How Should I Cleanse My Face (for Acne Prone Skin)

Does cleansing many times a day actually reduce acne?  How many times a day is optimal?  Do scrubs work?

I get this a lot from my patients.  They always ask how to cleanse the face effectively for best resolution of acne.   I must say that this is a topic that is fraught with debate, because some things work for some, while others fiercely believe in the opposite.

I’m going to share some suggestions that you can try, and please feedback in the comments if you have benefited (or suffered) from these suggestions.

Firstly to understand cleansing, you need to understand how skin works. Our skin has many structures on its surface and these all serve a purpose. The most important one to the acne sufferer is the DREADED PORE and what comes out of it, this oily sticky substance called SEBUM.  Is this really a bad thing?  Read on to find out.

When we are young, and our hormones are very active, our skin produces a lot of sebum.  This sticky, oily substance is a normal product of our skin, and is a natural moisturizer for our skin.  However, when skin is too oily, this sebum mixes with dead skin flakes on the skin, producing sticky plugs that block our pores.  These sticky plugs lead to pimples and subsequently scars.  To prevent this from happening, it’s very important to treat acne from the very source, and proper cleansing is therefore the first step to good clear skin!

What’s the best way to cleanse the skin?

For acne prone skin, I like to use a cleanser that does a combination of things.   Firstly it should reduce the excess oil on the skin, and secondly, it should clear the pores of existing blockages.  I use a product that contain a mild amount of salicylic acid, which helps break down small blockages, and also has a mild exfoliative effect on the skin.  This reduces the amount of dead skin cells floating around the skin, leading to less blockages.  One of the cleansers I like to use is this one from MD Dermatics.

This type of cleanser can be slightly irritating to the skin, and it may be necessary to use a milder cleanser instead.  For those patients with really sensitive skin, I usually recommend a different cleanser that balances the free fatty acid levels in the skin and helps to reduce the amount of breakouts.  The Aknicare range is really useful for these patients.

How often should you cleanse?

Cleansing the face twice a day is recommended, no more and no less.  Lots of people think that cleansing as much as possible is good for preventing acne.  Excessive cleansing strips the skin of valuable oils and causes dryness and irritation.  If the skin is oily during the day, you can blot off the oil, using a clean blotter, or wash with water and a soft towel.

Are scrubs useful?

I personally don’t like to use scrubs.  Excessive friction on the skin causes skin to be damaged, and leads to thickening of the skin.  The reason why the skin on your palms is thick is because of the excess friction.  So if you want your skin to be soft and smooth, avoid excessive friction on it.

What about cleansing brushes?

I’m a firm believer of the Clarisonic PRO brush.  This is a reciprocating brush (the bristles oscillate back and forth, and NOT ROTATE), at an ultrasonic frequency.  They make this brush in a few different models, from basic to pro.  Having tried both, I find the PRO brush cleans so much better, and costs the same as the basic model in Sephora.  However, the PRO model is sold only in clinics.  What’s the main difference?  The Clarisonic brush uses ultrasound frequencies to dislodge the blockages in your skin.  The PRO model has the highest frequency and is therefore the most effective.  When I brought this home to use, my wife jumped on it and stole my brush after trying it.  Between other types of brushes that go in circles, this brush produces NO trauma on the skin, and yet does a great job of cleansing it.

Ever since I found this amazing invention, I get my nurses to use it before every treatment and patients can really see the difference it makes.  If you want to experience it for yourself, you can come over and get treated, it works wonders on whiteheads and blackheads.

Pore extraction

This is a controversial topic and needs another whole post to deal with this, so I’ll talk more in my next post. I don’t like using instruments that pick and squeeze, but I’ve found two really neat technologies that really work wonders on clearing our pores, without pain and with minimal trauma.  Subscribe to my email newsletter by putting your email in the box on the right bar so that you can be updated on the latest posts when they happen!