As an avid wearer of make-up, I had my cleansing routine locked down. A swipe of micellar water, gel cleanser and hydrating moisturiser at night was all I needed to keep my skin microbiome happy and healthy. All of that changed once I moved further into the outskirts of the city, lengthening my morning commute to work. More time spent daydreaming on the Tube, instead of walking or a short bus ride, meant that pathogens and other particulate matter had an extra opportunity to latch onto my skin – gross, I know.
Of course, anyone who lives in the city knows that the outdoor air isn’t exactly clean to begin with, due to the emissions from vehicles on the road, our heating systems and construction work. To make matters worse, a study from the University of Cambridge found that the issue intensifies on the Underground, as “pollution particles are suspended for long periods, due to poor ventilation, particularly on station platforms.”
It didn’t take long for me to notice a downturn in the luminosity of my skin and an uptick in pesky comedones blocking my pores. My quick and easy cleansing regime just didn’t cut it anymore and needed an overhaul. Well aware of the double cleansing hype, I decided to put the method to the test and give it a spin myself. What did I have to lose, right?
What is double cleansing?
Double cleansing is a skincare method that involves just two products: an oil cleanser and a water-based cleanser. The idea is to thoroughly remove lingering residue from make-up and SPF products and prevent blocked pores or further skin irritation from occurring. “A double cleanse matters, when you’re using heavy-duty products such as longwear and waterproof make-up – the first cleanse has to be designed to dissolve oil well,” says dermatologist Dr Beibei Du-Harpur. “Some gel cleansers and micellar waters do work well for this. If you need a second wash, it should always be with a gentle hydrating cleanser to prevent stripping your skin from essential, natural oils and ensure that there isn’t any lingering residue.”
According to a study conducted at Sichuan University, there is evidence to suggest that using a face wash, over water alone, successfully cleanses the surface of the skin. In fact, after using a cleansing oil once, just 5.8 per cent of residue was left on the skin. But after using a regular cleanser to remove waterproof sunscreen, 37 per cent of residue was still left on the skin. With just a splash of water? 60 per cent of residue remained on the surface of the skin. Not ideal.
Below, I outline how my two-week experiment panned out.
The results:
I have oily skin and, naturally, was sceptical of putting yet another coat of oil all over my face. Pleasantly surprised, I instantly noticed how smoothly my make-up washed off my face – plus the process was really therapeutic. Elemis’s Pro-Collagen Black Cherry Cleansing Balm is a delight to apply and I found that I barely scratched the surface of the tub during the first week of use. Next, I followed up with either the Sarah Chapman Rapid Radiance cleanser – on days when I wore heavier make-up and was out of house longer – or Cetaphil’s Gentle Skin cleanser.
After cleansing, I dutifully followed up with two moisturisers. The La Roche Posay Effeclar duo went on problem areas – blemishes and pimples – while the Cetaphil Daily Hydrating Moisturiser went everywhere else on my face. I allowed the products to sink in for around 10 to 20 minutes before drifting off to sleep.
By day seven, I noticed that my skin had begun to feel smoother and I was able to zap troublesome under-the-skin spots with pimple patches once they surfaced. My skin did still feel slightly dull (and I still had a few blocked pores too) but overall, I felt refreshed and confident that I had eliminated any lingering pollutants.
During the second week, I followed the same method but trialled a different oil cleanser. This time I went in with the Sunday Riley Aquamarine Melt Cleansing Gel-Balm, which is dispensed via a handy pump – making it really easy and motivating to use after a long day or night out, when all you want to do is hop into bed. For my double cleanse, I continued using Cetaphil – both the face wash and the moisturiser – noticing just how soft the combination made my skin feel. By the end of the week, my face was noticeably more calm and devoid of the open comedones that had plagued it fourteen days earlier. One thing that I am monitoring is the uptick in oil that I have noticed on my skin throughout the day – it hasn’t led to any breakouts but has, at times, been quite visible. It’s likely that my skin is just getting used to my new routine and I’d take a slightly more glowy complexion than an irritated skin barrier any day!
Final thoughts
Overall, I’d recommend double cleansing for those who wear make-up or a particularly heavy-duty daily SPF. Dr Du-Harpur agrees, sharing that the combination is very effective “for removing anything that is designed to grip the skin.” If you don’t usually wear make-up or spend time in a busy city, it’s advised to just stick with a single cleanse. And what about a triple cleanse, you ask? Not necessary at all. Overdoing it can cause skin barrier impairment: as the expert explains, “when you introduce surfactants to the skin – which are present in cleansers and can dissolve oil – you are risking disrupting the skin barrier a little bit.” And then you’d be right back to square one – when all we want is to maintain a healthy, glowy and hydrated skin microbiome!
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