"Dude...don't you ever wash your face?"



That line is from Friends - 10 Brownie points to anyone who knows the name of the episode!

Today we're talking face washes:
I became a bit of a face wash nut around the age of fifteen when my spots got real unpleasant. I think I went into a bit of a panic frenzy and I was most worried that people would think I didn't wash my face thorough enough and therefore when I bought face washes I would buy the ones that smelt the most chemically, as in my mind they would be strongest, and I even bought mens facial washes because I was under the impression that they would be better at blitzing my skin- basically I liked it when I felt as though it was too harsh for my skin, I liked the burning because in my head it meant it was working!?!
Also, I'd never buy one at a time I'd buy two or three or four at a time so that I could try them all and see which worked best- I now realise that this method is highly flawed and certainly not one that I recommend!
Anywho, thankfully I'm much kinder to my skin but I still havent got out of the habit of having multiple face washes on the go, here's my current set:

I really am truly not buying anymore until I'm down to one, and then I'm only buying one more as a back up!

I try to use no more than one or two face washes consistantly as I know it can take up to 6 weeks or more for the face wash to have positive affects on your skin and if I keep switching then I won't be able to keep track of how successful a specific face wash is

Currently I'm using the Loreal face wash in the morning- I like the little scrubber as it feels like it's getting deep into the pores.

Then at night I use the clearasil facial wash because it's specifically designed for night time use and is a little more moisturising and has a kind of 'milk' consistency.

The general rule for face washes is if its a gel it's good for cleansing oily skin, if it's a white-ish then it's better for moisturising while cleansing- even oily skin needs a moisturising cleanse once in a while.

These ones have not got a whole lot of mentioning:

...and there's a reason for that!
The MAC facial wash cost a grand total of £7 and it's a little bottle (but I use it when I'm travelling, but pretty much only then)
I would not re-buy for the following reason:
Does it cleanse my face? Yes
Does it cleanse my face two times better than a facewash that cost £3.50? Nuh-uh

If your a MAC junkie and like to try everything then I don't want to put you off buying it, I'm just saying that it's nothing special that Clearasil, Clean & Clear, L'oreal or Burts Bees can't give you already for much better value.

The last little things are my twice weekly facial scrubs- I'll use them before I go to sleep and they just polish everything up ever so nicely.
Lush's Sea Salt however is worth the investment, a big ol' tub this size works out cheaper than buying the little ones and it really does just make your face feel FRESH, fresher than any other facial scrub I used before.

little WARNING: This facial scrub is abbrasive so if you have sensitive/dry/flaky skin have a little test first to check it's not too drying on your skin!

So there you go, despite what I believed the world thought of me at the tender age of fifteen- I am a little cray cray with my face wash cleansing.

What's your favourite facial cleanser?