Does washing your face with salt offer any benefits?
Jun 01, 2022
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Liu Wan
Introduction
Saline facial cleansing helps remove excess sebum and exerts anti-inflammatory effects, making it a useful adjunctive therapy for both common acne and seborrheic dermatitis. In areas of the face rich in sebaceous glands—such as the forehead, nose, and chin—the gland openings connect to hair follicles; sebum is secreted in large quantities and travels through the follicular ducts to the skin surface, thereby nourishing the facial skin. Seborrheic dermatitis of the face typically manifests as erythematous, scaly patches in regions including the eyebrows, glabellar area, and nasolabial folds.
In daily life, some people consider using salt water to wash their face to reduce inflammation and cleanse the skin. But does washing the face with salt water offer any benefits?
Does washing the face with salt water offer benefits?
Saline facial cleansing helps remove excess sebum and exerts anti-inflammatory effects, making it a useful adjunctive therapy for common acne and seborrheic dermatitis. In areas of the face rich in sebaceous glands—such as the eyebrows, glabella, nasolabial folds, and alar grooves—the gland openings connect to hair follicles. Sebum is secreted in large quantities by these glands and travels via the follicular ducts to the skin surface, nourishing the facial skin. However, increased sebum production and alterations in its chemical composition can disrupt the skin’s microbial balance, leading to overgrowth of certain microorganisms—such as Propionibacterium acnes (now reclassified as Cutibacterium acnes) and Malassezia furfur—which trigger cutaneous inflammation known as seborrheic dermatitis.
Clinically, facial seborrheic dermatitis manifests as erythematous plaques in the aforementioned areas, often covered with fine, greasy scales or yellowish crusts; in some cases, dusky-red, follicular papules may also appear. Washing the face with diluted saline solution helps remove excess sebum and inhibits the proliferation of Cutibacterium acnes and Malassezia furfur, thereby helping control seborrheic dermatitis.
However, after washing the face with diluted saline, it is essential to thoroughly rinse off any residual salt with clean water. Otherwise, salt residues may accumulate on the facial skin, causing excessive irritation and potentially triggering irritant contact dermatitis. The above information is for general reference only; specific use should always be guided by a healthcare professional. We hope this response has been helpful to you!
