Double Cleansing - The Ultimate Skincare Hack

Do you know what the Number One most important skincare step is? You may be surprised to hear this, but it’s pretty basic: Washing your face. When you apply skincare to a dirty face, not only can your skin not absorb any of the good stuff, but you’re also causing the dirt to get trapped inside your pores. So that’s not just a waste of product, it can actually be counterproductive!

But how do you get your skin clean-clean? If you wear makeup regularly, you might be using a makeup wipe or micellar water to get your makeup off at the end of the day. While that will get most of your makeup off, it leaves some of the cleanser behind. So nope, your face is still not clean. Moreover, if you’re to take a cotton round or white washcloth and swipe it around your face, you’ll almost certainly still find some makeup residue. So what’s the key to a super clean complexion?

Meet double cleansing. This technique stems from Korea, famous for its skincare routines. It involves using not just one, but two types of cleansers to wash your face. There’s a rule in chemistry that “likes dissolves like”. In other words, oil dissolves oily things, and water dissolves watery things. By using two different cleansers, we tackle all kinds of impurities on our skin.

First, you use an oil-based cleanser. This can be in the form of a cleansing balm, or a cleansing oil. The oil helps dissolve makeup, sunscreen, and excess sebum (our skin’s natural oils). 

Then, you follow up with a water-based cleanser. The cleanser can now do its job a lot better, since your skin is no longer clogged by heavy makeup and oils. The water-based cleanser washes away any sweat and dirt, as well as the leftover oils from the oil based cleanser.

This technique is especially helpful for makeup wearers, as well as for acne prone and oily skin types. Using just a water-based cleanser when you have oily skin doesn’t do a very good job of reaching into your pores, and clogged pores = acne.  But after the oil-based cleanser has done its job, the water-based cleanser can really get in there to deep clean. This can give you some amazing results if you have large pores or are prone to blackheads! 

Double cleansing is also great because unlike using a super harsh cleanser, combining two different kinds helps balance the natural oils in the skin. Your skin will end up feeling fresh and smooth, not overly dry and irritated.

When your skin is squeaky clean, you’ll find it absorbs skincare like a sponge. Overall, your skin might be clearer, brighter, and more hydrated. All with one small addition to your routine!

Now with all those amazing benefits, you may be tempted to double cleanse twice a day for good measure. But in most cases, this is really not beneficial and may even hurt your skin. Overwashing your skin will dry out dry skin, and cause oily skin to compensate by producing even more sebum. You should therefore stick to double cleansing only in the evening for best results.