Cleansing is the basis of any great skincare routine. Both morning and night, it is essential to remove the troublesome dirt and grime that collects on the surface of our skin throughout the day, in order to prevent further skin issues. Time Bomb skincare expert and celebrity facialist Emma Brown says, “Every day, our skin comes into contact with bacteria, pollutants, sebum and makeup, and without properly cleansing, these particles build up on the skin and can cause a myriad of issues such as congestion, breakouts, irritation, sensitivity, pigmentation and premature ageing.”

However, it turns out that a quick swipe of micellar water doesn’t really cut it. In order to truly rid your skin of harmful build-up, it’s important to really work the formula into the skin for some time. In fact, opting for an oil-based cleanser that has sufficient slip also allows for a depuffing, firming facial massage. “When massaging your face, focus on ‘picking up’ the muscles, rather than just rubbing the skin. Use your thumbs to get underneath the cheekbones, lifting upwards and outwards. Start at the base of the chin and use the flats of your fingers and/or knuckles to kneed the muscle, lifting it outwards towards the base of the ears and then down the neck. At the inner corner of the brow, place your thumb underneath the muscle and lift and move your thumb outwards towards the end of the brow,” explains Brown.

Once you have completed your daily facial massage and rinsed the oil cleanser off with a damp muslin cloth or flannel, it’s important to follow up with a second cleanse using a cream- or gel-based cleanser to rid the pores of any residue missed the first time around.