The cleaner your skin is, the better?

That is not the case.

While skin cleansing is a skin care measure we all advocate, over-cleansing can have a negative impact on skin health - we don't need to wash our skin clean enough.

It is important to know that there is a natural protective barrier on the surface of the skin, which is composed of sebum, natural moisturizing factor, stratum corneum and normal flora. This barrier helps to moisturize, prevent the invasion of harmful microorganisms, and maintain the skin's moisture balance and immune function.

Frequent use of strong detergents or excessive bathing can easily damage this protective barrier, making the skin dry and sensitive, and even causing skin problems such as eczema. On the other hand, excessive cleaning can also remove normal flora, thereby affecting the microecological balance of the skin and increasing the risk of infection or allergies.

Therefore, we advocate moderate cleaning rather than excessive cleaning. Specifically, for most people, we recommend using mild cleaning products and avoiding the use of highly alkaline and irritating cleansers. Wash your face once or twice a day, and the bathing time can be controlled within 10 to 15 minutes, and use warm water instead of hot water. Another thing is that you should massage gently when cleaning, and avoid rubbing hard to avoid damaging the skin. In addition, the frequency of cleaning can be flexibly adjusted according to skin type and environmental conditions. For example, oily skin can increase the number of cleanings appropriately, while dry skin or sensitive skin should reduce it.

In short, the cleaner the skin is, the better it is. Moderate cleansing and correct skin care steps are the best ways to keep skin healthy.

Author: Tang Jiaoqing, MD, attending physician of dermatology

Review | Feng Jun, deputy chief physician of the Dermatology Department of Sinopharm Tongmei General Hospital