Does the Rebound Effect Really Exist?

There are inaccuracies that are told so many times that they end up becoming by common opinion, truth (wrong) difficult to question.

In the skincare field, one of the longest-lived is the name of effect reboundby which we mean the extra production of sebum on the face that would be activated following a too aggressive cleansing.

What is the effect rebound

The conditional, however, is a must since, as he explains Marilisa Franchini, cosmetologist known on Instagram as the Beautycologist, author of the book Skincare – truth and false mythsthat would not be the case.

“The term rebound means rebound and it was coined to indicate the opposite effect to what one would like to achieve after washing the face: to feel it more greasy and impure instead of clean ».

Until the 1940s, experts were in agreement on the existence of the phenomenon, the result of the fact that the skin, deprived of its own hydrolipidic film in the cleansing phase, generated a greater quantity of sebum to protect itself from external aggressions.

However, although many people are ready to say with absolute certainty that they have stumbled upon the unwelcome effect, the rebound does not exist.

“The first to understand it were the scholars Kligman and Shelley who realized that the sebaceous glands, being located in depth, were not affected in any way by the actions performed on the surface of the skin, and therefore could not react”.

Yet at least once in a lifetime it has happened to all to feel the face too greasy after having cleansed it and there is a reason.

What happens after cleansing

If it is true that a greater amount of sebum is formed on the skin after excessive cleansinghowever, it was found that normal daily secretion may accelerate following unsuitable cleaning. «Inside the duct that carries the sebum from the sebaceous gland to the surface there is always some reserve sebum, ready to come out but still hidden, blocked by the sebum which is already deposited on the skin. When this is eliminated by cleansing, the sebum inside this duct intercepts the existence of a free hole and exits. However, he would have come out during the day anyway, only he would have done it more slowly. The fact that it happens quickly gives the illusion that it is more but endless researches have shown that within 24 hours the amount of sebum produced and appeared on the skin remains the same, despite any cleansing ».

Things to know for proper cleansing

Even if the effect rebound strictly speaking it is therefore a false myth, it does not mean that cleansing should be carried out approximately. Wash your face properlyin fact, it is the most important phase of the skincare routine.

«As I always say, you have to clean but not too much, and above all to learn to listen to your skin. Even if it is oily, degreasing detergents are not necessarily the best solution because over time they could irritate. Much better milder formulations than that remove dirt while respecting the hydrolipidic film. For dry skin, on the other hand, it is excellent for rich cleansers such as oily ones but also in this case it is wrong to generalize ».

A tip to understand if you are using a cleanser that is too aggressive for your skin? «If after cleansing the skin tightens it’s not good because the sensation that you should feel after washing your face is comfort“.

Also pay attention to the change of season. While in winter you often need more delicate and oily products, now that the temperatures are starting to be more pleasant it is more to opt for slightly more degreasing or detergent formulas such as those in gels.

“Even if you believe you have found the right detergent, it is better not to fossilize on just one but have some alternatives available, for example an oily one and a foaming agent, in order to choose the one that seems most suitable at the moment every day, regardless of the non-existent but feared Rebound effect », he concludes Marilisa Franchini.