Why You Should Be Double Cleansing When You Wash Your Face

You already know that the crucial skincare routine steps include moisturizing, cleansing, and applying sunscreen. But what if you had to know double cleanse as part of your routine? According to Allure, double cleansing is a new skincare trend that's picking up steam. Although we are just seeing an uptick in those who swear by double cleansing, it's long been the trend in South Korea. In fact, it's so popular that is considered a staple in K-beauty routines and was introduced to the world at large in the extensive, now-famous 10-step K-beauty routine.

Double cleansing involves using an oil or balm first to remove excess products sitting on the skin and then using a facial cleanser that can penetrate further to remove any remaining makeup, oil, or bacteria. While the idea is to get cleaner skin, it may be deemed excessive and unnecessary. Double cleansing is also questioned as it involves spending more on products. In the end, are there benefits to double cleansing that can justify the extra step?

The idea behind double cleansing is that just one pass with water and a cleanser isn't enough to take off all of the makeup and oils left over from the day.

With so many pollutants and bacteria that can attach to your face throughout the day, the concept behind the extra step is to help deep clean the face. Since cleansing is the first step of a skincare routine, the skin should end up completely clean before continuing with your next products. That's why, in double cleansing, you're not only removing your makeup and outer products but also deep cleaning anything leftover in your pores. Therefore, it can help prevent inflammation and breakouts overnight caused by leftover makeup (via Elle).

Double cleansing can also help improve the efficiency of your skincare routine. According to Cosmopolitan, because the face is left completely clean after double cleansing, the rest of your products can absorb deeper and fuller into the skin without any remaining product or oil blocking it. The better your skincare products can sit on your skin, the more effective results you'll see.

One of the bonuses of this cleansing is the fact that any skin type can double cleanse safely. Although each skin type has its own needs, they can all follow the format of using an oil, micellar, or balm as their first step and following with another cleanser. The only difference would be the type of first and second cleanser you decide to use. Although double cleansing is safe, it's suggested to only do so at night. The end of the day is usually when the face has picked up the most external pollutants and is thusly when double cleansing would be the most beneficial (via Dermstore).

According to MasterClass, those with combination skin should reach for a gel cleanser that helps hydrate the skin without making it overly oily. Those with dry skin would benefit most from using micellar waters, jojoba oils, and foaming cleansers as these will help give more hydration in this process. If you have more oily skin, you can double cleanse with very light cleansers and pore-targeting products. This helps deliver the benefits of clean skin and targets specific areas that need extra help. Then, once you've double cleansed, you should feel clean, airy, and like you can take on the world.