Washing your face daily—both at the start and the end of each day—is a must for achieving clean, healthy-looking skin. But if you’ve spent any time on TikTok lately, you may be wondering if you should be doubling down on your skincare routine with the newly popular technique: double cleansing.
Though it originated in Korea and has been around for decades, the double cleansing method has recently gained some serious traction on social media, thanks to celebrities and beauty influencers alike. What is double cleansing, you ask? It’s a multistep face washing method designed to better remove all dirt, grime, makeup, and sunscreen from your face (even the grime you can’t see with the naked eye).
But the method is about more than just washing your face twice in a row; by using two different types of cleansing formulas (an oil-based cleanser, followed by a non-oil-based cleanser), you’re able to achieve the most effective clean for your skin. Plus, it preps your skin to better absorb all the hydrating products and skin-loving benefits to follow in the rest of your skincare routine.
Want to learn how to double cleanse and how to best incorporate this practice into your daily regimen? This seven-step hydrating skincare routine for dry skin will get you where you want to go, featuring our lineup of e.l.f. SKIN Holy Hydration! products that will help you cleanse, tone, moisturize, nourish, and protect your way to extra-clean, happy skin.
Cleanse with a Cleansing Balm
First things first: kick off your double cleansing routine with an oil-based cleanser to help break down any dirt, excess sebum, or makeup residue. Our Holy Hydration! Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm is up for the task: it’s a solid cleansing balm that melts into a luxurious oil that then transforms into a nourishing, milky texture to easily melt away the day’s makeup and grime. Added bonus: it’s infused with hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and peptides to leave your skin feeling silky smooth and soft.
To use, massage a dime-sized amount of makeup melting balm onto dry skin; moisten fingertips, then continue to massage your skin using circular motions (it removes eye makeup, too). To finish, rise with water or remove with a warm damp cleansing cloth.
This initial cleanse is especially crucial if you’re rocking a full face of makeup, are wearing a layer of face sunscreen, or live in a city and are often exposed to air pollutants.
Double-Cleanse with a facial cleanser
To reap the benefits of double cleansing, you’ll want to follow up by washing your face with a non-oil-based cleanser (such as a foaming cleanser) to remove any lingering water-soluble impurities like dirt and sweat.
Our gel-based Holy Hydration! Daily Cleanser is a great option for your second cleanse, whether you have dry skin, oily skin, or combination skin. The gentle, hydrating cleanser is ideal for everyday use—and since it’s enriched with hyaluronic acid and ceramides, it leaves your skin feeling moisturized, extra-clean, and healthy-looking without any dryness or tightness.
Face Toner
After double cleansing your face, using a gentle daily toner will not only help refresh and balance your complexion, but it will allow your skin to better absorb the benefits of your whole skincare routine—talk about a win-win!
Enter our Holy Hydration! Keep Your Balance Toner: it’s enriched with hyaluronic acid, witch hazel, and aloe extract, which work to remove any lingering impurities without drying out your skin, restore hydration, and reveal a soft, fresh complexion. To use, apply to your face and neck with a clean cotton ball post-cleansing.
Hydrating Face Serum
Serums are the unsung heroes of your skincare routine. Since they often contain concentrated amounts of active ingredients and are absorbed quickly into your skin—aka, they are highly effective and don’t feel heavy or greasy—you can super-boost your skincare regimen with just a few drops.
If your dry skin is craving an unmatched surge of hydration, look no further than our Holy Hydration! Triple Bounce Serum. This unique gel face serum is supercharged with 1.7% hyaluronic acid in three molecular weights (ultra-low, low, and high), which physically binds water to the skin for a fresh, bouncy appearance. The formula also contains hydrating squalane and niacinamide (helps minimize the appearance of pores and even out skin tone) to help deliver maximum hydration and reveal a plump, smooth, and fresh complexion. For maximum results, use every am and pm on cleansed skin prior to moisturizing.
Eye Cream
Don’t forget about nourishing the thin, delicate skin around your eyes—it’s especially prone to experiencing dryness and showing early signs of aging, meaning it requires a little extra TLC. Your secret skincare weapon: eye cream. It features a more concentrated formula than your regular face cream, allowing it to deeply nourish and target those fine lines and wrinkles, dry skin, puffiness, and dark undereye circles.
Reach for our rich and fast-absorbing Holy Hydration! Eye Cream—it’s formulated with hyaluronic acid and peptides to plump up and hydrate that vulnerable skin around your eye area and minimize dark circles for a refreshed, bright-eyed look. To use, gently dab into the corners of your eye area using your ring finger (it’s the weakest finger on your hand to help prevent tugging) every morning and evening.
Hydrating Face Mist
If you haven’t been using a face mist in your skincare routine, then you’ve “mist” out (sorry, we had to!). Facial mists offer so much more than a fun application: these magic spritz bottles are chock full of skin-loving formulas to hydrate your skin, prep your face for makeup application, and instantly refresh it throughout the day for a quick moisturizing boost.
Like with any skincare product, the ingredients at work are key to help your skin reap those hydrating benefits. Our revitalizing Holy Hydration! Hydrating Coconut Mist is infused with thirst-quenching ingredients like Coconut Oil and Vitamins B5 & E to nourish, calm, soothe, and hydrate your skin. Plus, it features an invigorating coconut scent for a little energetic burst. To use, hold the bottle several inches from your face and mist over clean, bare skin. Then, toss it in your purse or leave it on your desk to spray throughout the day for a moisturizing pick-me-up.
Moisturizer
And now, for the grand finale of your double cleansing regimen: immediately replenishing lost moisture to your skin with an ultra-hydrating moisturizer.
Our pick: a lightweight, fast-absorbing formula like our Holy Hydration! Daily Moisturizer. It’s enriched with naturally nourishing ingredients like aloe vera, jojoba oil, shea butter, vitamin E, and grapeseed oil to deeply hydrate skin, help lock in essential moisture, and reveal a plump, supple complexion.
Are you a member of the sensitive skin club? Opt for the fragrance free version of the formula to stave off any potential reactivity. If you’re heading out for the day and double cleansing as part of your morning routine, follow up with our Holy Hydration! Face Cream SPF 30, which works double duty as a moisturizer and a sunscreen to give you all the same hydrating benefits, plus SPF protection from the sun’s harmful rays.
Not sure which skincare routine is right for you? Take the skincare finder quiz—a short set of questions that will help you find the best routine for your skin’s unique needs.