My role as a beauty writer often shape-shifts into beauty therapist at parties. Upon revealing my job to new friends, I quickly get looped into spontaneous group sessions and surprisingly intimate one-on-ones, listening as strangers unravel their longtime beauty-product woes and firmly held opinions.
Among the many grievances I hear, one comes up almost every time: the tale of a partner, friend, or family member who has never washed their face yet has “perfect” skin. This often prompts the skin-care enthusiast to ask: “Am I actually supposed to wash my face at all?” Or, for the cleansing-committed, “Is twice a day overkill?”
The heart of the matter, I tell them, is that while I’m all for a less-is-more approach to skin care, washing your face is probably a good idea, even if you have said “perfect” skin. But beyond that, there isn’t a single, satisfying, blanket recommendation for every person.
After picking the brains of three dermatologists, an esthetician, and a cosmetic chemist on this great debate, I’ve found that although there isn’t one right answer, there is a fairly simple way to determine which cadence you should choose. The answer lies in your skin type.
For those with normal, oily, combination, and acne-prone skin
Dermatologist Brendan Camp suggests the twice-daily approach, once in the morning and once at night, for most people with oily, acne-prone, or “normal” skin (the most common way to say “not particularly oily nor dry”). Washing your face sweeps away excess oil, dirt, dead skin cells, and product residue—all the gunk that can clog your pores and trigger irritation. Of course, that can accumulate during the day, when you’re out and about, but some of it can build up at night, too.
If retinol or exfoliating serums are a part of your routine, the case for a morning cleanse is even stronger. The dermatologists I spoke with agreed that while the skin absorbs most of the product you apply in the evening, residue that sticks around the next day can cause irritation and sensitivity. Some of them chalked it up to prolonged skin contact, as well as the potential mixing with ingredients you layer on in the morning.
Even if you skip the exfoliants and retinol, you can still wake up with residue on your skin from moisturizer, along with sweat and oil that may have accumulated overnight. That residue can be a hurdle for any serums you like to apply in the morning, possibly preventing them from doing their job as best they can.
The job of a serum is to improve the penetration and absorption of the ingredients it carries into the skin (such as vitamin C), according to Camp. So layering a serum on top of a layer of mixed residue may lessen its ability to penetrate the skin and deliver the potency where it needs to go. This is especially true for people who wear heavy moisturizers at night, said dermatologist Caroline Robinson. She says that doing a morning cleanse is an effective way to create a clean canvas for those serums to work at their best.
For those with dry and sensitive skin
The dermatologists I spoke to explained that people with dry and sensitive skin may benefit from cleansing just once a day in the evening. This is because cleansing twice a day could strip the skin of moisture, dermatologist Amy Spizuoco said, especially if it’s lacking to begin with—and that could potentially compromise the skin, promoting irritation and sensitivity.
However, a morning cleanse could still be helpful for people with dry and sensitive skin who also sweat or exercise often, live in a highly polluted area, or use retinol or exfoliants at night, she added. So, for people with those skin types who want to consider a twice-daily cleanse, she recommends using something gentle, such as micellar water or, at the very least, a quick rinse with water.
Pick a cleanser for your skin type…
Whether you cleanse once or twice a day, the cleanser you use matters. You don’t need a cluttered shelf—just one gentle cleanser that suits your skin type. The dermatologists I spoke to recommend choosing a formula tailored to your specific needs.
For oily, acne-prone, or normal skin, gel-based cleansers are a worthy option. Youth to the People Superfood Cleanser (a personal favorite) and Round Lab Birch Moisturizing Cleanser, a top pick from our Korean skin-care guide, offer effective cleansing without stripping the skin.
If your skin is dry or sensitive, a creamy cleanser might be better, as these formulas produce fewer suds and help maintain natural moisture. Vanicream Gentle Daily Facial Cleanser, featured in our drugstore beauty guide and popular online, is an affordable, effective option for most skin types.
Although foam cleansers can feel nice, Camp cautions that they can be too drying, especially for already dry skin, and instead suggests that they may be better fit for oily skin types.
When choosing a daily cleanser, look for hydrating ingredients such as glycerin, aloe, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides, as well as niacinamide for oily skin. Some experts, including Spizuoco, also recommend avoiding sulfates, which can strip natural oils and leave the skin feeling dry.
…or your skin-care needs
Though your skin type can be a helpful marker for selecting your daily cleanser, some people may prefer to have a second face wash in rotation for other needs, such as managing acne or removing makeup.
For example, cleansers with salicylic acid, used one to three times a week, can help manage excess oil and prevent breakouts, Robinson says. Benzoyl peroxide cleansers are another option; most people with acne can use them once daily, but those with dry and acne-prone skin may prefer to limit use to just a few times a week. Spizuoco also recommends choosing a lower concentration (2.5% to 5% benzoyl peroxide) instead of the stronger, 10% formulas, which are often used for body acne. If you decide to use a benzoyl peroxide cleanser, be sure to rinse it all off or use a white towel, as this ingredient can bleach towels and sheets.
If you wear makeup or sunscreen, you may find a second cleanser helpful for removal. This method, called double cleansing, most often calls upon an oil-based cleanser or micellar water to remove makeup and sunscreen before application of a water-based cleanser. This isn’t the same as using pure oils, such as jojoba oil, to remove your makeup, though. Cosmetic chemist Michelle Wong explained that while pure oils may help to dissolve makeup, you most often need to wash them off fully to avoid leaving residue behind. However, oil cleansers—such as Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm, which is highlighted in our Korean skin-care guide—are formulated with surfactants that help rinse off debris more effectively, often leaving little to no residue.
Though some people with very dry skin might be satisfied using just an oil-based cleanser as their main and only face wash, esthetician Joanna Vargas suggests sticking to formulas that leave your skin feeling clean and fresh. If you have residue remaining on your skin once you rinse your cleanser off, you might need a water-based cleanser as a second step.
The universal rule, according to the experts I interviewed, is that cleansing should create a clean surface without irritating the skin. “It should never leave you red or sensitized. If that is happening, maybe it’s not right for you,” says Vargas.
Not every cleanser is right for everyone, nor is cleansing twice a day a rigid necessity. Like a therapist, I can’t dish out blanket recommendations for how to live your life or how to wash your face. Instead, I can help you come to your own conclusion about the great face-wash debate.
Even with all of the nuance I described above, the very therapist-core response I give at parties still rings true: “It all depends on how you, and your skin, feel.”
This article was edited by Hannah Rimm and Maxine Builder.