Your evening cleansing ritual is an important part of your skincare routine. Washing your face before bed not only leads to fewer breakouts and less irritated skin, it can help reduce the signs of aging by keeping pore size small, reducing oxidative stress, and allowing for better absorption of your favorite serums and creams.

But if you’ve ever cleansed your face and followed with a toner on a cotton ball, you’ve probably noticed that a single wash may not be doing the trick. Why is that cotton ball still so dirty?

During the day, makeup, sunscreens, and environmental dust and pollutants mix together with the oils and the sweat we make naturally and settle into our pores. Add in some Texas heat, humidity, and unidentified grime from our hands (or someone else’s,) and you have a collection of oil- and water-based yuck that not only doesn’t mix well together, but it also may not respond to your cleansing product.

That’s why so many are discovering the benefits of double cleansing to make sure skin is truly rid of both oils and dirt. More than just washing twice, the double cleanse involves using two cleansers, one oil-based that lifts oily dirt and grime to the surface, and another that’s water-based, to thoroughly, but gently, wash it all away.

In fact, because the aestheticians at Kalologie know that cleansing is perhaps the most important step in skincare, we frequently use the double cleanse method in our facials even for clients who come in with bare faces.

Here’s how it works:

A non-lathering oil-based cleanser, sometimes called a cleansing oil or balm, effectively breaks down oil-based sebum and make-up and brings it to the surface to be wiped away with a soft cloth or exfoliating cleansing pad. Because there is no water used in this step, the cleansing oil leaves skin naturally hydrated and ready for the second to cleanse.

Step two is a more traditional face wash involving a lathering, water-based cleanser mixed with water. After the oil-based cleanse, the sudsy wash allows you to get deeper into the pores and extract any remaining impurities, not only leaving skin truly clean but prepped and ready to absorb nighttime skincare products.

The double cleanse method is especially beneficial to those that wear make-up but can improve the skin health and appearance of everyone.

While adding another step to your nighttime routine might not have been at the top of your to-do list, you will definitely find it’s one worth taking. Double cleansing before bed can not only be a relaxing pre-sleep ritual, it can make all the difference in glowing, more beautiful skin.

Kalologie aestheticians are happy to talk to you during or after your facial about the benefits of double cleansing and the products we recommend for your skin type.