Does cleansing face remove acne?

Safa

Acne is not caused by neglecting to wash your face. Other factors such as bacteria or hormonal changes can cause this skin condition. However regular cleansing is a key step in your acne treatment routine.

There is such a thing as leaving your skin too clean. If you're wondering how many times you should wash your face in a day the magic number is usually thought to be twice.

This article explains why and offers some ways to protect your skin while keeping it clean. It also covers other strategies you can try to control acne.

Twice-Daily Washing

If you wash your face morning and night it's enough to remove makeup dirt and excess oil from your skin that can cause breakouts.

What you use to cleanse your face also matters. The skin on your face is delicate so you don't want to use harsh soaps. If you have acne antibacterial hand sanitizers and soaps are not suitable for your skin. It helps if you've never rubbed alcohol on your face either.

Stronger is not always better. Instead choose a cleanser that leaves your skin feeling clean but not overly dry or peeling.

Acne Isn't Caused by a Dirty Face

If you're prone to breakouts it's important to know that this doesn't mean you're not taking care of your skin properly.

Skin cells in people with acne do not slough off properly. They are more sensitive to irritation from Propionibacterium acnes an acne-causing bacteria.

Hormones play a role in whether you get acne too.

Washing Too Often Can Worsen Acne

Washing your face too much can be as bad or worse than not washing your face at all. Vigorous scrubbing should also be avoided. You can easily remove all the good oils your skin needs to stay healthy leaving behind dry red flaky and irritated skin.

You can also break down the acidic mantle. This is the protective layer on the skin made up of sweat oils and beneficial bacteria. Healthy skin requires powerful healthy acids.

an exception? If you are particularly sweaty or dirty it is recommended that you clean a third time in a day.

Cleaning alone is not enough for acne

Good skin care means removing dirt excess oil and makeup. It can help prevent clogged pores. Still water and simple soap or face wash are not enough to clear up acne.

Think of your twice-daily cleansing as the first step in treating acne. The second step should be the regular use of acne treatment products.

For mild acne you can start by trying an over the counter acne product. The most effective products contain salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide.

Try using them regularly for a few weeks and see if that helps resolve the issue. A facial scrub may also help. Some of the available product brands and their various formulations include:

Proactiv
Benzaderm Gel
Neutrogena
PanOxyl
Noxzema
Oxy
Stridex

Harsh scrubs won't cleanse your skin any faster but they can irritate it and make breakouts worse. Remember all acne medications applied to your skin whether over the counter or prescription work best when used on freshly washed and thoroughly dry skin.

More severe or inflamed acne flare-ups are usually not improved with store bought acne products. Instead you need a prescription acne medication from your healthcare provider. These treatments include Daphne adapalene Retin A retinoic acid and Tazorac tazarotene.

Summary

The first thing to know is that your acne is not the cause of how often you wash your face (or not). But you can make things worse by washing too often and using the wrong cleaner.

For most people twice a day is enough unless you sweat or get dirty. Be sure to choose products that don't irritate your skin. Avoid vigorous scrubbing when washing. This removes healthy oils that dry out the skin and make it worse.

Cleaning should be part of an overall acne treatment plan that also involves over the counter or prescription medications.