The Double Cleansing Method
Double cleansing has become a bit of a buzzword in the beauty industry over the past couple of years. The idea originally came over to the western world from Korea. This is the method they use to keep their skin clear, balanced and clean. Now I know the thought of extending your skincare routine sounds like a faff, and sometimes all we want to do is flop onto our bed after a long day and grab the makeup wipes whilst dozing off. But to give your skin the best chance at being the clearest and healthiest it can be, ditch the makeup wipes now and adopt the double cleansing. Honestly, your skin will thank us!
Here’s why:
Every last trace of makeup needs to be removed to ensure our pores are clear, free from dirt, pollution and sebum build up. If makeup isn’t removed, this is when blemishes, redness, clogged pores and uneven skin tone occurs. It’s important for us all to double cleanse, but I would say even more so for us that work in cities. Pollution build up can be damaging for our skin as it causes premature ageing, uneven skin tone, irritation and redness. Oily and combination skin will also greatly benefit from double cleansing as the buildup of sebum throughout the day will eventually lead to breakouts.
Wearing mineral SPF reflects the sun’s rays, protecting your skin from UVA and UVB rays.. Great! This is exactly what we want. Zinc oxide and Titanium dioxide are the common minerals used, these are excellent choices for all skin types, especially sensitive or acne prone skin. But without proper removal of mineral SPF’s, they can block our serums, moisturisers and hydrating toners from penetrating our pores and working their magic. Meaning that beautiful organic serum you bought last month and have been using everyday since, is having no effect on your skin whatsoever as your mineral SPF is blocking it from penetrating into the deeper layers of your skin.
How to Double Cleanse:
Use an oil based cleanser first to dissolve makeup, dirt, mineral SPF, sebum and anything else sitting on the surface of your skin. Oil attracts oil, and oil will dissolve and remove makeup more effectively than anything else, without stripping it of all moisture. Massage your chosen oil based cleanser onto DRY skin (very important!), then remove with a damp muslin cloth, flannel or konjac sponge to give your skin a gentle exfoliation and a thorough cleanse. You may even want to repeat this step if you were wearing a lot of makeup that day. And yes, oily skin CAN use an oil, let’s please get rid of this belief that if you have oily skin you have to use oil free everything! It’s all about selecting the RIGHT oils for oily skin, and not pore clogging oils.
For oily/combination skin, the Luxe Botanics Marula Hydrating Pre Cleanser is the perfect option. The oils used are Jojoba oil, Rosehip oil, and Marula oil, all lightweight oils that are non comedogenic, meaning they WON’T clog the pores.
For normal/dry skin, the Evolve Beauty Gentle Cleansing Melt is ideal. This is more of balm cleanser with a rich texture and soothing feel on the skin. The silky balm contains Baobab Seed oil and Sweet Almond Oil which have more moisturising properties to help with dryness and for softening the skin.
Next, follow with a water based cleanser to ensure all traces of the oils have been removed, as well as bacteria and dead skin cells. A gentle foaming cleanser will ensure you are getting a deep cleanse, but avoid synthetic stripping foaming agents such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate that will strip your skin of all moisture. Choose a more natural, gentle foaming ingredient such as Sodium Coco Sulfate which is derived from coconut oil. Apply to damp skin and spend a good minute or two really working the product into your skin. The more time spent on this step, the more effective your cleanse will be. This will help your skin look brighter, prevent breakouts, redness and irritation, and ensure your serums and moisturisers have a really clear and clean surface so they can penetrate into your pores.
For oily/combination skin, the Evolve Beauty Daily Detox Face Wash will deeply cleanse and not strip your skin of essential oils it needs to feel balanced. Papaya Fruit Extract will help to gently exfoliate and remove dead skin cells, preventing blemishes.
For normal/dry skin, the Luxe Botanics Camu Brightening Cleanser contains brightening Camu Camu berry extract, as well a mild surfactant derived from coconut to lift off any dirt and grime still remaining on the skin. This is a milky liquid cleanser that will also soothe irritated skin with chamomile and cucumber extract.
The double cleansing routine doesn’t necessarily need to be done every morning (if you have the time, go for it, but honestly…an extra 10 minutes sleep is also going to be beneficial for your skin) It should always be done every evening. Taking this extra step to thoroughly give your skin a good cleanse every night will honestly work magic on your skin. If you haven’t already adopted the double cleansing method, I urge you to give it a try!
