How much washing is too much?
When most people think of acne, the first cause that comes to mind is bad hygiene. They assume that they need to wash more thoroughly or more often to prevent dirt and bacteria from building up. In reality, these measures are hardly ever enough to stop breakouts (which are caused by excess skin oil due to hormonal shifts in most cases). However, even if the causes of acne are more than skin deep, keeping clean on the outside can’t hurt, right?
Well, the fact is that washing too often can be just as problematic for your skin as washing too infrequently. If you’re suffering from acne, chances are that your skin is already sensitive to irritation, and one of the surest ways to irritate your skin is to strip it of its natural layer of protection every few hours.
People with clear skin don’t have to constantly, obsessively wash. Doing so prevents leaves your skin extra vulnerable, since it doesn’t get a chance to build up the minimum level of skin oil that serves as its first line of defense. Excess oil is bad, but no oil can be even worse. Treatments like Clearade and Clear5 are so effective because they eliminate the excess oil without stripping it all away. Vitamin B5 works with your skin rather than against it.
Being in the business, it’s not unusual to hear from customers who wash with multi-step cleansers and/or take showers 2-3 times per day. My advice is always the same: wash less.
Constantly drying out your skin and slathering your face with chemicals is not the way to beat acne. If you wash with cleansers twice per day, consider doing so only once (such as before bed) and simply rinsing your face with water in place of your second full wash. If you take two showers per day, lower it to one unless you’re been exercising and worked up a sweat before the second.
As a general rule, try not to assault your skin with soap or cleansers more than once per day unless you actively did something to get yourself dirty. Use gentle products and was thoroughly when you apply them. When it comes to good hygiene, quality is better than quantity.
