Great Skin (in less than a minute!)

You'd be shocked at how few of us do it right! Skin pros share their best cleansing tips.

1. Use warm water,

says Beverly Hills derm Stuart Kaplan, M.D. "Cold closes your pores, so your cleanser can't work, and hot water is too stripping." Hands get the job done, but a sponge feels good. Try Ricky Care Sea Sponge (left, $5, rickysnyc.com).

2. Pick a good cleanser.

"Don't worry about whether it's a gel, lotion or bar," says Dr. Kaplan. "It's the ingredients that matter." If your skin is oily or acne-prone, look for one with blemish-busting salicylic acid. Dry skin? A wash with moisturizing ingredients like shea butter works best.

3. Rub it on; rinse it off.

Work cleanser onto skin for about 15 seconds—any longer is overkill. Then splash your face with water at least six times to completely rinse, says Lydia Sarfati, a NYC aesthetician and founder of Repêchage.