Double Cleansing: What It Is and How to Actually Do It

Double cleansing means washing your face twice: first with an oil cleanser, then with a water cleanser.

Oil dissolves oil. Sunscreen, sebum, makeup and pollution are oil soluble. A water cleanser can smear them around without fully removing them. An oil cleanser melts them off in seconds. The water cleanser removes sweat, dust and any oil cleanser residue.

The habit comes from Korea and Japan and is now common worldwide. Done correctly, it prepares your skin for every step that follows.

1. Start with dry skin and dry palms. Pump or scoop a coin sized amount of oil cleanser into your hands.

2. Massage onto your dry face for 30 to 60 seconds. Use slow circles without scrubbing. Focus on the nose, hairline and jaw, where sunscreen builds up.

3. Wet your hands and keep massaging. The oil emulsifies into a milky lotion and grabs onto grime that dissolves in water.

4. Rinse with lukewarm water until the slippery feel is gone.

5. Apply a small amount of water cleanser to damp skin. Lather gently for 20 to 30 seconds.

6. Rinse and pat dry with a soft towel. Do not rub.

Your skin should feel clean and comfortable. A tight or squeaky feel means your water cleanser is too harsh.

Look for a light plant oil base, such as sunflower, safflower or grapeseed, with an emulsifier to help it rinse cleanly.

For oily skin or skin prone to acne, choose a lighter oil cleanser or a balm based on grapeseed or sunflower oil. Avoid heavy mineral oil.

For dry and mature skin, choose a richer balm with shea butter or squalane. Heimish All Clean Balm is the benchmark here.

For sensitive skin, choose a formula without fragrance and with a short ingredient list. Skip essential oils.

Browse all oil cleansers and balms in our best Korean cleansers roundup.

Keep the second cleanser gentle. The oil cleanser has already removed the harder stuff.

Look for a formula with a low pH (5.0 to 6.0) and no sulfates. A stripping cleanser will leave your skin tight and red.

For oily and combination skin, use a gel cleanser with a low pH. COSRX Low pH Good Morning is the classic.

For dry and sensitive skin, choose a cream or milk cleanser without foam. Try Hanyul Pure Artemisia or Beauty of Joseon Green Plum.

For skin prone to acne, use a gentle BHA cleanser two or three times a week. Use a plain cleanser with a low pH the rest of the time.

These pairs work for most people in each category. If you already love one of your cleansers, keep it and swap the other:

In the morning, you have not slept in makeup or sunscreen. One water cleanser with a low pH, or just lukewarm water, is enough.

One cleanse is fine on days when you wore neither sunscreen nor makeup and did not sweat.

If your skin barrier is damaged, with redness, stinging or peeling, use one cleanser at night. Skip exfoliants until it recovers. See our sensitive skin routine.

Otherwise, double cleanse every night. Those two minutes do more for your routine than any other step.

Applying oil cleanser to wet skin stops it binding properly to makeup and sunscreen. Always start dry.

Give the massage at least 30 seconds. A quick smear will not remove SPF.

A stripping foaming cleanser in step two can damage your barrier. A squeaky face is the warning sign. See our oily skin routine for advice on protecting your barrier.

Use lukewarm water. Hot water breaks down the lipid barrier and leaves your skin redder.

Apply moisturiser within a minute of patting dry. Clean skin loses water fast.

Double cleansing covers steps 1 and 2 of the classic Korean skincare order. Toner, essence, treatment, moisturiser and sunscreen go on properly cleansed skin.

Starting from scratch? Get the double cleanse right before building a full ten step routine. Add one new step every two weeks. See our K-Beauty routine for beginners for the full plan.

For a personalised plan, the routine builder picks an oil cleanser, a water cleanser and the rest of your routine based on your skin type and budget.