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I am on day 5 of this water only regimen and have yet to see a new pimple arise. The only thing that bothers me is that my face seems dull because of all the dead skin that has accumulated. Will my skin balance out and shed off the dead skin by itself if I continue to wash only 1X a day with a splash of water? Or am I the only one that has experienced this? Others feel free to chime in!
I am on day 5 of this water only regimen and have yet to see a new pimple arise. The only thing that bothers me is that my face seems dull because of all the dead skin that has accumulated. Will my skin balance out and shed off the dead skin by itself if I continue to wash only 1X a day with a splash of water? Or am I the only one that has experienced this? Others feel free to chime in!
stick with it..im currently in the dead skin phase but it seems to be reducing. this is the way to go for me. i do nothing though. not even water.
Interesting...
I'll probably try it out for a few days. I remember during the short moment I had clear skin between my acne I would only use water to wash my face in the morning because it didn't seem to me like my skin needed any washing.
I also remember that one cosmetologist said to me that since my skin is slightly dry and sensitive that I should just cleanse it with Cleansing milk and use a toner after that.
I doubt I could really stand just washing my face with water because I love make-up. It's almost a ritual for me to start every morning with putting on some eye make-up. And since I use a eye-shadow base the make-up lasts for DAYS. Water doesn't clean it at all, so using Cleansing milk every evening to take off the make-up seems okay.
Well, I don't know if I'll go with completely getting rid of any chemicals I used to use, but I might try...
Since last posting I have abandoned water only and adopted an approach of cleansing/applying BP in the morning, cleansing/applyingBP/applyingAHA at night.
It has been over a month, and although some may suggest it's too early to give up, I don't see any noticeable difference. Still have comedal acne. Still have persistent redness and oilyness across my face.
Whether you wash your face with water or nothing at all, I believe the most crucial element is persistence. I knew full well that in the beginning my face would appear oily and full of dead skin, but it's just so difficult to push myself to go to work or school in this condition. As such, I never get past four/five days. Even though EVERY time I wash after however many days pass my skin looks great. I believe what I'll do now is probably go 7 days again, but instead of restarting the OTC crap after the 7 days I'll instead restart the no-water phase. For some reason, It's almost like an addition, I never seem to stick through with this regimen for more than a week.
I have dark hair, light skin(I take over my moms Black Irish qualities) and after the most recent time I came off the water-only experiment I almost forget how much of a constrast there is between my skin and hair. Usually it's this perpetual redness. This is ultimately what is driving me to try this again. Jesus, for what must be the 4th or 5th time. I know that achieving a shift in skin tone would not only help my outward appearance, but my self esteem as well.
Here's another imporant item I've noticed through my several run ins with this water only/nothing regimen:
- Using water in any way seemed to only make the skin appear worse. It's almost as if it magnified the dead skin, making it more visible. This included letting water trickle down my face from washing my hair
Not washing your face with anything is the best route. I'm actually going to go as far as washing my hair carefully with soap and water. I'll comb, apply water with my hands while running a little amount of soap through my hair, carefully rinse, and wear a hat when leavin the house. I know it seems extreme, but I almost feel that I need to adopt an extreme approach. I have over 7 years of using OTC products, which have damaged my skin (undoubtedly my acid mantle). I'll still be taking a shower, though. But just avoiding anything above the neck.
Probably the best I can do is shave/wash my hair one day a week, on a Friday. When I shave I'm going to be careful to only wash/lather the stubble and avoid washing the entire face. Shampooing will be difficult as well. This is probably the best I can do for now, until I see an improvement and can begin using water.
Since last posting I have abandoned water only and adopted an approach of cleansing/applying BP in the morning, cleansing/applyingBP/applyingAHA at night.
It has been over a month, and although some may suggest it's too early to give up, I don't see any noticeable difference. Still have comedal acne. Still have persistent redness and oilyness across my face.
Whether you wash your face with water or nothing at all, I believe the most crucial element is persistence. I knew full well that in the beginning my face would appear oily and full of dead skin, but it's just so difficult to push myself to go to work or school in this condition. As such, I never get past four/five days. Even though EVERY time I wash after however many days pass my skin looks great. I believe what I'll do now is probably go 7 days again, but instead of restarting the OTC crap after the 7 days I'll instead restart the no-water phase. For some reason, It's almost like an addition, I never seem to stick through with this regimen for more than a week.
I have dark hair, light skin(I take over my moms Black Irish qualities) and after the most recent time I came off the water-only experiment I almost forget how much of a constrast there is between my skin and hair. Usually it's this perpetual redness. This is ultimately what is driving me to try this again. Jesus, for what must be the 4th or 5th time. I know that achieving a shift in skin tone would not only help my outward appearance, but my self esteem as well.
Here's another imporant item I've noticed through my several run ins with this water only/nothing regimen:
- Using water in any way seemed to only make the skin appear worse. It's almost as if it magnified the dead skin, making it more visible. This included letting water trickle down my face from washing my hair
Not washing your face with anything is the best route. I'm actually going to go as far as washing my hair carefully with soap and water. I'll comb, apply water with my hands while running a little amount of soap through my hair, carefully rinse, and wear a hat when leavin the house. I know it seems extreme, but I almost feel that I need to adopt an extreme approach. I have over 7 years of using OTC products, which have damaged my skin (undoubtedly my acid mantle). I'll still be taking a shower, though. But just avoiding anything above the neck.
Probably the best I can do is shave/wash my hair one day a week, on a Friday. When I shave I'm going to be careful to only wash/lather the stubble and avoid washing the entire face. Shampooing will be difficult as well. This is probably the best I can do for now, until I see an improvement and can begin using water.
im australian but i have irish heritage too! (convict thing)..
yeh, i can relate to you when you say persistence is key. I still have these damn flakes/dead skin on my chin which are being stubbrn but my skin looks great otherwise. Fortunately, im on study break so im inside much more often than not. Do u have a break from school/work soon? maybe you could give the nothing regimen a real go then (yeh i dont use much water - i find it worsens the appearance of flakes too).
btw, in alexalmighty's thread i recall someone asking him how he coped in the first month or so when his face looked pretty terrible..He was on a break from college i think which made it easier. Yeah, there definitely is a process that needs to take place. im doing my best to stay persistent
edit: waterwater said that he just hung out with the family for a week when he began this..
Hmm I don't know you guys...I worry about a lot of people stumbling upon this regimen--or non regimen I guess--and thinking it's a cure all. I'm sure it works for some people, the people who have very sensitive skin thats irritated by any kind of chemicals, but for many people acne is caused by hormones. The root cause has nothing to do with what you are/are not putting on your face. The best thing these people can do is try to regulate their hormones (birth control, eating right, controlling stress) and/or help their skin get rid of the excess oil and bacteria that hormones are accumlating in their pores (hence topical treatments). It is possible to have great skin from using topicals like BP, as numerous success stories on this website show (Dan's skin looks pretty good, don't you think?)
But good luck to those of you giving this a try; I'm sure it will work for some of you. And I agree that a lot of harsh cleansers etc. can make acne worse...but I don't agree with the people who think the water only method is a cure for everyone or even most people.
Hmm I don't know you guys...I worry about a lot of people stumbling upon this regimen--or non regimen I guess--and thinking it's a cure all. I'm sure it works for some people, the people who have very sensitive skin thats irritated by any kind of chemicals, but for many people acne is caused by hormones. The root cause has nothing to do with what you are/are not putting on your face. The best thing these people can do is try to regulate their hormones (birth control, eating right, controlling stress) and/or help their skin get rid of the excess oil and bacteria that hormones are accumlating in their pores (hence topical treatments). It is possible to have great skin from using topicals like BP, as numerous success stories on this website show (Dan's skin looks pretty good, don't you think?)
But good luck to those of you giving this a try; I'm sure it will work for some of you. And I agree that a lot of harsh cleansers etc. can make acne worse...but I don't agree with the people who think the water only method is a cure for everyone or even most people.
i agree with you on the root cause thing. but once you've identified it and eliminated it, the use of topicals (and scrubs/cleansers etc) can, in my opinion, prevent your skin from looking after itself.
also: i dont doubt that topicals do work. they have worked for me in the past.
Even waterwater never claimed this regimen as a cure. Nothing works 100% for everyone. Here's what I noticed with myself:
- Never seem to have more than one active pimple on my face at any point. When it does arrive, it's gone within a few days.
- Irritation (redness) subsided after a few days of not washing, but oilyness and flakiness continued. When I washed my face, it would look much better than any point in recent memory. Almost comparable to the color of skin on my neck/body. After using cleansers again it would return to its normal crappiness.
Withh me, it's just an issue of skin tone/blotchiness from products more than acne. There have been times I've woken up in the morning with imprints from sleeping face down on my bed, expecting pimples to emerge at some point, and nothing every happened. What further convinces me this is mostly irritation brought on by chemicals is that the redness I'm experiencing seemingly ends right around the jawline. Right where I stop using cleansers.
I suppose what is beneficial for me right now is I work seasonly with school in session, so I don't have to worry about that anymore. Just school and going out with friends. Here's how I figure I'll go through a typical week.
Monday: Morning -- Shampoo hair. Evening -- Nothing
Tuesday: Morning -- Shampoo hair . Evening -- nothing
Wednesday: Morning -- nothing. Evening -- nothing. (I don't have school on this day, and even if I go out with my friends to a bar/someones house I'll just put on a hat to hide the oilyness of my hair)
Thursday: Morning -- Shampoo hair. Evening -- nothing
Friday: Morning -- Shampoo hair/shave. Evening -- nothing
Saturday: Morning --Shampoo hair. Evening -- nothing
Sunday: Morning --nothing. Evening -- nothing.
I'll probably have to wait until Thanksgiving weekend or Christmas vacation to break this trend. Damn, I really wish I would have stuck through this in the summer when I had more opportunities to avoid washing my hair/face all together.
What's interesting is a few hours ago I was genuinely interested in what would happen if I never cleansed my face. Would my face age quicker? According to the Mayo Clinic (which I'd believe over most sources) http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/skin-care/SN00003 , there's nothing which warns of not washing your face. Yes, it's listed as an "essential part of caring for your skin," but it also reminds to avoid irritating products. Even ph balanced products irritate me, so I'm fairly sure it's wise (for atleast right now) to see what happens. I recall reading somewhere that the skin naturally exfoliates every 11 days.
I just keep coming back to this -- if washing my face twice a day didn't limit oilyness or redness, there's obviously something wrong. Either I have yet to find the magical product in the dozens I've purchased, or it's my skin telling me to try something else. Even washing once a day didn't seem to help.
I'll keep you all updated on my progress.
Even waterwater never claimed this regimen as a cure. Nothing works 100% for everyone. Here's what I noticed with myself:
- Never seem to have more than one active pimple on my face at any point. When it does arrive, it's gone within a few days.
- Irritation (redness) subsided after a few days of not washing, but oilyness and flakiness continued. When I washed my face, it would look much better than any point in recent memory. Almost comparable to the color of skin on my neck/body. After using cleansers again it would return to its normal crappiness.
Withh me, it's just an issue of skin tone/blotchiness from products more than acne. There have been times I've woken up in the morning with imprints from sleeping face down on my bed, expecting pimples to emerge at some point, and nothing every happened. What further convinces me this is mostly irritation brought on by chemicals is that the redness I'm experiencing seemingly ends right around the jawline. Right where I stop using cleansers.
I suppose what is beneficial for me right now is I work seasonly with school in session, so I don't have to worry about that anymore. Just school and going out with friends. Here's how I figure I'll go through a typical week.
Monday: Morning -- Shampoo hair. Evening -- Nothing
Tuesday: Morning -- Shampoo hair . Evening -- nothing
Wednesday: Morning -- nothing. Evening -- nothing. (I don't have school on this day, and even if I go out with my friends to a bar/someones house I'll just put on a hat to hide the oilyness of my hair)
Thursday: Morning -- Shampoo hair. Evening -- nothing
Friday: Morning -- Shampoo hair/shave. Evening -- nothing
Saturday: Morning --Shampoo hair. Evening -- nothing
Sunday: Morning --nothing. Evening -- nothing.
I'll probably have to wait until Thanksgiving weekend or Christmas vacation to break this trend. Damn, I really wish I would have stuck through this in the summer when I had more opportunities to avoid washing my hair/face all together.
What's interesting is a few hours ago I was genuinely interested in what would happen if I never cleansed my face. Would my face age quicker? According to the Mayo Clinic (which I'd believe over most sources) http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/skin-care/SN00003 , there's nothing which warns of not washing your face. Yes, it's listed as an "essential part of caring for your skin," but it also reminds to avoid irritating products. Even ph balanced products irritate me, so I'm fairly sure it's wise (for atleast right now) to see what happens. I recall reading somewhere that the skin naturally exfoliates every 11 days.
I just keep coming back to this -- if washing my face twice a day didn't limit oilyness or redness, there's obviously something wrong. Either I have yet to find the magical product in the dozens I've purchased, or it's my skin telling me to try something else. Even washing once a day didn't seem to help.
I'll keep you all updated on my progress.
this might even apply to hair as well. i reckon ive washed my hair with shampoo twice in my lifetime yet its fine (mum prob washed it more as a baby haha but thats irrelevant). My hair looks after itself
I think I might try a modified version of this as well. I have mild to moderate acne, some whiteheads, some black heads, oily tzone, and everything else is dry. I generally wear make up but I will try to go without for a few days just to see how things go.
It makes total sense to not irritate my skin. My husband has almost perfect skin and all he does is wash with cleanser when he showers. I always thought that if he washed his face before bed he would have completely perfect skin but now I am thinking maybe if he washes his face with just water in the shower he would have perfect skin?
By the way, where did waterwater go? Haven't heard from him in a long time.
its funny how being dirty is what treats acne haha its cause we think of acne as this nasty dirty thin we figure over cleaning and washing will solve the problem but its infact the opposite. I think this is pretty much the "cure" for acne.. My face is so much smoother , wheneverbi do get a pimple now(once in a while compared to before this regimen) its so much smaller and it dissapears in a day. And ny redness decreased . I was always so tempted to try this idea before this thread came out but I was too scared because It didn't make sense before.
Come to think of it all my dirty friends have the smoothest faces.
I have 2 questions though. Should I be shampooing my hair daily still?(without washing my face)
and I don't know what to do with shaving while on this regimen. What to do!! Use water ? Shaving cream? I'm asking causebi realize the week after I shave is when I break out the worst
omg so longgggg!! Sorry but if anyone could reply thx!!
I have 2 questions though. Should I be shampooing my hair daily still?(without washing my face)and I don't know what to do with shaving while on this regimen. What to do!! Use water ? Shaving cream? I'm asking causebi realize the week after I shave is when I break out the worst
omg so longgggg!! Sorry but if anyone could reply thx!!
The idea of not using shampoo every day (or every) has quite a following. I found this quickly browsing through google on the subject: http://babyslime.livejournal.com/174054.html .
Personally, I don't have much experience with the topic so I can't say anything on the topic. I've gone a few days in the past without washing my hair and it looked ridiculous. A greasy mess. I may gradually try it if everything goes well with my face, though. I figure I can tolerate either a greasy face or greasy hair; not both at the same time.
Some use an electric razor, which is probably the best option to avoid washing your face, but I wouldn't consider buying anything but a quality electric razor and those can't come cheap. I'm a poor college student, so I plan on doing something like wetting a cotton ball and stroking it over my stubble, then applying a layer of shaving cream and manually shaving. Afterwards, whiping again with a cotton ball. My plan is to avoid washing unnecessary areas of my face.
Definitely don't only use water alone if you're manually shaving and have tough stubble. I actually know of some people who shave with only water, but I've tried it in the past and couldn't get through. Not to mention the shave didn't appear to be as close as it was with shaving cream.
Interesting how, entering my third day of not washing my face, I've had these strange itching sensation in both of my eyes. It happened today out of nowhere. Just before logging onto this site I noticed in the mirror that the whiteness of my eye appears less 'veiny' and red than usual. I wonder if using water had actually aggrivated my eye. And I know the issue isn't hard water, which we don't have.
Also, as has been the course every time I began a not washing face regimen, redness has subsided significantly; but unfortunately, there is alot of flakes, dead skin, clogged pores. Since tomorrow is Sunday I'll atleast have an additional day to avoid people before Monday, which I'm not looking forward to having school that day. Still going to try to remain tough and stick it out.
You guys have to try it for yourself and modify it to your own needs, but going back to topicals after 7 days doesnt do shit.
I went off topicals in May, and thank god I was off school, because in July I had the worst breakout of my life. I continued using water and tree tea oil or water and cetaphil till about October. Then, I just started using water only. 2 weeks later, my skin was so DEAD, it was terrible. The dead skin lasted about a week and then I started applying olive oil on my face for 10-20 mins before I went to sleep and here I am now in mid-November, and my face is doing nicely, and I seriously cant imagine APPLYING things on my face. I love the feeling of just going to sleep after rinsing with water,
So it appears that my overall complexion has improved since starting this, however, if I get real close to the mirror my skin seems dull and tired, but definetly no inflamed acne. Although I'm pleased that there hasn't been new acne that has formed my skin seems a little dry and a bit flaky. It's just crazy to think 5-6 years ago (Im 19 now) I didn't worry about washing my face at all and to my memory it was completely normal. I wonder if I resort back to that frame of mind if my face will clear up. I've tried tons of stuff for acne and they all seemed to make it worse with the exception of when I was taking an antibiotic w/ retin-a micro and a prescribed lotion for about 6 months. But even then my skin was ultra sensitive to sunlight which wasn't good once summer hit. lol. Im hoping and praying that doing nothing again will clear me up and that I wouldn't have to be so self-conscience of my face. How's everybody else doing on this?
So it appears that my overall complexion has improved since starting this, however, if I get real close to the mirror my skin seems dull and tired, but definetly no inflamed acne. Although I'm pleased that there hasn't been new acne that has formed my skin seems a little dry and a bit flaky. It's just crazy to think 5-6 years ago (Im 19 now) I didn't worry about washing my face at all and to my memory it was completely normal. I wonder if I resort back to that frame of mind if my face will clear up. I've tried tons of stuff for acne and they all seemed to make it worse with the exception of when I was taking an antibiotic w/ retin-a micro and a prescribed lotion for about 6 months. But even then my skin was ultra sensitive to sunlight which wasn't good once summer hit. lol. Im hoping and praying that doing nothing again will clear me up and that I wouldn't have to be so self-conscience of my face. How's everybody else doing on this?
we have heaps in common:
1. my overall complexion has improved lots (go the acid mantle!)
2. i havent broken out yet (after a month!!)
3. yeh my skin is a little flakey (but much better than like 2-3 weeks ago)
4. I'm 20 as of a few weeks (had acne for about 4 years)
5. i NEVER washed my face when i was 16
6. doxy cleared me for 6 months but it came back
yeh i reckon you'll be clear in no time.
do you like wet your face in the shower?
people do different things. when i was clear the only water that touched my face was shower water so it cant be too harmful. BUT that was when my skin was strong (it had an acid mantle). Now i fill up glass wiht bottled water and pour it over my face every 2-3 days at night. tap water is prob fine but im not taking the risk (some tap water is hard-(high mineral content)- so has potential to irritate). i strongly recommend that you do not put your face under the showerhead if the water is hot (or at high pressure).
So it appears that my overall complexion has improved since starting this, however, if I get real close to the mirror my skin seems dull and tired, but definetly no inflamed acne. Although I'm pleased that there hasn't been new acne that has formed my skin seems a little dry and a bit flaky.
Many here , including waterwater, believe the condition you're describing is the skin healing itself. I'm experiencing the exact same thing with my face, where from afar it appears less red; but upon closer inspection there's obviously clogged pores and a distinct dull appearance.
I guarantee if you were to wash your face right now and remove all the skin/sebum/oil you'd notice how remarkably clear it looks. I've been through this regimen (both no wash and washing with only water) several times, and would suggest to immediately go back upon the regimen if you break the cycle. Don't be fooled by initial results.
It's just crazy to think 5-6 years ago (Im 19 now) I didn't worry about washing my face at all and to my memory it was completely normal. I wonder if I resort back to that frame of mind if my face will clear up.
I was the same as well. In fact, I don't believe I ever washed my face for a good 17 years. By that I mean I never used a washcloth or cleanser; just the water trickling down from my hair when I took a shower after shampooing. Wouldn't even touch my face during this process.
Adam mentioned before an idea I completely follow, and it's that when people find themselves with a few pimples, which may be hormonal or just one solitary spot, they overreact by using harsh chemicals and cleansers over their entire face. The result, over time, is damaged/weakened skin which lends itself to oilyness and frequent breakouts.
How's everybody else doing on this?
Day 4 without washing my face. Tone is noticeably better than when I started, which is initially the main reason I restarted this regimen. Today I did have water trickle down my face while taking a shower, but that's unavoidable.
Yesterday I shaved, and it wasn't as terrible as I thought it would be. I just wet the areas I planned on shaving with a cotton ball then applied Dan's cleanser as a shaving cream. Ultimately, I would prefer to avoid anything involving water on my face but it's impossible for me to function in society with a beard (which begins to itch after 4/5 days) or oily hair.
I like the results I'm seeing right now. AT MOST I'm letting water hit my face once a day, because at night I don't wash it at all. And again, because some people probably might not want to backtrack through this thread, I noticed in the past that washing with water seemed to magnify dead skin. It's also useless for removing dirt/oil/dead skin without scrubbing your face with a cleanser or using a washcloth, and since I don't want to do that right now, I try to avoid it.
does this help with red marks at all?
hard to stay about exisitng red marks. new spots etc go away real quick (of the very few i have had).
i have found though that where i do have a few red marks (which been there for like 18 months - topical use no doubt), that dead skin has built up a little bit in these areas. that to me is a very good sign. my body recognises that my skin is damaged in those areas and is responding accodingnly.