Nighttime Double Cleanse Routine

First, I know that it has been awhile since I have written anything but I am ready to get back into it! I thought this topic was a good place to start again. Most of us struggle just to clean our face at night so you may wonder why bother with making it a 2 step process. By doing a double cleanse each night I am certain that I have removed every trace of makeup and ensured that I get the maximum benefit from the other skin care products I apply to address my specific issues – age/sun spots, mild wrinkling, anti-aging.

A thoroughly clean face helps keep pores from getting clogged. Clogged pores are bad news causing enlarged pores and breakouts. The best remedy for large pores is a clean face. Pores look bigger when they have dirt in them so clean ones look smaller. This alone is a good reason to double cleanse.

The other reason is equally important. Most of us invest in various lotions and potions that have anti-aging, hydrating, brightening, and/or lightening properties. I want my face as clean as it can be so that my products can actually penetrate my skin and do their magic. A layer of left over makeup, oil, and grime prevent maximum absorption of your skin care products. While I do not spend a fortune on night creams I want to get all the benefits of what I do use at night. Nighttime is the best time to repair the damage that has been done to your skin.

My routine has changed a bit as I have discovered better products and methods to clean my skin without stripping the moisture barrier. I started with just basic makeup remover clothes. This worked ok and most of the makeup came off with just the clothes. You can buy a variety of types of makeup remover clothes at any drugstore, Walmart, Target, and places like T.J. Maxx and Ross.

I like my current 1st step better, though. I discovered micellar water and have used both the Simple brand and Garnier. They both work really well and do not burn your eyes. I now use a DIY micellar water from a recipe I found online. It is super easy to make and is cheap as well. It works as well as the ones mentioned above. I use a microfiber cloth with the micellar water to remove my face and eye makeup. This combination gets rid of almost all my makeup. You can buy microfiber cloths just about anywhere. You can get the big, fluffy ones in most automotive departments. They do retain eye makeup stains but they work just fine with the stains.

Once I have removed most of my makeup with the micellar water and microfiber cloth, I wash with purity made simple by Philosophy and my Clarisonic Mia 2. I really like the Purity because I can wash over my eyes with no burning or stinging. The Clarisonic helps exfoliate and remove the flakes caused by Retin A. Read about my use of tretinoin/Retin A here, here, and here. Once this is done my skin is totally clean without feeling dry or stripped. It is receptive to my various serums, anti-aging products, moisturizers, etc. I just feel like I get maximum benefit from my other products when I use this 2 step cleansing process. It does take a bit more time but my skin is worth it.

If you enjoyed this post please “like” it. If you follow me then you won’t miss any posts! Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate your support.