Double Cleansing: The Holy Grail of Every Great Skincare Routine

When double cleansing first appeared on the skincare scene, many people thought it was just a fad. But in the last few years, double cleansing has proven itself to be the cornerstone of any decent skincare routine. Not only does it work to clean skin properly, but it makes other products work better too. 

WHAT IS DOUBLE CLEANSING?

Essentially, double cleansing is cleaning your skin twice using two different types of cleansers to get rid of the different types of dirt, grime, and products on your face. If you think about what your skin is exposed to on a daily basis, double cleansing makes sense. On top of makeup, SPF and sweat, our skin gets a daily dose of pollutants, airborne bacteria and toxins from the environment. 

If you sleep with any dirt on your skin, pores get clogged and you’ll experience break-outs, dullness, and dehydration. With proper double cleansing, you remove all chemicals and toxins from your skin so that it is clean, nourished and able to breathe.

Double cleansing involves using an oil-based cleansing balm to break down make-up, SPF and sebum on the surface of your skin first, and then following it with a deeper skin-polishing cleanse to clean much deeper into the pores to remove impurities. This step brightens any dullness and ultimately lifts the complexion.

WHEN DO I NEED TO DO IT?

Your need to double cleanse depends a lot on your lifestyle. If you wear makeup and/or SPF, double cleansing at night is a must. Likewise if you’re a city dweller who’s exposed to high pollution levels daily. 

Double cleansing is also highly recommended by dermatologists for acne-prone skin – as long as the cleanser you choose is suited to problem skin.

As a general rule, you’ll only need to double cleanse at night. In the morning, you can skip the first oil-based cleanse and just do a single-step illuminating cleanse to set your skin up for the day.

ERASE & RENEW, A DOUBLE CLEANSING DUO THAT WORKS

Not all double cleansing systems are made equal, so it’s important to find one that works for your skin. The Pestle & Mortar double cleansing system, Erase & Renew, consists of an oil-based balm cleanser and an illuminating gel cleanser. Packed with super-nourishing ingredients, they pair together to leave skin clean, hydrated, and protected. Erase is packed with nourishing oils so that the skin is not stripped of its own natural oils. Renew is enriched with superoxide dismutase, an enzyme that protects skin from free radical damage. 

Both Erase and Renew are suitable for all skin types and come with a 100% cotton double-sided cleansing cloth to complete the system. Remember, nothing else in your routine will work unless your skin is properly cleansed.

Double cleansing is the foundation of any effective skincare regime and once you start doing it, you’ll notice a visible difference immediately.

HOW TO DOUBLE CLEANSE PROPERLY

First things first – be gentle! Use warm water, take a couple of minutes to massage your cleansers gently into the skin, use a fresh, clean facecloth every time, replace your cloths regularly, and enjoy the experience. Cleansing is key to building a solid routine, so it’s worth getting right. 

The Erase & Renew How-To:

ERASE BALM CLEANSER
Warm a small amount of Erase balm between your fingers, before massaging onto dry skin. Dampen your double-sided cloth with warm water, and using the textured side, remove the cleansing balm from your face. Use at night as the first step in a double cleanse routine.

RENEW ILLUMINATING GEL CLEANSER
Dispense one pump of Renew and apply to dry skin, massaging gently with the fingertips. Dampen your face cloth with warm water, and use the smooth side to remove all traces of product.

If you want to maintain proper pore size, get the most out of other products in your routine, encourage effective skin hydration, and prevent the production of excess oils, start practicing a daily double cleansing habit today!