Contrary to popular belief: Yes, face wash can cause acne. We've been told for ages that we need to use face wash everyday, especially if you've have acne-prone skin or oily skn. But that is probably the biggest skincare myth there is out in the skincare industry.
It sounds counterintuitive, but using face wash can cause acne and breakouts. By removing the natural oils of your skin (your natural skin barrier), your skin is left unprotected, which makes it easier for bacteria to enter your skin and cause acne. Your skin will start overproducing more of its natural oils, to compensate for what has been stripped away, which will create oilyness, breakouts and acne.
So can face wash cause acne? Absolutely, but not only acne, it can also cause oily, combination skin, sensitive skin and clogged pores. People assume that since your skin tends to be oily or prone to acne, you should be always removing those oils, but that's the BIG mistake.
- The natural oils of your skin protect you from bacteria, allergens or pollutants, in general most pollutants. Without them, your skin can't protect itself properly which makes it a lot more likely for bacteria to colonise your skin and cause acne. Moreover, any irritant can trigger breakouts, redness and sensitive skin.
- Your skin has the ability to regulate the amount of oil and sebum produced naturally, if you are constantly stripping it with face wash, you leave no other choice to your skin so it starts over-producing what has been lost in order to compensate its oil production.
This animation explains so well what does face wash do, and how it can harming your skin, especially if you have acne, oily and combination skin types.
This is what traditional face wash does to your skin and natural barrier!
So you might be wondering what should I be using on my skin to cleanse my face and remove all make-up and impurities that accumulate on the skin during the day?
Well, again... this might sound counterintuitive but, the very best way to cleanse your skin without damaging the skin barrier is using the oil cleansing method. It works amazingly well for all skincare types, but it's especially great for those with acne-prone, oily or combination skin.
Believe it or not, your skin has a natural affinity for high quality natural oils and they are also deeply cleansing. Some face oils have the ability to cleanse your skin, whilst protecting & nourishing your skin barrier AND helping your skin self-regulate its own sebum levels. That is extremely important if you have acne-prone skin, or oily skin. Your goal should be to help your skin balance and regulate itself, so that your skin is naturally protected, healthy and clear.
However, it is extremely important to choose the right natural oils for your skin. Not all of them will have the same benefits, so it is crucial to get a well formulated facial oil to fight your acne tendencies. This is where Qualia can help you! Check out our previous results treating acne!
We make multi-purpose and custom skin formulas that cleanse, moisturise and target ALL your skin concerns at once. Our formulas are oil-based and contain botanical actives that can help balance and regulate your skin complexion so your skin is at its best by using LESS!
For acne-prone skin our skin formula will allow you to:
- Cleanse your skin without removing your skin oils.
- Replenish your skin barrier with essential fatty acids that your skin might be lacking (acne-prone skins lack linoleic acid and other compounds) in their skin barrier.
- Regulate oil and sebum production - to avoid overproduction.
- Protect your skin from harmful bacteria.
- Fight existing acne & prevent breakouts.
- Set you free from using multiple products and constantly harming your skin barrier!
Does that sound good? Go and take our online skin quiz and discover your own custom formula!
