She says that as a general rule, you should probably wash your face twice a day: once in the morning and once at night. But if you have oily skin, it's OK to wash your face only once a day.
How often should you wash if you have oily or acne-prone skin? The urge to overcleanse is common in those with oily or acne-prone skin. There's no need to wash the face more than twice a day. In fact, doing so may dry out your skin.
How often should you wash your face? No matter your skin type, you want to wash your face at least once a day — in the evening to remove any dirt, makeup, oil, and grime that's built up on your skin throughout the day.
Cleansing Alone Isn't Enough for Acne
It can help to keep your pores from being plugged up. Still, water and a simple soap or face wash aren't enough to clear up acne. Think of your twice-daily cleansing as a first step in treating your acne. Step two should be the routine use of an acne treatment product.
While it may seem like washing your face multiple times a day can help get rid of excess oil, cleansing too much can be counterproductive. It can actually cause your skin to produce even more oil because you're stripping your skin of essential moisture, causing your skin to overcompensate.
Moisturizer
Dr. Farber says that it's fine for those with oily or normal skin to moisturize once a day—though your skin will be, well, drier—but it's not wise to skip this step if you have dry skin.
“If you have extremely oily or acne prone skin, cleansing in the morning with a gentle cleanser can help reduce oil,” explains Carlen. “It can help kill bacteria.”
While forgetting to wash your face for one night is unlikely to cause lasting damage to your skin, one night is all it takes to clog pores and cause a breakout. Makeup left on skin overnight can prevent the skin from “breathing,” and can also inhibit the skin's process of repair and regeneration while you sleep.
That's a resounding yes, according to both dermatologists we spoke with. "Ideally, you'd cleanse your face twice per day. In the morning, this removes any excess oils your skin produced as well as remnants from your evening skincare routine," says Yadav.
Skip loofahs, washcloths and exfoliating products. However, if your skin is on the oily side, you should shower more often. If you deal with acne you should shower and wash your face daily or a couple of times a day. This will help with breakouts.
If you don't wash your face twice a day, your skin is in danger of breakouts due to oil, dirt and makeup clogging pores. Your pores will appear larger and your skin will look dull and textured, instead of having a radiant, youthful glow.
So, if you are still wondering how often you should wash oily hair, a good rule to follow is between 2 to 3 times a week. This way, you can enjoy a clean feel without stripping essential moisture and exposing your strands to too many chemical elements.
Those with very dry skin or eczema will find that water-cleansing helps to retain the skin's natural moisture. However, persons with oily, acne-prone, or combination skin might need soap or liquid cleanser to dissolve excess oil which often clogs pores and causes breakouts.
While washing your face helps your skin remain bacteria-free, too much washing can remove your skin's natural, helpful oils. If you find your skin feeling dry, tight, and irritated, then it's likely that you've gone overboard.
Chwalek still recommends that her clients wash their face at least once a day with a gentle cleanser, preferably at night (when your face is coated with a day's worth of dirt). "Not washing your face could cause the buildup of oil and dirt that may lead to acne, more prominent pores, and inflammation," she says.
The Cons to Nighttime-Only Washing
Not removing active nighttime skincare ingredients like retinoids, which may cause photosensitivity. The possibility for bacteria and dirt living on towels and pillowcases to stick to the skin. Your daytime skincare ingredients may not penetrate as well on non-cleansed skin.
Lukewarm water is advisable to wash your face with, but cold water has its benefits, too. Cold water tightens the appearance of your skin, so it may make you look renewed and refreshed. It also helps boost your circulation, which can help give your skin a healthier appearance, albeit temporarily.
Wet your face with lukewarm water. Use cotton or a baby washcloth to apply a nickel-sized amount of cleanser to your face. Massage the cleanser into your skin gently for about 20 seconds. Rinse with lukewarm water.
Face washes for acne-prone oily skin
If you are prone to breakouts, she recommends looking for a face wash that can gently exfoliate the skin to get rid of impurities, dirt, and oil. “Products that contain low amounts of benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid will achieve this without being too harsh,” says Park.
You may be using unnecessary products. "Some people may just not be genetically predisposed to breakouts or may produce less [oil],” says Batra. If that sounds like you, you may actually find your skin looks better when you ditch your cleanser.
Wash gently only twice a day-- morning and night-- with a mild soap made especially for acne. Use warm, not hot, water and wash with your fingertips.
“You should wash your face in the morning for various reasons,” she says. “Bacteria can accumulate throughout the night and, also, you should prime your skin by cleansing it for your morning skincare routine, not to mention to remove your nighttime creams and serums used the night before.”
"There's really no reason to wash your face in the morning, especially if you thoroughly cleansed the night before," says Hirsch. (Ah ha! I win!) "But, at the same time, there's nothing wrong with cleansing the face every morning, as long as you're not overstripping the skin with harsh, drying cleansers.
Using a clean, soft washcloth is effective for cleaning your face, but unless you use a new one every day, you should probably stick with using your hands to scrub, Dr. Green says. Also, ideally, you should change the towel you use to dry your face every couple of days to keep bacteria at bay, adds Dr. Gohara.