How to Use a Silk Face Cloth After Cleansing
Use it immediately after cleansing and before anything else goes on: press the cloth to a wet face, let the silk take up the water, then continue with serum and moisturizer. That is the whole method. The detail below is about doing it well.
Step by step
- Cleanse as you normally would. The cloth is not a cleanser and is not used with product.
- Unfold the cloth and hold it flat against your face. Start at the forehead and work down. An 18 × 10.5-inch cloth folds comfortably in one hand.
- Press and lift. Hold for a second, lift, move to the next area. Do not drag the cloth sideways across the skin.
- Leave your skin slightly damp. You are not trying to get bone dry. Many serums and moisturizers are applied to slightly damp skin.
- Apply the rest of your routine as usual.
Press, don't rub
This is the one instruction that matters. The American Academy of Dermatology's Face washing 101 advises resisting the temptation to scrub, since scrubbing irritates the skin, and recommends patting dry with a soft towel. A smooth cloth makes pressing the natural motion rather than a discipline you have to remember.
Why the fabric makes that easier is covered in Silk face cloth vs. cotton face towel.
What not to do with it
- Don't use it to exfoliate. It is not an exfoliating cloth and will not work as one.
- Don't use it to remove makeup. Use a dedicated remover or cleanser first.
- Don't scrub with it. Scrubbing with a cloth is precisely the habit the guidance above warns against.
- Don't leave it damp in a pile. Hang it to air between uses.
How often to swap it
Rotate it as you would any face cloth — every few uses, or more often if you prefer. Many people keep two or three in rotation so one is always clean. Washing instructions are in How to wash a mulberry silk face cloth.
A note on expectations
Changing how you dry your face is a small adjustment to technique. It is intended to complement a gentle skincare routine, not to replace anything in it, and it makes no medical claim. Suitability and results vary from person to person.