If one is good, why not two? This form of logic works for some things, for others not so much.

What can we say? The social media era has given us no end of new skincare options to try in our routines, most of them with what seems like an ever-increasing number of steps.

Double Cleansing is such a trend, and for the most part, it is what it says on the box: a two-step cleansing method to make sure that you’ve removed every form of grit and detritus from your face. 

But is Double Cleansing right for you? Is this a case of “more equals more”, or should we be skeptical of repeating the same step...twice?

Why Choose Double Cleansing?

Double Cleansing comes to us as part of the Korean Beauty or, as it is popularly known, K-Beauty trend. 

K-Beauty routines have been ruling the social media scene since around 2017 with their elaborate, multi-step procedures. Such routines present well on social media, especially Instagram when it instituted it’s multi-image feature around that time, and now TikTok. K-Beauty is imminently hashtagable and maintains a high profile as an umbrella trend as Westerners continue their fascination with other South Korean cultural artifacts such as Samsung phones, K-Drama television shows and K-Pop music.

The main premise behind Double Cleansing is very simple:

Cleanse twice, first with an oil based cleanser and followed immediately with a water based cleanser.

If this seems like sort of a lot, you’re not alone. Shouldn’t one round of cleansing do the trick? Well, yes, but also, maybe not.

The logic of the Double Cleansing method goes something like this: 

The first cleanse with the oil based product cuts through make-up, SPF products, and sebum. The oils also “pull” oil build-up that may be occurring in your pores that could potentially lead to acne blemishes or blackheads. (You can read more about the causes of acne breakouts here.)

This first cleanse should clear the stuff that you probably think about most when you think about cleansing, for instance: dirt, make-up and dead skin cells.

The second cleanse is then performed with a water based product. This step is meant as a deep cleanse that focuses on clearing impurities from deep within your skin, while simultaneously preparing your skin to receive serums and creams that will add the active ingredients and nutrients your skin needs to thrive.

K-Beauty advocates suggest that this second cleanse is supposed to last for at least a minute when being done correctly, and really for up to two minutes in the evening for maximum benefit. 

Is all of this sounding like a lot? Well it can be.

Much like the potential problems of too much toning that we covered earlier this week, Double Cleansing is a process that it’s easy to go overboard with. Articles on the subject of Double Cleansing are careful to point out that you shouldn’t go overboard with this practice. Over cleansing your face or agitating your skin can lead to irritation and damage that will outstrip the perceived benefits you are trying to achieve through this method.

At this point we should all know not to turn the water on full-blast hot, lather up a bar of soap, and scrub away at our faces. 

But these multi-step processes are very time intensive and promote a “more is more” thinking that can become obsessive and lead to damaging your own skin. 

So if you are interested in the process of Double Cleansing and want to try it out, or are already using it with great success, that’s great! But we ask you always at Skin Actives to be kind to the person that you are seeing in the mirror each day. Take care of them and don’t hurt them. If you follow along gently and are patient with yourself, there is no intrinsic harm to the Double Cleansing method, and who knows, you might even see some great results!

The Benefits of Cleansing With Oil

Oil cleansing seems like a fad all its own in recent years, but it has strong merits. 

Oils and fats have a turbulent reputation in news stories and media. We’re often warned about them as though they are the cause of all our ills. But this just isn’t so. We make this case often, but it bears repeating as we all have years worth of perceptions to realign; oils and fats (lipids) are actually good for you in moderation.

Your skin produces oils for its own protection and well-being. True, over-production has the potential to lead to acne, and true, too much oil can look unsightly. But we shouldn’t go too far into the weeds, attempting to purge all oil from our face.

In fact, as we age, or if we are genetically predisposed to dry, brittle skin, it may behoove us to introduce oils into our skin care routine at various steps to ensure that our skin is getting all the oil that it needs.

This is the premise that oil-based cleansing is based on. 

The benefits are two-fold:

On one hand, oil cuts through make-up and grime a lot more powerfully than water and surfactants. This is why oil-based cleansing is often positioned as the “make-up remover” of a line. 

But there are other significant benefits that oil cleansing can produce outside of make-up removal. For one, it’s entirely possible to over-dry the skin when using a standard cleanser. This “tight” feeling post-cleansing may be interpreted as “clean” by those of us that have struggled with oil or acne. But in reality this feeling represents the too-much-of-a-good-thing or over-dryness which is actually bad for your skin.

Next, oil cleansing replaces the oils and nutrients that your skin needs that you may have lost over the course of the day, especially if you are wearing a lot of make-up or SPF products. This level of oil replacement is actually very good for your skin and has the potential to reduce wrinkles and fight free radical damage in the future.

Skin Actives offers a great oil-based cleanser with our Skin Cleansing Oil. This preservative and filler free formulation uses Jojoba seed oil and astaxanthin to cleanse and add nutrients. It has a delightful sweet scent that is great to end the day with.

Water Based Cleansing

Water-based cleansers are a more traditional approach. Now, there is some disagreement here about the distinction between a “cleanser” and a “face-wash”. This controversy seems, like many definitions in the cosmeceuticals industry, to be largely subjective, with many companies using the terms interchangeably.

By and large, cleansers use surfactants or gels to clean the surface of your skin and pores. 

In the Double Cleansing method, the water-based step is meant for a deep clean, but whether you are going for depth or not, washing your face with a cleanser of some kind each night and at the beginning of your day is preferable to just splashing water on your face, or nothing at all.

When cleansing, you want to make sure you are using lukewarm water for best results. Know your skin and choose a cleanser that is going to work well with you.

For instance, Skin Actives makes a number of great cleansers for different skin types:

Salicylic Cleanser, for example, is great for skin that is rich in oil, perhaps with an over-production concern. Salicylic Cleanser will cut oil in a way that is healthy for skin without going overboard, but if your skin is already dry, you’ll want to avoid it.

Instead, for skin types that tend towards dryness or sensitivity, you might want to take a look at Gentle Cream Face Cleanser. This cleanser provides nutrition and moisturizes the skin with a strong base of Sea Kelp Coral. All the while it gently cleanses without stripping away the natural oils that your skin needs to function at its very best.

In the end, the decision to Double Cleanse or single cleanse will be largely personal. Know your skin, and know yourself. Don’t feel pressure to give in to trends and don’t overdo it. Educating yourself and knowing your limits will yield the ultimate goal: skin health!