Getting into the habit of a good, simple skincare routine is no mean feat. Not only do you need to perfect the basics: a good vitamin C, an effective SPF and decent retinol, but you also need to make sure you’re washing your face properly, too.

Whether you’re the sort of person who showers before settling down to work in the morning or before you go to bed, chances are your routine is probably some sort of variation of the following: wet hair, shampoo hair, apply conditioner, wash your face, wash your body, rinse out conditioner, done.

However, we have some bad news and we hate to be the ones to break it to you, but you’ve probably been doing it all wrong. Which means it’s time for you to unlearn everything you’ve ever been taught about washing your face.

That’s because, according to skin expert (and Jodie Comer’s facialist) Jasmina Vico, you should never, ever wash your face in the shower. And, actually, your face should always be treated separately from the body. Why? Well, it’s pretty simple really – it’s because the temperature of the water is all wrong.

“As tempting as a long, hot shower might seem in winter, it can be damaging for the skin and can cause both redness and irritability,” explains Vico. “Hot water also dehydrates the skin and can cause inflammation. So for those reasons, your face should always be washed with tepid water.”

It makes total sense when you think about it really. Especially when you consider that hot water can dry your skin out and strip it of its natural oils – something that’s less than ideal for people who already have dry skin, or if you have naturally oily skin it’s likely that your skin could create more oil to counteract the stripping, which in turn could make you even oilier.

So there you have it. Now you can consider this your official warning to switch up your routine, and instead wash your face either before or after you get in the shower.

You and your skin will thank us eventually – we promise. 

Main image: Getty