Skincare products can get expensive real fast! On top of all the Caudalies and La Mers, one of the biggest – and most obvious – skincare tips is to wash your Face.

Washing your face may sound like a no-brainer, but honestly, I did not learn how to properly take off my Makeup until I was in my mid-twenties! When you’re in your teens and early twenties, you can rely on your youth to get by. Let’s just say if I had a dollar for every time I fell asleep without washing my face, I would be living large now. But when I turned 30, I realized I had to learn more about my skin and implement a daily skincare routine that’s feasible for my crazy schedule! Falling asleep without removing your makeup makes your pores clog more, not to mention it’s absolutely detrimental to your pillowcases!

Below are 5 tips on how to properly remove your makeup:

1. Be Patient

It’s true. Spare at least 10-15 minutes for a solid face-washing routine every night. You can’t rush beauty. After all, take care of your skin. It’s been there for you through the thick and thin!

2. Use a Cleanser to Remove Makeup

Your cleanser should be used to take off foundation and blush. First, massage the cleanser over your face and let it sit, soak in, for 10-15 seconds. Don’t forget the hidden spots like your hairline, under your chin, and behind your ears! Wipe with a wet, white cotton washcloth. There truly is nothing more satisfying than seeing all the make-up you just wiped off on the washcloth!

3. Soap and Water

You need to wash your face to remove the oil, bacteria, makeup and dirt, and keep your pores unclogged. Did you know that washing your face with water alone removes only 65% of the gunk? So don’t do that. Make sure you are using soap when you wash. Wet your face with lukewarm water, then rub the soap directly onto your clean hands. Apply the soap to your face. Be careful not to get any soap in your eyes! Massage soap into your skin for a 20-30 minutes. Rinse off the soap with lukewarm water.

4. Use Micellar Water to Remove Water-Proof Makeup

If you’re someone like me who wears water-proof mascara, use Micellar cleansing water to remove the long-lasting makeup. Micellar water, also frequently called just cleansing water, is a cleanser for removing tough gunk from your face. Unlike your average cleanser, you don’t have to rinse it off. You can just leave it on The way micellar water works is that a mild surfactant, the chemical that actually gets rid of dirt and makeup, clusters up into tiny balls called micelles. Once you pour it onto a cotton round, the micelles rearrange themselves for optimal cleansing. I also like to dab a little micellar water on areas where I messed up my makeup! It’s a super easy quick fix without having to wipe it all off and start over.

5. Moisturize

Normal skin, oily skin, or dry skin. It doesn’t matter what your skin type is, you should always add moisture to your face after a proper wash! Don’t forget to balm up your lips and dab on eye cream to keep your skin hydrated throughout the night.