If you currently believe any of the double cleansing myths listed here, we kindly ask that you switch your views. And if you’re a K-beauty fanatic who’s trying to get your friend who’s interested-yet-scared into the double cleanse, send this post to them!
Any true K-beauty fan is probably familiar with the double cleanse, and if you’re not, you should be. Double cleansing is the backbone of any good routine and is undoubtedly the most important step in the routine—if your skin isn’t totally clean, your other products just won’t work as well, and your skin won’t stay clear.
But even among people who are lovers of the double cleanse, there are a lot of myths that surround where, when, and how to use each of the two cleansers. It’s time to dispel these myths so you can have a clear understanding of the process and even clearer skin.
So, what is the double cleanse?
If you’re new here, don’t worry, the double cleanse is an easy-to-understand process. It’s a cleansing method that uses two types of cleansers: an oil based cleanser, and a water based cleanser. Basically, oil cleansers remove oil based impurities (makeup, sebum, etc.), and water cleansers remove water based impurities (sweat, dirt, etc.).
Cleansing in this way ensures that both types of impurities are removed from your skin, and your face gets the deepest, gentlest clean possible. However, this mix of cleansers is often misunderstood, and there are many myths about double cleansing that often aren’t true.
Myth 1: I shouldn’t use an oil cleanser if I have oily skin.
We put this as myth number one because it’s one of the most common misconceptions. The idea that oil on oily skin is a bad combo is one of the most inaccurate but widely spread skin care myths there out there. In reality, if you struggle with oily skin, using an oil cleanser is even more important. Oily skin produces more oil-based impurities than regular skin, and using an oil cleanser is the most effective way to clear those out.
If you’re still hesitant, you can pick out an oil-based cleanser that is especially good for oily skin, like Soko Glam’s Best of K-Beauty™ winner Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm. At the end of the day, using an oil-based cleanser on oily skin is one of the most effective ways to fight breakouts!
Myth 2: I don’t need to oil cleanse if I don’t wear makeup.
False! Although it’s true that oil cleansers are amazing makeup removers, they do so much more than just that. Makeup is just one type of oil based impurity. Some other oil based impurities include excess sebum (which everyone’s face secretes), and various other oil based pollutants that build up on your skin over the course of the day or night.
Oil cleansers also break down SPF, which you should always, always, always be wearing. It removes all the surface oil-based gunk so that when you go in with your water cleanser it can actually get deep into the pores and remove deep set impurities that are essential to clear out. So whether you wear makeup or not doesn’t really matter—there’s a whole lot more that oil cleansers do than clear off your foundation.
Myth 3: I don’t need to oil cleanse in the morning.
It may seem like you don’t need to oil cleanse in the morning because you haven’t applied SPF or makeup before bed, but in the same idea as myth two, those aren’t the only things oil cleansers remove!
While you sleep, your face produces sebum and oil-based impurities accumulate on the skin. While it’s certainly not as much as at the end of the long day out in the elements of the real world, your skin still needs a double cleanse in the morning to completely remove those impurities. Trust us, you’ll feel fresher throughout your entire day after you double cleanse in the morning.
Myth 4: Water-based cleansers dry out my skin.
For some people, the idea of using a cleanser that’s not oil-based is daunting because they it will dry out or strip their skin. But as long as you’re using a foam cleanser that’s right for your skin type, this absolutely isn’t true.
If you struggle with dry and sensitive skin, the key is simply using a foaming cleanser that’s gentle, and with a neutral to low pH, like the Then I Met You Soothing Tea Cleansing Gel. This will ensure your skin gets the deep, thorough clean that it needs, without stripping or drying your face. The double cleanse is great for this, because using an oil cleanser first means there is less that your water cleanser needs to remove and allows you to use a cleanser that is gentler.
Myth 5: Double cleansing will over-clean my face.
It’s true that it is possible to over-cleanse the skin, so it’s easy to see where this misconception comes from, but this concept is false. Oil cleansers are formulated to be extremely gentle on the skin. Unlike other harsher cleansers, oil cleansers don’t strip your skin of lipids and ceramides that are essential to keeping your skin balanced and healthy. That unpleasant dry, tight feeling that occurs after cleansing with harsh cleansers happens because those lipids and ceramides are stripped away in order to remove oil based impurities.
Oil cleansers ensure those impurities are cleared away, but the lipids and ceramides stay in place. There are even oil cleansers that are extra gentle, like the Hanskin Pore Cleansing Oil [PHA], that are especially good for extra sensitive skin. And as we said above, as long as you’re choosing a water-based cleanser that suits your skin’s needs, you’ll leave your skin only cleaner—not stripped—after your double cleanse.
Bottom line:
At the end of the day, the rule of thumb is that everyone—regardless of your skin type or what products you use—should be double cleansing every day, morning and night! This will not only prevent blemishes and imperfections, it will ensure your skin is ready to receive all the other products you use, making them even more effective. So next time you’re wondering if you should be double cleansing, just remember the answer is almost always yes.
