The idea of double cleansing is to remove any extrinsic factors before actually cleansing your skin, allowing the second cleanse to more deeply penetrate pores and thoroughly clean. It's an important part of a healthy skincare ritual!More
If you want to discover the best ways to cleanse your face for happy, healthy skin then here is our ultimate guide to double cleansing.
Whether you’re used to using a cleansing balm, or a cleansing micellar water, this blog will teach you the best double cleansing routine for your skin type and why it’ll be your new go-to technique. Feel free to skip through to the specific topics below:
What is double cleansing?
Why should I double cleanse?
How to double cleanse
Upgrade your double cleansing routine with our collection of natural and organic cleansers.
What is double cleansing?
Double cleansing is a skincare technique that is quite simply cleansing your face…twice. This thorough cleansing method is thought to have originated in Japan, as a way to remove the traditional heavy white make up before cleansing the skin beneath.
Why should I double cleanse?
If you want to try double cleansing, then you’ve come to the right place. Double cleansing helps to remove any external factors, such as makeup, before actually cleansing your skin, allowing the second cleanse to more deeply penetrate pores and thoroughly clean.
Makeup is often formulated to stay put on our skin through thick and thin: it can be gym-, tear-, and water-proof. That means that sometimes it’s not properly washed away by one quick swipe of cleanser.
Use a cleansing oil in your double cleansing routine.
Our Kalahari Dream Cleanser is suitable for normal/combination skin - £20
Additionally, it’s not only heavy makeup that sticks around: stubborn SPF and air pollution can both also clog pores, and lead to your skin not making the most of its cleanser, or the products that follow it. Serums, treatments, and moisturisers can all just end up sitting on top of your skin without penetrating properly unless the skin is cleansed deeply enough beforehand.
How to double cleanse
When it comes to double cleansing, the first cleanse is traditionally oil-based using a cleansing oil, like our Kalahari Dream Cleansing Oil. While this is an obvious choice in terms of removing makeup, especially the waterproof kind, it can seem a bit odd to reach for an oil when you’re struggling with oily skin. This is down to experience with certain types of oil, however, and there are a variety that break down stubborn oils and products without stripping the skin, allowing the cell membrane to remain intact, and moisturising as it goes.
If you would rather try an oil based cleansing balm for your first cleanse, our Gentle Cleansing Melt contains baobab oil, which has impressively high levels of vitamins A and C, as well as antioxidants, which protect the skin from damage from free-radicals. These features mean skin’s elasticity is improved, cell turnover is encouraged, and existing cells are helped to heal effectively.
The second cleanser can move from an oil-based face wash to water-based, depending on your skin type. If you have dry skin and are looking for a more hydrating, nourishing cleanse, you’ll be best off reaching for something that contains at least one non-comedogenic oil. It can be the exact same cleanser as you used for the first cleanse, if that’s what works for your skin! However, if your skin is more on the oily-combination end of the scale, you might prefer to switch to a cleanser that won’t add so much oil, but works with other nourishing ingredients. Our Daily Detox Facial Wash is water based, and gently cleanses skin without stripping it, which can lead to overproduction of oil in an attempt to rehydrate the skin.
Double cleansing is most effective at night, as the thorough routine means that pollutants accumulated during the day are washed off, and skin has a chance to recover overnight, often coated in a layer of very effective ingredients! That doesn’t mean you can skip the morning cleanse though: it’s still a good idea to wash off nighttime skincare residue, as well as prep your face for any daytime products to work their magic.
If your skin is sensitive and you really can’t face a full double cleanse, or baulk at the idea of washing your face twice daily, there is an easy option: try a cleansing micellar water instead. A quick swipe of our Deep Clean Micellar Water will rid skin of the worst of any surface dirt or residue, so works well pre-cleanse or post-sleep. If you ask us, this is best used in conjunction with another cleanser, so that your skin gets a deep cleanse every once in a while at least, but it is a great lazy-day fix, and perfect for swiping across skin on busy mornings!
