Night Time Cleansing

I'm not very good at routine and I have procrastination down to a fine art. But there's one thing that I do absolutely religiously every day.

No matter how late I get in or how drunk or tired I am I ALWAYS TAKE MY MAKEUP OFF BEFORE I GO TO BED.

Removing your makeup will help prevent your pores getting clogged and reduce breakouts and give your skin a chance to rest. If you use night creams there is no point in putting them on over a barrier of makeup. But it also means that if you wake up in the morning with a raging hangover at least your skin will look half decent and you won't have to deal with panda eyes staring back at you in the mirror.

I've used everything in the past to remove my makeup at night - facial soap bars, washes with beads, washes with scratchy bits, disposable wipes, cold cream and cotton wool(what was I thinking?), but I've reverted back to where I started from when my mother first gave me a bottle of cleansing milk and a flannel and told me to wash my face.

Of course it's now got a fancy name; hot cloth cleansing, and you can even buy expensive kits of cream and cloth. But women have been cleaning their faces in this way since time immemorial. It's cheap, effective and quick.

I use Simple cleanser which costs about 3 quid but you can use almost any cleansing milk or lotion. Massage the cleanser into your face and wipe off with a hot, wet cloth. That's it.

I still use a flannel which you can pick up in any chemist, department store or supermarket for pennies but you could use muslim cloths or terry cloths. Find what works for you. A slightly rough cloth will also exfoliate, whereas a softer cloth may be better for more sensitive skins. And use a freshly washed cloth every day. A damp, warm cloth is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and you don't want to be wiping bugs and other nasties over your face.