Skin Cleansing

You may use your bath sponge for weeks or months, but during that time it becomes a comfy home for bacteria and mold. How can you tell when it's time to throw the old sponge out?

By Sarah Siddons

Using a small towel to scrub your face might seem like a harmless practice, but you could be introducing bacteria onto your skin. Find out how to tell if your washcloth is unsafe.

By Sarah Siddons

With the green movement coming into full swing over the past few years, there's been a big increase in skin care products being marketed as "organic." What exactly is in these products, and are they any better for you than traditional ones?

By Sarah Siddons

If soap leaves your skin dry and irritated, you may need a soapless skin cleanser. Soapless cleansers are gentler on skin and just as effective at removing dirt and oil -- but how do they work?

By Christina Pander

If you have blemishes on your chest, back or arms, you have body acne. Body acne can be an embarrassing and uncomfortable problem, but there are ways to treat it.

By John Barrymore

You may have heard that eating chocolate can cause acne, but can satisfying your sweet tooth actually cause pimples?

By Elizabeth Whitmore

If you drift off to dreamland without removing your foundation and mascara, it's time for a change of habit. Sleeping with makeup on can be damaging to your skin.

By Elizabeth Whitmore

You may have heard that certain foods -- such as chocolate or shellfish -- cause acne. But while these are myths, you may be surprised to learn that milk and dairy products can cause breakouts.

By Alexander Page

We've all dealt with a pimple now and then, but for some of us it's a daily irritation. If you're prone to acne, you have to take a little extra care with your face -- and it all starts with a good, gentle wash.

By Michael Franco

Establishing a skin care regimen for dry skin can save you from a lot of itchy, red distress. Ironically, exposing dry skin to water actually saps moisture, so you'll want to be especially vigilant about caring for your dermis.

By Victoria Vogt

Oily skin can strike anyone, regardless of age, ethnicity, gender or geographic location. Think all hope is lost? We've put together a list of tips for cleansing oily skin, debunking some well-known skin care myths along the way.

By Alia Hoyt

You use soap to get your skin fresh and clean. So what happens when your body bar leaves behind redness, scaling and blisters instead of dewy skin? Some allergens in soap can wreak all kinds of havoc.

By Gallagher Flinn

Your skin cycle is just about perfect in infancy: The outer layer gets sloughed off every few days. But since no one's a baby for long, what are five ways to speed up natural exfoliation on your own?

By Julia Layton

Less than 200 years ago, soap was considered a luxury item, and people's bathing habits were infrequent, at best. We've come a long way since then. These are the five cleansers you'll most commonly see in showers.

By Chris Obenschain

For skin exfoliation, a lot of people prefer to go natural -- using ingredients that can be found at the local health food store or even at the supermarket. But what ingredients make a good exfoliant?

By Maria Trimarchi & Patrick J. Kiger

If you've ever glanced at the label of your skin cleanser and found a confusing list of difficult-to-pronounce chemicals, you're not alone. But what ingredients should you look for in a cleanser?

By Jamie Palamon

You may have seen soaps, shampoos and facial cleansers advertised as "pH-balanced," but what does that mean? And should you be using a pH-balanced skin cleanser?

By Susan Sentry

In the line of duty, the skin on your face and body takes quite a beating, which can leave it dry and flaky. But you don't have to walk around with a dull complexion and ashen skin. There's an easy way to rejuvenate your skin -- you can exfoliate it.

By Sarah Rutland

Mild cleansers aren't just for people with sensitive skin. If you have dry, oily, aging or acne-prone skin, you could also benefit from a mild cleanser. But what makes a skin cleanser mild?

By Sarah Siddons

There are many different kinds of soap in the world and most of them have one major thing in common: They can make bubbles. But how do they do it?

By Alexander Page

If you've been cleansing your skin with soap and then applying a moisturizer, you could save yourself some time -- and some bathroom clutter -- by switching to a moisturizing body wash.

By Sarah Siddons

If you're trying to find a cleanser that doesn't use animal products, check the ingredients for sodium cocoyl isethionate -- it's a common alternative to animal-based substances.

By John Barrymore

There's nothing like a freshly washed face -- unless your cleanser is leaving you high and dry. If your soap is drying out your skin, it's time to switch to a moisturizing cleanser.

By Susan Sentry

Your initial reaction to the thought of no more baths may be "gross!" But there also could be more serious ramifications than an unpleasant layer of grime.

By Katherine Neer

Antibacterial soap is supposed to save us from deadly bacteria, but the microbes are surviving and may be getting stronger. Should we ban antibacterial soap altogether?

By Josh Clark