Double cleansing

Double cleansing means cleansing twice: first with an oil or balm, then with your usual water-based wash.

It solves a specific problem. Sunscreen and most long-wear makeup are oil-based and water-resistant by design — that is the point of them — and a water-based cleanser does not fully lift them. Oil dissolves oil, so the first step removes what the second would leave behind.

The rule follows from that: double cleanse on the days you actually wore sunscreen or makeup, and wash once otherwise. It is not a nightly ritual, and washing twice on a bare-faced day is a reliable way to end up with a tight, reactive face.

How to do it: massage the oil or balm into dry skin for about a minute — water stops it binding to the sunscreen — then add a little water to emulsify, rinse, and follow with your normal cleanser.

Any first-step product works: an oil cleanser, a balm, a cleansing milk, or micellar water for a light day. The expensive one is not better than the cheap one at this job.

Mornings need one cleanse, or just water.