Double Cleansing: The Oil Step, The Water Step, And Who Can Skip It

In the late 1960s, a Japanese makeup artist who had trained in Hollywood opened a shop in Tokyo's Omotesando called Japan Makeup. Shu Uemura was a makeup artist first, and his first big success, according to Time's obituary, was a cleansing oil he had formulated himself, and it taught his customers that oil could leave skin cleaner than a bar of soap. The company was founded in 1967. Not a wellness trend, then, but a makeup artist solving a makeup problem.

That is worth remembering when the internet hands you a twelve-step ritual. Cleveland Clinic's definition is plain: double cleansing means cleansing your face twice, first with an oil-based product and then a water-based cleanser. The oil lifts oil-based impurities like sebum, sunscreen and waterproof makeup, and the water-based step takes sweat and dirt. It also says double cleansing is usually not necessary, and that for many people one thorough wash with a gentle cleanser is enough. I agree. The ritual is for the days you have worn makeup or a lot of sunscreen.

The trick is to start with step one. The first grid is cleansing oils and balms. Beauty of Joseon's Ginseng Cleansing Oil, Sulwhasoo's Gentle Cleansing Oil and Hanyul's Artemisia Soothing Cleansing Oil are the oils I would compare, and ma:nyo's Pure Soybean Cleansing Oil is the soybean one. Dieux's Ethereal Makeup Removing Concentrated Cleansing Oil is the concentrated one.

If you prefer a balm, innisfree's Green Tea Ceramide Double Cleansing Balm, Then I Met You's Living Cleansing Balm Oil Cleanser and Clinique's Take The Day Off Balm are the balms here, and a balm is a nicer way to start an evening than a pump of foam.

Here is how I would do step two: keep it gentle. Allure notes that the second cleanse should not be a strong one, so skip exfoliating acids and benzoyl peroxide here. You are taking away the last of the oil, not scrubbing.

Laneige's Balance Mode Rice Foaming Gel Cleanser and Summer Fridays' Pink Dew Gel Cleanser are the gentle-sounding ones, and Sofie Pavitt Face's Clean Clean Gentle Gel Foaming Cleanser is named for exactly what you want it to be. Dieux's Baptism is the gel that adds a pore-clarifying touch, and Clinique's All About Clean Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser with Hyaluronic Acid is a dependable, no-drama wash.

Paula's Choice's RESIST Perfectly Balanced Foaming Cleanser with Hyaluronic Acid is for people who like to feel a proper foam. Farmacy's Green Clean Whipped Foaming Cleanser is fluffier, and ILIA's The Cleanse Soft Foaming Cleanser + Make Up Remover is a nice pick for those who want a one-bottle option.

A pairing I like: a balm on dry skin first, massage for a full minute, add a little water until it turns milky, then rinse and follow with a gel. The minute matters more than the product.

What I would skip: the second cleanse on a morning after a night when you wore nothing. Splash your face, or use the gel alone.

Start with a rule for wipes: they are for emergencies. A wipe on a plane or after a festival is fine. A wipe every night is the shortcut that leaves makeup along your hairline.

That said, 4AM's Clean Sheets Micellar Cleansing Wipes are a good thing to keep in a drawer, and Sephora Collection's Facial Cleansing Pad and Joanna Czech's Face Wash Pads work as a gentler first step for skin that hates oils. Cleveland Clinic suggests micellar water before a water-based cleanser as an alternative to an oil, and pads and wipes are the same idea.

Cream cleansers are the best choice if you have dry skin, because they wash without a squeaky finish. The Ordinary's Glycolipid Cream Cleanser for Dry Skin and Makeup Removal, ALPYN's Hydrating & Brightening Cold Cream Cleanser with Vitamin C and Drunk Elephant's Mello Marula Cream Cleanser with 1.0% Colloidal Oatmeal are the three in the cream family, and the oatmeal one is a fit for skin that runs dry. Peter Thomas Roth's Water Drench Whipped Cream Cleanser and Murad's Renewing Cream Cleanser with Peptides are richer, for winter.

A pairing I like: an oil or balm, then a cream cleanser, for the driest skin. Allure suggests following with a ceramide moisturizer, and that goes double here.

What I would skip: cleansing pads on the eye area if your eyes are sensitive. Use a gentle balm there and take your time.

A habit worth borrowing: the minute you finish rinsing, pat your face nearly dry and put on a toner while it is still damp. That is when toner does the most for skin, and you will not need much.

fresh's Rose & Hyaluronic Acid Deep Hydration Toner, OLEHENRIKSEN's Barrier Booster Milky Toner Essence and Sulwhasoo's Lumiwise Brightening Essence Water are the hydrating and brightening trio, and they suit skin that feels tight after cleansing. Dr. Jart+'s Ceramidin Skin Barrier Serum Toner is the barrier-minded one.

Then the exfoliating toners: Glow Recipe's Watermelon Glow PHA + BHA Pore-Tight Toner, innisfree's Green Tea Enzyme 7% PHA Gentle Exfoliating Toner and Laneige's Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Exfoliating Toner. Torriden's CELLMAZING 5D Vitamin Brightening Toner is for dark spots and glow. All of these are good, and none of them are needed every night.

A pairing I like: a hydrating toner in the morning, an exfoliating toner two or three nights a week, and never both on the same night as a strong retinol.

What I would skip: an exfoliating toner right after a double cleanse if your skin already stings. That is a sign to rest.

I think double cleansing is a useful tool and a poor rule. It makes sense if you wear sunscreen daily, wear makeup, or run oily. It is optional if you do not, and anyone with rosacea, eczema or very sensitive skin may want to skip it, as Allure notes.

So I would buy one oil or balm and one soft gel cleanser, and use the pair on the nights you wear makeup or a heavy sunscreen. Every other night, one wash is enough. Shu Uemura had a shop and a bottle of oil. You have a sink and an evening. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Cleansing Oil Is the Fastest Way to Get Sunscreen and Mascara Off and Milky Toner, the Step Between Water and Cream.