How to Treat Acne: How Many Times a Day Should I Wash My Face?

I am a board-certified dermatologist with a large practice devoted to skincare and how to treat acne. One of the main questions I hear in my practice is, “Is it better to wash my face 1, 2, 3 or more times a day to help with my acne skincare?”

This is an important question I address with my patients when discussing how to treat acne, and the answer to this question might surprise you. Cleansing twice daily with a gentle acne wash or acne cleanser is sufficient to remove oil and debris that can clog pores and make your acne worse. Once in the morning and once at night, for most individuals, should be an adequate regimen for your acne skincare. If you wash or cleanse your face too frequently, even using a gentle acne wash or the best acne products, your acne can become irritated; and you could worsen your skin’s appearance. You can’t scrub off acne. Your skin needs to heal. That’s right…if you wash your face too frequently, even with the best acne products, you can worsen you skin’s appearance.

If you are involved in activities that cause you to sweat a lot, such as working out or playing sports, it is very important to wash your face as soon as possible after your activity to remove the oil, debris, and bacteria. Keeping your skin free of these three troublemakers should be the emphasis behind your acne skincare program.