We all know the importance of cleansing. No matter how detailed or sparse your own routine is, cleansing is a step that should never be skipped. Despite that, it’s still a relatively confusing subject.

Some experts agree that it doesn’t matter what sort of product you’re using because it’s going to be washed down the drain, while others say you should choose the right cleanser that will complement your skin type. Then there’s the debate around how long you should be cleansing for.

Now, if you’re anything like us, chances are that cleansing is a step that you do pretty mindlessly. A quick cleanse to remove make-up, another to actually clean the skin, and you’re done.

But it turns out that in order for a cleanse to be truly effective, it’s something that we need to spend a little more time doing: one whole minute, to be exact. While that might not sound like much, chances are it’s much longer than you usually spend.

“60 seconds tends to be the ideal length of time needed for a thorough cleanse,” says Dr Marisa Garsick, Skin Proud consultant and certified dermatologist. “Cleansing for too little time might not effectively remove all the make-up and other build up, but on the other hand, cleansing for too long could remove too much oil and leave the skin feeling dry.”

However, if you’re somebody who doesn’t quite spend long enough cleansing, you might be wondering what the benefits are of taking a little bit of extra time on this step. Well, aside from ensuring your make-up and the remnants of the day are fully removed, those precious 60 seconds can actually help your chosen cleanser work both better and harder. 

“In some cases, it’s important to have the cleanser in contact with the skin long enough for any active ingredient in there to have an effect – such as salicylic acid to treat breakouts,” says Garsick.

There are also some skin types that would likely benefit more from opting for a longer cleanse, too. “In general, those who are oily might find that they can tolerate cleansing for a longer time, which is because the skin may not dry out quite as easily,” she explains. “However, beyond the amount of time it takes to adequately remove build-up from the skin, it’s not always necessary to wash for longer as that will just dry the skin out more.”

So there we have it: 60 seconds – one minute – is the optimum length of time that we should all spend washing our faces. 

Is it just us who’ll be taking a stopwatch into the bathroom later?

Images: Getty