When it comes to skincare, nobody seems to have a solid answer about what exactly is the best routine. Some people swear by going the whole nine yards – exfoliate, moisturizer, face wash, face mask – the works. Some people just use some face wash and moisturizer and that’s it. Different things work for different faces, so the best skin care routine can also vary. This makes it quite difficult to answer the question: what is the ideal way to wash the face?
Some people prefer to have a more simplistic skin care routine – they just add water. In reality, you don’t necessarily need to buy expensive face washes – you can get great results by just using water. So, why should you wash your face with just water? Here’s everything that you need to know.
Should I Wash My Face With Just Water?
From the time we were old enough to wash our own faces, we were always told that you should wash your face with a special face wash and water. It can be hard not to follow that advice even as we become adults. Not only that, but skin care products are advertised everywhere we look, from the store to the TV.
Most guidance suggests that you should use a gentle and non abrasive cleanser without harsh substances like alcohol. In reality though, this may not even be necessary.
So is it even okay to wash your face without products, using only water? Well, the opinions are mixed.
For instance, let’s say that you had oil and dirt on your hands. Is washing your hands with just water going to be sufficient? Most of the time you’ll have a tough job trying to get it off your hands. To a degree, the same can be said about the skin on your face that naturally produces oils and becomes dirty after just living through the day.
Other groups of people will completely disagree. Some physicians and clinicians even say that it’s unnecessary. Many people recommend washing your face only with water as it can help you to avoid drying out your skin.
For instance, if you already have dry skin then some clean water is usually the best thing that you can use, rather than introducing millions of products onto your skin. If your skin is oily or you exercise a lot and generate lots of sweat then soap may be needed, however.
Reasons For Washing Face with Only Water
There are a number of great benefits to washing your face with just water. Here are just a few!
It Won’t Dry Out Your Skin Like a Cleanser
Have you noticed that your skin is drying out a lot more as you get older? Well, that’s because your skin produces a lot more oil when you are younger. This oil production slows down as you age.
Using a cleanser can often mean that your skin feels dehydrated as you get older. In this case, using only water can be quite helpful as it won’t dry out your skin.
It Can Help You To Keep Moisture In Your Skin
The great thing about water is that it’s natural. If you wash your face with water then you’re simply keeping your skin’s natural moisture level in check. This means that you are less likely to develop wrinkles and fine lines because your skin isn’t as dry.
Not only that, but if you rinse off your face using warm water then you can reduce any excessive production of sebum, meaning that your skin isn’t as oily. It will also remove any dead skin or build up in the skin.
You Won’t Get Any Micro Tears
Exfoliators and scrubs are really useful because they can help to get rid of any excess dirt left in your pores. What isn’t useful however is the fact that these exfoliators tend to remove a lot of the natural lipids from your skin.
These are important as they help to make sure that your skin is in good working order. If you are past the age of 30 and your skin is a little dry, it may be better to ditch the scrubs and just use water instead.
Money Saving
If you are gifted with great skin that doesn’t require a bunch of products to clean, then you may not even need to buy cleansers. This is especially true if your skin doesn’t produce a lot of oil. Why bother spending a small fortune on cleansers when you don’t need to? You can save yourself money by sticking to just water!
Great for Detoxing
Sometimes your skin can start to dry out when you overuse lots of products on the skin for long time periods. If you ditch the products for a while then you can give your skin a little bit of time to breathe. This is quite effective even if you only have a detox every few weeks or so.
This will allow your skin to go back to its natural sebum production and the pH will go back to normal for a while. You will then have better looking skin when you go back to your routine.
How To Wash Your Face With Just Water
Okay, so now you know the benefits, what’s the right technique?
Well, to start with just splash a little bit of water on your face. It’s best to use lukewarm or warm water if you can. It’s best to avoid using hot water since it can get rid of some of the important oils on your face and it can also burn you, causing damage to the skin. You can then get a washcloth that you’ve soaked in the water and gently rub it onto your face. It acts like an exfoliator too. Just make sure that you aren’t scrubbing it too hard!
That’s basically it! There are other things that you can do to keep the skin in good working order too though.
First of all, make sure that you are cleaning the skin on a regular basis. You shouldn’t cleanse the skin too often though. If you are active then cleaning it no more than twice a day is the best option.
It can be a good idea to moisturize the skin afterwards too. This helps to seal in any moisture on your skin and it helps to protect it from damage from things like the wind.
Finally try not to touch your face too much throughout the day. This is because the bacteria from your hands can get onto your face, meaning that it’s getting dirty. Minimize the contact between your hands and your face.
And with that, you have a clean face ready to tackle the day!
Conclusion
A skincare routine is a very personal thing, but there are a number of reasons why washing your face with only water is a good idea. Give it a try!
