Not Washing or Water Only

Hey guys, TOO EARLY TO REVIEW yet, I've actually just started doing this about 6 days ago now for my acne. I will update in future when I have a good review of how it treated my skin. I just want to mention something though, I notice a few people saying this "broke me out", "doesn't work" etc... and that may be true however PLEASE keep in mind you cannot judge how your skin is reacting to something until at least 6 weeks into something. Reason being is the natural length of average cell cycle from what I've been told is 4-5 weeks... so technically, it is expected to see some sort of a "purging" as dead skin sheds and clogged pores from underneath finally come to a head. So far, this regimen is working so well for me. PROS: facial redness is better by at least 85 percent if not 90, no new breakouts.... only thing I am noticing is some really tiny hard bumps in certain areas and I'm 100 percent sure this is the skin pushing blackheads out. I also notice how GREATLY reduced my oiliness is. like wow. my forehead used to be shiny within the hour after washing with cleansers, now its maintains itself with hardly any oil for the whole day, and my face doesn't feel tight either. CONS: I won't lie, it will seriously feel like your face is unclean when you wash once a day with water. here's the key though... It might feel incredibly dirty or oily but keep the water splash to a minimum. I made the mistake of rinsing my face with water more than a couple times when i was in the shower last night with really warm water. Total mistake, you get out and as soon as you pat your face dry you suddenly realize how much oil came off and its too dry. SUCH a delicate balance as your skin adjusts to running its own show. So if your skin is dry- stick to cold water splashed a couple times. if you are noticing its really oily, slightly warmer will wash away most of the oil but again it doesn't need to be more than 5 secs worth of splashing. Sorry i know this is specific, its really about feeling your skin out. One last thing, I have a lot of tiny tiny clogged bumps on the left hand side of my mouth. They are only noticeable if I press my tongue in this area and look in dim lighting (so seriously not at all noticeable to ppl) but they've been there forever and annoy the heck out of me. I'm obviously expecting to see a big breakout by the 4th week mark when they finally cycle through to a head so like I said best not to judge until 1.5-2 months in. I know its a while but rome wasn't built in a day: your skin needs the time to balance itself, shed off its layers naturally and push whatever is in the skin out on its own. I am washing with cool water every evening once a day, and using a konjac sponge (natural very soft plant material, packed with vitamins) every 4-5 days to **lightly** aid the shedding. Ill be decreasing this to once a week soon and eventually working off to nothing. I'm only doing this because i used to exfoliate everyday with chemical exfoliants so my skin is seriously dependent on exfoliation. It would be a Freddy Kuger mess if I didn't slowly tapper off :P **Update day 14! Skin tone has returned to how it was pre acne, breakouts are only in area of my face that had clogged pores, everything else is clear and no new acne has formed in other areas since this regimen. Only complaint is that dead skin does build up fast so I'm still exfoliating lightly with Konjac every 3 days, 4 if I can push it. Due to dead skin skin does feel rougher but I'm anticipating this will disipate with time. Starting a blog on my journey so check it out if you want more daily type details of skin changes and stages

Ive had moderate cystic acne on my face and back from the time I was about 13 until my 20's. I was put on doxcycline(which worked for awhile) but had side effects because I was on antibiotics for 4 years straight.. muirad made it worse and so did proactiv. I tried 'natures cure' and birth control to no avail and ended up going through every hypoallergenic/all natural/ medicated face scrubs and cleansers you could think of. Finally, over the past 6 months I have stopped. I, personally, allow the water to run over my face in the shower and pat dry with a towel. If my face seems dry (I have combination skin) I put a dab of hypo lotion on my face but nothing else. My face looks better now than it has in years and the pimples I do get are seldom and small. They clear up quickly. I think that it works so well for me because when I stopped 'treating' my face, it allowed my body to do what it had been trying to do all along which was to heal itself.

I haven't been washing my face, chest or back with soap or cleanser for a little more than two weeks now. I only use baking soda every few days to exfoliate. My skin was substantially less oily right away, which really got my hopes up. The first few days I also noticed what other people said about pimples that surface quickly, and that are easy to deal with. After the first few days though, my skin started erupting again. I have been at constant war with it for the past weeks now, but I want to believe I'm doing something wrong. I thought that since my skin has been less oily, I'd see improvement. What can I do differently? The past few days I put some BP cream to treat the areas that were completely broken out, because I couldn't take it anymore. Any advice? Thank you!

I've had cystic/moderate acne for the past five years (ages 14-19) and I can honestly say that there is nothing better you can do for your skin than simply doing nothing. My long acne story short: the past five years, up until the past 3 months, I had used a ton of products from Clearasil to tea tree oil to facial masks however the only product that worked was Epiduo. I had clear skin for a year with epiduo but it made my skin so dry and sensitive that I couldn't go 3hrs without a moisturizer. As such, I stopped using all skincare products completely and it has worked. I let some water touch my face each morning in the shower and that alone is my entire skincare routine. I also physically exfoliate once a week due to the build up of dead skin cells. I used to get huge cystic acne but I haven't had a cyst since I started washing with water. That being said, after I stopped using products I had an initial breakout period where my skin got very dry but it soon began to regulate itself. If you are reading this review don't waste any more of your time or money on acne treatments. Leave your skin alone for a few months and see the difference it will make. Stick with it.

Cystic acne nonstop since i was 15. Face scarred badly, but cysts and zits stopped with diet and NO MORE CLEANSERS. Caveman is the way to go. Sometimes even washing with water will upset my skin, so I just dont wash it at all anymore. Like other say, you do build up excess skin, so a wet soft washcloth will do fine. I don't moisturize or apply anything to my face or body at all. I also only wash my body and hair with water, soap and shampoo twice a week. You won't smell if you're eating healthy. I feel that high cardio workouts also work to exfoliate my skin. When I feel too dirty, I run up a hot shower and let my pores open up with all the steam ( I do not let the water touch my face, as it is so sensitive, even the chlorine upsets it) I do stress that your DIET will determine your success. I have always had overeating problems as well, so when i indulge, I break out, still at 26. FOODS TO AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE ------------- SUGAR -------------- keep in mind that simple carbs ( white bread rice pasta cereal etc) turn into sugar in the body, so you must cut those out too. Complex carbs ( beans, brown rice, pasta, bread is not great, but not as bad as the white stuff) just make sure it says WHOLE wheat. I've had the best skin of my life eating WHOLE food without red meat. Chicken and fish, whole veggies and ABSOLUTELY NO SUGAR and MINIMAL SODIUM intake (sodium increases redness and inflammation in the body... especially your face). Side note... chemical manufacturers are not looking out for you... Living in capitalist America should be your first clue... These people just want your money and will exploit your biggest insecurities. They want you to slap harmful chemicals on your face, clog your pores with makeup, eat yourself into a blimp, because they know the body will expunge it all through your sweat and zits, then you'll go running to them because they offer "cures". ?Me and many more fell for their tricks and paid dearly for the lack of knowledge, with scars. Do yourself a favor and feed your body well, treat it well, encourage it, work it out, and love it. Change your habits and drop negative people around you so you can begin to HEAL. I am still battling food cravings, still giving in, still breaking out occasionally, but it feels amazing to know that I can be free of this curse. Hope you try this, and spread it to everyone in need. Good luck.

Hi guys, I'm really not sure what the real reason is behind my acne. I have it really bad on my cheeks and my chin and a little on my forehead. I have tried everything and it has only gotten worse. I back tracked and came to conclusion it might of been from my make up products and introducing new face washes, lotions, masks and natural methods for over a year. I feel like I have been covering up my face with make up for so long that It didn't even appear to me how much my skin has changed. I used to have perfect,clear skin. I used to wear drug store make up and sometimes didn't even remember to take it fully off and STILL had perfect skin. I started introducing face washes to my skin once I noticed a little bit of acne. Now, my face is completely covered. :( I recently started this no face cleansing regimen and I think I'm in the "getting worse stage" before it gets better. It really takes a toll on you. I sometimes get extremely depressed and will sit on the internet for hours researching on what I can possibly do or what I am doing wrong. At this point, I'm desperate. I'm going to continue to use only water to wash my face for now. However, holidays are coming up and I would like to use a light foundation to cover up any existing acne. Does anyone know a very natural way I can take off my make up that won't make my skin any worse than it is? I have extremely sensitive skin and I just want to find what works for my skin so I can stick to it. I'm trying to go without make up and although it has lowered my self esteem, I am not going to give up. I cannot wait for the day I wake up acne-free and feel beautiful without any make up. Any advice/help on a very natural non irritating make up remover would be very much appreciated. I will update with pictures of before and after if this regimen seems to work for me. Thanks :) -Ashley D.

I just logged in today after several years. I had moderate acne in my late teens and early 20's. I used a variety of products and found that differin worked well for me. I'm now in my early 30's and had a severe outbreak this time last year. Acne is so much more painful as an adult. It makes you feel like a child again and really damages your self esteem. Anyway. I started using differin again but my face just got worse and worse. I decided to stop using all products including my "collection" of face washes/scrubs in favour of warm water. I was amazed that after only 2 days my skin was less oily. After a week it felt firmer, softer and had a nice glow. I did notice that I was building up dry skin but with the help of a wash cloth and regular shaving with water only, this was solved. My acne became much better. I had a few small surface spots that would heal faster. My acne scars also started to fade much more rapidly than before. I now try to avoid chemicals as much as possible. Our bodies have evolved over millions of years to tolerate all that the world throws at them. All these cleansers and scrubs and other products remove that natural defence and leave skin vulnerable to attack.

Day 2 of using only lukewarm water and a washcloth in the morning, evening and night and I must say I have seen drastic improvements !! I have oily blemished skin and my skin is not irritated by any kind of cleansers or chemicals..i just apply my sunscreen when I go out everyday and when i come back home I just wash it with lukewarm water again. SO HAPPY !! iTS WORTH A TRY !!

My skin type is combination. I get hormonal acne breakouts on my chin and jawline. Usually I cleanse with an all natural gentle cleanser 1-2 a day and would apply tea tree oil (needs diluting for sensitive skin) to the breakout area. The tea tree would help to some extent but new spots would form day after day using my usual cleansing method. Not washing or washing my face just with water is the only thing that seems to stop new spots forming. During this time I apply tea tree 2-3 times a day to the break out area. I don't wash my face unless I have been working out to wash the sweat away or it feels dirty (1st thing in the morning, or last thing at night). This stops new spots forming within a couple of days. I keep up this regime until any bumps or spots have disappeared: usually within a week. I am now considering switching completely to water only washing with gentle exfoliation for my normal regime.

Hello guys, I have come across a lot of great reviews that actually are helping me in washing my face with water only. I usually breakout a lot on my forehead and the left side of my cheeks. I was a loyal avalon organics cleanser, toner and moisturizer n serum user but didn't really help on my acne. So for the past 2 weeks I decided to just wash my face twice a day with a face cloth and warm water and dry it with a towel but according to most reviews it's not good to towel dry; I'll change to that tomorrow and wash with cold water rather than hot n in the morning just use my hands no cloth. Well, sometime last week I started breaking out and am assuming it's because I was starting my menstrual cycle. I also love the feeling honey & brown sugar with lemon or olive oil leaves on the face for exfoliation but currently I'm. Otherwise doing this. Do you think one can do the Caveman routine and wear make up maybe once or twice a week and remove make up with olive oil? What about masking twice a week using turmeric and yoghurt? Responses will be appreciated 😊