There’s a lot of talk about double cleansing, but what is it? And how to do it? Why is it good for your skin? Should it be done every time we cleanse our face? Let's find out everything you need to know about double cleansing!

Does your beauty routine already have so many steps that you don't even wanto to hear about adding one more? What if we told you that double cleansing can really make a difference?

You wouldn't be surprised to learn that this practice comes from the Middle East, particularly from Korea and Japan, and it has become this famous because it constitutes no fewer than 2 steps of the 10 that Korean skincare is made of. It is said that geishas used to follow this practice to deeply cleanse their skin after the application of traditional white make-up that was not exactly so easy to remove.

Here it is what you are about to read in this article:

• What is double cleansing?

• Oil-based cleansing

• Foam-based cleansing

• When is it better to double cleansing?

• Is double cleansing suitable for all skin type?

What is double cleansing?

This in-depth skin cleansing ritual is composed of two phases:

1.    an oil-based cleanser that acts by affinity
2.    a foam-based cleanser that acts by contrast

As you may already know, every good skin care routine starts with proper cleansing that is essential to prepare the skin to absorb all the good stuff we will put on it! That is why double cleansing can really make the difference in your daily beauty routine.

Oil-based cleansing

This type of cleansing consists in using a buttery/oily cleanser that cleanses the skin 'by affinity'. This means that the oil, which is present within the product, binds to all the fatty elements present on the skin, i.g. make-up, sebum, and dirt, by dissolving them.

How is it done?

For a double cleansing for sensitive skins

Apply a small amount of Oil Gel Cleanser to your dry face, massage it until the makeup has dissolved, and then rinse. As soon as the Oil Gel enters in contact with water, it will transform into a milky cleanser that will remove even waterproof and dark makeup! If preferred, you can use a reusable cotton pad to remove any residual of makeup and then rinse.

The Oil Gel Cealnser is dermatologically tested for sensitive skin and it has a rich, soft, and melting texture! It leaves the face non-greasy and although it doesn't necessarily require a double cleanse, it's an excellent first step if you want to try this technique! The molecules that remove makeup mainly come from cane sugar and fatty acids that can be found in vegetable oils. Enriched with rosehip and apricot oil, as well as vitamins E and F, our Oil Gel Cleanser not only removes makeup, but also it nourishes the skin, leaving it soft, velvety, and glowing.

The Oil Gel Cleanser is packaged in a glass jar, making it zero waste and plastic-free!

For a zero-waste double cleansing 

Take a little amount of Hip Hip Butter cleansing face butter with your hands or with a reusable pad and apply it on dry skin (so as to facilitate the oil-on-oil action), with circular movements. The butter will gently and effectively dissolve all make-up (including waterproof make-up), sebum, and dirt. At this point, we can rinse our face with water: as soon as the butter touches water, it will turn into a super easy to remove milky cleanser!

This butter, which is soft and fragrant, melts on your skin thanks to the warmth of your fingers. It is made with coconut and shea butter, which make this butter nourishing, emollient, and elasticizing. It is also suitable for dry, sensitive, or mature skin. Coconut oil makes the skin soft and smooth, protecting it from external agents. Vitamin E, with its antioxidant power, preserves the skin from oxidative stress caused by free radicals.

Hip Hip Butter is packaged in a recycled plastic jar that can be put with organic waste.

For traditional double cleansing

If you prefer to use oils, we suggest using our Rosehip oil, which is ideal for facial care, Jojoba oil with its calming and soothing action, and Coconut oil, with its softening and nourishing action.

Foam-based cleansing

For the second step, use a foam cleanser containing surfactants that allow the water to bind with the oily part. When a foam-based cleanser touches sebum and dirt on the skin, it creates structures called micelles. Micelles trap oil and grease inside them and simultaneously bind to water thanks to the hydrophilic outer part, and thus be washed away by rinsing with water. This second cleaning will act in depth, removing any residue from the first phase, dead cells, and greyness from your face!

How is it done?

For a soft double cleansing: Micellar Water

Enriched with rose, cornflower, and natural prebiotics, our Micellar Water gently cleanses and removes makeup from face, eyes, and lips without leaving any oily residues. Thanks to the presence of natural prebiotics, it harmoniously works with the skin's microbiota and it is suitable even for the most sensitive skin types. It's also rich in moisturizing agents, thus ensuring your skin won't feel tight anymore! Cornflower provides relief and freshness to tired and fatigued eyes, while calendula and chamomile have soothing and anti-redness properties. Hyaluronic acid, rose extract, and betaine hydrate the skin, leaving it soft and plump.

Our Micellar Water contains small micelles because of a very low percentage of surfactants that allow the water to bind with the oily part. Micelles are capable of trapping the oily part inside them while also binding to water through their hydrophilic outer part, making them easy to remove with a cotton pad or cloth, and no rinsing is necessary.

Cleansing and removing make-up from your face has never been that easy and soft. Micellar Water suits even most sensitive skin types.

For a zero-waste double cleansing

For a Zero Waste double cleansing, you can use our Powder Micellar Water to rehydrate! It comes in a small bag that you need to transfer to a bottle, add water, and if desired, a small amount of your chosen hydrosol, et voilà, our Micellar Water is ready to pamper, cleanse, and soothe in harmony with the planet, saying goodbye to disposable plastic bottles.

It cleanses gently, removes sebum, makeup, and tiredness, leaving your face hydrated and fresh! Enriched with hyaluronic acid for hydration and soothing and betaine for moisturizing and protection. Perfect for those who want to make their skincare routine more sustainable but prefer liquid formulations.

For those who prefer solid formulations, you can choose between the soothing solid cleanser No Stress, ideal for those with dry, sensitive, and reactive skin, and the purifying Bye Bye Impurità, ideal for combination and oily skin prone to shine and imperfections!

No Stress has a rich formula with active ingredients and is capable of taking care of easily irritated skin. Zinc oxide and rice powder provide protective properties and fight redness and irritation, hemp oil prevents skin flakiness and dehydration, while rosehip extract contributes to cell regeneration and has antioxidant properties.

To use the solid cleansers, simply rub the soap between wet hands until a milky cream forms in the case of No Stress, whereas in the case of Bye Bye Impurità it will be a more foamy cream. Then, apply the product to your face, avoiding the eyes, and massage your face with circular motions before rinsing with fresh water. Now, you can pat your face dry and enjoy clean and radiant skin like never before!

On the other hand, Bye Bye Impurità is an excellent ally in the fight against imperfections and oily skin, leaving the skin fresh and purified. It's rich in active ingredients and takes care of the skin, bringing it back into balance. It contains extracts of ginger, red vine, and incense, which are particularly effective for treating acne-prone skin and capable of rebalancing the skin's microbiota. The oils of neem, rosemary, sage, and tea tree work synergistically to have antibacterial, sebum-regulating, and healing effects. Activated charcoal is absorbent and detoxifying, while peppermint essential oil provides a pleasant sensation of freshness.

For a traditional double cleansing

If you’re one of the loyal fans of the Mirtilla Cleansing Mousse, no worries! Mirtilla is also perfect for double cleansing, and don't forget that the bottle is made of ocean plastic - plastic harvested from our seas! To know more about ocean plastic, you can read the insight article here: it is the story of our trip to Jakarta when we visited our supplier of ocean plastic!

The Mirtilla Cleansing Mousse is made with natural and sustainable ingredients, and its formulation is special because it encapsulates all the energy and vitality of nature. It contains Constitutional water of blackberry, which is regenerating and antioxidant, hyaluronic acid to provide hydration and glow to the skin, active extract of black Venus rice, rich in minerals and natural antioxidants, and calendula, a sweet local ingredient capable of pampering and soothing even the most inflamed skin. It's soft and delicate, and it's dermatologically tested for sensitive skin.

When is it better to do double cleansing?

We suggest you to double cleanse only in the evening, to remove the effects of smog, make-up, and dirt from your skin. Since it is a deep cleansing, there’s no need to overdo it, and you should complete your beauty routine afterwards. After thoroughly cleansing your skin, nourish and moisturise it with the remaining steps - tonic, serum, lotion and eye contour - and go to bed with super-clean face!

• How to correctly treat combination, oily, and congested skin
• The beauty routine for dry facial skin with itching and redness
• Treatments for mature skin: essential anti-aging skincare

Is double cleansing suitable for all skin types?

This technique can be used on all skin types, from the driest ones to the oiliest ones. The important thing is to choose the right products, and to know how to take care of your skin properly. Here it is an example of double cleansing:

• The Oil Gel Cleanser is suitable for removing waterproof makeup.
• The Micellar Water is perfect for removing lighter, natural makeup.

This double cleansing routine is suitable and can be appreciated by all skin types, even those that are dry and sensitive. This is because the Oil Gel Cleanser hydrates your skin from the very first step of the cleansing process and it is very soothing and gentle, while the Micellar Water is a true ally for extremely delicate skin, still serving as an excellent makeup remover.

Remember that both products can also be used individually as makeup removers.

However, these products are perfect for the double cleansing method and can be found in the Double Cleansing Kit, which includes a bamboo cloth as a gift!