The phrase “squeaky clean” might be one you’ve heard often, but despite its sweet-sounding nature, you don’t actually want your skin to feel squeaky after a cleanse. In fact, that tight and dry feeling could be a sign of a compromised skin barrier, desperate for hydration.
Board-certified dermatologist Jennifer David told HuffPost in a previous story that “it’s a sign that your skin is stripped of its natural oils and lipids. Your skin should feel refreshed, but not tight or squeaky.” A soft and hydrated post-cleanse face should be the ultimate goal.
But this doesn’t meant that a complete and thorough twice-daily cleansing isn’t in order. In fact, Arianne Shadi Kourosh, a board-certified dermatologist and associate professor at Harvard Medical School, also told HuffPost in that story that washing debris, pollution and makeup from your face is a vital step in anti-aging practices and ensuring that other skin care products are absorbed effectively.
“Especially for those of us living in urban environments, our skin is confronted daily with radiation from the sun and screens, and with airborne chemicals and irritants from pollution. That can settle on the skin and corrode the skin barrier, causing premature aging in the form of wrinkles and dark spots,” Kourosh said.
