Beauty Hygiene 101: How To Clean Up Your Beauty Regimen For Healthier Skin

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One of the very first things you’re taught when you’re a kid is basic hygiene – how to wash your hands (properly), to always cover your mouth when you sneeze – the list goes on. But not a lot of us go to Beauty School to learn the basic hygiene rituals you need to do weekly to keep your regime clean so that your skin doesn’t suffer. The cleaner your tools, the less oil, bacteria, and dirt your skin will come into contact with, and the happier your skin will be. Seriously, bad beauty hygiene could be the reason behind all your skin concerns. Here’s how to clean up your routine:

1. Wash your Brushes Weekly

Most of us know that we should clean our brushes regularly, but how many of you actually do it, weekly? Newsflash – those fluffy brushes and damp sponges harbor bacteria, which you’ll then transfer onto your skin. Plus, if it’s mixed with makeup like foundation or concealer, it’s more likely to get trapped in your pores, which could then trigger a breakout. Check out this super effective method of brush cleaning here. Don’t forget to wash your makeup sponge either: we do it every time we use it, as it works best damp, anyway. All you have to do is run the tap, and gently massage the blender against a bar of soap – watching all that dirty water wash away is oddly satisfying – then rinse it out and squeeze out the excess water!

2. Wash your Pillowcase Regularly

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Washing your pillowcases weekly is so important for your skin! Just think about it; when you sleep your body temperature naturally rises, and your skin begins to repair, which means the sweat and dead skin debris transfers onto your pillowcase – then there’s the odd bit of dribble, product transfer, and any dirt from your hair. If you don’t wash it regularly, it’ll just transfer BACK onto your skin, and none of us like the sound of that! If your skin is oily or acne-prone, there are pillows to help prevent the cycle of oil and bacteria building up, like the Déjà Vu Pillowcase, $49, which has removable sheet surfaces, so you sleep on a clean pillow every night. You should even wash your actual pillow every three months too!

3. ALWAYS Check the Expiry Date

Have you ever seen this little symbol on the back of all of your beauty products and wondered WTF it actually means? Well, it’s the expiry date! So the one above means you can use it for 12 months from when you open it, after that, it’s best to move on! Hanging onto old products, may not seem like a big deal, but it’s a BIG no-no. Not only do they fester bacteria, which can lead to skin irritation, but they can also produce harmful toxins. As a general rule, if you can’t remember the last time you renewed your foundation, mascara, or eyeliner – buy another one!

4. Don’t Touch your Face

Did you know that you touch your face more than three times an hour? Essentially, by constantly touching your face you’re just relocating the dirt and bacteria from your fingers onto your pores, which once again could lead to a breakout. Try to make a conscious decision to stop touching your face, and you’ll see an improvement in weeks. And we obviously don’t need to mention, (although we will anyway) that you should NEVER pick or squeeze your pimples.

5. Always Remove your Makeup

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We’re all guilty of making the cardinal makeup sin once in a while, but there really is no excuse for not removing your makeup before you sleep. Not removing your makeup means all that dirt, bacteria, and any pollution your skin has faced that day is going to seep into your pores overnight. Sleep is also when your skin re-energizes and repairs, so if you have makeup sitting in your pores, it won’t get the opportunity the replenish as it’s trying to fight against all the dirt. We recommend double cleansing (first cleanse with an oil then a water-based cleanser) to ensure that every last drop of makeup is removed – it’s our fave K-Beauty cleansing ritual that’s literally transformed our skin. But we do also keep a pack of makeup wipes by the bed, on reserve for those nights when we’re feeling lazy AF (naughty).

6. Washing your Hands before you Apply your Makeup

Finally, make sure you wash your hands before you do your makeup. Otherwise, you’ll relocate that dirt, bacteria, and oil onto your skin, potentially blocking your pores –  no, thank you!

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