At a young age, good personal hygiene habits should start. You really need to wash your face every day to keep your skin looking healthy and avoid acne. You will give yourself a pat on the back when your friends tell you that your skin looks great. You'll have a daily routine you can follow that will leave you with a great complexion, not to mention a boost to your confidence too, with these few easy steps. When your face is clean, you will look and feel wonderful, so soap up!



1. Select the proper cleanser. It is important to choose a cleanser that is right for your skin-type, after checking all of the options available to you. Depending on whether you dry, normal or oily skin, you'll require a cleanser that suits it.

2. Keep your hands clean. Clean hands are necessary because you will be using your hands to clean your face. Otherwise, you will be moving the dirt from them directly to the pores in your face.

3. Pull back your hair. Put your hair in an elastic band so you can expose the entire surface for cleaning.

4. Wash your face using only warm water. Did you know that the temperature of your water can affect how well the cleanser works? Hot water will dry your skin and cold water won't dissolve grime and bacteria. Always start off with a warm water rinse using a clean sponge, washcloth or hand.

5. Put the cleanser on the area you want to clean. In small circles, using a cloth or your bare hands, apply the soap to the affected area. Don't scrub! Consider your neck and chin as areas of your face also, so put cleanser there too. Be gentle on your face ? consider it as fragile. Work the cleanser in with easy strokes so as not to damage your skin. (Nobody wants to cause wrinkles, now don't they? Work lightly!)

6. Wash off. You should take great care to rinse your face. Give a thorough rinse after applying the cleanser. You will attract more dirt if you have residue left on your face. Wash off a couple times with warm water afterwards just to be sure.

7. Dry off. It may not seem oversimplified, but you cannot underestimate the value of the next step. With a clean towel, lightly, pat your face dry. Don't scrub it or pull at the skin. As time goes on, skin may stretch leading to irreversible damage. When it comes to drying your face, the blotting method is the best way to go.

8. Apply moisturizer. Of all the skin care steps, this one may be forgotten the most. When you clean your face, all the oil will be gone. You have to replenish your skin using a moisturizer to maintain softness and healthy looking skin. A water based moisturizer is the best to use, since oil based ones will clog pores.

Don't forget to clean your face in the morning and at bedtime, but no more than that. Old skin cells, bacteria and other build-up are removed by a good cleansing. Your face may become very dry and encourage blemishes if you over-wash though. Your face will be clean and clear every day, with a good-quality cleanser that is right for your skin and a water-based moisturizer.