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“Water cleansing” is the newest TikTok hack that has gone viral, and for the first time, I wasn’t surprised by a TikTok beauty hack.

And that’s because this is something I’ve been practising for the last 10 years and is my best-kept secret to better skin.

What is “water cleansing”?

“Water cleansing” refers to washing your face in the morning with only water. Yes, just water. No cleansing oil. No cleansing foam. No double-cleansing. Nothing. Just water.

This hack went viral on TikTok after influencer Ava Lee shared a video on it.

@glowwithava Reply to @em_s010 important: assuming you double cleansed and went to bed with a clean face!!! #watercleanse #beautytipswithava ♬ original sound – AVA

According to Lee, over-cleansing can strip your skin barrier and washing her face in the morning with just water – no cleanser – has “saved (her) skin”.

Who practises “water cleansing”?

dee hsu without makeup

I first heard this hack from Taiwanese host Dee Hsu. (Source: @elephantdee / Instagram)

I first heard about this from popular Taiwanese host Dee Hsu (or Xiao S) who shared on her talk show Kangsi Coming that she doesn’t wash her face in the morning with cleanser so that she can retain the natural oils that accumulates on her skin overnight, which she said lubricate her skin naturally.

Later on, celebrities like Fan Bingbing and Cecilia Cheung also confessed to this beauty secret.

Doing “water cleansing” for the last 10 years

I was intrigued when I first heard this hack from Dee Hsu and decided to adopt it myself. Honestly, I don’t remember if I’ve only practised water cleansing for 10 years or longer because I feel like I’ve been doing it for most of my adulthood. (I’m 37 this year.)

It felt weird at first; I wasn’t used to having a much faster morning routine and my skin felt “grimy” at first. But I quickly got used to it and started seeing benefits from it.

Indeed, my skin became less dry than before and surprisingly, I haven’t really had much pimples in the last 10 years of practising this hack.

In fact, anyone who has seen me in person would probably agree that my skin condition is above average.

Were there times I’d wash my face with a cleanser in the morning?

Yes, there were definitely exceptions.

There were days when my skin felt oilier than normal (usually close to the start of my period), when I would reach out for a cleanser in the morning.

Otherwise, I typically wash with water only, dry off, then start my morning routine with a toner, followed by a serum, a moisturiser, and then sunscreen. And this routine hasn’t given me any significant issues so far.

Should you try “water cleansing”?

This is something that has certainly worked for me and I’ll recommend that you try it. However, as with all hacks and tips, there’s never anything that’s one-size-fits-all, so always listen to your skin and tweak your routine accordingly.

If you’re keen to give this a try, consider persisting for at least two weeks and be aware about the changes that you see in your skin’s condition. You can always put a halt to it and revert to your old routine if you feel that it’s not giving you the benefits that you want.

Good luck with it and if you’re trying it and are sharing your thoughts on social media, remember to tag Daily Vanity so I can hear from you!