saving your face: should you double cleanse?

there’s a lot of hype about double cleansing the face. should i be washing my face twice? and is there one cleanser — oil, foaming, exfoliant — that’s better than another?  double cleansing is not a new phenomenon, originating in asia in the 14th century, but in recent years has been formally titled and popularized by social media. double cleansing is simply washing the face twice with two of the same cleansers or different cleansers with the purpose of first removing sunscreens, cosmetics or other pollutants and grime, followed by a deeper foam cleansing of the face to remove sebum — an oily substance secreted by your sebaceous glands that naturally keeps your skin moist.double cleansing is also important to remove excess oil and bacteria for acne-prone patients. cosmetics and sebum are oil-based and, therefore, are best removed by a second scrub. because sebum production continues during the night, it is most important to create regular am and pm routines with the help of a medical skin care professional and find out together what would be the best options for your skin type to achieve healthy and clean skin.not everyone needs to double cleanse if they don’t wear makeup or have oily skin, but everyone should always use a cleanser that is gently massaged into the skin for a full 60 seconds before rinsing. there are many cleansers on the market — what you choose should be based on the needs of your skin. an exfoliating cleanser, for example, may be too drying for non-oily or aged skin. it is also important to avoid cleansers that contain fragrances, common allergens, or sulphates which strip the skin of its hydration function. for example, ceramides — a lipid found abundantly in our skin — are necessary for the skin barrier, hydration and skin turnover. dermatology-certified cleansers will promote ceramides and are ph-appropriate for the skin while avoiding inflammatory and acne-prone ingredients.medical-grade skincare commonly has protocols that are designed to remove pollutants, sebum and cosmetics we apply to our face. these protocols often involve a three-step process including cleansing, followed by an exfoliation scrub and finished by using a toning wipe to remove any excess bacteria or oil.  this process will achieve the result of double cleansing and prepare the top layers of the skin to allow for additional products with active ingredients or a quality moisturizing cream to provide an added barrier protection.don’t forget sunscreen
aging results in thinner, dull, dry skin. the reasons for this are multifactorial, but certainly, solar damage accelerates aging of the skin, often referred to as photo-aging. sunscreen doesn’t completely protect the skin from sun damage but will reduce sun and ultraviolet and visible light impact on the skin.  so, for this reason, broad-spectrum sunscreens should be added to the morning cleansing routine and reapplied throughout the day.dr. rohan bissoondath, md, is the medical director and founder of preventous collaborative health and preventous cosmetic medicine. he is a board member and president-elect of the canadian association of aesthetic medicine and is certified by the college of family physicians of canada and licensed through the college of physicians and surgeons of alberta.