How to Double Cleanse Your Face (Because You Really Should If You Wear Makeup or Sunscreen)

We know, we know. Sometimes after a long day, it’s almost too much effort to even push a makeup wipe over our faces before bed. But double cleansing, a two-step method that Korean skin-care brands have touted for years, just might be the answer to many of your skin woes—particularly if you’re prone to breaking out. Here’s why, according to the experts.

• Crystal Koro is a celebrity aesthetician and founder of Crystal Clear Skin and Beauty.
• Aziel Faith Rodgers, a lead aesthetician at The Things We Do, a skincare bar in Southern California

Double cleansing, although tedious sounding, is actually just a quick two-step method for ensuring even the heaviest makeup is completely dissolved without rubbing and scrubbing.

Instead of just using wipes that don’t remove everything or even washing your face once as we’ve all been taught, double cleansing involves massaging a cleansing oil or balm over your skin to dissolve makeup first. Once the makeup is gone, your face wash can do a more effective job of cleaning out your pores.

Technically you can benefit from double cleansing every day, but if you had one of those days where you haven’t left your couch (and therefore haven’t put anything on your face), you can stick to a single cleanse or yes, even a quick wipe down.

However, if you’ve applied any makeup or even sunscreen, which tends to form a film on your skin, we’d recommend a double cleanse to ensure you get everything off before you resume with the rest of your routine.

As the name hints, double cleansing is a fairly straightforward process that involves just two steps and two products.

Step 1: Massage a few pumps of cleansing oil or a small scoop of cleansing balm onto dry skin. This is the most important thing to note when using these types of cleansers. (Note: Both cleansing oils and balms will remove makeup efficiently without leaving your skin feeling dry, so it mostly comes down to a matter of preference.) No matter which one you choose, again, just make sure to hold off on the water.

Unlike face wash, which is meant to be used on wet skin to create a lather, cleansing oils and balms work best on dry skin. Massage it over your face in circular motions, lingering over any areas with heavier makeup on them like your eyes and lips. Because of their slippery nature, you can safely use both cleansing oils and balms around your eyes to take off even the most stubborn makeup without having to tug at your skin. Once you’ve sufficiently rubbed off most of the makeup, rinse off any remaining residue.

Step 2: Next, wash your face as you normally would using your cleanser of choice (or the occasional scrub). Again, you want to use gentle circular motions and pay extra attention to oft-neglected areas like your hairline and in-between/over your eyebrows, where sweat and dead skin cells can get trapped and lead to breakouts.

Alright, now that you know how to double cleanse, let’s get you some options for getting the job done.