The Unexpected Cleansing Habit That’s Sabotaging Your Skin

Yes, we are about to make a counterintuitive statement. But as it turns out, adding moisture to your skin might actually be having the opposite effect and drying out your skin.

RELATED: These are the best salicylic acid cleansers

RELATED: 6 of the best toners for oily skin

Not dissimilar to why washing your face in the shower has such a bad name, water can often be overly-harsh and strip the skin of its natural oils.

Enter: the ‘rinse-free’ cleanser. Not to be mistaken with a micellar water, these cleansers are still in their usual cream or oil form, only without the step of actually turning on the tap. 

Pharmacist and founder of QED Skincare Shoshana Eisner revealed that when formulating her Deep Hydration Rinse Free Cleanser ($48, QED Skincare), not only did the concept of washing a cleanser off after application seem wasteful, “I couldn’t see the point of filling a product with amazing actives which you then literally rinse down the drain.”

She also reminded us that it’s not just the potent ingredients to look out for, “washing off with water itself can dry out your skin.”

And as the age-old blame game goes, we often believe irritated congestion is the result of excess sebum production. However, just as excess oil can cause our skin to freak out, so too can dehydration. 

So how exactly do rinse-free cleansers work?

Rinse-free cleansers don’t work too dissimilarly to regular cleansers. They’re best applied using a cotton pad or microfiber cloth and then you rub the product in just as you would a regular cleanser. The big difference? Don’t rinse it off with water (or anything) when you’re finished.

The result? Instead of that “squeaky clean” AKA tight, oil-stripped feeling you may be used to experiencing, the lingering hydration from the moisturising rinse-free cleanser remains. 

How do I know my skin is actually clean?

Now, if you’re thinking dirty residue must be left on the skin then too, it actually isn’t the case. Shoshana assures us that once the skin is clean, “the pad or cloth will wipe clear.” 

“Think of it like using a cleansing wipe, EXCEPT, it is good for your skin,” she says. “Your skin will feel soft and clean and nourished.”

So there you have it; cleansing without a drop of water. Now you really have no excuse to go to bed without a clean face. 

Here are some other rinse-free cleansers we love: Eau Thermale Avène Extremely Gentle Cleanser Lotion and the La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermo Cleanser.

Main image credit: @yadavillaret

Have you tried a rinse-free cleanser?  If not, are you interested in giving one a go?