Wash away dull-looking skin with a strict cleansing regime. Lisa Haynes offers a foolproof guide to a flawless face.

UP there with brushing your pearly whites, cleansing is the twice-daily habit that should never be neglected. While the ‘cleanse, tone and moisturise’ mantra covers the basics, everyone needs an individual routine they can stick to so their skin reaps the benefits.

Okay, you might fall off the wagon every so often and employ a quick face wipe or leave your makeup imprinted on your pillow but, for enviable skin, it’s worth committing to good cleansing habits.

“Your regime plays a serious key function in skin maintenance,” explains Noella Gabriel, director of product development at Elemis. “It’s the key to skin radiance and aids the absorption of your neck, eye and face creams.”

So don’t view cleansing as a chore like the washing- up or dusting. View this cleanse and polish as the building blocks for a flawless face.

SKIN SAVVY

Never make the mistake of plucking a cleansing bottle from the shelves just because you like the price or colour. Your skin should always be top priority.

“It’s very important that at the cleansing stage you are using a treatment cleanser that has the right texture for your skin type,” says Gabriel.

While oil cleansers work best on the driest of skins, soaps specifically formulated for the face are suitable for oily types. Stick to a gel cleanser if you have oily or combination skin that’s prone to breakouts, or a lightweight cream cleanser is best suited to normal to dry skin types.

RINSE AND SHINE

You might think that after a good night’s sleep there’s no need for another thorough cleanse in the morning. Think again.

The secret to good skin maintenance and squeaky clean skin is a twice-daily cleanse. Applying make-up on top of grimy skin in a no-go.

“In general, I advise cleansing morning and night,” says Dr Sue Mayou, consultant dermatologist and Neutrogena advisor.

The action of cleansing mildly exfoliates and encourages cell turnover to promote a fresh-faced look to start your day.

“Cleansing is important to remove make-up, oil, dirt and other impurities from your skin,” Mayou explains. “The mechanical action of rubbing the skin with hands, a face cloth or cotton wool helps remove dead surface skin cells and unclog pores, leaving it smoother and more radiant.”

NIGHT-TIME TONIC

“Cleansing properly every night is the single most important thing you can do for your skin,” says Samantha Burlton, founder of So Organic (soorganic.com).

“Removing grime and make-up before going to bed allows skin to breathe and enables your skin’s natural night-time renewal process to work as it should.”

Skin that’s free from pollutants and make-up can work on restoring its natural balance during your shut-eye time. Burlton recommends using a muslin flannel to achieve a deep-clean feeling.

A GUIDE TO THE PERFECT CLEANSE

When wearing make-up, it’s often necessary to cleanse using a multi-step process. Start with a make-up remover or tissue-off cream to dissolve much of the make-up, avoiding the eye area.

Use a make-up remover especially formulated for the eyes. Take a cotton pad dampened with the product, and rest or press it gently around the closed eye. Wipe gently. Don’t tug or pull on the eye or surrounding skin.

Apply cleanser to the entire face. With a cleanser appropriate to your skin type, massage the product into your face with an upward circular motion. Include the neck and chin.

Rinse the entire face, including the eye area with warm – not hot – water. Then pat dry.

Beauty Bulletin

JOHN Lewis Newcastle announced plans for a £2m beauty hall refurbishment, including a new spa service. Newcastle will be one of only three John Lewis department stores to showcase the spa concept, which is a first for the retailer. The spa will offer treatments such as facials, manicures, pedicures and eyebrow/eyelash tinting from a host of premium brands, including Clarins, Liz Earle, Elemis, Decleor, Blink and Jessica. Work on the project will be completed by November.

CHERYL Cole is busy wishing Elnett hairspray a happy 50th birthday with a striking new ad campaign sporting three styles, Glam it. Rock it. Work it. Spritz away for the half-century celebration like Cheryl with the special edition can wrapped in pink ribbon and sealed with a 50 years logo.

BOLD with a Touch of Lenor is offering free pamper treatments with every pack at more than 700 spas around the country, including facials, manicures, pedicures, massage, waxing and reflexology. For more information on claiming a visit, go to boldpampertreats.com.

BRITAIN'S women are saying “Eye do” to antiageing. The eye area is our top ageing concern, according to a survey of 2,000 women by the makers of RoC Sublime Energy Eye. Puffy eyes and dark circles (45 per cent) and fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes (48 per cent) are ranked as two of our top three ageing concerns, along with sagging skin (55 per cent). Just over a quarter (29 per cent) of women surveyed use a dedicated eye cream on a daily basis.