Not Washing or Water Only

If you're looking for a sign that you don't need face wash - THIS IS IT! Trust me! All those chemical-loaded products will only deteriorate your skin! Some background history: My acne is hormonal and genetic so basically I wake up everyday with a new pimple here and there. Recently, I decided to amp up my skin care regimen. I went from using Clean & Clear to Cetaphil to Dermalogica Clear Start. I also got a few facials. Looking back on it now, I should have known I was being too harsh, but I only realized when all HELL broke loose! Literally just last week my face was so horrible that people were constantly asking me "What's wrong with your face?" , "Are you having an allergic reaction to something?". I was so embarrassed that I would avoid human interaction as much as possible and hide myself away. It took a serious toll on my confidence and self-esteem. I've never felt worse about myself! Now: After complaining multiple times to my best friend (who has flawless skin), she urged me to quit face wash and just use water. After much research, contemplation and just being frustrated I decided to give it a try. Now it's been just over a week and I'm already seeing huge results. A lot of the redness has calmed down, my old pimples have dried up and my skin is a lot less oily. There's still a lot of pigmentation but I feel so relieved that this is working for me. I finally have hope! However, my skin is now really dry and flaky and sometimes I feel uncomfortable with not cleaning my face, so here's some other things I did this past week that you can also try: 1) Drink lots of water and green tea (definitely helps!) 2) Soak face in green tea - I soak napkins in warm green tea and rest them on my face for about ten minutes - softens up the skin and brights it up, also applies some antioxidants to the surface (great for preventing breakouts) 3) Exfoliate GENTLY with green tea leaves afterwards (I just burst open the tea bag) to remove dead skin cells 4) Soak face in milk (use method above) - moisturizes, reduces pigmentation etc. 5) Exercise - blot face with a clean rag to remove sweat 6) Wash face with very diluted Cetaphil or soap after workouts (not sure if this helped or made it worse so I won't do this anymore, still trying to figure out how to clean skin post-workout, help?) 7) Avoid sun (I had no classes for this past week so I've been able to stay home and avoid the sun, I believed this helped significantly) 8) Improve your diet - no carbs, sugar, dairy products, cut down on the hormone-filled chicken etc. 9) Use a sterilized needle to gently burst new white heads, then wash area with lukewarm water (google this method for more info) NB- I only used the green tea and milk about twice this past week to reduce the redness and give me some temporary relief. Overall, once you use your discretion and monitor your skin you should be fine. Play around with some natural remedies and figure out what works for you and DON'T GIVE UP! If you're suffering from acne and it's affecting your social life and confidence, just remember that you're not alone! I know what it feels like to be extremely insecure and self-conscious about my skin :( (I still am to an extent). I know this post went a bit further than just using water only but I really want to help and encourage someone who's in this same situation. I know how hopeless you can feel when your skin is at its worst. I would have given this method five stars if I saw perfect results but it is too soon to tell. It will probably take months before my skin clears up (I may come back to update). In this past week I've learnt to love myself despite my skin problems and not let acne hold me back. I hope you can do the same! Stay positive and don't give up the fight! :)

Any other chemical stuff, even though i thoroughly scan products for comedogenic ingredients, will most likely break me out, its just aloe vera, water and a clay mask once a week now, and my skin is doing perfectly fine!

I have had relatively clear skin my entire life. I would get the odd pimple during my period, but that was it. When I was 19, my skin went down hill. I was breaking out very badly on my chin, which then moved to my cheeks. No matter what I did, my skin would not clear up. I tried all the quick fixes, and when none of those worked, I knew this was more serious than I thought. I have tried almost everything to clear up my skin. I've spent a disgusting amount of money on topical treatments, been on many different rounds of antibiotics, been to a dermatologist, spent at least $1000 on acne treatments at spas, changed my entire diet and lifestyle, started taking vitamins, changing my pillow case every night, only drinking water, HONESTLY EVERYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF. So, one day I ran out of my face wash, and I went to my local spa to pick up some new stuff. The total was $200, and I just could not fathom spending this much money on products that weren't even clearing my skin. So I made up some excuse about how my credit card wasn't working and left. I decided to just leave my face alone. No cleansers, toners, moisturizers, spot treatments, NOTHING. Just water, or also known as the "caveman regimen". I did a lot of research on this before I started, and I felt that it was worth a shot. For the first few days, I noticed my skin wasn't as red and "raw" looking as usual. I wasn't breaking out more than usual - if anything, it was less than what I usually would break out. After about a week, I started noticing little whiteheads around my cheeks and chin, and even my forehead. I'm assuming that my skin was "purging", meaning it was pushing out all of the toxins. These whiteheads didn't hurt, and they weren't red at all. They would usually clear up in about a day or two. I also noticed that my hyperpigmentation was lightening up, and it wasn't as noticeable. The hardest part for me was to give up wearing makeup. Not that I wore a lot, but when I would get a pimple here and there, it was hard not covering it up. But I stayed strong. Now, three weeks later, I can't believe how good my skin looks. The hyperpigmentation marks are almost gone, I have not broken out in a few days (I can't remember the last time that has happened), the colour of my skin matches the rest of my body (my face is usually white, while the rest of my body is tanned), my skin is nowhere near as oily as it used to be, and overall, the condition of my face is amazing. So, here's what I do - I only let water hit my face when I'm in the shower. Other than that, I don't let water touch my face. I stopped wearing makeup, and I stopped touching/picking at my face. I would highly recommend trying this if you feel like you've tried everything.

I use to get cystic acne on my face and came across salicylic acid sulfur soap on ebay and it works like a charm. Trust me it works wonders and I have clean pores and an even smooth skin tone and very soft skin.

I began this regimen 4 days ago. The 'version' I'm following is rinsing and very lightly massaging my face with lukewarm water twice a day, and allowing water to touch my face in the shower (albeit not hot water). My acne story began when I was 11, I'm 30 now. I've tried everything (Proactiv, Accutane x2, birth control, prescription topicals and orals, coal tar, drugstore sh*t, neem soap, oil cleansing method, peroxide, and honey washing), and yet today I still live with acne and cystic acne. I have an irritating combination skin type of oily with dry patches, strictly oily patches, and strictly dry patches. I am also vegan, meaning I consume zero dairy, which is a known trigger. I have been vegan for 6+ months, and my acne has not really changed at all, nor my skin texture. SO... After my most recent breakout, including 3 angry cystic spots on my chin, I magically came across this regimen. I read for like 6 hours on different techniques, and decided upon the one I felt most comfortable with starting. Although the differences in versions seem minor, I think what you choose to start with has the power to make or break your journey. If you really want to push through for at least a couple of weeks, at least be somewhat satisfied from the beginning with your regimen of choice! I'm at the very end of Day 4 right now, and I must say I'm not only pleased with the changes, but equally as shocked! Those of us who have truly struggled with acne, come on, we definitely don't expect this of all things to actually work! But yep- for the first time since childhood, my skin tone is beginning to even out, meaning less read blotchy spots (even where I don't have acne), and my cheek scarring which is usually a brownish-purple hue is already lighter. Whaaaat. Now, I am experiencing some flakiness that people have mentioned, mostly between my eyebrows and around some acne on my chin that I was treating with peroxide spot treatment before I started the regimen. But it truly is subtle and not anywhere as nasty as having foundation or concealer flake up my skin in spots. Also, my oiliness is already evening out. What I'm used to is being able to swipe my forehead with my finger and have it be totally slick, morning, night, and whilst wearing makeup. I don't have anywhere near that now! And my face has a sheen and glow to it that I've never had before. It's incredible. I have only worn a small amount of concealer and mascara since i began. I just use water and very light massaging to remove the concealer, and have user jojoba oil on a cotton pad to remove my mascara (which by the way, is an amazing eye makeup remover to use, and zero chemicals!). Only the first two nights did I lightly pat on a very small amount of jojoba oil onto my previous dry spots. I'll be updating as I go, and will answer any questions anyone has! I'll be 100% honest throughout this journey, and will mention any changes I've made to my regimen. Fingers crossed! :)

I live in tropical country where it is always humid here. Please dont try this. After a week of using only water on my face, from mild acne developed to moderate acne. My face went dry and flaky and lots of whiteheads appear on my face I never broke out before. My face got red spots instantly. Everyone is staring at my face now. I am so regret! I strictly do NOT recommend this! Please listen to me everyone. Don't be a fool like me. A week of not washing my face will cause me months of acne trouble.

Ok this post might be a little long, but please just hear me out. I got started on birth control at a pretty young age, like 14, and ever since then I've had relatively clear skin despite a few little pimples here and there. I'm 21 now and I just recently got married so I had my birth control removed and my face got really pissed off at me. I had cysts and whiteheads and nasty angry pimples all around my mouth, chin, and cheeks. They have always stayed away from my forehead and sides of my face for some reason. Anyway, this sucked. And I freaked out and tried everything. You've heard the story. Been the dermatologist twice and nothing really seemed to help, and if it did it only left me with nasty side effects that weren't worth it. So anyway, one day I got really upset at the way I looked and was discouraged that nothing seemed to help my face and I just quit washing it for about a week. The first couple days I was in such a depression I didn't even shower. I sat on the couch day and night and just sulked. To my surprise though, my face looked a lot calmer and the cysts were starting to disappear, and my face wasn't as oily as it normally was. In fact, it wasn't hardly oily at all. Weird..... Then it hit me. When I was in basic training for the Air force, we obviously never had time to wash our faces, and so I went an entire two months with taking very quick showers and never putting any chemicals or products on my face.... and I remembered how clear my skin was. I had never seen it so perfect. Granted, I was always exercising every day and eating extremely clean, and there was no opportunity to drink alcohol or any other thing that tempts us in daily life. But still... You get the point. Products = bad. Water = good. Ok, so after remembering this and seeing the quick results of just my couple days no shower I looked up on the internet if not washing could actually clear your acne, and I came across this. It's been two weeks now, and my face is clear. I still get the occasional pimple, and one time I got one on my cheek where they are harder to heal, but as far as cysts go I haven't gotten one in a couple weeks. My skin tone has begun to even itself out too which is crazy. Pretty much this is what I do.... I shower in the morning and I use a wash cloth and gently rub on my face. That's it. Warm water, washcloth, boom done. After I get out of the shower I do nothing, I do my hair and my normal routine, sometimes I put on some makeup, and I go about my day. At night, I will take my makeup off with a baby wipe and then just splash some warm water on my face. If I wore makeup, I will again take a washcloth and just rub gently to make sure all the makeup is gone. About 3 times a week, I will use a cotton ball with a couple drops of tea tree oil and water and just rub on problem areas, but lately my face has been so clear I haven't had to do this. I just did this in the beginning when I was still trying to get over my big problem pimples. I also drink a lot of water, green tea, and I exercise. My diet isn't bad either. I still eat pizza and cupcakes on occasion too but I try to incorporate as much fruits and veggies as I can. I'm really not sure if this will work for everyone, but I think all these acne companies really just want your money. If their products really cured acne, they would go out of business. And as far as all natural products go, they still had a tendency to make my face dry which only caused more problems. And I always think about my husband too... he never uses anything on his face and he has perfectly clear skin. Soooo crazy I have never thought of this before! I also want to point out that I thought my acne was all hormonal. I thought my hormones were just out of whack from getting off birth control after being on it for so long, and that eventually they would go back to normal. I thought that the reason my acne would never go away was because it had to do with something internal that was going on, but after using this method I know that's not entirely true. Maybe I really don't have acne, maybe I'm just allergic and sensitive to all these products!!???? Sorry if I rambled, I'm just excited. Lol.... anyone should try this if they don't have anything else to lose.

I've had acne since my early 20s and have been on Accutane 2x. First time the Accutane worked for 5+ years, second time it worked for only 1.5 years before I started getting cystic acne on my chin and jawline (nowhere else). Very strange because my prior rounds of acne had been a variety of types and anywhere on my face. I had been trying a variety of OTC product (Neutrogena Acne Wash and toner, Clean & Clear exfoliant, Clarisonic, mybody Obliterate) with varying and temporary success. I didn't want to take Accutane again and instead wanted to take an all-natural route. I have combination skin - super dry cheeks and oily t-zone. So this is what I did: Coconut oil to remove makeup Damp baby terrycloth washcloth (new one everyday) to wipe my face clean Vitamin E oil or B5 serum as moisturizer I started this in May and IMMEDIATELY, my cystic acne stopped - it was like a friggin miracle, I couldn't believe it! I got tiny red comedones on my forehead which had never happened before (I think it's because my forehead is oily so requires a toner, washing with water wasn't enough), but I was so happy with the cysts being gone that I didn't care. But 5 months later (in October), my cysts came back like crazy and my forehead comedones got a little worse and my cheeks got dry, red, and bumpy. I'm convinced it was because A) I traveled back and forth cross-country non-stop for 6 weeks, which caused sleep deprivation/irregularities, dehydration (from being on the plane so much), and eating out more, and B) Winter made my skin much drier. So, for me, I do believe that stopping use of chemical OTC products is the way to go, but with some adjustments: 1). I have to tone my oily parts - otherwise, the build up is too much. 2). I need to adapt my routine to take into account the weather (in this case, extra moisturizer in the winter) 3). And no matter what my skin regimen is, protect sleep quality, hydration, and diet AT ALL COSTS. So now when I travel, I make sure to schedule it so I can get a full 7-8 hours of quality sleep, keep up with my water intake, etc. I'm doing the above and think my cysts are slowly improving, though it's too soon to tell. (It's now January). Hope my experience helps shed light for others!

You need water in your life for everything. So why not try it on your face?

Hi I'm J and I'm a product junkie. I'd like to say that I stick to regimens and I don't try other methods, but I don't. I'll stick to a regimen for a while then my skin starts to clear and I ramp it up with some other skincare gimmick! At least twice a year, I totally freak my skin out. This time, when I received my new kit with Rodan and Fields I went for it. You get like 6 different regimens for all skin types. I started out with the sensitive regimen. By the end of the week I was dabbing into everything and my skin just freaked out. The acne regimen called unblemish started working then I started using lots of other products from the different regimens I received. My skin got super itchy and my mild acne turned into moderate little itchy whiteheads all over my face. Especially late at night before bed. So, I threw in the towel and decided to stop washing my face all together. Tomorrow is Christmas so I'll be wearing makeup to cover my discoloration. Not sure what I'll do at night. sigh.... In just one day of not washing *skin isn't as dry/dehydrated *skin isn't as itchy *the breakouts that I did have are now coming to a head. *the itchy breakouts aren't red/inflamed anymore *my skin feels smoother and more dewy hydrated *I also do not use a moisturizer and have noticed my skin is creating it's own moisture and oils