Update on Water Washing - ONE WEEK LATER! c:

Hi again!

It's been about a week since I posted about washing my face with only water - I actually made a mistake last Wednesday and washed with soap (it was early and I was a bit out of it), so I started over to round out a full week.

I ended up just not using Cetaphil, cleansers etc at all, though I did have to use a bit of oilfree moisturizer in the mornings due to dry winter air.

I managed to follow through to Monday but then I had to wash with Cetaphil.  My skin's somewhat oily during the warm months but for some reason it got pretty oily about 4 days into it.  I actually didn't notice much of a change in terms of acne, though my skin did get very soft and smooth on my cheeks/areas without acne.  The main problem was the pores on and around my nose began to get pretty clogged. :c

So far I've been washing with water in the morning, and then diluted Cetaphil at nights - my skin's still getting the benefit of being pretty soft from the natural oils, without getting any cloggier.  My acne -very- slightly improved, but barely at all...and I actually got 2 very tiny new pimples so I don't think this method works for me. :c
BUT for those who want to try it - I would say it's probably better to wash lightly at night.  There's also the danger that the dirt that accumulates naturally on your face during the day will combine with the built-up natural oils, and cause acne.  (Which is what probably happened to me since I didn't wash at night for a while.)

I would recommend trying this if you already have relatively well-balanced skin.  Personally I would use an oilfree moisturizer anyway, since unless your skin is extremely oily you'll still probably feel a bit dry/tight (especially during winter conditions when the cold air is very drying).  And if you have extremely oily/blackhead or clogged-pore prone skin, it's probably best to switch to a non-harsh cleanser like Cetaphil once a day, rather than washing with only water.

TIP:  If you feel like you want to ease up your face-washing routine but don't want to completely skip the cleanser, it might help to try washing only ONCE a day with a gentle soap-free cleanser.  Using a cleanser at night before bed should rid you of any dirt or dust that accumulated there during the day.  In the morning your face is honestly still clean from last night - so splash a bit of lukewarm water to freshen up and you're ready to go!