I hear you. Taking off your make-up is in the top five of your least favourite things. It’s up there with washing your bed sheets, the Whatsapp blue tick, taking out the bins and cutting your toe nails. Which is probably why most nights you throw a face-wipe somewhere near your face and hope for the best.
The thing is, pal, if you want to keep your skin looking tip-top, you’re going to have to suck it up and start taking your make-up off properly. It doesn’t have to take hours, we’re talking 10 minutes max, once you’ve got your products nailed and technique down. Here’s how.
1. Eye and lip make-up
Whether it’s a bold lip, lashings of mascara and eyeliner or both, tackle those bits first so your face doesn’t end up looking like one big oil spill. The L’Oreal Paris Dermo-Expertise Absolute Make-Up Remover Eye and Lip, £5.99 for 125ml, Boots.com, is ideal because it contains oils which can help break-down make-up easily.
For the eyes, let the pad rest on there for about 10 seconds before sweeping it across. This gives it time to break down the make-up, rather than scrubbing the delicate area around the eye. If there’s some still clinging on, repeat until it’s all gone.
2. Cleansing balm
Now it’s time to focus on the rest of the face and rid it of grease and grime. Using a balm cleanser like Botanics Organic Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm, £8.99 for 65ml, Boots.com, can be really effective at removing rubbish from your skin because it’s oil-based.
Work a 10p-sized amount onto dry skin, going in small circles and making sure not to miss any areas. This is where you can go to town and give yourself a bit of a facial massage, if you’ve got time.
Simply rinsing the balm off isn’t going to suffice – you need a cloth (which the cleanser handily comes with) or some kind of flannel, to properly remove the residue. Wash the cloth under the hot tap and wring it out so it’s damp and place it on the face for a few seconds – the heat will help open the pores and get rid of even more gunk.
Then start removing the balm from your face, rinsing the cloth when it looks like it needs it, otherwise you’ll basically be rubbing dirt back into your skin. Nice.
3. Second cleanse
I’ll bet you’re feeling squeaky-clean after that, but it’s important to do a second cleanse to make certain you've got all the rubbish off your skin. Use Simple Kind To Skin Micellar Cleansing Water, £4.49, Boots.com, on a cotton pad and wipe around the face to grab any left-over bits of grime.
If you really can’t be bothered and your bed is calling to you, give your face a once over with the Boots Essentials Cucumber Wipes, £1.50 for 25, Boots.com, instead.
4. Tone
Rather than faffing around with more bottles and cotton pads, use pre-soaked Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Exfoliating Facial Pads, £12.99 for 60, Boots.com, to tone the skin. They contain glycolic acid (not as scary as it sounds, promise), which gently exfoliates, and hyaluronic acid, which can help to plump. The result? The perkiest skin you ever did see.
5. The rest
Glycolic acide can leave your skin more sensitive to sun damage, so you’ll need to use a moisturiser with a built-in SPF to be on the safe side. We like Boots Simply Sensitive Day Moisturiser SPF 15, £3.49 for 125ml, Boots.com. Swap this out for a night cream if you’re doing this at the end of the day.
Now your skin’s looking fresh, go to town with your usual skincare products and you’re all set. Having lovely fresh, clean skin will not only act as a great base for your make-up, but will also help your moisturiser absorb better. Bonus.
You can order on boots.com or in store today by 8pm and collect free in store from 12pm tomorrow. See boots.com/ordertodaycollecttomorrow for more info. Monday-Saturday only. Geographical exclusions apply.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.