When it comes to acne, there are two main categories of treatments-medical and cosmetic. Medical treatments include topical medications or invasive procedures that target the disease at its source. Cosmetic treatments aim to improve your skin’s appearance by either removing excess oils or improving the function of dry, irritated skin.
Many people add facial cleansers to their regimen after having a hard time finding one that works for them. Some find those products make their skin feel worse and require changing the product or adding more of it to get rid of all the leftover dirt and chemicals. Others do not like the way the wash feels on their face or worries about making their skin too moist.
There is some evidence showing that using a good washing system can help reduce inflammation and bacterial growth in patients with moderate to severe acne. However, most studies focus only on whether a specific type of wash helps decrease lesions or not. They fail to evaluate if any given wash is better than another.
This article will talk about how different types of facial washes affect our skin and what may be preventing you from achieving your desired result with yours.
What causes acne
One of the major factors in causing or worsening your skin’s inflammation is bacterial infection. Bacteria can overgrow in areas where there is an increase in oil production, leading to dry patches and clogged pores that become infected.
Some bacteria may even produce hormones that stimulate more oil production and/or inflammation. Common culprits include Staphylococcus aureus (staph), Propionibacterium acnes (paprika) and Streptococcus pyogenes (streps).
Certain foods or additives can also contribute to breakouts by enhancing the activity of yeast or bacterias like staph, paprika or strep. Unfortunately, most de-gunking products contain either alcohol or benzene, both of which can exacerbate dryness and inflammation.
To avoid creating additional stress for your skin, try using a cleanser with no alcohol or benzene! There are many non-alcohol washes available now that do not require rubbing into a foam.
Does the cleanser do anything
While some people claim that using a ton of different acne products can help your skin, most don’t work. Many contain expensive ingredients like benzoyl peroxide or tretinoin which may even cause more damage to your skin.
Most people are guilty of using at least two different types of acne wash every day. Some use an alcohol-based scrub, others use a cream rinse, and still other people use a milk-based wash.
None of these things have been shown to make a difference in the way our skins reacts to external factors. They all seem to try to remove the same thing – dead skin cells!
The reason many people think their skincare product does something for their skin is because they see a slight improvement when they use it. Most likely though this is due to either luck or the new layer of natural oil the moisturizer gave your skin.
Does the cleanser break down oil
While using a ton of different acne treatments is great, what often makes people give up on their skincare routines is the fear of trying something new.
Many people have already invested in some of these products so it can be hard to try something new without feeling like you are letting yourself down.
That is why it is important to do a test run for a few weeks before deciding if this new product helped your skin or not.
Do you need a toner
While most people use a cleanser without a toner, this is not the case for everyone. A toner is needed when your skin is particularly dry or there are extra products left over in your cleansing process.
Many people choose to add one after washing their face because they find it helps keep their skin slightly moist. This may help prevent dry patches of skin from forming, which could be used as an excuse but really does not make sense.
The only real reason I have been told that using a separate toner can help reduce acne is if your current cleansers contain tritiated vitamin c, benzoyl peroxide, or both. These ingredients can irritate dry skin, so some recommend mixing your cleanser with a drop of alcohol-based toner to eliminate this risk.
Does the toner do anything
While some people make it out to be that using a toner as part of your acne routine is totally useless, this isn’t true at all! Using a cleanser without an additional step can actually cause your skin more harm than good- particularly for patients with sensitive skin.
The first thing you need to know about toners is that they are not designed to take care of your skin. They are typically made of alcohol or acid which washes off most of the dirt and grime from your skin, but nothing else. This is why there is no ingredient list attached to them.
Most people add moisturizer directly onto their skin after cleaning it, but this is not always advised. Some people find that when they use both products together their skin becomes overly wet and uncomfortable. For patients with very dry skin, applying too much moisture can be disastrous.
In fact, research shows that using a cleanse without a toner may even increase bacterial growth due to the excessive water in the mixture.
Is there a lot of oil
Many people believe that using a cleanser with alcohol in it helps remove dead skin cells, but this is not true. Using too much alcohol can actually cause your skin to become even more dry!
Drinking excessive amounts of water also does not help clear your complexion as thought. The reason is because both alcohol and water are needed to work as a cleanser, and both reduce surface tension.
Surface tension is the way in which our body layers stick together. For example, when you run your hand across your forehead, you will notice some drag time before the layer of fat comes off. This is due to surface tension.
The thicker your natural oils, the higher the surface tension. When someone uses too many products with alcohol or water, their skin becomes too tight, and the oils do not come out easily! This may make your acne worse since those chemicals break down the oils already in place.
It is important to use a small amount of each product to avoid over-dryening your skin.
Are you using the right product for your skin
While many people use their cleansers to wash their face, very few know what they are actually doing with their products. Some people put too much liquid onto their face and it runs down their cheeks and chin.
Many users believe that if their skin is well hydrated then its better to add more water-based cosmetics such as moisturizer or primer. However, this isn’t always the case!
Certain individuals choose to cleanse their faces less than necessary which can make our skins condition worse. By removing all of the natural oils from the surface of your skin, other cosmetic products may not adhere properly. This could also result in excess production of dry, flaky skin.
There is some debate about whether using a cleanser every night helps clear acne but one thing is certain – washing your face too frequently can do more harm than good. Too frequent cleaning can strip away your natural protective layers so that dirt and bacteria have easier access to your pores.
This article will talk about how to use a toner to help prevent breakouts and improve the tone and texture of your skin. Also, be sure to read my article: Best Natural Ways To Cure Rosacea For more information on improving your overall health and wellness.
Does it need to be washed off
For some people, using too many products can make their skin feel even more congested and uncomfortable. Using wrong cleaners for your face can also cause your skin to become overly dry or possibly even contribute to new acne lesions.
Many people believe that washing your face is enough to remove all of the dirt, oils and makeup that have accumulated over time. But this isn’t always the case.
A few years ago, almost every person with acne was advised to use a cleanser with either benzyl alcohol or salicylic acid in them. Both of these substances are considered to be comedogenic, which means they can clog up the pores and help fuel new breakouts. Some experts claim that using such a product every night could actually do nothing good and might even hurt your skin.
Fortunately, recent research has shown that there is no direct link between how frequently you wash your face and whether or not you get clear, healthy skin. Rather than focusing on which type of cleanser you should use, we think it’s better to focus on what kind of skin you have and what factors may be causing your current symptoms.
If you find that your facial cleanser makes your skin worse rather than helping it, try switching brands or types of cleansers. Or maybe you just don’t like the way this one feels so you would like to try another one.