Don't be fooled by beauty salons! Your face doesn't need deep cleansing!

The skin is the largest organ of the human body, and we pay special attention to our face, which is related to face and image. In order to make the skin better, many people have tried every possible way, including skin care, makeup, medical beauty, and surgery. In addition, there is another very common practice, which is deep cleansing.

Should you do deep cleansing if you want good skin? Today, let’s take a look at the true face of deep cleansing.

What is deep cleaning?

At present, there is no exact definition for deep cleaning. There is no such term in medicine, it is just a term we often encounter verbally and on the Internet.

So what is deep cleaning?

According to the literal meaning, we can try to understand it. Perhaps it can be said that deep cleansing is to clean the dirt, oil and other unnecessary substances of the skin through some cleaning procedures or skin care products to ensure that the skin is clean enough.

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One netizen had experienced deep cleansing. She was fooled into a beauty salon by an auntie handing out VIP cards on the street. The lady in the beauty salon first applied a white paste on her forehead, which changed color, and said that the lead content in her skin exceeded the standard. After further questioning, it was found that she usually did not use facial cleanser to wash her face, but only used water, which made her skin very dirty, and there was a lot of garbage accumulated in the lymph, so skin care products could not be absorbed... The conclusion is that deep cleansing is necessary, and superficial cleansing is not enough.

There is no doubt that this is all nonsense, and the essence is to make profits by creating panic.

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There are many other products that claim to have a deep cleaning effect, such as:

Small bubbles : Use nano-bubble water to form a vacuum circuit through vacuum negative pressure, use negative pressure suction to absorb the oil blocked in the pores and remove mites

Skin cleansing device : removes dead skin, purifies pores, absorbs oil

Facial Steamer : Open Pores

Risks of deep cleaning

Deep cleansing sounds like an attractive concept. It can either remove dirt and oil or promote cell renewal. It seems to be able to keep our skin away from dirt and make it look brand new.

But we have to pour cold water on it and especially emphasize its risks:

1. Over-cleansing : Many deep-cleansing products use alkaline soap-based products (such as facial soaps, beauty soaps) or excessive exfoliation (such as scrubs, massage creams), which can easily lead to over-cleansing of the skin, remove necessary sebum membranes and intercellular lipids, and affect skin health.

2. Damage to the skin barrier : The sebum on the surface of the skin constitutes our chemical barrier, which contains many natural moisturizing factors. Frequent deep cleaning or irritating ingredients contained in the products can easily damage the skin barrier, leading to dry skin, flaking, tightness, itching and other problems.

3. Skin sensitivity : Deep cleansing products may cause skin sensitivity if used improperly. There are a large number of people with sensitive skin, and many of them are caused by overuse and abuse of products.

In fact, our skin does not need to be spotless, and deep cleansing often means excessiveness.

Taking the small bubbles above as an example, small bubbles may indeed remove mites, but almost all adults have individual mites in their skin pores. They live in peace with us, so there is no need to worry about them.

In addition to mites, the skin also has a large number of bacteria, viruses and fungi, which constitute the skin's microecology. No matter what we think, they are the components of our healthy skin.

It is not difficult to see that in order to keep the skin healthy, it is recommended to clean it moderately, choose products suitable for your skin type, and do not overdo it.

Tips for cleansing facial skin

You can refer to the 6 steps of the American Academy of Dermatology:

Step 1: Use a gentle, alcohol-free, non-abrasive cleanser (e.g., facial cleanser);

Step 2: Wet your face with warm water and apply cleansing product with your fingertips;

Step 3: There is no need to scrub your skin vigorously as this can irritate the skin;

Step 4: Then rinse with warm water and pat dry with a soft towel;

Step 5: If your skin feels dry or itchy after cleansing, apply a moisturizer;

Step 6: Wash your face twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. You can wash your face immediately after sweating.

Washing your face really doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes, “less is more”.

The above are the main ideas for cleansing. If we are willing, we can make it more "refined" in details:

1. Comb your hair before washing your face to avoid getting cleansing products on it

2. Wash your hands before washing your face

3. Warm water is preferred, which is better than cold water

4. If you find that there is still foam left, rinse it again and wipe it clean.

5. Pay more attention to the hairline and chin area, as they may not be cleaned properly.

6. Try not to mix face towels with bath towels

7. If you have acne or pimples, it is recommended to use oil-free products (including moisturizing products)

From this we can see that apart from the most commonly used cleansing products such as facial cleansers, there is basically no need for other fancy tools and products when washing your face.

Also, be careful not to neglect cleaning too much. Some people don't like to take a shower, wash their hair, or wash their face, especially when they stay at home and don't see outsiders. This is another extreme.

If you wash your face too infrequently or too carelessly, your skin will easily accumulate too much oil and dust, and you will be more likely to get acne, folliculitis, and lipid microfilaments (the little black spots on the nose). These problems are sometimes caused by laziness.

Some incorrect facial cleansing practices:

1. Use hot water: Overheated water (such as water above 43 or 44°C) will excessively remove fat, destroy the sebum film, and damage the skin barrier.

2. Wash your face but not your towel: Towels should be washed frequently and hung in a well-ventilated environment to reduce the risk of bacterial growth. Another detail is that towels will become hard and rough after being used for a long time, so remember to replace them with new ones in time.

3. Always use only water: If you are working or living in a hot environment, using sunscreen or powdery or oily cosmetics, or in other special circumstances, it is recommended to use cleansing products.

4. Frequent exfoliation: Products such as scrubs contain fine particles that can remove surface keratin debris through friction on the skin. However, excessive use can easily lead to skin sensitivity, dermal vascular dilation, and some subjective discomfort. If it is really necessary, it is recommended to use it once every 2 to 4 weeks, and do not use it together with other exfoliating creams.

References

[1] AAD. Face washing. https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-basics/care/face-washing-101

[2] Chinese Medical Doctor Association Dermatologists Branch Skin Cosmetology Development Working Committee. Chinese Skin Cleansing Guidelines[J]. Chinese Journal of Dermatology. 2016; 49 (8): 537-540.

[3] How to wash your face. https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/face-washing-how-to

Planning and production

Author: Tang Jiaoqing, attending physician of dermatology, doctor of medicine, popular science author

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

Planning丨Fu Sijia

Editor: Fu Sijia

Proofread by Xu Lai and Lin Lin