pat142•2mo ago

Hot take: The 60-second cleanse rule is being totally ignored and it's messing with skin

I keep seeing videos where people say to massage a cleanser for like 20 seconds and rinse. But every derm course I took stressed a full 60 seconds to really break down oil and sunscreen. I timed it with my morning routine for a month, and my clogged pores on my chin cleared up by about 70%. Some say over-cleansing is the risk, but I think under-cleansing is the bigger issue now. What's the minimum time you all actually stick to for a basic gel or cream cleanser?

3 comments

3 Comments

oscarh161mo ago

Ngl, the jawline and temples thing is so real. @alicea26 I had the exact same wake up call when I actually started timing myself. I used to rush through it and always missed around my nose and under my chin where sunscreen would build up. Honestly, committing to that full minute is a game changer but yeah, it does feel like a boring chore when you're tired. I set a timer on my phone too, otherwise I'd just quit at 30 seconds and call it good enough.

wyatt9802mo ago

My old derm told me to count to 60 slowly while massaging my gel cleanser, and it felt like forever at first. I used to just do a quick 10-second splash, especially on tired nights. But my forehead bumps got way better when I actually timed it. I just use my phone's stopwatch now, and it forces me to be thorough around my nose and hairline. It's boring, but it works.

alicea262mo ago

Yeah, that timing trick from your derm makes total sense, @wyatt980. It's not just about getting the cleanser on your skin, it's giving it actual time to break everything down. I started doing the full minute and realized I was totally missing my jawline and temples before. It feels like a chore, but my skin feels cleaner in a different way, like it actually did its job.