With the ever-evolving skincare traits that are regularly circulating on social media—anyone else nonetheless slugging?—it might be onerous to know what’s worth your time and what’s a gimmick. When double cleansing started to understand recognition, it sounded repetitive and pointless (sort of identical to the instructions on the once more of a shampoo bottle telling you to rinse and repeat). Nonetheless double cleansing has been spherical for longer than you might discover—and is a step that will actually make an affect in your pores and pores and skin.
Double cleansing actually began in Japanese and Korean skincare practices, the place every oil-based and foaming cleansers have been included into skincare routines. (It moreover gained consideration by means of the ever-popular 10-step Korean skincare routine). I chatted Dr. Sarah Hogan, board-certified dermatologist and founding father of Cosmedica Dermatology, to get the low-down on double cleansing, from whether or not or not it’s important to if it’s truly for everyone.

MEET THE EXPERT
Dr. Sarah Hogan, MD, FAAD
Dr. Sarah Hogan is a board-certified dermatologist, a fellowship-trained laser and wonder surgeon, and a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology. She has been featured in Medscape, Self, Insider, Reuters, MSN, Newsweek, and The New York Situations.
What is the double cleansing methodology?
As a result of the determine suggests, double cleansing refers to cleansing the pores and pores and skin twice: first with an oil-based cleanser, then with a water-based cleanser. The aim is that the cleansers work in tandem to depart you with cleaner pores and pores and skin that’s completely free of mud, grime, and make-up.
Do you must double cleanse every day?
Double cleansing helps to clean the pores and pores and skin deeply and take away all the remnants of the day: sweat, mud, sunscreen, make-up—you determine it. The aim is for the pores and pores and skin to be left squeaky clear every on the ground and inside deeper layers, and on account of this reality a lot much less liable to breakouts and congestion. That said, you can double cleanse every day, significantly on days the place you wore make-up or have been out and about.

Who must double cleanse?
Like all skincare step or product, all people’s pores and pores and skin can react in one other solution to double cleansing. “For people who’ve positive pores and pores and skin conditions like eczema, rosacea, or delicate pores and pores and skin, double cleansing might be too drying and even set off pores and pores and skin irritation”, says Hogan. Double cleansing should additionally solely be achieved at night—not throughout the morning—to eradicate the make-up and filth that’s left on the pores and pores and skin all by means of the day.
While you’ve acquired oily pores and pores and skin and the idea of using an oil-based cleanser in your pores and pores and skin makes you panic, concern not: primarily based on Hogan, double cleansing step might be helpful for these with oily pores and pores and skin as a result of it removes additional oil and sebum from all by means of the day.
Would you like two utterly totally different cleansers to double cleanse?
Double cleansing works optimally by combining the cleansing benefits of every an oil-based and water-based cleanser, so that you simply do need two utterly totally different cleansers to double cleanse.
Learn to double cleanse
Wash your palms
Any time you’re touching your face, you must be starting with clear palms. Sooner than you go in collectively along with your oil-based cleanser, completely wash your face to be sure to aren’t spreading micro organism onto your face.
Start with a dry face
Since step certainly one of double cleansing is using an oil-based cleanser, you must be starting the strategy with a completely dry face.
Wash with an oil-based cleanser
Work your oil-based cleanser completely into your pores and pores and skin, then rinse with water.
Wash with a water-based cleanser
After rinsing off your oil-based cleanser, begin working your water-based cleanser into the pores and pores and skin. (Sooner than you do this, double study that your water-based cleanser is certainly water-based—Hogan recognized that she’s “had victims who thought they’ve been doing double cleansing precisely, nonetheless weren’t using a water-based cleanser as their second step and developed milia on their face.”)
While you’ve washed collectively along with your water-based cleanser, rinse as soon as extra.
Pat dry with a transparent towel
While you’ve accomplished with every cleansers, pat—don’t rub!—your pores and pores and skin dry with a transparent towel. (Emphasis on clear—drying with a unclean towel will defeat the intention of double cleansing by together with micro organism once more to your pores and pores and skin).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jenna Piotrowicz, Editorial Assistant
Jenna began working as an Editorial Assistant for The Everygirl in 2024. Collectively along with her eye for ingredient, she assists the workforce with content material materials creation, sourcing merchandise and footage, and works behind the scenes to assist The Everygirl in importing and updating content material materials.