“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.”
Both Emer and Zeichner agree that if you're only going to wash your face once a day, nighttime is the best time to do it. "Most dermatologists recommend face-washing twice daily, once in the morning and once before bed," says Zeichner.
You may want to consider washing in the morning with a gentle cleanser. No matter what, just keep in mind that over-washing actually leads to irritation and breakouts. So if you feel like your skin is being overloaded with touch and products, stick to a simple rinse in the morning.
Unless you sleep in a full face of makeup and sunscreen (which we don't… right?), all the rest of us dry, combination and sensitive skin humans are doing by cleansing in the morning is washing away the natural oils and moisture that keep our skin barrier nice and plump.
It protects your skin's natural barrier
Your skin works hard all night building its own natural barrier against the world (a layer of helpful oils keeps skin soft), so why strip it all away as soon as you wake up with a face wash? “Washing your face in the morning can strip your natural defense barrier,” says Carlen.
By cleansing with water only, you're less likely to over-strip the skin's natural oil and therefore reduce the risk of damaging your skin barrier. Cleansing your face with water only not only reduces the oil-stripping action but also the physical rubbing action, which would reduce irritation to the skin.
Recap. Acne is caused by factors like bacteria and hormones—not a dirty face. Still, you should remove dirt and oil by washing your face morning and night with a gentle cleanser.
Taking a cold shower first thing in the morning has more benefits than just acting as a wakeup call. In fact, washing your face with cold water may help your skin look more youthful. Cold water works similarly to an astringent, toning your skin and making it look refreshed and younger.
“It's especially important to wash your face before bed if you have oily skin, because a buildup of oil and sloughed-off skin cells on the skin's surface can contribute to whiteheads and blackheads,” Katta explains.
During the day as you're upright, the dermal fluid moves towards your legs, but overnight, when your body is horizontal during sleep, dermal fluid settles back. This swells up your facial skin, reducing the appearance of wrinkles, like pumping water back into a raisin or rehydrating a shriveled, dried sponge.
There's no need to wash the face more than twice a day. In fact, doing so may dry out your skin. When this happens, Ivonne says skin “does whatever it needs to do to regain moisture.” This includes “making its sebum production work in overdrive, causing more oil and more acne than there was originally.”
Your skin is very smart; it regulates itself and produces only as much sebum as it needs to stay healthy, hydrated, and youthful. However, when we wash it too much, it first becomes overly dry. This leads to a backup of dead skin, and in turn triggers an overproduction of sebum.
Here's how often you should be washing your face and what to do if you overdo it. 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.
In general, you should be cleansing your face at least twice a day. “You should wash your face both morning and night because the skin creates sebum and oil throughout the day,” says Saya Obayah, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist located in Austin, Texas.
Just splashing your face with cold water can reduce the fine lines and wrinkles on your face considerably. * It also helps refresh the skin, and take care of dullness.
Drinking warm water on a daily basis can increase your body temperature and release toxins from the body and so it prevents the growth of acne. Daily intake of warm water moisturizes your skin and improves the circulation of your organs.
Water has many ways in which it can improve your skin, which helps to improve your acne over time. Drinking water has both direct and indirect benefits for treating acne. Firstly, with bacterial acne, water helps to remove toxins and bacteria on the skin, reducing the potential for pore-clogging in the process.
Salicylic acid can be helpful for all types of acne.” Salicylic acid is a go-to OTC ingredient for acne since it dissolves the dead skin cells in clogged pores, helping treat existing acne and prevent future breakouts.
Dove bar soap FAQ
Dove soap is listed on EWG's Skin Deep Database as one of the most non-toxic and natural face washes.
Face wash, serum and moisturizer with sunscreen. According to dermatologist Amie Sessa, you should use a gentle cleanser and avoid using too-hot water (which can be harsh on your face). Campbell's favorite cleansers are Cetaphil Gentle, CeraVe Hydrating or Skinceuticals Gentle Cleanser.