The practice of washing the face first with warm water and then with cold water to prevent acne is counterproductive and might harm the skin, a dermatologist said on Wednesday.
Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital physician Huang Yu-huei (黃毓惠) told a news conference at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that she frequently treats patients for eczema or other skin conditions caused by unhelpful facial care practices.
She said many patients want to eliminate their acne and washed their face with warm water to enlarge the pores, applied facial cleanser and washed it off with cold water to shrink the pores.
Huang said the practice can damage the hydrolipidic film on the skin, leading to more acne outbursts.
A study suggested that the ideal water temperature for washing the face is about 25°C, or a little cooler than body temperature, as hot water can overstimulate the facial skin, Huang said.
Acne outbursts are associated with abnormal sebum production, which can be triggered by a lack of sleep and keeping irregular hours, she said.
“Washing the face too often or overcleaning it will harm the skin,” Huang said, advising people not to wash their face more than twice per day — in the morning and at night.
The FDA also gave five tips for proper facial care: Choosing products that are clearly labeled and that match the user’s skin condition; washing the face with cool water; moving the hands slowly when applying a facial cleanser; not keeping the cleanser on the face for too long; and not washing the face too often.
Huang said some people think that using facial cleaning products that claim to have multiple benefits is good for the skin, but the products usually stay on the face for a short time and cannot show the desired effects, but added that leaving them on the face for too long might overstimulate the skin.
Most facial cleansers are listed as general cosmetics, FDA Division of Medical Devices and Cosmetics section head Hung Kuo-teng (洪國登) said, but added that the FDA has given permits to 66 products that contain drug substances, such as salicylic acid, for acne prevention.
The FDA urged people to choose cosmetic and skin care products carefully, and notify the agency via its online cosmetic quality management system (http://qms.fda.gov.tw/tcbw) if adverse reactions occur.
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
South Korea is planning to revise its controversial electronic arrival card, a step Taiwanese officials said prompted them to hold off on planned retaliatory measures, a South Korean media report said yesterday. A Yonhap News Agency report said that the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs is planning to remove the “previous departure place” and “next destination” fields from its e-arrival card system. The plan, reached after interagency consultations, is under review and aims to simplify entry procedures and align the electronic form with the paper version, a South Korean ministry official said. The fields — which appeared only on the electronic form
RSS