You make a point of cleansing your face every night before you go to bed. You cleanse again in the morning as part of your daily routine. But why? More importantly, what would happen if you didn’t cleanse your face every day? These are intriguing questions that deserve answers.

Daily cleansing is part of Western culture. You could make the case that the desire for daily cleansing is built into human DNA. In short, people like to be clean. Even those who do not get so upset about a little bit of dirt eventually wash themselves. It’s part of being human.

So what would the world look like without regular facial cleansing? No one knows for sure, but there are some theories.

A Lot More Breakouts

Poethique, a Massachusetts-based company that specializes in natural skin care products, explains that deep facial cleansing removes dirt, debris, and impurities from the skin. People who do not cleanse on a regular basis are more prone to breakouts. This is not news. We have known it for quite some time.

A world without facial cleansing would be a world in which more people suffered serious breakout issues. From acne to rosacea and rashes, our faces would look different.

Greater Incidence of Skin Conditions

Daily skin cleansing serves to remove all sorts of substances ranging from makeup to lotions. One of the reasons Poethique recommends deep cleansing before bed is to remove makeup so that you are not sleeping in it. There is a dual purpose to this.

Not only do you not want your skin covered in makeup all night, you don’t want that makeup transferred to your linens. When makeup, creams, and lotions get trapped in the fibers of your bed linens, they promote bacteria growth. Exposure to these bacteria can lead to numerous skin conditions, like eczema for example.

In a world without facial cleansing, we would expect to see a higher incidence of these kinds of conditions. People would be exposing their skin to more harmful bacteria. They would be irritating the skin with dirty bed linens.

More Dull Complexions

Deep facial cleansing sets the stage for exfoliation. For some people, exfoliation is part of the cleansing process. Others exfoliate after cleansing. Either way, exfoliation is one of the things that helps improve the complexion. Removing dead skin cells reveals healthy skin underneath. It also makes the skin look brighter and more vibrant.

A world without facial cleansing would also be a world without exfoliation. That would mean more dull complexions instead of bright, glowing skin. How drab and dreary would that be?

Less Healthy Skin

Last but not least, a world without facial cleansing would be one in which our skin was less healthy overall. This understanding rests in the knowledge that the skin is a critical component of the body’s immune system. Not only is the skin the largest organ, it is also the body’s primary defense against germs.

One of the reasons we cleanse the skin is to help it better fight germs. Dirty skin is less efficient because it has to fight both the germs and the dirt and debris. On the other hand, clean skin is better able to do what it’s intended to do.

It is true that we don’t have to be obsessive about facial cleansing. It is not necessary to wash the face five times a day. On the other hand, daily cleansing is good for the skin. It removes dirt and debris, allows the skin to fight germs more effectively, and reduces the risk of skin conditions related to bacterial growth.