Double Cleansing
I personally love double cleansing and find that it has made a huge difference in my skin because I no longer scrub at my face with a washcloth each night to remove oil and eye makeup. My eyelashes are more full because I’m not rubbing them with a cotton swab after my shower, my skin does not sting anymore when applying skincare, and I have less acne breakouts overall. This is written as a “what is it and, how do I do it?” format for anyone who hasn’t heard of this method or wants to know more about why it is effective for many people.
Double cleansing, or using an oil-based cleanser followed by a cream or gel cleanser, is a method borrowed from Japanese and Korean skincare methods. It has practical benefits like reducing the amount of friction used on the skin by eliminating the need for a stripping cleanser or physical exfoliant in order to remove daily debris or oil buildup. By using a cleansing oil or balm, you can break up the oil-based sunscreen, sebum, and makeup products that have been on the skin all day without stripping away your skin's natural protective barrier. If you use an cream-based cleanser without first using an oil cleanser, you will likely still have traces of oils and remnants of product left on your skin after you finish washing your face. Having any product or dirt residue on the skin increases the risk of acne breakouts and skin irritations like a rash. The best method is to use two types of cleansers, the first one oil-based and the second a cream or gel formula that gets the remainder of the dirt and sebum build up off of your skin so you can apply your products to a clean face without having to use physical exfoliants like a rough cloth or face brush.
An oil cleanser can have soothing ingredients like aloe or acidic ingredients like alpha hydroxy acid. If your skin is sensitive or dry, it would be best to use an ultra-gentle oil cleanser that does not contain any chemical exfoliants. citrus oils or added fragrance. This is the type of cleanser I like to use - non-scented and comfortable to use on my eyes to remove my eye makeup. If my cleanser smells like PineSol cleaner because of all the citrus oil in it, then I don’t want to use it around my eyes because I have sensitive skin and hyper-sensitive eyes. My eyes are so sensitive that most chemical sunscreens make my eyes water and sting within an hour of applying them (more on that in another post about my favorite sunscreens).
You do need to decide if you prefer to wash off your oil cleanser with water or wipe it off with a warm cloth. There are oil cleansers that emulsify when mixed with water and turn to a milky liquid to wash off clean with absolutely no oily feeling left on the skin, which is what I prefer. There are also cleansing oils and balms that are removed with a soft cloth that do not emulsify or rinse off and leave a thin layer of the moisturizing ingredients on the skin to increase hydration and decrease water loss from the skin’s surface. In either instance, it is important to fully remove your oil cleanser prior to going in with your second cleanser to avoid smearing the oil ingredients around and not fully cleansing your face. The wipe-off method absolutely does not work for my skin and causes acne breakouts on my face.
Your second cleansing step can be hydrating and creamy or oil-reducing and foamy. My skin is on the oily side and benefits from a slightly deeper cleanse so I prefer a gel cleanser with some kind of exfoliant like salicylic acid or kaolin clay. People with naturally dry skin tend to prefer to cleanse with creamy cleansers that may not foam on the skin and feel a little like rubbing lotion on your face. Both kinds of cleansers effectively remove dirt and oil, but your skin type can benefit from one more than another. Find what works best for your skin by trying multiple formulas to see which feels best and which helps your skin stay clear and calm over time.
The way I judge a formula might be different than the way you judge them, so here are my requirements for an oil cleanser or balm:
They need to be completely fragrance and citrus-oil free. My skin is sensitive to oils and fragrance, and the last thing I want is to smear those things on my face every single day. I also just hate the way citrus oils smell, which is entirely personal and not necessarily related to the fact that citrus oils can be irritating (though then can). They need to rinse off completely clean and not leave any trace of oil or slimy feeling on my face when I rinse it off with warm water. If it’s a solid balm, it needs to melt in my hands right away and not feel like rubbing little rocks of solid oil on my skin.
These are products that worked really well for me and that I recommend:
Oil cleansers and balms:
Pyunkang Yul Deep Cleansing Oil - soothing on my eyes and entire face while I use it and rinses off completely clean
Curel Makeup Cleansing Oil - has a chemical smell like a pool float (that I personally love but it’s pretty weird to like it), is very gentle on the skin around my eyes and rinses clean
CeraVe cleansing balm - melts right away into an oil, has a slight chemical smell that I like but is not as strong as the Curel oil cleanser
DCH Deep Cleansing Oil - feels and smells like rubbing olive oil on my skin, rinses clean and does not irritate my eyes at all
Purito From Green Cleansing Oil - has a slight herbal smell but does not irritate my eyes or linger on the skin (scent or film)
Creamy cleansers and gel cleansers:
CeraVe Hydrating Cream Cleanser - cleans effectively and works when I don’t have any acne breakouts that I’m trying to get rid of
CeraVe Hydrating Foaming Cleanser - goes on creamy and then foams so it ends up being a good combination of creamy and deep cleansing
CeraVe SA Cleanser -has salicylic acid to help aid in skin exfoliation and I like to use this in the morning to hopefully increase absorption of other products (which salicylic acid is known to do)
CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser - a classic for me that works similarly to the La Roche Posay option below but with ceramides added instead of minerals
La Roche Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Facial Cleanser -fragrance-free and does not sting my face at all or have any exfoliating ingredients and has their signature minerals added that are said to have soothing properties
Avene Xeracalm A.D. Lipid - Replenishing Cleansing Oil - advertised as an oil, but goes on like a gel and foams like a gel cleanser so I use it as my second cleanse step
I’ve tried these and they do not meet my specific needs:
Hanskin Pore Cleansing Oil - has citrus oils
Cocokind Oil to Milk Face Wash -leaves a film, but I do use this as a shave cream now and that works wonderfully!
Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Face wash - has perfume added and it smells atrocious to me
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser - has menthol in it which makes my face feel icy cold, red and irritated with no skincare benefit