There’s a strange skincare phenomena I’ve watched grow over the last few years, and that is the idea that cleansing should be an entire ritual in itself.
Oil cleansers, cleansing balms, second cleanses, third cleanses, sometimes followed by exfoliating cleansers, cleansing brushes, hot cloths, sonic cleansing devices, et cetera ad infinitum.
I do understand how we got here. Skincare marketing loves a ritual. It sounds luxurious, it involves extra products (AKA extra purchases) and it makes people feel like they’re doing something very thorough for their skin - plus if you love a spa facial, where intricate attention is paid to the cleanse, it follows that you might want the same DIY treatment at home. Listen to me: You don’t need it.
Clinically, I see the consequences of this every day. Most people are over-cleansing, over-loading or over-complicating what should be the simplest step in their routine.
I’m a firm believer in keeping it simple - it’s my whole skincare philosophy - and listen, the simple fact is; cleansing is to clean the skin, not to treat it.
Why I don’t like cleansing balms, specifically.
Cleansing balms are oil based. They are usually marketed as nourishing, comforting and “skin-loving”, but in practice, in my opinion, that’s nonsense. Ask any derm.
Firstly, they’re usually very rich and occlusive, which means they can leave residue on the skin. Even when they emulsify and rinse away, that residue will linger in the pores, which is particularly problematic if your skin is prone to congestion.
And secondly, the idea that you need two cleansers - an oil-based one and then another one afterwards? Why on earth would we use a cleanser to then need a cleanser to then remove that cleanser? Madness.
IF someone was to use the same cleanser - i.e. the balm - you will then be left with the residual film acting as a barrier for your actives to be delivered, which renders them pretty much useless. (You see? Absolute nonsense!).
And if you are someone that likes that ritual, who likes to massage an oily product in thoroughly, then please, just remember that whilst your skin will enjoy and thank you for the massage, it won’t enjoy the cr*p you’re leaving on your face.
I will happily die on this hill; you shouldn’t need two products to clean your skin properly.
What cleansing should actually do
Cleansing has a very straightforward job: To remove makeup, sunscreen, the pollution and general dirt of the day, in preparation for the treatment part of your skincare routine to work.
Once it’s clean, the skin should feel, yes, clean, but also comfortable and calm (never tight, greasy or coated in something, even if that thing feels ‘nourishing’).
Also, treatments like exfoliation, retinol or hydration belong in the next steps of your routine, not in your cleanser. A cleanser that exfoliates, treats, hydrates, massages and removes makeup all at once sounds appealing in theory, but it usually ends up doing several things moderately rather than one thing well.
I prefer the opposite approach:
Simple steps, each doing their job properly, and in my world, in case I haven’t told you enough, that looks like:
Clean —> Treat —> Hydrate —> Protect.
That order is important, because when cleansing is done well, your skin will be able to respond better to everything that follows, whether that’s treatment products or professional procedures.
One of my most frequently asked questions is “Do I need a double cleanse?”
My answer is most people technically don’t, but if you’re wearing makeup (which most of us do) then yes, sure.,It’s the best way to get a proper cleanse. In which case, cleanse twice with the same cleanser, but please, don’t make it a balm!
At the end of the day (or the beginning of course), cleansing should be the most boring step in your skincare routine. And that’s a good thing.
When I created my cleanser, the aim wasn’t to make something “luxurious” or complicated.
It was simply to make something that cleans the skin properly without disrupting it. It’s just a grounded approach that I know from all my years, and treating over 50,000 faces, works.
So yeah. If you’re using a cleansing balm, please don’t!
- T x
