Beauty Beat: Are you overwashing your face?
From triple- cleansing to exfoliation, we’ve done the hard work and broken down all the latest face cleansing regimens to try
Face cleansing used to be the most boring part of a skincare regimen. But with beauty customers more educated than ever, attention has turned toward the humble face cleanser. Face wash formulas come in a Willy Wonka variety of forms: foams and balms and gels, mousses, milks and clays.
To parse all the products and figure out the best solution for you, you’ll need the dermis of an armadillo. Good thing we’ve done some of the work for you.
THE IDEAL CLEANSER
Don’t get distracted by slick marketing campaigns. According to Barbara Sturm, an aesthetic medical doctor in Germany who has a namesake skincare line, the function of a daily cleanser should be straightforward. It’s “to remove dead skin cells, oil, dirt and other pollutants from the skin, unclog pores, prevent skin conditions such as acne, and prepare the skin for the next step in your skincare regimen.”
“Cleansing is truly is the foundation of good skin care. You can do more harm than good by using the wrong cleanser,” said Amy Gordinier-Regan, the founder of Skinfix.
WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH PH?
The idea is that if the cleanser mimics the skin’s naturally acidic pH (5.5), it will be more gentle on your skin’s acid mantle (the protective, slightly acidic layer made up of natural oils, dead skin cells and sweat). The acid mantle is what maintains skin health and staves off bacterial infections, said Dendy Engelman, a dermatologist in Manhattan.
The problem is that “the definition of ‘clean’ can be subjective,” Engelman said. “If, after washing, your skin feels tight, dry or inflamed, that means the cleanser or cleansing mechanism was too strong.” That “squeaky clean” sensation many of us strive for is, she said, an unhealthy state for our skin to be in.
OIL VS WATER
If your skin is oily or prone to breakouts, Sturm suggests, look for a water-based gel or foam cleanser. The foaming aspect need not rely on sulphates. There are gentler surfactants available. But even if the product is gentle, she said, “it is important to quickly apply moisturiser to avoid moisture loss through osmosis.”
You’ll want to avoid wipes when possible, though. While better than nothing, they are not a substitute for properly washing your face
WHAT’S WITH TRIPLE CLEANSING?
Double and triple cleansing are ideas that sprang from the Korean and Japanese beauty crazes of recent years. The traditional K-beauty scenario involves using an oil-based cleanser to break down make-up. And because some makeup, especially waterproof and long-wear formulas, is oil-based, it breaks down best with oil.
Then, because the oil cleanser leaves a residue, which is now mixed with the dirt and make-up, you follow it with “a traditional water-based foaming cleanser, which removes the oils and butters that the balms or oils leave on skin,” said Tiffany Masterson, the founder of Drunk Elephant.
REALLY, SHOULD YOU WASH JUST ONCE A DAY?
If you subscribe to Masterson’s theory on skin barrier maintenance, you should not be washing your face morning and night. “If you have a good skincare routine, you should cleanse at night to get the grime and make-up off,” she said. “Then add your serums and moisturisers, and while you’re sleeping, you’re nourishing your acid mantle. You don’t want to wash that off in the morning.”
Many people who have sensitive skin may simply be overwashing. Overcleansing, Strum said, “takes the skin’s lipids away and destroys skin barrier function, which in turn allows bacteria to enter and cause breakouts, redness, irritation, neurodermatitis and decreased natural resistance to UVA and UVB rays.”
“Cleansing is truly the foundation of good skin care. You can do more harm than good by using the wrong cleanser.” AMY GORDINIER-REGAN | Skinfix founder