If you’ve ever struggled with any skin issues in your life, you might have heard this misguided question before: Have you tried washing your face? Or maybe some of its closely-related cousins: “How often do you wash your face?” or “Maybe you should wash your face more often.” It’s just not very helpful advice. A better question to ask might be: How are you washing your face?
For something so simple, there is no end to all the confusing skincare terms that seem to just describe… washing your face. Maybe you’ve heard of cleansing, exfoliating, even double cleansing, oil cleansing… the list goes on and on. Let’s forget all that and take a step back.
Washing your face is quite like washing anything else. You don’t just splash water on things and call it a day—usually, you use some kind of specialized soap for the object you’re cleaning. For laundry, it’s detergent; for dishes, it’s dish soap. For your face, that would be what we call a cleanser. But sometimes, the soap isn’t really enough. You have to really get in there and scrub to get all the dirt out. In the skincare world, that’s essentially what we call an exfoliator.
What’s so special about facial cleansers?
In our other articles, we’ve briefly talked about how our skin is the barrier protecting us from the outside world. The topmost layer of our skin has various substances that keep our skin hydrated, prevent bacteria from getting in, and defend against other damaging stressors, like UV light. Essentially, we want those substances to stay there and do their job. Most facial cleansers sold today are specially formulated to not get rid of all that good stuff, whereas most other soaps, like detergents, will. It’s important to note, however, that with washing anything, some of the good substances will inevitably get stripped away. Using a facial cleanser helps minimize that.
So… what does cleansing and exfoliating do?
Simply put, cleansers get rid of the bad stuff that collects on our face throughout the day. This includes dirt, oil, and other microorganisms like bacteria. Several skin problems, like acne, happen because of the buildup of all that dirt and gunk, so it’s important to cleanse your face regularly.
Exfoliating is a more targeted form of cleansing that works specifically to remove dead skin cells. The topmost layer of our skin is constantly exposed to stressors, so in order to keep our skin barrier functioning, it needs to shed old skin cells and grow new ones regularly. When the dead cells remain on our skin, they prevent our skin barrier from functioning as effectively. Any skincare products we apply to support the barrier will also have a harder time getting into our skin. So, you shouldn’t just cleanse—you should exfoliate as well to get rid of old skin cells. The two go hand in hand.
Exfoliation might sound like an optional step, but it really isn’t; it’s necessary to ensure the rest of our skincare routine works. Not only does exfoliating keep the upper layer of our skin fresh and healthy, it helps to smoothen our skin and allows products to better absorb into the skin.
But don’t go overboard with it!
Cleansing and exfoliating will go a long way to keep your skin happy and healthy. But as with anything, too much can actually worsen your skin. Since cleansing and exfoliating will inevitably get rid of some of the good stuff, doing it too often can strip away too much and compromise your skin barrier instead. It’s a good idea to cleanse just twice everyday, once in the morning and once in the evening. Depending on the strength of your exfoliator, it’s also important that you don’t exfoliate as often. In general, gentle exfoliators can be used together with your cleanser everyday, but anything stronger should be limited to just a few times a week, or even less.
Our Deep Cleanser is a good example of a gentle exfoliator. Our two-in-one formulation cleanses and exfoliates skin at the same time, so you don’t have to add another step to your routine. It’s designed to be used twice everyday. But to make sure the Deep Cleanser is mild enough for frequent use, we use an ingredient called Polyhydroxy Acid (PHA), which is a gentle chemical exfoliant. PHA increases the rate at which our skin cells renew themselves, thus helping to get rid of dead skin more quickly. Compared to other stronger exfoliants, however, it does not cause skin irritation and can be used on sensitive skin. It can also help to support our skin barrier and keep our skin hydrated.
So, to answer the question of how you should be washing your face—make sure you cleanse and exfoliate regularly, taking care to use gentle formulations or limit your use of stronger products. And if someone ever tells you to wash your face more often, now you know what to tell them.