It’s the end of the day, you’re exhausted and bed is calling so you head wearily to the bathroom to give your skin the once over, spritz on a toner and moisturiser and head to bed without much thought – sound familiar? Whilst any evening cleanse is better than none, daily build-up from make-up, pollution, dirt and toxins form a thick layer of impurities that when left on skin take more than just a gentle rinse to rid of, even if you don’t wear make-up!
The bad news is that when left behind, this residue can lead to premature signs of ageing and skin dullness – this is where the double cleansing method comes to the rescue. Some green beauties will already have two cleansers in their bathroom cabinets for tailoring their cleanse to how their skin feels or the season, which means as luck would have it they are already set up to switch to the double cleanse method.
Wondering what this cleansing method entails? The premise of the double cleanse is to provide a ‘deep clean’, first clearing the surface residue from the skin, before advancing deeper into the pores. Not only does a cleanse as thorough as this allow skin to breathe and repair overnight, it additionally allows the skin to better absorb the serums and moisturisers we apply afterwards.
According to Content Nutritionist and Facialist Fay Halkaitis the double cleanse method is well worth the extra 5 minutes in the evening: “Double cleansing is really the only way to effectively remove most make-up and sunscreens products. It can help re-balance your skin – reducing sebum for an oily skin and hydrating a dry skin, plus by properly cleansing you will get the most out of your other skincare products.”
According to our Resident Acupuncturist and Skincare Specialist Laura Jones, an efficient double cleanse should feature an oil-based cleanser and a gel or cream cleanser to follow. The oil cleanser dissolves oil based dirt such as make-up, sunscreen and pollution, followed by a gel or cream cleanser to remove dead skin cells and water-based forms of pollution.
The Double Cleanse Ritual
- For the first cleanse, use an oil based cleanser. Using upward sweeping strokes, gently apply to skin from the neck up, over the chin and nose, and up to the forehead. This will gently lift the dirt from the face. To remove the cleanser, rinse or compress using a clean organic muslin cloth that has been warmed by running it under a hot tap.
- For the second cleanse, use a gel or cream based product. Work deeper into the skin using small circular motions with your finger-tips, working around the nose and chin area and the hairline and rinse again using the cloth.
- When cleansing the eyes always support the delicate skin around the eyes by gently sweeping down and outwards with your fingers, whilst supporting at the brow. If using a separate cleanser for the eyes, it is okay to use organic cotton pads instead of a muslin cloth.
Clever Cleanser Combos
This list is gives an idea of some cleanser combinations that work well together. There lots more great options too!
- For normal to combination skin: Tata Harper Nourishing Cleansing Oil + Tata Harper Purifying Cleanser (see image above!)
- For delicate skin: MV Organic Skincare Pure Jojoba + MV Organic Skincare Gentle Cream Cleanser
- For dull skin: Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel + Oskia Perfect Cleanser
- For oily skin: RMS Beauty Raw Coconut Oil + Amala Purifying Gel Cleanser
- For dry skin: De Mamiel Restorative Cleansing Balm + Therapi Orange Blossom Honey Gel Cleanser
Want more recommendations on the best ways to cleanse? Get out guide on how to choose an Organic Makeup Remover based on your skin-type here.
MORE ABOUT CLEANSING | TWO NEW CLEANSERS
