Double cleansing means washing your face twice in the evening, with two different cleansers: an oil or balm first, then a gel or foam. The oil dissolves what water alone does not shift, make-up, sunscreen and the day's oil, and the second cleanser washes away what is left, oil included. Two gentle steps are often kinder than one forceful one. Below is who it suits, the order to follow, how to emulsify an oil so it rinses away, and the cleansers we would choose for each step.
Why Two Cleansers Rather Than One?
Like dissolves like. Long-wear foundation, mascara and many sunscreens are made to resist water and sweat, and they hold on to the oil skin makes through the day. A cleansing oil or balm loosens all of that in a minute of massage. The second cleanser, a water-based gel or foam, then rinses away the film the oil leaves behind.
Who Is Double Cleansing For?
It earns its place on the evenings you wear make-up or sunscreen, which for many people is most of them. It suits oily and combination skin well, because an oil cleanser lifts oil rather than adding to it once it is rinsed away. Dry and sensitive skin can double cleanse too, choosing a cushioning balm and a gentle, creamy second cleanser.
It is not a rule for every wash. In the morning, after a night with nothing on the skin, one mild cleanser or a splash of water is usually enough. On an evening without make-up or sunscreen, a single cleanse will do. If your skin feels tight or looks red after cleansing, cleanse less, not more.
Step One: A Cleansing Oil
Apply the oil to dry skin with dry hands. Use two or three pumps and massage slowly over the whole face for about a minute, working into the hairline, around the nose and along the jaw. Over closed eyes, press and glide rather than rub.
Chanel's L'Huile is suitable for all skin types and transforms on contact with water; the house sets it as the first step in an evening routine. Sensai's Ultimate The Cleansing Oil pairs squalane with botanical oils, carries an iris scent, and is made to dissolve long-wear make-up as the first step of a double cleanse. Institut Esthederm's Osmoclean Micellar Cleansing Oil Care, with jojoba and meadowfoam oils, has a rich texture for a slow massage and lifts waterproof make-up. Isdin's Isdinceutics Essential Cleansing, with olive oil and clary sage, turns from oil to milk and lifts sebum and sunscreen.
- L'Huile Huile Démaquillante Anti-Pollution Cleansing Oil
- Ultimate The Cleansing Oil
- Osmoclean Micellar Cleansing Oil Care
- Isdinceutics Essential Cleansing Oil-Based Cleanser
Or a Cleansing Balm
A balm is a cleansing oil in solid form. Scoop a small amount, warm it between your fingertips until it softens, and massage it over dry skin just as you would an oil. A jelly oil sits between the two: a gel in the hand that behaves like an oil on the face.
Declaré's Soft Cleansing Balm has a melting texture made for skin that prefers a soft touch, and the house describes it as ideal for dry skin. Diet Esthetic's Nourishing & Cleanser Makeup Removal Balm, with mango, guarana and shea butter, is made for all skin types. Sensilis' Succinic Jelly Oil Cleanser pairs succinic acid with calendula extract and turns to milk with water; it is made for combination, oily and sensitive skin.
- Soft Cleansing Anti-Pollution Cleansing Balm
- Nourishing & Cleanser Makeup Removal Balm
- Succinic Jelly Oil Cleanser
How to Emulsify and Rinse
This is the step that decides whether an oil cleanser feels light or greasy. Once you have massaged the oil in, wet your fingertips with lukewarm water and keep massaging. The oil turns milky as it mixes with the water; that is emulsifying, and it is what lets the oil and everything it has dissolved rinse away. Add a little more water, massage for a few seconds more, then rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water, or lift it with a damp, soft cloth.
Step Two: A Foam Cleanser
Now move to damp skin. A small amount of foam or cream cleanser, worked into a lather in your palms first, is plenty. Massage for thirty seconds or so, then rinse. This second wash should feel easy: no dragging, no squeak.
Shiseido's Clarifying Cleansing Foam has a cream-to-foam texture with white clay and suits all skin types. Clinique's Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser is a cream-to-mousse texture for all skin types that also lifts make-up, so it can work on its own on lighter days. Clarins' Domaine Hydrating Gentle Foaming Cleanser, with alpine golden gentian and aloe vera extracts, is made for normal to dry skin. Caudalie's Vinoclean Mousse Nettoyante Fleur de Vigne, with grape and sage, dispenses as a ready-made foam from its pump.
- Clarifying Cleansing Foam
- Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser Mousse Hydro-Démaquillante
- Domaine Hydrating Gentle Foaming Cleanser
- Vinoclean Mousse Nettoyante Fleur de Vigne Facial Cleanser
Or a Gel Cleanser
A gel cleanser gives a fresher, lighter lather, and many people with oily or combination skin prefer it as the second step. Use it the same way: on damp skin, a short massage, a thorough rinse.
Sisley's Gentle Cleansing Gel, with tropical resins, is made for combination and oily skin and works into a light lather. Cerave's Foaming Cleanser is a foaming gel for normal to oily skin, with three essential ceramides, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid, and can be used on the face and body. Topicrem's Gentle Cleansing Gel is a mild gel with glycerin, made for sensitive and dry skin.
The Evening Order at a Glance
- Dry hands, dry face: massage in a cleansing oil or balm for about a minute.
- Add a little lukewarm water and keep massaging until the oil turns milky.
- Rinse thoroughly, or lift away with a damp, soft cloth.
- On damp skin, lather a small amount of foam or gel cleanser and massage briefly.
- Rinse, pat dry with a clean towel, then go on to toner, serum and moisturiser.
A Few Small Things That Help
- Keep oil away from the inside of the eye. If any gets in, rinse with plenty of clean water.
- Introduce one new cleanser at a time, so you can tell how your skin responds.
- If your skin is sore, broken or a reaction does not settle, stop and ask your pharmacist or doctor.
Further Reading
Once the face is clean, toner is the natural next step: our guide Facial Toner: What It Does and How to Choose One sets out the kinds and how to apply them. For heavier eye make-up, our guide Removing Waterproof Make-Up Gently: Oils, Bi-Phase and Micellar goes into the eye area in more detail.
If you change one thing tonight, make it the emulsifying: a little water, a few more seconds of massage, and the oil rinses away clean.
