We treat cleansing like a chore—just splash, lather, rinse, done. It’s the step we rush through, the one that feels more like a prelude to all the other skincare products we apply. How many of us have washed our faces while half-asleep, mindlessly going through the motions and not even remembering if we used a cleanser? Or maybe you just grabbed the first thing you saw in the bathroom—a random bar of soap—just to get it over with? Let’s get real: It’s a step most of us simply do out of habit, or sometimes just for the sake of doing it.
But cleansing isn’t as simple as clearing the day’s grime. It’s the first (and possibly most underestimated) step that can shape everything else in your routine.
“In my 20s and early 30s, I’d just do a quick wash that probably lasted less than 10 seconds—just so my face wouldn’t feel dirty or oily,” says Mariel,* a self-confessed skincare minimalist. “But now that I’m nearing 40, I can’t get away with that anymore. I have to be more intentional with how I cleanse and the products I use. If it’s too harsh, my skin instantly feels dry and rough. If it’s too mild or I don’t cleanse thoroughly, I break out.”
Aside from cleaning, the right cleanser supports your skin barrier, helps lock in moisture, and even makes your serums and moisturizers work better. You might not notice the difference when you’re younger—but you will eventually, especially as you age, when every step in your routine starts to matter a little more.
What Cleansing Actually Does to Your Skin (Not Just Your Makeup)
Sure, it removes sweat, oil, and leftover makeup, but a good cleanse goes deeper than that. Think of it as setting the tone: If your skin isn’t properly prepped, nothing else gets to perform at its best. Those serums and creams won’t sink in right if your barrier’s off balance. In short, cleansing does more than clean—it primes.
“Cleansers are the first step in the routine—and it’s one of the most taken-for-granted steps.”—Dr. R-jay Agbon, board-certified dermatologist
Beyond removing debris, cleansing has a direct impact on the skin barrier. The outermost layer of your skin called the stratum corneum works like a brick wall: dead skin cells are the bricks, and lipids are the mortar that keeps everything sealed tight. When it’s intact, it holds moisture in and keeps irritants out. But once that structure starts to break down, your skin can quickly turn dry, sensitive, and unpredictable—and yes, your cleanser can be part of the problem.
“Cleansers are the first step in the routine, and it’s one of the most taken-for-granted steps,” board-certified dermatologist Dr. R-jay Agbon tells The Beauty Edit. But while many are quick to assume that all cleansers are the same, that is not the case. “They’re formulated differently and they have different pH levels. So cleansers have to be tailored to the patient’s skin types and the patient’s needs.”
Surfactants are the agents responsible for lifting dirt and oil and for doing the actual cleansing. However, not all surfactants are created equal. Some older or harsher formulas contain surfactants that strip away more than just dirt—they can break down the proteins and fats that help keep your barrier strong. That tight, squeaky-clean feeling after washing your face could be your barrier saying help.
According to research published in Acta Dermato-Venereologica, certain cleansers can damage the very structure your skin relies on to stay healthy. And if you’re using one like that every day, the effects build up: Your skin starts losing moisture faster than it can replenish it, which is called excessive trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL).
In healthy skin, TEWL stays in balance with hydration levels. But when the barrier is compromised—something often seen in conditions like eczema or dry, flaky skin—this balance is disrupted, and your skin starts losing moisture faster than it can replace it. Hydration drops, sensitivity rises, and even a good moisturizer may not be enough to undo the underlying damage.
Dr. Francesca Sy-Alvarado, another trusted dermatologist, underscores the importance of keeping skin balanced, noting that over-cleansing can disrupt the skin’s natural surface oils. “It’s important to maintain a certain ratio of lipids on top of your skin,” she explains. “If we over-cleanse or over-strip, the balance of lipids also becomes disrupted, and it weakens our skin barrier. So we really have to maintain a good balance of water and oils on top of our skin.” She adds that ingredients naturally found in the skin, such as natural moisturizing factors (NMF), can help replenish lost hydration, especially when they’re included in your cleanser or moisturizing routine.
Hydration Starts with a Gentle Cleanse
What your skin feels like immediately after cleansing says a lot. If it’s dry, tight, or reactive, that’s often a sign your moisture barrier has been disrupted. But when the skin remains soft and supple, it’s better able to receive and respond to the rest of your routine.
While traditional foaming cleansers do the job of cleansing well, they often leave skin feeling tight, dry, and a little too squeaky. That’s because many older formulas rely on harsher surfactants that can disrupt the skin’s natural moisture balance.
Dr. Agbon explains that a lot of consumers still associate foaming with effectiveness. “In the Philippine setting, consumers or patients usually prefer cleansers that foam. They want the ones that are foamy or bubbly, which are actually more stripping of the natural oils. That’s why it [feels] squeaky clean, which is actually not good for the skin.”
Hydrating cleansers, on the other hand, clean without compromise. With humectants like glycerin, panthenol, and sorbitol, these formulas actually draw water into the skin during cleansing, helping strengthen your barrier rather than disrupt it. And instead of harsh sulfates or soap, many now use newer, gentler technologies that work with your skin, not against it.
Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Bea Chan-Benavidez, owner of The Skin B clinic, puts it this way: “You don’t need to overcompensate by over-cleansing or using harsh cleansers to get a better result.” She highlights that sometimes it’s the simplest changes—like switching to a gentler cleanser—that can lead to the biggest improvements in your skin.
Though it’s easy to overlook, the cleanser you use plays a big role in how well your skin stays hydrated long after rinsing. A barrier-supportive, humectant-rich formula doesn’t just clean—it also primes the skin to retain moisture, stay balanced, and respond better to whatever comes next. When your skin holds onto hydration more effectively, your moisturizers don’t have to overcompensate. Instead, they get to build on a base that’s already well-cushioned, smooth, and receptive.
“You don’t need to overcompensate by over-cleansing or using harsh cleansers to get a better result.”
—Dr. Bea Chan-Benavidez, board-certified dermatologist
Why It Affects Everything After
How your skin feels after cleansing can be a preview of how the rest of your routine will perform. When skin feels dry, tight, or slightly irritated, it’s often a sign that the outermost layer has been compromised. And that can have a ripple effect on everything that follows: absorption, hydration, even sensitivity.
Some cleansing agents don’t know when to leave. Research has found that certain cleansing agents, especially sulfate-based ones, can linger in the skin long after rinsing, wearing down the very structures that help it stay hydrated.
“If you leave the cleanser on your face for two to three minutes, yeah, the active ingredients work but so do the surfactants,” says Dr. Gaile Robredo-Vitas of DermHQ. “So while your active ingredients are working, they’re also stripping, stripping, stripping.”
A study published in Dermatology Research and Practice supports this, revealing that these surfactants don’t just lift away dirt but they also bind to and strip away essential components of the skin’s outer layer. Over time, that kind of damage can weaken your moisture barrier, making skin more vulnerable to dryness and irritation.
On the other hand, when skin is properly hydrated, its behavior changes and becomes more welcoming. Aside from just making your skin look more dewy and plump, a well-hydrated barrier becomes more receptive. According to a study on skin barrier function, hydration causes the outermost skin cells to swell and slightly separate, creating tiny gaps that make it easier for active ingredients to travel deeper. That means your hardworking serums aren’t just sitting on the surface—they’re actually getting where they need to go.
When your skin’s feeling dry or stripped, it’s not just uncomfortable, it’s also less absorbent. Without enough hydration, your skin can’t fully take in the products that follow. That slight shift in moisture can be the difference between skincare that just sits there and skincare that sinks in and gets to work.
“It all boils down to the skin barrier,” Dr. Agbon stresses. “Because once patients shift from a very complicated or harsh regimen or cleanser to a gentle, moisturizing wash, the skin barrier recovers and a lot of the skin issues will also be able to recover, or can be treated more simply or easily.”
Rethinking the “Basic” Step
We’re so used to treating cleansing as an afterthought and tend to focus more on the latter steps of our routines, like our serums, treatments, and moisturizers. But this so-called basic step, as science has shown, does a lot of heavy lifting—it sets the stage for everything that follows by helping maintain a well-functioning skin barrier, one that absorbs more effectively, responds better to treatment, and stays resilient over time.
And it all starts with how you cleanse—the step that can either enhance or undermine the rest of what you put on your face. That’s why finding a formula that cleanses thoroughly while keeping hydration intact is key. It may seem simple—even skippable when you’re too tired or rushed—but the right cleanser sets the tone for your entire routine. So instead of just going through the motions, it’s worth giving this first step the care and attention it deserves.
Smarter Ways to Cleanse (Without Stripping Skin)
These simple tweaks to how you approach cleansing can make your first skincare step do more.
1. Go for a low-pH cleanser.
Quick science lesson: pH stands for potential of hydrogen—a scale that measures how acidic or alkaline something is. Skin’s natural pH is around 5.5, which is slightly acidic, and contributes to keeping your skin barrier balanced. That’s why low-pH cleansers (around 5 to 6) are ideal—they work with your skin’s natural pH instead of disrupting it.
2. Look for humectants in your formula.
Check the label for ingredients like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and panthenol—humectants that draw moisture into the skin. Aside from helping keep hydration intact, formulas infused with these ingredients have also been shown to support skin health and help manage dermatological concerns such as acne, rosacea, sensitivity, and even signs of premature aging.
3. Use lukewarm water—not hot or cold.
A hot cleanse in the shower might feel relaxing, but too much heat can compromise your moisture barrier, leading to dryness and sensitivity. Cold water, on the other hand, can be refreshing after a hot day, but it is not as effective at removing dirt, oil, and makeup. Lukewarm water is just right—warm enough to cleanse thoroughly and melt away impurities without damaging your skin.
4. Mind your cleansing time.
While there’s no verified study that claims the exact time you should wash your face, most dermatologists agree that cleansing time should be for about 30 to 60 seconds—long enough to give your whole face a thorough clean (and for you to massage in your cleanser), but not too long that you’re overwashing. Use light, circular movements, and be extra gentle around the eye area.
5. Pat your skin dry—and use a separate towel.
Use a soft towel to gently pat your face dry—never rub. The goal is to minimize friction, especially when your skin is freshly cleansed and more vulnerable. It’s also best to use a separate towel for your face since regular body towels are often too thick and abrasive and can transfer bacteria from your body to your face more easily.
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Editor’s Note: This article was co-produced in partnership with Celeteque, as part of an event partnership. While the collaboration helped make this story possible, all editorial decisions were made independently by The Beauty Edit. As with all our content, the piece was developed with our readers in mind—grounded in our editorial values of honesty, curiosity, and relevance.
Additional reporting by Elaine Natividad Reyes. Credits: Beauty woman wash her face © RyanKing999 via Canva.com. Face cleansing mousse sample © Mizina via Canva.com. *Name has been changed to protect privacy.
