#60SecondRule: How long should I cleanse my face?

Growing up with severe acne can really dampen one's self confidence. That is why I'm always on the hunt for new tips, products, and trends that could potentially improve the condition of my skin.

One such trend I've been trying recently is called the #60SecondRule.

I came across the trending hashtag on Twitter one night while researching for new skincare tips to try. The hashtag originated from a tweet by @LaBeautyologist (Nayamka Roberts-Smith), an esthetician and content creator on Youtube focusing on skincare.

According to the tweet, the #60SecondRule is done by cleansing your face for one minute using your fingers. Doing so activates the ingredients in the cleanser, softens skin, improves skin texture, and more.

So I thought, 'Why not?' I won't be wasting any money buying a new product and spending a few extra seconds cleansing my face isn't that much of a commitment. After trying the #60SecondRule for a few months, here are my thoughts on the skincare trend.

In just a week, I noticed an improvement in my skin and I definitely agree to all the pros that Nayamka listed in her tweet. Plus, I also got noticeably less acne, only growing one zit in two weeks compared to the three or four pimples that I would get in just one week.

Although I must admit, I fell off the #60SecondRule wagon for a while just because I got lazy and cut the routine down to 45 seconds (or maybe even up to 30 seconds if I'm feeling especially uninspired).

My pimples immediately popped up one right after the other when I started cutting corners. That's when I begged the skincare Gods for forgiveness and vowed never to break the #60SecondRule again, no matter how lazy I'm feeling that day.

For the cleanser I use, I personally prefer gentle and sensitive formulas such as the Cetaphil cleanser and the Witch Hazel + Tea Tree Gentle Facial Wash by the Beauty Bakery over harsher ones. Washing my face with strong products for that long tend to dry out my skin which forces it to create excess sebum or oil.

Overall, I do think that the #60SecondRule really does work and is an effective way to improve the quality of one's skin for virtually no costs. The extra effort may prove challenging for lazy people (like me) or people with short attention span (also like me) but the results are all worth it.