Stop Washing Your Face So Often If You Want Clearer, Smoother Skin

There are endless products that are sold exclusively to women, from feminine hygiene items to makeup to skincare. And we're the perfect consumers because most of us have a habit of buying items that we don't really need. One purchase you might want to rethink is your face wash. A common mistake that many women make is washing their face far too often. They think they're cleaning their skin to make it shinier, softer, and healthier, but overwashing your face could have the exact opposite effect.

I used to be the girl who washed her face twice a day without fail. I had some stubborn acne that I thought would get better if I washed my face more often, but when I had a few changes in my life and found myself living in a small beach town in Australia where I rarely used face wash, I saw an incredible change in my skin. It was smoother, softer, and clearer. I couldn't believe what I was seeing in the mirror after a few months of a different routine. Originally, I simply chalked it up to being in the ocean every day, but even after I moved back to the U.S. and left the beach life behind, I could see that my skin maintained its shine.

Since then, I never looked back. Now I wash my face only at night – and only if I wear makeup that day. In the morning I only splash my face with warm water, and that's it. If I don't wear makeup that day, I don't even use any product at night, just another warm water rinse before I go to bed.

Washing Your Face Too Often Could Make Your Skin Worse

You might think you're doing yourself a favor by washing your face very often, but you're actually stripping your face of its natural oils, and that's exactly what causes your face to break out more. That's because when you strip away those natural oils, your body is being given the signal that it needs to produce more oil, and this overproduction of oil can easily result in more pimples.

Plus, the natural oils that come out of your body are actually good for your skin, as they're a defense barrier to protect you from the external factors you run into that day. Washing that off in the morning means you're leaving your face vulnerable to nasty things that come from your day-to-day life, whether it's toxic makeup, pollution, weather elements, etc. Without the natural oils to create a buffer, all of that stuff seeps straight into your skin.

Another side effect of overwashing your face is dry, flaky skin that feels tight.

Another side effect of overwashing your face is dry, flaky skin that feels tight. If you have any dry patches or signs of redness or irritation, those are surefire signs that you need to lay off the face wash for a little while. The most common face washes out there are far too harsh for your skin and can cause some rough damage that could be avoided entirely if you either wash your face much less or switch up your face wash altogether.

Choose Your Face Wash Carefully

When you choose your face wash, you may be going by what has been advertised to you, what has been recommended by your favorite influencer, or by whatever is most convenient for you (at the local drug store, for example). But the truth is, most of the face wash products out there are full of nasty chemicals and harsh ingredients that can result in less than desirable skin, even if you're not washing your face very often.

Even the products that are heavily marketed by your favorite brands are full of unpronounceable ingredients that have no business being on your skin. Always opt in for something more natural. My two favorite brands are Biossance and Agent Nateur. These brands offer a softer, more natural face wash that won't strip your face of natural oils.

If you're just now realizing that your face wash is no good and you want to give your skin the chance to recover, consider going for about a week without any products or makeup on your face. This will allow the natural oils to rebuild and restore. When I first moved to Australia, I went 10 days straight without any makeup and it did wonders for my skin. Think of it as a healthy fasting period for your face.

The best kind of makeup remover you can use that won't harm your skin is pure coconut oil.

If you do end up wearing a solid amount of makeup for an event or gathering, the best kind of makeup remover you can use that won't harm your skin is pure coconut oil. It might take you a little longer to get the makeup off than usual, but it won't damage your skin, and you'll be able to use a gentler cleanser afterwards that isn't needed for makeup removal.

Closing Thoughts

Remember that your skin is an incredible organ that responds acutely to everything you put on it. It's also the largest organ in the body through which many toxins and chemicals seep into our system. Choose your face wash wisely and limit how many times a day you slather the product on your skin.