Double (or triple) cleansing isn’t as laborious as you think

No matter how many products you slather on your skin each morning and night, it’s all for naught if you don’t start with a clean slate. You may think your usual cleanser gets the job done, but if you use toner afterwards I’m willing to bet there’s still some makeup on your cotton ball or pad. Double-cleansing drastic reduces the chances of any leftover residue, and there are a few approaches you can take. Here, a few suggestions, from the least to most effort (which still isn’t all that time consuming).

Easy: Cleanse as usual, and follow with a micellar water. I’m partial to Bioderma Hydrobio H2O, but there are plenty of wallet-friendly options at the drugstore.

Medium: Start with an oil-based or balm cleanser, and rub it into dry skin, including your eyes, to melt away makeup and sunscreen that’s sticking around from the day. When you rinse with water, you’ll see it emulsifies and easily washes away. (My favorites are It Cosmetics Bye Bye Makeup, Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm and any of the Shu Uemura cleansing oils.) Then, follow with your usual cleanser to be extra sure your face is primed for your products.

Hard (but not really): Take your double-cleanse to a triple cleanse simply by adding the micellar water step. By this point, your skin should be squeaky clean (but not in a dry, tight way).

Extra credit: I may be taking this a step too far, but using a facial cleansing device such as a Foreo or Clarisonic brush with your regular cleanser optimizes any cleansing routine, but you may not want to use it every night if you have sensitive skin.

Multi-step cleansing is best at night, since there’s not all that much to remove from your face when you wake up. I know sometimes you’re tired (or tipsy) and it’s the last thing you might want to do, but your skin will thank you!