Photo: Engin Akyurt for Unsplash
Want great skin? Wash it with water and leave it alone, says one of New Zealand’s top dermatologists.
Palmerston North-based dermatologist Dr Louise Reiche, chair of the New Zealand Dermatology Research Trust, told Jesse Mulligan that less is generally more when it comes to skin and hair care.
“Mostly it’s ‘keep it simple, use less’,” she says.
Listen
Reiche says there’s mostly no need for complex skincare routines or expensive products. She walks the talk; washing her face with water and a facecloth in the morning and in the evening. She wears a lightweight sunscreen every day, but rarely wears makeup. If she does, she’ll remove it with a very gentle cleanser.
Photo: Dr Louise Reiche
“Your skin itself exfoliates naturally, so it comes off and comes away. I don't have a an oily skin type, but someone who has oily skin might use a little bit of soap and water morning and night, but mostly water.
“The bottom line is, keep it simple. And if it ain't broke, don't try and fix it. If you've got a naturally oily skin, you do not need to use a moisturiser. Moisturisers are to replenish or to help with very dry, cracked, tight skin. If your skin's not dry and tight, you might not need to use moisturiser.”
Reiche makes an exception for her hands, which she moisturises regularly to combat the effects of frequent hand washing. A non-perfumed alcohol-based hand sanitiser can be a good alternative to handwash, water and using rough paper or fabric towels, she says.
"A lot of soap and hot water is definitely drying. We use hot water and detergent in the dishwashing sink, and that's better at taking off the greasiness off the plates and other detritrus of our cooking. And so the same thing happens to the skin: the hotter the water the more soap you use, the more natural oils it takes off."
Photo: Nati Melnychuk for Unsplash
People who suffer from extremely dry, sore skin on their hands can try a DIY hand mask (coating the hands in a thick layer of cheap white paraffin - commonly known as Vaseline) at bed time.
"The other thing that can be helpful is to put a pair of cotton gloves over the top, simply so that the ointment will stay on your hands and not get over all over your bedsheets. If you were to do this for several nights in a row, you'll be impressed how much better hydrated your hands are within a day or two."
Cotton gloves can also be used inside rubber gloves while doing household cleaning jobs, to stop the skin from getting irritated.
Reducing the number of times you wash your hair will benefit your hair, your skin, your wallet and the earth, Reiche says.
“There’s always exceptions to every rule of course, but once a week or twice a week is more than enough. That not only helps with the hair quality, but because shampoo and conditioners often run over the rest of the body if they are used in the shower, they can cause dryness and implications elsewhere.
“It's also expensive on your pocket and it isn't much good for the earth either, going into our waterways and impacting on the plant and fish life there, and going through more plastic containers. Less is better.”