Why you are probably washing your face wrong

On weekday mornings, inane chatter from cheesy radio stations keep me company as I get ready for the upcoming work day. Lady Gaga songs, celebrity gossip, and light banter is exactly what I need to help my brain percolate itself from slumber. Just the other morning, my ears perked up as my favorite radio personalities veered the discussion towards the topic of skin care. 

The female hosts were sharing surprisingly on-point advice; such as always wash your face before bed, and apply sunscreen to the backs of your hands in addition to your face. 

Then, one of them said something along the lines of, "my dermatologist recommends never washing your face with hot water; only warm, room temperature water." 

Whoa! I was happily shocked to hear her recommending this tip nationwide to millions of listeners, because although this is exactly right, not enough people know it. It made sense though, that since she is a popular figure in New York City, she probably has access to the best of the best skin experts.


Just as I was thinking this, she went on to explain that washing your face with hot water is bad to do because... "it causes broken capillaries on the face."

Huh?? 

Radio lady, I really like you, but on this one-- you have no idea what you're talking about. There are multiple reasons why you should not wash your face with hot water, and broken capillaries have nothing to do with any of them. 


When finishing each and every skin consult, I review the correct way to wash their face: when you wake up in the morning and before you go to bed every night, wash your face using an appropriate cleanser and warm water. Replace your face towels every couple days to make sure you are drying your clean face with a clean towel. 

Everyone knows (whether they do it or not), that they should be washing their face both morning and night, and the towel advice makes immediate sense. The water temperature recommendation is the only face washing bit that is met with any inquisitiveness...

Why wash with warm water when hot water feels good, and seems like it would clean better?   


Because, science shows that washing your face with hot water is harmful for any type of skin, dry to oily. 

If you have dry skin, hot water is counter productive because it washes away too many of your skin's natural oils, drying it out even further. The feeling of extra-dry, extra-tight skin usually leads to a generous application of facial moisturizer, which can leave the skin looking greasy again... The best practice for dry skin is to wash with warm water, and then apply a light moisturizer.


If your skin is oily, or suffers from acne, hot water is even more detrimental. The heat causes the pores to enlarge to a point where the pore swells shut and traps all of the stuff inside you were trying to wash off. Dead cells, dirt, oil, and bacteria become locked inside the pore, creating the perfect breeding ground for future outbreaks. Instead, for oily skin you should be washing with warm water and an oil-free cleanser that lists salicylic acid as an ingredient.  

Don't fret about this water temperature change though-- it is not uncomfortable to splash your face with warm water, and it feels even better knowing that you are giving your face an optimal washing.