Originating from Japan and Korea, double cleansing is a technique that has long since been practiced in many parts of the world. Sure, it involves putting a little more time and effort into your skincare routine, which won’t appeal to those who are trying to keep things as simple as possible. However, the benefits of double cleansing far outweigh the extra couple of minutes that it requires. This makes it something that more and more people have been incorporating into their skincare routines lately.

Wondering what those benefits actually are? Join Venofye as we explain exactly what double cleansing is and why you should be doing it. We’ll also talk you through how to double cleanse in a way that’s suitable for your skin type.

What is Double Cleansing?

Double cleansing is exactly what it sounds like – cleansing your skin twice, instead of just once. Although you could go ahead and use the same cleanser twice, the true beauty of double cleansing comes from starting with an oil-based cleanser and then following up with a water-based cleanser.

This may seem like a lot of extra hassle but there’s a purpose behind cleansing in this way. As you know, oil and water repel each other. This means that water-based cleansers sometimes struggle to fully remove oil-based impurities, such as excess sebum, pollutants, and SPF, while oil-based cleansers are often not able to completely clear away water-based impurities, like dirt and sweat. Using both types of cleanser ensures that you’re able to get rid of every single unwanted particle on your skin.

The Benefits of Double Cleansing

The most obvious benefit of double cleansing is how it gives the skin a more thorough cleanse, effectively removing both oil-based and water-based impurities. However, there’s more to it than this…

Let’s take a look at some of the other benefits that you can expect to experience if you start double cleansing:

Fewer Clogged Pores and Breakouts

Double cleansing is particularly beneficial for those with oily skin because of the deeply thorough cleanse that it provides. Acne is triggered when the pores become clogged with sebum, dead skin cells, and dirt. With double cleansing enabling you to do a better job of keeping those impurities off the surface of your skin, there’ll be less of them to work their way into your pores. This means that you should start to notice fewer and less severe breakouts.

Prevents the Appearance of Environmental Damage

When it comes to the appearance of environmental damage on the skin, such as wrinkles, dullness, and dark spots, the sun usually gets all of the blame. However, air pollutants are becoming more and more of a problem too. Unlike the sun, you can never really get away from them since even the air inside your home is likely to be polluted in some way.

What makes things worse is how pollutants stubbornly cling to the skin. They’re difficult to get rid of, especially once they start to seep into the pores. Sure, a single cleanse will clear some of them away. However, if you live in a heavily polluted area, a double cleanse is the only way to ensure that your skin is pollutant-free.

Gentler on the Skin

Over-cleansing your skin can cause a number of side effects, from dehydration and dryness to inflammation and acne. With double cleansing involving using two different cleansers, many assume that this will put them on the fast track to over-cleansed skin. 

However, in many ways, double cleansing can actually be the gentler option. Sure, it means cleansing twice but it also means that each cleanser that you use can be gentle. You won’t need to turn to a harsh cleanser to ensure that your skin has been properly cleaned, and it’s those harsh ingredients that tend to lead to the symptoms of over-cleansing.

Other Skincare Products Work More Effectively

Not only does a double cleanse help to keep your skin free of damaging impurities, but the thorough cleanse that it provides makes life easier for the rest of the products in your skincare routine. Apply them to your skin once you’re done double cleansing and they’ll be able to quickly sink into your pores. There won’t be any impurities left to block the way and slow them down. This will allow your skin to absorb a greater percentage of those products at a faster rate.

Choosing Your Cleansers

If you’re going to put the effort into double cleansing your skin, then it’s important to ensure that you’re using the right cleansers.

Ideally, both your oil-based cleanser and your water-based cleanser should be as gentle as possible. Go with anything too harsh and you’ll end up damaging your skin’s protective barrier. This will be extremely detrimental to your complexion in the long run. This means avoiding any cleansers containing sulfates or alcohols. Both have a drying effect on the skin, which you definitely don’t want.

One great option for the water-based part of your double cleanse would be the Venofye Blossom Bee Clarifying Cream Cleanser. Its coconut-derived surfactants are far gentler than sulfates, yet they still do a fantastic job of cleansing the skin. This formula is also brimming with a long list of botanical extracts and hydrating ingredients. Together, they’ll ensure a radiant complexion post-cleanse.

How to Double Cleanse

Double cleansing is extremely simple. It’s just like a single cleanse, apart from the fact that you do it twice.

Start by massaging your oil-based cleanser into your skin. Be sure to read the directions for the specific product you’re using. Some will require you to dampen your skin first whereas others need to be applied to dry skin. Either way, make sure that the entirety of your face and neck are covered with the cleanser, including the skin around your eyes and your hairline.

After about a minute, rinse the oil-based cleanser off. Always use lukewarm water to do so. Hot water strips away the skin’s natural barrier, which will leave the health of your skin compromised.

Then, while your skin is still damp, apply your water-based cleanser. You’ll likely only need a small amount so don’t go overboard! Follow the same massaging technique that you used with your oil-based cleanser, ensuring that you’ve fully covered your face and neck.

After another minute, rinse your skin once again. Then, pat away any excess water with a clean and soft towel.

What Should You Do After Double Cleansing?

Once your skin has been double cleansed, you can then move on to the next steps of your skincare routine. 

For some, this will mean exfoliating, with double cleansed skin being the perfect base onto which to apply an exfoliator. 

Alternatively, continue on with the remainder of your regular daily skincare routine, whether this involves using a toner, a serum, or skipping ahead to a moisturizer. Either way, the products that you apply will produce results that are so much more impressive compared to if you had only done a single cleanse first.  

Double Cleansing For Your Skin Type

Now that you know the basics behind double cleansing, let’s dive into the concept in a little more detail based on each skin type:

Oily Skin

Double cleansing is fantastic for oily skin, but you need to be careful when choosing your oil-based cleanser. Even though cleansers don’t remain on the skin for very long, using one that contains comedogenic, meaning pore-clogging, oils could end up causing breakouts. Instead, seek out formulas with non-comedogenic oils, such as jojoba, hemp seed, and rose hip.

Dry Skin

If you have dry skin, then it’s even more important that the cleansers you pick are gentle. Anything too powerful will dry your skin out further. 

When choosing your oil-based cleanser, don’t be afraid to go for thicker and heavier oils. The likes of coconut oil, sunflower seed oil, and shea butter will all leave your skin feeling softer and more supple.

Combination Skin

When using a single cleanser, combination skin can be difficult to work with. A cleanser that’s designed for dry skin won’t clear away all of the sebum in your oilier areas. Meanwhile, a cleanser made for oily skin will only further dry out your dry skin.

However, double cleansing with two gentle cleansers will give you the best of both worlds. You’ll be able to clear away any lingering sebum from your oily patches without damaging your dry areas.

Sensitive Skin

As mentioned earlier, double cleansing can be surprisingly beneficial for sensitive skin. Using two super-gentle cleansers will be so much better for your skin than a single, harsher cleanser. Sure, you could just go with a single gentle cleanser instead but you then risk failing to properly cleanse your skin, which will only exacerbate your sensitivities.

When choosing your gentle cleansers, look for formulas that will lower the feeling of inflammation in your skin. Ingredients such as aloe vera, chamomile, and ceramides are great for this!

What About Triple Cleansing?

It’s hardly surprising that the surge in popularity experienced by the double cleanse has now led to some people taking things up a notch with the triple cleanse. 

Triple cleansing can take a variety of forms but they all include using three types of cleanser. For some, this means starting with an oil-based cleanser, following up with a cream cleanser, and then finishing with a gel cleanser. Others prefer to start with a cleansing wipe or cloth before moving on to an oil-based cleanser and then a foaming cleanser.

Is there any value to this?

Occasionally, yes. If you’ve spent the day in a particularly dirty environment and you know that your face is covered in a layer of grime, then a triple cleanse can be very beneficial.

However, when it comes to your daily routine, a triple cleanse could be a step too far. Double cleansing is usually sufficient for thoroughly cleaning the skin, meaning that you run the risk of over-cleansing if you start triple cleansing too often.

By all means, give the triple cleanse a go if you feel that your skin needs it. However, at all other times, stick to a double cleanse.

Summary

When you first hear about it, double cleansing can seem a little pointless. After all, surely using just one cleanser is enough to clean your skin?

Unfortunately, this is often not the case. As we explained earlier, different types of cleansers target different types of impurities. You may not need to double cleanse twice a day, seven days a week, but adding this technique to your skincare routine every once in a while could really help to improve your complexion.

Click here to explore more bestselling skincare products from Venofye.