Double cleansing

Cleansing matters because over a day your skin collects oil, sweat, makeup, sunscreen, and pollution. Leaving all that on overnight can mean clogged pores, breakouts, dullness, and irritation. So the point of cleansing is simply to reset your skin before bed and before your morning products go on.

Double cleansing is a two-part version of that. You wash once with an oil-based cleanser, then again with a water-based one. The logic is "like dissolves like": an oil cleanser grabs onto the oily things on your face, makeup, sunscreen, and your skin's own sebum, and lifts them off without the heavy detergents a regular face wash relies on. The second, water-based cleanse then clears away anything the oil left behind.

How to double cleanse

1. Start with a dry face and about two teaspoons of an oil-based cleanser (an oil or a balm).
2. Massage it gently over dry skin with your fingertips to loosen makeup and sunscreen.
3. Add a splash of water and keep massaging so the oil turns milky.
4. Rinse it off.
5. Follow with your usual water-based cleanser to finish, then rinse again.

Do you actually need it?

Not every day, and not everyone. Double cleansing earns its place in the evening when you've worn makeup, SPF, or both, since those can be stubborn to remove in one pass. On a low-key day, a single gentle cleanse is genuinely enough. It's also worth knowing the trade-offs of oil cleansing: it can be a bit messier, takes a little longer, and pure oils have a shorter shelf life.

How often to wash at all depends on your skin. Dry and sensitive types usually do best with one gentle cleanse at night, while oily and balanced types often cleanse morning and evening, using something gentle in the morning so they don't strip the skin. Whatever your type, gentle is the theme. The aim is to clean your skin, not scrub it raw.