Are You "Overcleansing " Your Skin?

Quick Tip

Your skin naturally acts as a barrier, meaning it keeps out what it's supposed to (dirt) while keeping in the good stuff (moisture & yes, some oils). This is why you don't want to over-cleanse your skin, stripping away your skin's essential oils that naturally keep your skin balanced & healthy.

People with oily skin have a tendency for zealous cleansing. The result is skin that feels taut & tight. This is actually NOT good. Using cleansers with alcohol strips skin of its essential oils. Skin that feels taut, tight & a little stiff after cleansing is a clear sign that you may be overcleansing or using too harsh a cleanser for your skin type. Some effects of overcleansing include:
 

• Rashes. Ingredients that should sit on the skin (like sunscreen) will permeate the skin if skin's natural barrier is damaged.
• Adult acne.

  Cleansing your skin more than twice a day can trigger a panic response & send your oil glands into overdrive. Plus, if moisturizers don't soak into the skin -- instead sitting atop skin -- then you will be prone to acne.

• Seborrheic dermatitis (flaking red scales around the scalp & on the t-zone).