The Necessity of Double Cleansing: A Breakdown of the Most Popular Cleanser Types
Like the song goes, when it comes to facial cleansing, two is better than one.
The ten-step Korean skincare routine craze may be over, but its "double cleansing" method still lives on to this day, and here's why.
Cleansing is the foundation of a well-rounded skincare routine, and for good reason. A quality cleansing routine truly affects how the rest of your skincare products interact with your skin. We say cleansing "routine" because cleansing itself may require a few steps depending on the condition of your skin. Proper cleansing not only creates a clear foundation for makeup application, but it also refreshes and strengthens your skin.
You may have heard of "double cleansing," which involves cleansing twice using two different cleansers. It is important to understand the chemistry behind cleansing: "like dissolves like." Throughout the day, your skin is exposed to a variety of irritants - from external contaminants such as debris and makeup to naturally created sebum. The double cleansing method is amazing because it uses different solvent types to target each of these different impurities.
The first step of the double cleansing method is to use an oil-based cleanser to remove waterproof makeup products such as mascara. However, not all oil is found on the surface of our skin. Some reside deep in our pores as well. Our natural sebum is produced in a 2 to 1 water-to-oil ratio. As the water evaporates at surface temperature, our skin is left with oil. This explains the greasiness of our skin after a few hours of activity. Products like SPF and foundation add to the overflowing oil, leading to clogged pores. Hence, the need for oil cleansers to restore the skin's water and oil balance.
Aside from their strong cleansing traits, oil cleansers provide the added benefit of protecting the skin's moisture content. Look for a cleanser with natural ingredients that suit your skin type and gently massage it into the skin for an ample amount of time to allow deep nourishment while unclogging the pores.
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