Does a Dirty Face Cause Acne?

No, acne is not the result of not washing your face.  That is a myth.

Here is personal, true story:  I started developing acne lesions at the young age of 9.  My mother brought me to my pediatrician.  He looked at me and said it was "just dirt".   My mother was mortified, and as a result shamed me harshly.  I began obsessively washing my face a dozen times a day, in the hopes that I could wash my acne away.  This, of course, did not work, and my acne only got worse as I entered my teenage years.  Still, for years I thought that maybe I would not have gotten acne in the first place had I washed my face better at age 9 before it started.  Now, as a dermatologist, I know better.  Acne is caused by a combination of factors: genetics, hormones, and diet.  But dirt is not one of them.  I wish I could go back and give that ignorant pediatrician a piece of my mind, but too many years have gone by.

Now, as a practicing dermatologist, I still occasionally have a patient who comes to me and says that they do not understand why they are getting acne, because they keep their face clean.  

In fact, overzealous cleaning and scrubbing can aggravate the skin and cause more inflammation.  Over-drying can trigger more oil production which in turn can lead to a clogged pore.  

So wash your face no more than two or at most three times a day.  A mild face wash that is not over-drying is best.  Using an acne-fighting cleanser which contains salicylic acid, glycolic acid, or benzoyl peroxide is fine, too, if your face is on the oily side.  But don't worry if dirt gets on your face- it won't make you break out.