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Multiple steps in a woman’s nightly cleansing regime have long been a part of our beauty ritual: cleanse, tone and moisturise is a mantra most can recite - even if we don’t do it.
Nowadays, however, there’s yet another step: internet forums are full of beauty devotees extolling the virtues of what is known as the ‘double cleanse’. Brands from Dermalogica to Superfacialist are offering pre-cleanse products - wipes and oils designed to be used before your usual cleanser.
But is it all just a ploy to get us using - and buying - yet even more products to clutter our bathroom shelves? According to dermatologists and facialists, it makes perfect sense and most of them will advise this sort of two-step process.
Cynics may say it’s just a new way of telling us not to go to bed with our make-up on, but experts say there is a lot more to it than that and explain it thus: You cake your face with daily sun protection (or you should) and foundation, both of which are designed to cling to the skin, so before you can get to the skin to clean it, you need to get rid of whatever is on top of it.
Dr Susan Mayou, consultant dermatologist at London’s Cadogan Cosmetics clinic, says: ‘It’s a bit like getting rid of the mud caked on a pair of leather boots before you can clean the leather. Make-up is now formulated for its staying power, so it often needs a double cleanse to remove it thoroughly. In double cleansing, the first cleanse removes most of the make-up, bacteria, and grime and the second can do a deeper clean and remove the make-up remover.’
But Harley Street-based therapist, Kate Kerr, who encourages all her clients to double cleanse, says it's not just about removing dirt and oil. 'It’s about softening the skin to make sure that anything you use subsequently is properly absorbed.’
And, when you’re applying anti-ageing products, in order to get the best from them, clean skin is a must.
Research shows that skin which isn’t properly cleaned not only looks dull, thanks to a build up of dirt and dead skin, but that this surface layer can prevent active ingredients getting to where they need to be.
A study by Lancome showed that women who cleansed their skin properly saw results from an anti-ageing product twice as fast as those who didn’t, while similar analysis by Olay found that 30 percent more anti-ageing product was absorbed into the skin when it was cleansed properly compared to when it wasn’t. So if you are using two cleansers, what type should you be going for? Opinions differ, but it’s about finding what works well for your skin.
For step one, when it comes to removing make-up, I’m a big fan of cleansing oils or balms - they’re particularly good if you suffer from dry skin and some can even be used in the eye area, too, so you don’t need a separate eye make-up remover. I like ones that emulsify with water. I then follow with a muslin or face cloth, to make sure my skin is clean.
Try Superfacialist Vitamin C+ Skin Renew Cleansing Oil (boots.com) or Ren Rosa Centifolia No.1 Purity Cleansing Balm (renskincare.com).
However, facialist Kate Kerr says that if you’re prone to breakouts, you should avoid using anything oily. Instead, she recommends using eye make-up remover to get rid of mascara and products around the eyes, and then a cleansing milk - try Nivea Daily Essentials Sensitive Cleansing Milk (nivea.co.uk) or - La Roche Posay Physiological Cleansing Milk (lookfantastic.com) and cotton wool to remove make-up.
But she also advocates the use of a face cloth afterwards. ‘You can’t splash off a foundation,’ she says. ‘Even if you’ve used cotton wool, you should rinse the face afterwards, and use a cloth to make sure you have removed everything.’
As for the second step, again, it is entirely personal. My preference is to use a skin brush - I like Philips Visapure ( boots.com) - in conjunction with a gentle gel cleanser, such as Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser (kiehls.co.uk) or Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser (feelunique.com).
‘I like the second step of cleansing to be something that deep cleans,’ says Kate Kerr. ‘Using a cleanser that contains glycolic acid is a way of gently exfoliating on a daily basis.’ If you want to try an acid cleanser, try Mario Badescu Glycolic Foaming Cleanser (beautybay.com) or Elizabeth Arden Pro Gentle Facial Cleanser (skinbrands.co.uk) which contains lactic acid.
But those with sensitive skin should avoid exfoliating daily - whether with a brush, or with an acid-based cleanser - instead alternate with a simple gel cleanser massaged in without a brush.
The good news is that most experts agree you don’t need to bother with a double cleanse in the morning.
However, Kate recommends finishing every cleanse - morning and evening - by pressing a warm face cloth into your skin before applying your serum or moisturiser.
So, wash away your scepticism about the benefits of cleaning your face twice. It’s not just an attempt to get us to part with more of our cash, but a quick and easy way to make your anti-ageing products work even harder - and more effectively.
And if that’s not worth rinsing twice for, I don’t know what is.
Daily Mail