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By the way, doctor: Is not washing your face good for your skin?

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Q.

Excessive cleansing of the skin with soap and water or solvents can interfere with the barrier function of the skin, leading to redness and dryness. However, it's a problem that usually affects the hands, not the face, and people who are exposed to water frequently or who wash their hands often for work, such as surgeons and nurses and bartenders — as well as the occasional person who is obsessed with cleanliness. Washing your face, even if you do it fairly often, shouldn't cause a problem unless you have an underlying disorder, such as eczema (atopic dermatitis).

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