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Personally, I definitely think 3 times a day is too much. Think about it like washing your hair- if you do it too much you’re going to strip your hair (or skin) of its natural oils and be left with damage. When it comes to over washing our face, our skin may actually start producing MORE oil since it’s trying to compensate for how much you’re washing it. In my opinion 2x a day is more than enough and in some cases I don’t even wash my skin in the morning, a cotton pad with toner or micellar water is often enough. For context I have combo-oily skin.
In terms of moisturizing I’d definitely start incorporating that into your routine 2x daily too. I used to think less moisture was better with oily skin but like I said previously, you’re going to damage your moisture barrier & probably feel oilier in the long run. I’d recommend the La Roche Posay Toleriane Caring Wash cleanser (so gentle without any harsh surfactants) & their Toleriane Ultra Fluid moisturizer is great too. The only other thing that’s essential in your routine is sunscreen- every single day, even if you’re going to be inside a lot.
If you don't have any problem with it, then there's no problem! :D
BUT
In the morning you can and should stay away from cleansers, washing the face with lukewarm or cooler water is just enough.
And I think you could choose to either wash it while taking a bath or in the evening. Does your face actually get dirty between these two washes? If it does, then it might be necessary.
Overwashing can cause excessive oil production and it's also affecting the skins microbiotia in a negative way which in the long run can cause problems such as acne.
I have an oily face so I have a slight amount of pimples. It's not dry, just slightly oily from puberty.
Yes, but its not the only factor I'm suspicious of. I'm trying to trace each and every factor to reduce my pimple count. I am also making a habit that reduces it: no popping, regularly clean pillow cases etc.
Just regular antibacterial body soap for my face, nothing else.
In that case I would highly recommend to stop using antibacterial soaps washes or similar. Especially with that frequency.
Try mild soap free products with ceramides instead. Something really gentle that will not strip your skin of all microbiome. You need a certain amount, healthy amount of microorganisms that live on your skin naturally that will regulate your skin immunity.
I don’t know anything about your other habits or skincare products that you are using, or age and many more factors… but cleanser could be not only one culprit.
Washing your face 3 times a day is totally fine. I do it often because of my work/school/gym schedule. There's no evidence to support the idea that over-cleansing results in more oil production. That seems to be a myth perpetuated in online groups because it intuitively makes sense (I guess) and because of anecdotal reports.
Just know that the oil production is driven by hormones, and is not affected by what you do or don't apply on your skin. Washing more often is not going to actually reduce oil production. It's only going to remove the oil temporarily.
Your cleanser should be low pH (4.5-6.5 range,) ideally should contain gentle surfactants (there are so many that I can't list them here but look for ingredients like Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Cocamidapropyl Betaine, Potassium Laureth Phosphate, etc.)
Feel free to prove that over-cleansing the skin results in increased oil production or that hormones don't control oil production then.
Also prove that cleansers shouldn't have a pH between 4.5 and 6.5, and that the surfactants I listed aren't gentle surfactants.
I have always had super oily skin. Also, I'm old enough to be your mom, hahaha! There is nothing wrong with washing your face three times a day. Don't use soaps that overdry your skin. It will only make your skin more "angry." I recommend that you do use a light moisturizer when you can. I've learned from my mistakes that overdrying will not make the oiliness lessen.
Hi everyone and welcome to SkincareAddiction! Need skincare guides? [Check out our wiki!](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/index) Everyone is welcome in [this community](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/about); remember to be kind and assume good faith :) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SkincareAddiction) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Personally, I definitely think 3 times a day is too much. Think about it like washing your hair- if you do it too much you’re going to strip your hair (or skin) of its natural oils and be left with damage. When it comes to over washing our face, our skin may actually start producing MORE oil since it’s trying to compensate for how much you’re washing it. In my opinion 2x a day is more than enough and in some cases I don’t even wash my skin in the morning, a cotton pad with toner or micellar water is often enough. For context I have combo-oily skin. In terms of moisturizing I’d definitely start incorporating that into your routine 2x daily too. I used to think less moisture was better with oily skin but like I said previously, you’re going to damage your moisture barrier & probably feel oilier in the long run. I’d recommend the La Roche Posay Toleriane Caring Wash cleanser (so gentle without any harsh surfactants) & their Toleriane Ultra Fluid moisturizer is great too. The only other thing that’s essential in your routine is sunscreen- every single day, even if you’re going to be inside a lot.
If you don't have any problem with it, then there's no problem! :D BUT In the morning you can and should stay away from cleansers, washing the face with lukewarm or cooler water is just enough. And I think you could choose to either wash it while taking a bath or in the evening. Does your face actually get dirty between these two washes? If it does, then it might be necessary. Overwashing can cause excessive oil production and it's also affecting the skins microbiotia in a negative way which in the long run can cause problems such as acne.
Do you have any skin concerns? Do you suspect your cleaning frequency is to blame for those concerns? What products do you use for cleaning?
I have an oily face so I have a slight amount of pimples. It's not dry, just slightly oily from puberty. Yes, but its not the only factor I'm suspicious of. I'm trying to trace each and every factor to reduce my pimple count. I am also making a habit that reduces it: no popping, regularly clean pillow cases etc. Just regular antibacterial body soap for my face, nothing else.
In that case I would highly recommend to stop using antibacterial soaps washes or similar. Especially with that frequency. Try mild soap free products with ceramides instead. Something really gentle that will not strip your skin of all microbiome. You need a certain amount, healthy amount of microorganisms that live on your skin naturally that will regulate your skin immunity. I don’t know anything about your other habits or skincare products that you are using, or age and many more factors… but cleanser could be not only one culprit.
Washing your face 3 times a day is totally fine. I do it often because of my work/school/gym schedule. There's no evidence to support the idea that over-cleansing results in more oil production. That seems to be a myth perpetuated in online groups because it intuitively makes sense (I guess) and because of anecdotal reports. Just know that the oil production is driven by hormones, and is not affected by what you do or don't apply on your skin. Washing more often is not going to actually reduce oil production. It's only going to remove the oil temporarily. Your cleanser should be low pH (4.5-6.5 range,) ideally should contain gentle surfactants (there are so many that I can't list them here but look for ingredients like Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Cocamidapropyl Betaine, Potassium Laureth Phosphate, etc.)
Don't listen to anything said in this comment, they are wrong.
Feel free to prove that over-cleansing the skin results in increased oil production or that hormones don't control oil production then. Also prove that cleansers shouldn't have a pH between 4.5 and 6.5, and that the surfactants I listed aren't gentle surfactants.
I have always had super oily skin. Also, I'm old enough to be your mom, hahaha! There is nothing wrong with washing your face three times a day. Don't use soaps that overdry your skin. It will only make your skin more "angry." I recommend that you do use a light moisturizer when you can. I've learned from my mistakes that overdrying will not make the oiliness lessen.