Here's Why You *Really* Should Brush Your Teeth Before You Wash Your Face

We all have nighttime routines and they’re likely all different. Some people take a long bath before bed; others can barely muster the energy tosmear a makeup wipeacross their faces before passing out. While the particulars of everyone’s routine can vary wildly, there is one thing we should all be doing before we turn in each night and that’sbrush our teeth. More specifically, we all should be brushing our teeth beforewashing our faces.

If you’ve never really stopped to think about the order of operations for your nightly routine before reading this, same. And if you’re wondering if itreallymatters when you brush your teeth, also same.

However, after hearingDr. Joyce Park坐镇急诊室在洗衣服ton, explain the logic behind this simple switch, let’s just say we’ve been reaching for Colgate before thecleanserthese days.

As she shares in the TikTok video above, “Saliva and toothpaste residue can [remain] all over your chin and your jawline [which] could be causing acne breakouts, sensitivities and irritation.”

The easy solution: Brush your teeth first and wash your face second. This is especially important if you’re someone who is prone to breaking out or you have existing skin sensitivities or conditions like rosacea, as some ingredients that are commonly found in toothpastes like fluoride and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) can be irritating.

TL;DR: If you want to keep that chin clear, brush your teeth before washing your face, kapeesh? And since we’re on the topic of cleansing, here are a few of our go-to face washes.

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Jenny Jinis PureWow’s Beauty Director (and resident skincare expert) who is currently based in Los Angeles. Since beginning her journalism career at Real Simple magazine, she has become a human encyclopedia of the latest beauty products, trends and ingredients over the last 10 years. Equally comfortable infront of the cameraas she is behind a computer screen, she always aims to deliver information that's educational, entertaining and accessible to all. On that note, please subscribe toYoungish, her weekly beauty newsletter for millennials here or find her onInstagram(where she will happily reply to any DMs regarding nail polish, sunscreen and K-Pop sensation, BTS).

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