Are you washing your face wrong? Top Dermatologists Reveal Five Common Mistakes to Avoid

Scrub your face with soap, hot water, and a washcloth? Well, you may be washing your face wrong, according to dermatologists.

Exfoliating too much, washing with water that is too hot, and using too many disposable wipes are some of the biggest mistakes people make when washing their faces.

These techniques can destroy the skin’s natural barrier, drying it out and clogging pores.

MailOnline spoke to dermatologists to find out what to avoid when it comes to keeping our faces squeaky clean.

product overload

From charcoal face masks to moisturizing your face with Vaseline, social media is full of tips for cleansing your skin, but following these trends may not be the best way to maintain a healthy glow.

Dermatologists warn that having too many steps, with too many different chemicals can strip skin of its natural oils, making it sore and dry.

And just because a celebrity has recommended a product to you doesn’t mean it’s right for your skin.

Dr Penelope Pratsou, a consultant dermatologist and spokesperson for the British Skin Foundation, said: “The most common mistake people make with skincare routines is that they tend to overcomplicate them.

‘People like to follow the latest skincare trends as recommended on social media.

“This can often result in complex regimens that may not be suitable for your own skin and lead to skin irritation.”

But there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to skin care. Your routine should be unique and tailored to your skin type, according to Dr. Pratsou.

“Don’t feel like you need to follow a particular regimen because someone famous has recommended it,” he added.

Dr. Salome Dharamshi, a dermatologist at a private practice in Birmingham, believes that “less is more” and suggests sticking to a simple routine, such as one with two to four steps.

She said: ‘Wash your face in the morning, apply moisturizer and SPF.

‘At night, before going to bed, wash your face twice, remove makeup, then gently wash again to ensure skin is clean and apply moisturizer.’

However, experts urge people to stay away from bar soap and use other gentle face washes.

This is because the alkaline chemicals in soap bars can be abrasive, drying and altering your skin’s natural PH.

Your skin’s natural PH is slightly acidic, which helps keep moisture and bacteria out.

If this balance is pushed to be more acidic, you’re more likely to get skin conditions such as acne and eczema, and if it’s too alkaline, your skin can appear dry, red, and flaky.

stop scrubbing

Another common mistake that people make is rubbing their skin too much.

Although scrubbing will remove dead skin cells, oils, and dirt, helping skin look flawless, it will also remove healthy skin cells, according to experts.

This can lead to irritation, in the same way as adhering to an overly complicated regimen.

Dr Pratsou said, “I’m not a fan of physical exfoliation on the face because it can often be traumatic to the skin, causing irritation, dryness, or breakouts.”

Instead, she recommends using a chemical exfoliant, such as glycolic acid and retinols, as they work for about 10 minutes to gently exfoliate, with noticeable results in two weeks.

Dr Pratsou added: ‘Microfiber face cloths are thought to be gentler on the skin and help exfoliate for people who have sensitive skin.

“So they could be useful if you’re wearing makeup to help remove it at the end of the day.”

Dr. Dharamshi agrees that a microfiber cloth is a good gentle exfoliator, as is a soft sponge. However, some rough wipes and brushes can damage healthy skin cells.

However, Dr Kajal Babamiri, a dermatologist at CLNQ private clinic in Manchester, says we should ditch the face cloth altogether in favor of simply using our hands to clean with water and a gentle wash.

She said: ‘Definitely use your hands to wash your face.

‘A cloth can be too abrasive, you are tearing off a lot of skin.

“You want to remove the dead skin, but not be too aggressive that it damages the skin.”

you have finished washing

Washing your face twice a day is the optimal amount, according to dermatologists.

Keeping it just morning and night will help remove dirt and oil and keep blemishes at bay.

But, if you start trying to clean it more than that, you could end up with dry, irritated, or even blotchy skin.

Dr. Dharamshi explained that excessive washing not only causes dryness but also acne.

She said: “Excessive washing of the face can increase sebum production, which is one of the reasons for acne.

“It can also damage the skin barrier, cause redness and dehydration of the skin.”

Dr. Pratsou also cautions that for those who are prone to eczema, even water can be irritating and cause breakouts.

Dermatologists recommend moisturizing medical treatments if you suffer from eczema flare-ups.

For normal skin types, Dr. Pratsou advises: “Stick to the same principles of beginning daytime and nighttime routines by cleansing skin with a cleanser appropriate for your skin type and ending with an appropriate moisturizer.”

She added: “I would always recommend adding a sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun’s rays all year long.”

Hot water

If you are using hot water, you may want to turn the temperature down a bit.

Having water that is too hot or even too cold can overdry your skin, which in turn can cause excessive sebum production that makes it oily and blemished as a result.

Dr Dharamshi said: ‘The water should be lukewarm, very often people use water that is too hot or too cold.

‘If the water is too hot, it can damage the skin, it can cause redness and dry out the skin. It also damages the skin barrier.’

Warm water is the happy balance for washing your face, according to experts.

Although some people use hot water to open their pores and then cold water to close them, Dr. Dharamshi says this doesn’t really work.

In fact, he goes so far as to say that opening the pores is technically impossible.

Because your pores are not muscles, they cannot open and contract, so there is little to no benefit to doing this.

But there is some logic behind the myth.

When you splash warm water on your face, it simply loosens sebum, which is facial oil, allowing it to glide across your face, explains Dr. Dharamshi.

Similarly, splashing cold water on your face causes the muscles to contract, which makes the skin feel tighter, but the pores won’t get smaller.

Ditch the wipes

Facial wipes can be helpful because they seem to cleanse your face in seconds.

But skin experts are not fans of the convenient product, which sells for pennies on the street.

Disposable face wipes may be good for removing makeup, but they’re not designed for daily face washing.

Dr. Babamiri said: “Face wipes are good for removing makeup, but that shouldn’t be your cleanser or for washing your face.”

In fact, if you don’t have anything else to wash your face with that day, using water might be better than using the ready-to-use wipes, dermatologists warn.

Dr Pratsou said: “Using a suitable cleanser with water, with or without a reusable facial cloth, is preferable to using disposable facial wipes.”

That’s because wipes aren’t as effective at removing all of the day’s dirt, makeup, and oil, either.

If dirt remains on your face, over time it can lead to clogged pores, breakouts, and irritation from residual product on your skin.