Should You Wash Your Face Before or After a Shower?

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Every guy here knows he needs to keep his face clean. And there’s no debate among our readers about whether all-purpose bar soap will do. It won’t — we see you, charcoal face wash. But there’s a fair amount of confusion out there about whether it’s best to wash your face in the shower. And if you shouldn’t, should you wash your face before or after? 

Keep It Fresh with our Charcoal Face Wash

Looking for a definitive answer on this matter can be a little frustrating. You can find parties that argue all sides of things. Not exactly what a dude who’s just looking for some damn guidance wants to find. 

But rest assured — we got you. So let’s get to it and provide a little clarity on the matter at hand. 

All About Water Temp

Anyone who tells you to simply avoid washing your face in the shower is being overly simplistic. It’s true that your shower routine can lead to less-than-optimal results for your skin, but let’s not go blaming the shower. It’s pure operator error. 

Are you one of those dudes who can’t get the water hot enough? Yeah? You probably also enjoy basking in the steam, too. Well, we’ve got news for you. That piping hot shower feels so right that it’s hard to imagine it’s wrong, but the fact is your shower approach is probably doing your skin a disservice. All the heat serves as a desiccant for your derm, man. 

If your face tends to be on the dry side, you definitely shouldn’t be taking long, hot showers. That’s true whether or not you’re washing your face in there. But you definitely should be using the right face wash for your skin type — our face wash for dry skin. 

Honor Thy Mug with Our Face Wash for Dry Skin

Maybe you’re starting to fret about our water-temp rec. Don’t worry. We aren’t about to tell you cold showers are the answer, though some cold-water devotees swear it’s good for everything. When it comes to your skin, cold water doesn’t get your pores where they need to go, so the clean isn’t as deep. With hot and cold out, you can probably see where this is going. Yep, lukewarm. 

Here’s dermatologist Roberta Del Campo to drive the point home: “Warm water is always best as hot can strip the skin of its natural oils and cold does not allow the pores to open to remove dirt.”

And if you’re environmentally conscious, it’s best to avoid those long, piping hot showers anyway. What’s good for the environment there is also good for your mug. 

Stick with What Works 

When it comes to skincare, it’s all about finding what works for you and maintaining that approach. If you’re a scalding-shower man with perfect skin, more power to you. But if your skin is dry, use lukewarm water, whether you’re standing under your showerhead or leaning over the faucet at your bathroom sink. 

Long, hot showers don’t just dry your mug, either. They dry your skin from top to bottom. So don’t just hang out in there. Get to cleaning, and don’t defeat the whole purpose by cleaning with a nasty, bacteria warehouse like that old wash rag or a loofah. Nah, gents. Instead, reach for our durable silicone body scrubber. The silicone beats back bacteria, giving you a truly hygienic clean each and every time.

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Above and beyond when you wash your face and what temp you choose, it’s way more important that you’re using the right product. Hook your mug up with our charcoal face wash and use it twice daily. Dermatologist Patricia Farris says it best: "It doesn’t matter where you wash your face, as long as you wash it twice a day."

It doesn’t have to be more complicated than that.