Wait—Don’t Judge Me, But I Don’t Wash My Face Every Day, And Neither Should You

Anita | Editor-in-Chief

The clearest my skin has ever been wasn’t during my most disciplined routine.
It was when I stopped over-correcting it.

For a long time, skincare culture sold us the idea that consistency meant repetition: cleanse morning and night, no exceptions. Cleanliness became a moral code. But skin isn’t a countertop—it’s a living system. And systems don’t thrive when they’re constantly disrupted.

What changed my skin wasn’t adding more. It was subtracting pressure.

Skin Doesn’t Want Control—It Wants Balance

Your skin has a microbiome just like your gut. A network of bacteria, lipids, enzymes, and immune signals working quietly to keep things calm, hydrated, and resilient.

When you cleanse too often—especially with foaming or highly active cleansers—you strip more than dirt. You remove protective lipids and confuse the skin’s signaling pathways. The message your skin receives isn’t clean. It’s threat.

The response looks familiar:

• Puffiness

• Sensitivity

• Random breakouts

• Texture that never quite smooths

• A glow that only exists under makeup

I Stopped Washing by Habit

Now, I cleanse when there’s something to remove—not because the clock says so.

No makeup? No heavy sunscreen? No sweat?
I don’t force a cleanse.

Instead, I let the skin reset itself. And what surprised me most wasn’t what disappeared—it was what returned: softness, even tone, a calm clarity that felt earned rather than engineered.

This Isn’t Anti-Skincare—It’s Intelligent Skincare

Luxury is knowing when to intervene and when to step back. Skin thrives when it feels safe, not when it is managed.

And sometimes, the most advanced routine is restraint.

A Sample Clèco-Aligned Routine

Barrier-respecting, microbiome-aware, glow-focused

Morning (Most Days: No Cleanser)

• Micellar water (only if needed)
  A gentle sweep—no rinsing, no stripping. Think removal, not disruption.

• Niacinamide serum
  Supports barrier function, refines texture, calms low-grade inflammation.

• Rice brightening essence
  Soft glow, tone refinement, hydration without heaviness.

• Clep / ceramide-lipid emulsion
  Seals moisture and reinforces the skin’s natural defense system.

• Moisturizer of choice

• SPF (non-negotiable)

If your skin feels calm and balanced, water alone is enough.

Evening (Cleanse When Necessary)

• Gentle goat milk cleanser
  Non-foaming, lipid-friendly, microbiome-supportive. Cleans without signaling stress.

• Treatment rotation (2–4 nights/week):

  • Retinol → cellular turnover, long-term clarity

  • Lactic acid → gentle exfoliation + hydration

  • Potato + glycolic acid pulp overnight treatment → brightening, resurfacing, texture refinement
    (Never all at once. Skin prefers conversation, not shouting.)

• Niacinamide (on non-acid nights)

• Clep / barrier cream

Off Nights (Underrated, Powerful)

• No actives

• No exfoliation

• Just hydration, lipids, and sleep

These are the nights your skin actually integrates the work you’ve done.

The Result

• Smoother texture

• Less reactivity

• Balanced oil production

• A glow that doesn’t rely on constant exfoliation

Not because you did more—but because you finally stopped doing too much.

That’s the Cléco way.