Double-cleansing is a big trend in France and every single beauty magazine has got a few articles about it. Therefore, any beauty addict worth their salt has tried it at least once, and many have adopted it as their daily routine.
Originally, this technique comes from Far East, where it is considered the key for a porcelain skin. As of today, it is popular throughout the world, and it is hard to find a cosmetic brand that doesn’t have an oil or a cleansing balm, besides the classic rinse off cleansers. In fact, for a perfect double cleansing, we need to use an oily product alongside with a foamy cleanser to rinse off with water.
Here the two phases of this technique:
- Phase 1
In this phase, we use an oily cleanser to dissolve our makeup. Applying the oily product, with our bare hands or with the help of a cotton disc, would melt and remove even waterproof makeups along with all the impurities that accumulate on our skin during the day.
Once this phase is over, it is time to move to next phase. - Phase 2
This is when the actual skin cleansing takes place. Here we would use cleanse our face with a product that we will rinse away with water later on.
Ideally, we should use some sort of foamy gel. Once this get rinsed off, it takes away the oil applied during phase 1.
Advantages of this technique
According to many, that’s the technique to use, if we really want a perfectly clean skin. The two-phase approach allows the foam to penetrate deeply and thoroughly cleanse our pores, preparing our skin for subsequent treatments. In fact, the double-cleansing technique only includes the first two steps of the Japanese “layering” method, which would go on with the application, indeed with a layered approach, of lotion, serum, eye contour, moisturizer and lip balm. That is the ritual to follow for those who aim at the “porcelain skin”.
Cleansing oils reviewed
I have been using the double-cleansing approach for about two years now, and I have to admit that I can definitely see some improvements. I noticed a reduction of skin problems and a beneficial effect on its texture.
Initially, I have used cleansing oils.
Deep Cleansing Oil by DHC
Among the best ones I tried, the Deep cleansing oil of Japanese firm DHC. If anyone is not yet familiar with this product, this is one of the best-selling cleansing oils worldwide. DHC claims, on their website, that they sell a piece every 10 seconds.
With regards to other oils available on the market, this one seems to be one of the most “natural” ones. Basically, we are looking at olive oil enriched with an emulsifier, to facilitate the rinsing.
Here the complete list of ingredients:
olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, caprylic/capric triglyceride, sorbeth-30 tetraoleate, pentylene glycol, phenoxyethanol, tocopherol, stearyl glycyrrhetinate, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf oil.
I have tried two more products, the Chamomile cleansing oil by The Body Shop and the Karité cleansing oil of L’Occitane. Both are valuable products, but they are a distant second to DHC’s.
Cleansing balms reviewed
Take the day off by Clinique and il Chamomile cleansing oil by The Body Shop
Actually, it’s a while since I last used cleansing oils, as I stopped using them after I tried cleansing balms. Currently, I am alternating two products in my daily routine: Take the day off by Clinique and Chamomile cleansing butter by The Body Shop.
The way I utilize both of them is by applying a small quantity directly on my face. At this stage, the balm melts by actually becoming an oil, however it retains a slightly thicker texture with respect to a classic oil, and that is why I prefer balms over oils. I can’t really tell which one of the two balms mentioned above is the one I prefer; I have been using both for a while and I didn’t manage to make up my mind yet, as they are both great products.
The only difference is their packaging: Take the day off comes in a 125ml case, which lasts for a long time, although is somewhat less convenient for travelling. The Body Shop’s cleansing butter is easier to pack in with its 90 ml case, but it will of course be over sooner. Once the makeup has been dissolved by one of these two balms, I take away everything with some cotton wipes and I move on to the second phase.
Rinse-off cleanser reviewed
Mousse Douceur by Chanel; Facial Soap with Dish by Clinique; Fresh Green Tea Foam Cleanser by Nature Republic
Before starting with the double-nettoyage, rinse-off cleanser used to be my only make up cleansing products. Only after I added the “oily” phase to my routine, I realized that rinse off products alone are just not enough. In the past, especially in case of waterproof or particularly heavy makeups, I had to cleanse and rinse off my face twice. Now, this is no longer needed.
I have tried and used a large number of rinse off cleansers. Some of them have a regular place in my beautycase, like the Extra Creamy Cleansing Foam of Shiseido Benefiance collection. This is a cleanser that is not only able to do its job properly, but it doesn’t leave me with that annoying dry-skin feeling afterwards.
Recently, I have started using also Mousse Doucer by Chanel, particularly remarkable for its pleasant scent and Facial Soap with Dish by Clinique, which I have purchased in the three soaps travel version. This latter is a good cleanser, but it tends to dry up the skin a bit.
Finally, I would like to mention a product of the Korean firm Nature Republic, whose characteristic is to use only natural products. Their Fresh Green Teas Foam Cleanser has a very accessible price (less than 10 EUR), doesn’t dry up the skin and it is very delicate, although it looks and feels less creamy than the other Foam cleansers by Chanel and Clinique. All in all, a very good product, unfortunately not very easy to find in Europe.
SHOP THE POST:
[amazon_link asins=’B00GBE8PME,B000WN6N56,B01MQEHAHK,B00EXW287O,B00KV1MGAK,B0072F44LM,B00F165210′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’lipsti-21′ marketplace=’IT’ link_id=’52ed0d7d-f23e-11e6-95ae-57b13c16f811′]
