Cleanse Your Skin Week takes place from July 28 through August 3, 2019.

Many of us are confused about what "clean" skin really means and how best to achieve it, according to an online survey commissioned by CeraVe.

Of 2,000 U.S. adults polled, 37 percent of respondents think their skin should feel tight after cleansing although a feeling of tightness is actually a sign of stripped moisture from the skin and often means you should be adapting your routine with products that include gentler, moisturizing ingredients. Another 33 percent associate dry skin with clean skin, which is not true. A feeling of tightness is actually a sign of stripped moisture from the skin and often means you should be adapting your routine with products that include gentler, moisturizing ingredients.

More than half of respondents (53 percent) said they are confused about which type of cleanser to use; followed by how often to cleanse (47 percent).

"I always recommend my patients use gentle cleansers with hydrating ingredients as part of their daily regimen to not only provide a deep cleanse, but to avoid the tight feeling people often encounter after washing their faces, which is an indication of lost moisture," says Shari Marchbein, MD a New York City dermatologist. "First remove makeup, oil and residue that's built up during the day with a cleansing cloth, then use a fragrance-free cleanser like the CeraVe® Foaming Facial Cleanser, which features hyaluronic acid to attract hydration to the skin's surface and ceramides to help lock in moisture."

Despite confusion, a regular skincare routine is a necessity for healthy skin. Yet, nearly half of respondents (47 percent) admit to behaviors that are bad for their skin and one-third (35 percent) confessed to having poor skincare habits. When it comes to cleansing, 53 percent of respondents said they only use water when they wash their face, which Dr.  Marchbein says is not an effective way to cleanse.

Moreover, people are willing to admit that there is more than confusion contributing to their skin sins:

• The top three reasons respondents say they don't cleanse are that they're too tired (61 percent), they forget (47 percent) and they feel it is too much of a hassle and inconvenient (33 percent).
• More than one-quarter of respondents (27 percent) say they have gone more than two weeks without washing their bedsheets and pillowcases, leaving skin susceptible to breakouts and irritation from sweat, oil and bacteria buildup.
• While many people use washcloths for cleansing, 42 percent of respondents will use the same cloth up to four times without washing it and 16 percent will even use it up to seven times; thus, adding back accumulated grime and bacteria to freshly cleansed skin
• Two-fifths of respondents (41 percent) admit that they use hot water when washing their face, which dermatologists say strips moisture from the skin and therefore, they advise using lukewarm water instead.