don't use products containing potentially irritating retinol, benzoyl peroxide or alpha hydroxy acids for 24-48 hours post-facial. Newly exfoliated skin needs time to recover before applying these potent actives to avoid stinging and redness. Moreover, you can also learn how to do a facial at home.

2. Skip makeup for 24 hours

Don't apply makeup for at least 24 hours after your facial to allow serums, masks and creams to penetrate and hydrate bare skin fully. Cosmetics can clog freshly cleaned pores - so you must give them a day to breathe! Plus, makeup-free skin highlights your glowing complexion.

Getting regular facials can transform lacklustre, stressed skin. But preserving those results means being gentle in the hours afterwards. Allow products to fully penetrate before attempting to wash them away. Always cleanse delicately and continue providing moisture and protection once you do. Follow these tips to ensure that salon-fresh facial glow will last even longer.

FAQs

Can I wash my face after facial?

It is best not to wash your face immediately after a facial. Washing too soon can remove serums, masks, and oils before they fully absorb, wasting product and irritating sensitive skin.

How long should I wait to wash my face after a facial?

Wait 6-8 hours or overnight before gently cleansing the skin after a facial. This gives products time to penetrate fully.

What cleanser is best to use after getting a facial?

Choose a mild, sulfate-free cleanser to gently cleanse your skin after a facial. Look for creamy washes with oils and botanical extracts. Avoid foaming or gritty cleansers.

When can I wash my face with regular soap after a facial?

Use only gentle cleansers for 48 hours after a facial. Harsh soaps can irritate and dry skin. After 2 days, you may resume your regular face wash routine.

February 20, 2025

Why You Should Avoid Touching Your Face and How to Stop

Most people are unconscious about touching their faces. We do it without realising it throughout the day, often transferring germs and bacteria from our hands onto sensitive facial areas. Breaking this habit can improve skin health, reduce acne breakouts, and minimise the spread of illnesses—and now, it's more important than ever for infection control.

This article covers why you should not touch your face and provide practical tips to stop.

Why you should not touch your face

There are various reasons why you should avoid touching your face, such as:

1. Transference of bacteria and oils

Our hands come into contact with many surfaces, collecting germs and oils. When you touch your face, you spread these directly into pores and mucous membranes. Repeated contact can lead to blocked pores, inflammation, irritation and infections. Touching with unwashed hands is particularly problematic.

2. Risk of acne, irritation and infections

Face-touching spreads acne-causing bacteria, leading to breakouts. It also irritates sensitive facial skin, increasing redness and inflammation. Touching mucous membranes risks transmitting infections like pink eye, cold viruses, and flu. Avoiding hand-to-face contact helps prevent these issues.

3. Increased exposure to illness-causing germs

Relatively harmless germs on your hands can lead to miserable illnesses when spread to your nose, eyes or mouth. Rhinovirus, which causes the common cold, often enters the body this way. Influenza and coronavirus also transmit via mucous membranes, so avoiding facial touching minimises infection risk.

How to avoid touching your face

Mentioned below are some helpful ways to avoid touching your face:

1. Be aware of the habit

The first step is tuning into your unconscious face-touching. Set phone reminders, have friends point it out, and pay attention to when it happens most. This awareness is key to change. You can also check out a guide on double cleansing for oily skin.

2. Keep your hands occupied

Idle hands tend to wander to the face, so keep them occupied. Doodle during meetings or conversations, fidget with a stress ball or destroy paper instead.

3. Wear gloves or barriers

Creating a physical barrier makes it harder to touch your bare skin. Wear gloves for part of the day or bandages over problem areas. Face masks also discourage skin picking.

4. Improve hand hygiene

Wash hands frequently with soap and water. Sanitise after touching shared surfaces. This won't end the habit but will minimise germ transfer when slips occur. Consider carrying sanitiser.

How to stop touching your face

To stop touching your face, you must follow these rules:

1. Keep skin clean

To stop touching your face, it is essential to prevent oily buildup, irritation, and dandruff that make you feel compelled to scratch or pick at your skin. Follow good hygiene habits like washing your face twice a day with a good cleanser like Vitamin C Facewash and sticking to a consistent skincare routine suited to your skin type, whether it is dry, oily, or combination. Finding the right products that cleanse your skin without overdrying will help minimise the need to touch your face.

Brightening & Exfoliating Vitamin C Daily Face Wash

2. Keep skin moisturised

Dry, tight skin almost inevitably gets scratched or picked at. An intense Waterlight Gel Moisturiser provides a protective barrier and seals in hydration, curbing the impulse to touch your face. Avoid skin care products that contain irritants like fragrances, dyes, and alcohol, which can provoke face-touching.

3. Maintain short nails

Long nails intensify the damage from compulsive skin picking and make it harder to resist touching your face. To discourage issues, it is best to keep natural nails trimmed short. Also, limit long fake nails, which harbor more germs under the nail tips.

4. Address the root cause

In some cases, emotional stress, anxiety, boredom or distraction triggers face-touching. Other times, pre-existing skin conditions are the underlying cause. Understanding your personal triggers can help you manage the root causes effectively. Using relaxation techniques, keeping your hands occupied, or finding therapeutic solutions for skin disorders may also curb this habitual behaviour.

Relaxation strategies, fidget toys, and coping methods for skin conditions may also help curb deeply ingrained habits. Remain patient with yourself and keep trying new tactics. Click here to read about how to get rid of bumps on face.

Shop Waterlight Gel Moisturiser

Conclusion

Avoiding hand-to-face contact minimises oil, germs, and bacteria transfer to sensitive facial skin. Though difficult to control at first, the habit can be managed with lifestyle strategies, barriers, and awareness. Sticking to a thorough skincare routine also prevents problems associated with frequent contact. Pay attention next time your hands drift toward your face!

FAQs

1. Why should I avoid touching my face?

Touching spreads dirt, germs and oils into facial pores, leading to acne, skin irritation and illnesses.

2. How can I stop touching my face without realising it?

Use phone reminders, have friends point it out, wear gloves or bandages as barriers, and keep hands occupied with objects.

3. What happens if I frequently touch my face?

Risks include increased acne, skin irritation and infections like pink eye or cold viruses. It also spreads germs that cause illness.

4. Are there tools to help avoid face-touching habits?

Yes, items like fidget toys and stress balls can keep hands occupied. Face masks and gloves act as physical barriers.

5. Does touching your face cause acne?

Yes, transferring dirt, oils and bacteria from hands introduces pore-clogging agents directly into facial skin, leading to acne breakouts.

February 20, 2025