健康大误区:洗脸别洗太干净

Washing your face seems pretty simple, yet dermatologists and beauty companies think there's room for improvement.

洗脸看起来特别简单，但皮肤科医生和化妆品公司却认为，它还有改进提高的空间。

Easy does it is the message experts have for consumers, as a new generation of facial cleansers promises mild formulas that won't dry out the skin. New devices offer deep-clean claims but with a lighter touch. Some doctors even say that people with good skin should wash their face just once a day -- at night.

随着新一代洁面产品问世，许诺其温和配方不会使皮肤变干，专家们向消费者传递出这样的信息：洁面别着急，需要放轻松。新产品宣称能够提供深度清洁，而且对皮肤的触碰也更为柔和。有些医生甚至称，皮肤好的人每天只应洗一次脸──在晚上洗。

It's a tough sell for consumers familiar with strong formulas that can make skin feel tight and squeaky clean. Many people take that feeling as a sign of effectiveness, when actually it is a signal of overdrying or damage.

这个说法很难让那些熟悉强力配方的消费者接受，这类配方能使皮肤感到紧绷和异常洁净。很多人认为这种感觉是产品效果好的表现，但实际上它是皮肤过干或受损的信号。

And most people still assume that any skin problem -- whether dull skin, acne or age spots -- can be solved by scrubbing a bit harder. 'They think, 'All I need to do is clean it more thoroughly, more vigorously.' That's everyone's answer,' says Susan Taylor, medical director at Society Hill Dermatology in Philadelphia, and a spokesperson for Johnson & Johnson, makers of Neutrogena and Clean & Clear skin-care lines.

大多数人仍认为任何皮肤问题─不论是暗沉肌肤、痤疮或老年斑──都能通过多用点儿力搓洗来解决。费城(Philadelphia) 索赛蒂希尔皮肤病医院(Society Hill Dermatology)医疗总监、强生公司(Johnson & Johnson)发言人、露得清(Neutrogena)及可伶可俐(Clean & Clear)护肤系列制造商苏珊?泰勒(Susan Taylor)说：“他们认为‘我唯一需要做的就是更彻底、更用力地清洁它。’那是每个人的答案。”

Most cleansing products have a surfactant, a chemical or natural compound that helps break through the surface tension of the skin. The cleanser absorbs dirt and oil and removes them during rinsing, according to Menas Kizoulis, scientific engagement leader on Johnson & Johnson Consumer Cos.' R&D team.

强生公司消费部研发组科研参与负责人米那斯?伊佐利斯(Menas Kizoulis)说，大多数清洁产品都含有一种表面活性剂，它是一种有助于打破皮肤表面张力的化学或天然合成物。清洁用品会在漂洗过程中吸收并消除污垢和油脂。

While removing dirt and oil, the surfactant interacts with the stratum corneum, the skin's outermost layer and protective barrier -- and that is where problems begin. The surfactant can remove the good oils skin produces, resulting in overdrying, Mr. Kizoulis says. And it also can remain in the stratum corneum, exacerbating irritation.

在祛除污垢与油脂时，表面活性剂会与角质层发生反应。角质层是皮肤的最外层，也是它的防护屏障──而这正是问题的根源。伊佐利斯称，表面活性剂会祛除皮肤产生的有益油脂，导致皮肤过干。而且它还会遗留在角质层中，加剧对肤质的刺激。

Stinging, burning and irritation are 'actually a sign of harmful stripping of the skin,' says Patricia Farris, a Metairie, La.-based dermatologist and a fellow at the American Academy of Dermatology. A compromised skin barrier also makes a person more susceptible to infection and environmental harms, such as pollution. 'Feeling squeaky clean -- we don't want to go there. It's too aggressive,' says Dr. Farris.

美国皮肤病学会(American Academy of Dermatology)会员、路易斯安那州梅泰里市(Metairie, La.)皮肤病学家帕特丽夏?法里斯(Patricia Farris)称，刺痛感、灼烧感和红肿“实际上都是皮肤遭到有害剥离的迹象”。皮肤保护层受损还会使人更容易感染，遭到污染之类的环境侵害。法里斯博士说：“感觉异常洁净──我们不想干净成那样儿。那太过激了。”

Stephanie Samuel, a 28-year-old attorney in Chicago, told her dermatologist, 'I get the squeaky clean feeling.' To which the doctor responded, 'No! No squeaky!' Ms. Samuel now uses a gentle cleanser in the morning and an exfoliating cleanser in the evening.

芝加哥28岁的律师斯蒂芬妮?塞缪尔(Stephanie Samuel)告诉她的皮肤科医生说：“我就觉得自己特别干净。”她的医生对此回应道：“不！不要特别干净！”如今，塞缪尔白天使用的是一种温和洁面乳，晚上使用的是一种去角质洁肤露。

Facial cleansing has been a growth opportunity for the skin-care industry in recent years, with sales of cleansing liquids, creams, bars and wipes topping $1.8 billion last year, up nearly 4% from the prior year and more than 7% from 2010, according to Euromonitor International.

根据欧睿国际(Euromonitor International)的数据，近些年来，洁面已成为护肤品行业的一个增长点。去年，清洗液、洁肤霜、清洁皂和湿巾的销售额高达18亿美元，比前年增长近4%，较2010年增长超过7%。

When the founders of Clarisonic set out to create their first face-cleansing device, there weren't many supporters. 'Cleansing is the boring step. People don't like to do it,' one dermatologist told Robb Akridge, a co-founder of Clarisonic, a unit of L'Oreal, and the brand's global general manager. Another dermatologist gave Dr. Akridge this mandate, he recalls: 'You have to make cleansing sexy.'

当科莱丽 (Clarisonic)的创始人着手打造他们首个洁面仪时，当时的支持者并不多。一位皮肤科医生告诉科莱丽──现在是欧莱雅旗下公司──联合创始人之一、该品牌全球总经理罗伯?阿克瑞芝(Robb Akridge)说：“清洁是特别无聊的事情，人们都不喜欢做。”另一名皮肤科医生也给了阿克瑞芝一项任务，他回忆说：“你必须得让清洗这事儿变得有意思。”

The resulting product, a motorized oscillating brush, has renewed consumer interest in the cleansing category, many dermatologists say. The bristles move rapidly back and forth by about a millimeter, which 'wiggles' the dirt out of the pores, Dr. Akridge says.

许多皮肤病医师称，针对这个目标生产出来的产品──一种电动振动刷──重建了消费者对洁面的兴趣。阿克瑞芝博士说，这些刷毛一毫米一毫米地来回迅速移动，就把污垢从毛细孔中“揪”出来了。

It takes only a light touch to use the device. But Clarisonic knew some people would 'want to push hard, like they are scrubbing the floor,' Dr. Akridge said. So it added a stopgap measure: When too much pressure is used, the motor keeps running but the bristles stop moving.

阿克瑞芝博士还称，在使用这款洁面仪时，只需轻轻触碰脸部即可。但科莱丽料到有些人会“想要使劲按压，就像他们在擦地板一样。”所以它增用了一个权宜之计：当使用者用力过大时，该仪器还会继续运转，但刷毛却停下来不动了。

Another source of growth is pre-moistened facial towelettes, or wipes. Ido Leffler, co-founder of Yes to Inc., a line of natural skin-care products, says consumers like the convenience, whether using them at the gym or for a quick cleanse at night. Friends tell him they keep wipes on their bedside table. 'They get home after a little bit of a big night, a little bit tired and little bit drunk, and remove their makeup using the towelette,' Mr. Leffler said. Amy Hart, Yes to product development manager, says the towelettes deliver a different textural feel than washing with water but the same cleanliness.

另一个增长源是预湿面巾，或称湿巾。生产天然护肤品系列的Yes to公司联合创始人伊多?莱夫勒(Ido Leffler)说，不论是在健身房使用湿巾，还是在夜间用它进行快速清洁，消费者都喜欢它的便利。朋友们告诉他，他们都会在床头柜上放些湿巾。莱夫勒称：“他们在晚上参加活动后回到家，有点累，还有点醉，就会用面巾纸抹掉脸上的妆容。”Yes to产品研发经理艾米?哈特(Amy Hart)称，与用水洗相比，这些面巾能起到同样的清洁作用，但却能给使用者带来不同的质感。

Face washing at night is most important, dermatologists say. It removes dirt, grime and pollutants that have gathered on the skin during the day, as well as makeup. Some doctors say people without a serious skin-care issue, such as acne, can skip the soap and just rinse in the morning.

皮肤科医生说，在夜间洗脸最重要。它会清除白天聚集在皮肤上的尘垢、污渍和污染物，还有妆容。有些医生说，没有严重护肤问题（比如痤疮粉刺）的人早上可以不用肥皂，用水冲洗下即可。

'Your skin has just slept on a pillow, it is clean, it doesn't necessarily need to be washed,' said Gervaise Gerstner, a Manhattan dermatologist and consultant for L'Oreal Paris. Dry skin from overcleansing is a problem for people as they age, she says.

巴黎欧莱雅(L'Oreal Paris)顾问、曼哈顿的一名皮肤科医生杰瓦伊斯?格斯特纳(Gervaise Gerstner)说：“你睡觉的时候皮肤只接触了枕头，很干净，真没必要洗。”她还称，等人们老了的时候，那些因为过度清洗引发的干性皮肤就会是一个问题。

For men, the biggest face washing issue is which product they use -- or lack thereof. About half of men wash their face solely with water, says Rob Candelino, vice president of marketing for skin care at Unilever, maker of a Dove Men+Care brand. Of men who do use a cleanser, many use a bar of regular body soap, shampoo or whatever else they can find in the shower. Making matters worse, men generally don't moisturize or wear sunscreen every day and so tend to be more susceptible to drying and sun damage, Mr. Candelino says. Alcohol-based products like after-shave can also cause irritation, he says.

对于男性而言，洁面的最大问题是他们使用哪款产品──或者少用了哪种产品。联合利华(Unilever)护肤市场部副总裁罗布?坎戴里诺(Rob Candelino)称，约有一半的男性只用清水洗脸。联合利华是多芬男士+护理(Dove Men+Care)品牌的生产商。而那些使用了清洁产品的男性，许多人都只用一块普通的沐浴皂、洗发露或他们能在浴室找到的其他什么东西。让情况更糟的是，男性通常都不会天天给肌肤保湿或涂抹防晒霜，所以皮肤通常更易干燥和被太阳晒伤。坎戴里诺还称，像男士须后水这种含有酒精的产品也会引发红肿。

Dr. Gerstner suggests men wash their face with a cleanser in the evening to remove dirt and oil. The morning cleanse -- which often overlaps with the morning shave -- is optional, especially if the skin is feeling dry, she said. To make shaving easier, men can apply a warm, moist towel to the face beforehand to soften the skin and beard.

坎戴里诺博士建议男性在夜间使用清洁产品洗脸来祛除尘垢和油脂。她说，晨间的清洁工作──常常会和早上的刮脸重合──不是必须的，尤其是如果你感到皮肤干燥的话。为了让刮脸更容易，男性可以事先用一条温暖潮湿的毛巾擦脸来让皮肤和胡须软化。

Many Americans, especially teens, prefer cleansers that foam or create suds. 'They like the sensation,' says Cindy Kee, senior brand manager at Cetaphil, a line of gentle skin-care products, both foaming and nonfoaming, from Galderma Laboratories. People also tend to believe foam cleans better, which it doesn't.

许多美国人，尤其是青少年更偏爱泡沫型或能产生起泡肥皂水的清洁用品。丝塔芙(Cetaphil)高级品牌经理辛迪?凯(Cindy Kee)说：“他们就喜欢这种感觉。”丝塔芙是高德美公司(Galderma Laboratories)旗下温和护肤系列品牌，包括泡沫型和不起泡产品。人们一般倾向于认为，泡沫型清洁效果更好，但事实并非如此。

The urge to scrub is often formed as a teenager, when the skin is producing more oil and breakouts are common. 'Teens really crave that deep-down-to-the-pores type clean,' says Katie Decker, group brand director at Johnson & Johnson. The average age of the first breakout is 13. From 13 to 17, girls spend an average of 34 minutes a day on skin care, 11 minutes more than the national average for all women, Ms. Decker says.

想要擦洗的冲动通常是在一个人青少年时形成的，这个时期，皮肤分泌了更多的油脂、长痘非常普遍。强生集团品牌总监凯蒂?德克尔(Katie Decker)说：“青少年真的渴望那种深到毛孔内部型的清洁。”人们首次长痘的平均年纪是13岁。德克尔博士还称，从13岁到17岁，女生每天平均会花34分钟来护肤，这比全国所有女性花费的平均时间要长11分钟。

Acne sufferers are likely to overcleanse, either with harsh products or rough scrubbing. 'You can't wash the pimples off your face,' say Katie Rodan, a dermatologist and co-founder of the Proactiv three-step system, which is owned by Guthy Renker. Many acne cleansers deposit a treatment product, such as benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid, to kill bacteria and absorb oil.

痤疮患者更易进行过度清洁，要么会使用刺激性强的产品，要么会使劲擦洗。高伦雅芙(Proactiv)三步祛痘法联合创始人、皮肤科医生凯蒂?罗丹(Katie Rodan)说：“你不能把你脸上的痘痘洗掉。”高伦雅芙现归高西伦克(Guthy Renker)所有。很多痤疮洗护用品中都含有治疗药物，像过氧化苯甲?或水杨酸，就是为了杀菌和吸油。

Exfoliators, which contain particles that scrape dead cells from the surface of the skin, are getting gentler, too. Procter & Gamble Co.'s Olay brand recently released the Pro-X Microdermabrasion Plus Advance Cleansing System, which it says offers a gentler experience using a device with a motorized rotating brush, a foam head and a one-minute timer.

含有能刮掉皮肤表面死细胞的微粒的去角质产品也变得越来越温和。宝洁公司(Procter & Gamble Co.) 玉兰油(Olay)品牌近来发布了Pro-X微晶亮肤洁面仪+高级清洁套装(Pro-X Microdermabrasion Plus Advance Cleansing System)。该公司称，使用配有一支电动旋转刷、一个泡沫喷雾头和一分钟计时器的洁面仪，它会提供更温和的体验。

The need for exfoliation increases with age, as the skin's ability to repair and shed itself slows. 'You can see visible differences as the skin piles up,' Ms. Goodman says.

随着年纪的增长，皮肤自行修复的能力减弱，自行脱落的速度也减慢，所以人们对去角质产品的需求会随之增加。古德曼(Goodman)说：“当皮肤皱在一起时，你就能看到这些显而易见的不同。”

Many exfoliators contain sharp, jagged crystals made from particles of apricot pits or nuts that can cut into the skin, causing irritation and inflammation, says Laura Goodman, a senior scientist at P&G. The crystals in the Pro-X formula are small, round and made of sodium bicarbonate -- also known as baking soda -- which dissolve during cleansing.

宝洁公司高级科学家劳拉古德曼(Laura Goodman)称，很多去角质产品都含有锋利的、锯齿状的晶体，这些晶体由杏仁或坚果的微粒制成，它们会刺进皮肤，引发红肿和炎症。而Pro-X产品配方中的晶体微小圆润，且由碳酸氢钠─也被称为苏打粉─制成，它们在清洁过程中就会溶解。