I Solely Washed My Face With Water Each Day for two Weeks

With that in thoughts, I used to be advised that my a.m. cleanse must be the primary one to go. “As you sleep, you don’t have a lot grease, micro organism, or sebum that builds up, that are the issues that you should take away to stop breakouts,” says Aegean Chan, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based mostly in Santa Barbara. Whereas she recommends sticking with a delicate cleanser within the morning, Tiara Willis, an esthetician and content material creator, takes issues one step additional and suggests merely utilizing a splash of water in lieu of any kind of cleanser in any respect.

“Consider why we wash our face: it rinses issues out,” says Willis. “However your pores and skin heals at night time. It’s not out and about gathering micro organism, which is why you may get away with simply utilizing a splash of water within the morning.”

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Armed with this new data, I made a decision to embark on a two-week skin-care journey, abandoning my morning cleanser and as an alternative simply utilizing a splash of lukewarm water. Learn on to see the way it went.

Making ready to ditch my cleanser

Unbeknownst to me, I used to be overdoing it with my facial cleaning. I used to be washing my face as quickly as I awoke (roughly 7:30 a.m.), after working (normally about 11:30 a.m.), and earlier than going to mattress (normally round midnight). Per Willis’s advice, I dedicated to altering issues up in order that I used to be rinsing my face with solely water (as an alternative of utilizing a cleanser) throughout that first, pre-8 a.m. morning skin-care session. Then, I deliberate to clean my face as typical after my exercise and once more earlier than mattress.

Earlier than beginning the experiment, my largest questions had been all about water temperature. Is super-hot water the most suitable choice for breaking down oil and micro organism? Or does icy-cold work greatest as a result of it provides a little bit vitality jolt very first thing within the morning? Seems, the reply is… “neither.”

“The problem with actually scorching water is that it’s going to dry out your pores and skin—it’s going to take out all these pure oils, so that you don’t wish to use water that’s too scorching,” says Willis. “And you do not wish to use water that is too chilly as a result of it will not be efficient in slicing by way of any of the oil or sebum.” (FWIW: Dr. Chan “does not see an issue” with utilizing ice-cold water should you’d choose to go that route). I took the glad medium and determined to make use of lukewarm water for my a.m. splash.

The professionals predicted that I might see outcomes inside two weeks of beginning the experiment. Since I might now not be over-cleansing—which Willis says can “strip your face of your oils and affect your pores and skin barrier, probably resulting in irritation, sensitivity, and breakouts”—she predicted that my pores and skin would enhance. Dr. Chan has the same forecast: “I think that should you exchange your morning cleanser with only a splash of water, you might discover you won’t want to make use of as a lot moisturizer. Or possibly you may change to a lighter one.”

Let’s simply say these two are specialists for a purpose (or they’ve some type of skin-care crystal ball), as a result of their predictions had been just about spot on.

What occurred after I washed my face with water for two weeks

Earlier than moving into the nitty gritty, it’s value noting that I’ve non-reactive pores and skin. It doesn’t overproduce oil, however it does typically really feel a little bit oily in my T-zone. I’m additionally not acne-prone, however—like clockwork—I get hormonal zits after I’m menstruating.

With that in thoughts, I used to be a bit scared to embark on this two-week journey as a result of I felt like I might inevitably get away if I finished cleaning within the morning. Willis shortly corrected my inaccurate considering and jogged my memory that ceasing the over-cleansing can be good for my pores and skin barrier.

On day one, I didn’t observe a giant distinction, which is to be anticipated within the early phases of any skin-care experiment. It wasn’t till about day 5 that I spotted my pores and skin was holding onto a bit extra oil—which I hadn’t even realized I wanted till I observed my complexion trying barely dewier. By the center of the experiment, which was round day 10, I obtained a “Wow, your pores and skin appears to be like wonderful—did you do something to it?” from my boss.

Clearly, my pores and skin was grateful that I would stopped washing it within the morning, and the moist, radiant glow it began giving off was its approach of thanking me.

The advantages did not cease there, although. Most notably, I did not get any new pimples all through this check run—a minor miracle contemplating that I am majorly susceptible to hormonal zits and was beginning my interval going into week two. I additionally noticed that my pores and skin now not had a tightness to it, which I had been scuffling with throughout these colder winter months. Lastly, on a non-skincare be aware, swapping a full-on cleanse with a two-second splash gave me extra time within the morning,  and that’s a giant win for me as a result of I perpetually run 5 to 10 minutes late.

For sure, I’ll completely be persevering with this observe long gone the experiment’s anticipated finish date. Not solely am I saving product, time, and water, however I’m additionally preserving my barrier intact—which is one among my high priorities. Merely put, the one approach I see myself reverting to utilizing a cleanser within the morning is that if I overlook to clean my face the night time earlier than.