Can washing your face too often cause wrinkles? Katie, 45
Absolutely. Over-washing strips away natural oils and when this happens it can take up to 12 hours for your complexion to replenish its lipid levels, by which time your skin will probably have been cleansed again, leading to a vicious cycle of dryness. Those precious oils are not only responsible for the barrier function of your skin but also for keeping it moisturised, smooth and nourished. Excessive washing also causes an alteration in the pH level. If the outermost layer of your skin is alkaline it develops more fine lines and wrinkles – up to 50 per cent more – than if it were mildly acidic. So, you should only perform two cleanses per day at the absolute most and only use pH-balanced cleansing formulas such as the professional make-up artists favourite SophytoPRO Pure Cleanser for drier skin types, (£22) or Skin Purifying Cleanser with prebiotics for combination and oiler types (£25).
