How Double Cleansing Improves Your Complexion
How do you wash your face at the end of a long day? Do you take a shower and rinse it quickly, or splash some warm water over your face before hopping into bed? Maybe you simply wipe skin clean with a makeup removing wipe before counting sheep. If your beauty habits need cleaning up to promote skin health, double cleansing is a great place to start. Flawless skin doesn’t have to be an achievement, but rather something to bask in after developing a healthier face washing routine that leaves behind a radiant complexion.
What is double cleansing?
Although fairly new to the West, double cleansing is a decades old practice well-known by Korean and Japanese women and men who take skincare seriously. In fact, a ten-step skincare routine is normal in Korean and Japanese cultures. Double cleansing is exactly what it sounds like: washing your face twice before applying a moisturizer, serum, and other products that you may use. The key to a proper double cleanse is what is used to wash the skin. In the first step, a cleansing oil is massaged directly onto the skin to extract any skin-damaging particles that have built up throughout the day. With clean, freshly washed hands, massage the face for at least a minute to really break up grime. Cleansing oil does not leave a layer of oil on your face but rinses off easily when combined with water. After using a cleansing oil and rinsing with warm water, follow up by gently washing your face with your regular facial cleanser.
Why is double cleansing beneficial?
The double cleansing process better targets grime from daily life leftover on your skin at the end of the day. Sweat, makeup, sunscreen, dirt, and layers of pollution may penetrate your skin and cause it to break out or become irritated over time, especially for individuals with sensitive skin. A quick swipe with a makeup wipe will not dig deep enough to remove harmful particles, plus the residue from wipes left behind to sit on top of skin can clog pores. When skin is fully clean, it allows other beauty products to work more efficiently so that your skin reaps the benefits of their active ingredients. Double cleansing also helps to remove dead skin cells. When too many impurities build up on the skin, it cannot regenerate healthy cells, which leads to a dull complexion.
Who should use the double cleanse method?
Your face should be washed twice daily, once in the morning and once in the evening, but the double cleanse method is most important at night and does not need to be performed twice daily. Over washing the skin can cause sensitivity, dry skin, and irritation. This can be avoided by using a gentle cleanser and handling skin with care, avoiding too much pulling, scrubbing, and rubbing. Individuals who live in a city and are exposed to many pollutants from industry, traffic, and crowds will especially benefit from the double cleansing method, in addition to people who wear heavy makeup on a daily basis.