We all have unique skin types that require a specific routine and certain products to look and feel our best.
Your perfect skincare routine should be tailored to suit your needs and address your concerns, providing you with a radiant and glowing complexion.
The start of any ideal skin care routine begins with washing your face to remove any buildup and create a fresh canvas for your additional products to absorb completely.
Washing your face with the proper cleanser will help eliminate excess oil production, remove makeup and other skincare products, and prevent the buildup of dirt, sweat, and debris.
It is the most important part of your skincare routine that will begin to address your concerns; however, washing your face too frequently can also create issues for your skin in the future.
Is it okay, or recommended, to wash your face three times a day?
It’s generally not recommended to wash your face more than twice a day, as it can cause dehydration. It may seem like washing more often can prevent breakouts, clogged pores, or excess oil from appearing on the skin, but washing your face too much can have the opposite effect.
Below, we’ll discuss what is recommended when it comes to washing your face, the best products to use in your skincare routine, and the potential side effects of washing your face too frequently.
Can You Wash Your Face Too Much?
Yes, it’s possible to wash your face too often. If you wash your face more than twice a day, once in the morning and once at night, you risk damaging your skin’s moisture barrier and causing dehydration.
For normal, daily activities, washing your face twice a day is a suitable amount to maintain clear, clean skin.
For oily or acne-prone skin, it can seem like the solution to clearing up breakouts or eliminating excess oil buildup. However, over-washing can increase oil production in the skin as it attempts to rehydrate itself, which can lead to more breakouts.
While washing the face twice a day is the recommended routine for all skin types, there may be occasions where a third wash is required.
For example, after an intense, sweat-inducing workout, washing your face afterward will help remove excess sweat and dirt from your pores.
You may also need an additional wash after using a specific skin care treatment, such as a face mask, that requires rinsing off.
However, those instances are the exceptions to your routine, rather than the rule. Washing your face three times a day or more can lead to dry skin and create new skin care concerns.
Side Effects of Washing Your Face Three Times A Day
If you wash your face three or more times a day, it can easily disrupt the pH balance of your skin and its moisture barrier.
The skin can easily become dehydrated if it is washed too much, with the natural oils being stripped away. It can cause the skin to feel tight, itchy, and uncomfortable.
When the skin becomes dehydrated, it can also rob the complexion of its natural radiance, resulting in a dull appearance.
As the skin naturally produces oil throughout the day, it provides a healthy glow while also adding moisture. Stripping the skin of its natural oil production could cause an imbalance in the pH and moisture barrier.
Once the natural oils are stripped from the skin, it will attempt to produce more oil to compensate for the loss.
This can lead to skin that still feels tight and uncomfortable, but has a shine, an increased number of breakouts, or a scaly appearance when makeup is applied.
Best Face Washing Routine For Different Skin Types
Often, keeping your skincare routine as simple as possible is the best approach. Washing the face twice a day is typically suitable for all skin types, the optimal times being once in the morning and once at night.
However, some skin types can get away with washing the face only once a day, to prevent dryness from occurring.
While a morning face wash is ideal, if you are only washing your face with a cleanser once a day, it is recommended to do so at night.
It allows for a thorough cleanse to remove any dirt, oil, or makeup buildup that has accumulated throughout the day. If you plan to skip a morning wash, it is still recommended to rinse your face with water to wake up your skin.
The differences in the best face washing routine for your skin type are also largely focused on the products you include in the routine and the steps you complete.
Dry skin, for example, benefits from adding a hydrating serum to their daytime skin care routine, while oil skin may be better suited to only using a toner and lightweight moisturizer.
Best Products To Include In Your Face Washing Routine
Depending on your skin type and the concerns you have about your skin, you will require different ingredients or products to achieve the best results. You may also need different products for use at night versus during the day, based on your skin’s needs.
While washing the face in the morning and at night may be done with the same cleanser, the additional products, such as moisturizers or serums, may have different ingredients or textures that work best at night versus in the morning.
Dry skin can benefit from cleansers with a milky or creamy texture. It will thoroughly clean the skin, while being gentle enough not to strip away any of its much-needed moisture.
During the day, using a hydrating or antioxidant-based serum helps add moisture to the skin while also protecting it against harmful free radicals that can disrupt its moisture barrier.
Dry skin can also benefit from ingredients like ceramides, as they help to add hydration. Looking for moisturizers with glycerin can also help lock in existing moisture while attracting additional moisture to the skin from its surroundings.
While it is important to rid the skin of any buildup of dead skin cells, dry skin can benefit more from using products with chemical exfoliation to improve its texture and radiance.
For dry skin, it is crucial to use a moisturizer that is rich in texture to impart added hydration throughout the day. For your nighttime moisturizer, you may find one that has a thicker texture than what you prefer during the day.
Although it may seem like oily skin types do not need added hydration, it is crucial not to overlook maintaining the skin’s moisture levels.
Although the oil glands are slightly larger than those of dry skin types, it is still important not to strip the skin of its natural oil.
Oily skin benefits most from lightweight products that can easily absorb into the skin, while still providing hydration and balancing natural oil production.
For cleansers, oily skin responds well to a gel-based cleanser that can thoroughly clean the skin while also controlling excess oil.
For oily skin, washing the face twice a day —once in the morning and once at night —helps keep the skin feeling balanced and clear of breakouts.
It can also work well with lightweight, gel moisturizers as they absorb quickly into the skin without being too heavy, like a thick cream.
When looking to balance the skin, while also adding hydration, oily skin can work well with ingredients like niacinamide or hyaluronic acid.
Both products impart moisture to the skin, but are also thin in texture, allowing them to quickly penetrate the skin’s layers without adding extra shine.
With oily skin, pores can easily become clogged with excess oil or debris buildup; therefore, using a detoxifying treatment throughout the week can be helpful.
While washing the face in the morning and at night helps prevent daily buildup, using a clay or charcoal detoxifying face mask at least once a week will help thoroughly clean your pores while also removing excess oil.
Conclusion
Creating and perfecting your unique skincare routine will help you achieve a balanced, even, and clear complexion.
Starting your routine with a thorough, non-stripping face wash is a crucial step that enables the rest of your skincare products to perform optimally and deliver the desired results.
While there may be instances where a third wash of your face is required, washing your face twice a day, morning and night, is the ideal basis for a perfect skin care routine.
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