Cleansing is the foundation of every skincare routine — and it is the step most people assume they have figured out. In practice, a significant proportion of the skin barrier damage, dehydration, and persistent breakouts we see at our clinic are caused or worsened by how patients wash their face. These are the mistakes we correct most frequently.

Using the Wrong Cleanser

Most Indian drugstore and pharmacy cleansers are foaming formulas with a pH of 8-10. The skin’s natural pH is 4.5-5.5. Washing with a high-pH cleanser disrupts the acid mantle, strips protective lipids, and creates the tight, squeaky-clean feeling that many people associate with being clean — but which is actually a sign of barrier disruption. A cleanser that leaves the skin feeling tight has over-cleansed. Use a gentle, pH-balanced (4.5-6) cleanser — cream, gel, or micellar water depending on skin type.

Washing with Hot Water

Hot water feels good and feels thorough. It also strips sebum from the skin more aggressively than warm water, worsens redness in sensitive and rosacea-prone skin, and contributes to dehydration over time. Lukewarm water is always the correct temperature for facial cleansing. Cold water does not “close pores” — pores are not doors and do not open and close with temperature.

Over-Cleansing

Twice daily is the clinical standard — morning and evening. Washing more frequently than this — after exercise, during the day, whenever the skin feels oily — consistently disrupts the skin barrier and increases sebum production as the skin compensates for stripped oils. If you exercise, rinse with water post-workout rather than using cleanser again.

Using Physical Scrubs

Facial scrubs with physical particles — walnut shell powder, apricot kernels, microbeads — create micro-tears in the skin surface with irregular particle shapes. These damage the stratum corneum, worsen active acne by spreading bacteria, and contribute to PIH in Indian skin. Physical scrubs should not be used on the face. Chemical exfoliation with AHAs or BHAs is significantly safer and more effective.

Not Cleansing at Night

Sleeping in makeup, sunscreen, and the day’s accumulated pollutants is one of the most consistent contributors to congestion, breakouts, and accelerated skin ageing. Evening cleansing — including double cleansing if you wear sunscreen or makeup — is the single highest-return habit change for most patients whose night routine is inconsistent.

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— Dr. Nishita Ranka | Consultant Dermatologist | Dr. Nishita’s Clinic for Skin, Hair & Aesthetics, Hyderabad