When your skin is prone to breakouts, it can be hard to know which skincare trends to hop on and which to leave alone. Fortunately, we’re here to answer all your questions about double cleansing and whether it could be right for you.

First of all, what the heck is double cleansing?

Double cleansing is really a pretty simple concept – it just means washing your skin twice with two different cleansers. From there, it varies based on your skin type, troubles, and goals.

Some people whole wear a lot of make-up will use a make-up removing cleanser followed by a skincare-forward cleanser – something designed to hydrate their skin, fight acne, or achieve another purpose based on their unique needs. Many vary between water-based and oil-based cleansers to get the benefits of both. 

The idea of double cleansing has come into the mainstream in the last few years, in part thanks to the popularity of Korean skincare products and routines. Double cleansing is part of many multi-step Korean skincare routines, which are known for being effective, if sometimes a bit complicated. (How you feel about it really just comes down to how much time you’re willing to spend on your skin each morning and evening!)

Should people with sensitive or acne-prone skin double cleanse?

Absolutely! We here at Dermala happen to think it’s a great thing. See, double cleansing means a more thorough cleansing for your skin, doubling up on the power of your cleanser to remove more impurities and allow products to penetrate deeper. It also gives you the opportunity to finetune the products you use to better target any specific skin troubles.

So, for example, instead of having to choose between an acne-fighting cleanser and one meant to hydrate and protect the skin barrier, you can have the best of both worlds. Remove your makeup and fight acne. Hydrate while nourishing. You get the idea.

What products are best for double cleansing?

We recommend gentle cleansers (like our Cleanse with Benefits or Best Cleanse Forever!) for double cleansing. The one possible drawback of double cleansing is that, for sensitive, acne-prone skin, you need to be careful not to pick cleansers that are going to overdo it and leave your skin dry or irritated. Pairing an acne-fighting cleanser with a hydrating one is a great way to keep the balance while giving your skin that extra layer of freshness and really cleansing it thoroughly. 

If you want to give double cleansing a try, we highly recommend it!