Are You "Overcleansing " Your Skin?

Your skin naturally acts as a barrier, meaning it keeps out what it's supposed to (dirt) while keeping in the good stuff (moisture and yes, some oils). When you over-cleanse your skin, you strip your skin of the oils that keep skin healthy and balanced.

People with oily skin have a tendency for zealous cleansing in effort to get rid of the sheen. The result is skin that feels taut and tight. This is actually NOT good. Be careful of cleansers with alcohol which will strip skin of its essential oils. Skin that feels taut and tight 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. Products that should sit on the skin (think sunscreen) will permeate skin if skin's natural barrier is damaged.
• Adult acne. Cleansing your skin more than twice a day can trigger a panic response and send your oil glands into overdrive. Plus, if moisturizers don't soak into the skin -- instead sitting atop skin -- then you may be prone to acne.
• Seborrheic dermatitis (flaking red scales around the scalp & on the t-zone).

The key here is balance. You want your skin to feel 'dewy'. Taut & tight is bad, dewy and moisturized is good.

For a list of the best cleansers for every skin type, check outthis article.