Yes, you should cleanse your face daily. But why?
If you don't wash your face, sebum, sweat, dead skin cells, bacteria, and viruses build up on your skin. Water alone can wash off some of these elements. But water is not good at dissolving sebum and other oily substances — nor will water alone kill microbes. That is why cleansers, which are surfactants, are recommended (AAD).
Surfactants are compounds that have an oil-loving end and a water-loving end. They can absorb oily, fatty substances with their oil-loving end, then rinse away with their water-loving end. Surfactants such as soaps have been used since ancient times. More recently, synthetic detergents have become more popular — we'll get into why.
Viruses, bacteria, and other microbes are contained within structures known as lipid membranes. Surfactants interact with those membranes using their fat-loving end — ripping away the protective coating and killing the microbes. This makes surfactant cleansers more effective than alcohol-based disinfectants against many germs, including noroviruses and H1N1.
Keep in mind that face mites also eat the oily sebum on your skin — and they can cause a type of rosacea (Rather and Hassan 2014). Cleansing removes the excess oil that can lead to a face mite infestation.
So cleansing regularly is good for your skin's appearance and its health — especially if you have a skin condition like acne or eczema. Not washing your face will worsen acne, eczema, and other skin conditions (Choi et al. 2006).
However, you need to choose the appropriate cleanser. Because the wrong cleanser is worse than nothing.
Soaps are a harsh, alkaline surfactant. They cleanse and kill germs, but will also harm your skin and reduce its natural defenses. Studies show that using soaps can actually increase skin bacteria by disrupting the skin's natural acidity — leading to more acne lesions (Korting et al. 1995).
This is perhaps where the myth that not cleansing was beneficial came from. Indeed, it is better not to cleanse at all than to cleanse with soap. But there are good alternatives.
The alternatives to soaps are called synthetic detergents, also known as syndets. Many popular cleansers — including Dove Beauty Bar — are actually syndets, not soaps. That said, some syndets (such as certain sulfates) are also harsh and damaging. That's why you'll often hear advice to avoid cleansers with sulfates.
Harsh cleansers — both soaps and harsh syndets — interact with the proteins and lipids in your skin that form the skin barrier. This can impair your skin's ability to protect against the environment and retain moisture, strip natural moisturizing factors, and lead to chronically dry, irritated skin.
Modern cleansing technology combines blends of milder and more environmentally friendly syndets that avoid harming your skin barrier (Ananthapadmanabhan et al. 2004, Gfatter et al. 1997, Mijaljica et al. 2022).
How to read cleanser labels
Label-reading can get complicated quickly. A simpler strategy: notice how your face feels after cleansing. If you feel tightness, dryness, scaliness, roughness, redness, itching, or irritation — your cleanser is harming your skin barrier and you should switch (Ananthapadmanabhan et al. 2004).
For most people, choose a wash-off cleanser with an acidic pH, mild sulfate-free syndet surfactants, and moisturizing agents. These properties allow effective cleansing without compromising the skin barrier or leaving skin too dry.
If you have acne-prone skin, look for add-ins like hydroxy acids in your cleanser. Our Refresher cleanser is a triple-AHA formula particularly beneficial for acne-prone skin.
Double cleansing can help take off water-resistant makeup and sunscreen — but it's not necessary for everyone.
Skincare enthusiasts often talk about the benefits of double cleansing: starting with an oil cleanser, then following up with a second rinse-off cleanser.
Oil cleansers have a larger volume of oil than water-based cleansers, making them better at dissolving stubborn sunscreen and makeup. Studies show that cleansing with an oil cleanser is beneficial if you wear a lot of waterproof or water-resistant products (Chen et al. 2020).
So if you find that your rinse-off cleanser doesn't fully remove water-resistant makeup and sunscreen, consider double cleansing: start with an oil cleanser to dissolve that layer, then follow with a rinse-off cleanser.
A hybrid cleanser with higher oil content can substitute for the double cleanse method — dissolving makeup and sunscreen while moisturizing, all in one step. Our Sheer Silk cleanser offers exactly this kind of all-in-one solution.
- American Academy of Dermatology Association. "Face Washing 101."
- Ananthapadmanabhan KP, Moore DJ, Subramanyan K, Manoj M, Meyer F (2004). "Cleansing without compromise: the impact of cleansers on the skin barrier and the technology of mild cleansing." Dermatologic Therapy 17: 16–25.
- BBC Reel. "There are thousands of mites living on your face." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZGttZi6L94
- Chen W, He M, Xie LMM, Li L (2020). "The optimal cleansing method for the removal of sunscreen: Water, cleanser or cleansing oil." J Cosmet Dermatol 19(1): 180–184.
- Choi JM, Lew VK, Kimball AB (2006). "A single-blinded, randomized, controlled clinical trial evaluating the effect of face washing on acne vulgaris." Pediatr Dermatol 23(5): 421–427.
- Coiffard L, Couteau C (2020). "Soap and syndets: differences and analogies, sources of great confusion." Eu Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 24: 11432–11439.
- Gfatter R, Hackl P, Braun F (1997). "Effects of Soap and Detergents on Skin Surface pH, Stratum corneum Hydration and Fat Content in Infants." Dermatology 195: 258–262.
- Korting HC, Ponce-Poschl E, Klovekorn W, Schmotzer G, Arens-Corell M, Braun-Falco O (1995). "The influence of the regular use of a soap or an acidic syndet bar on pre-acne." Infection 23(2): 89–93.
- Mijaljica D, Spada F, Harrison IP (2022). "Skin Cleansing without or with Compromise: Soaps and Syndets." Molecules 27. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27062010.
- Rather PA, Hassan I (2014). "Human Demodex Mite: The Versatile Mite of Dermatological Importance." Indian J Dermatol 59(1): 60–65.
