Be wise, cleanse twice

Beauty blogger, Thithi Nteta lauds the benefits of double cleansing.

In Beautiful Habits

South African beauty blogger, Thithi Nteta, counts herself extremely lucky in the skin health department. 

“I made it through primary school and high school with only one pimple on record,” Thithi says. “While I was under a lot of stress during university, my skin remained clear and bright, even though I didn’t treat it very well — from late nights to excessive partying and absolutely no makeup removal before bed. This should have been the worst time for my skin, but I still managed to stay fresh-faced and spot free.”

However, she knows from experience that as we age, our skin changes for a variety of reasons: environment, hormones, diet…

“Fast forward to adulthood, my skin has decided to have periodic breakouts and I can no longer get away with thinking that drinking water will fix everything,” says Thithi. The real fix? “Acne treatment products and double cleansing, removing my makeup every night before I go to sleep, have become part of my daily skincare routine.”

What is double cleansing? Quite simply, it’s cleansing your face twice — removing makeup prior to using a facial wash, as many cleansers are not effective enough, often resulting in an accumulation of makeup and dirt in pores.

“I prefer to use cleansing oils or an oil-based cleanser to completely remove makeup effectively. Gently rub the product on your skin with your fingers, and you can see the makeup coming off your face,” she says.

“Then I follow up with a water- or foam-based cleanser containing salicylic acid, which is an active ingredient present in most topical acne treatment products. Salicylic acid basically treats acne by unclogging blocked skin pores, thus allowing pimples to shrink.”

Thithi suggests using one with scrub beads, “which gently exfoliate without causing redness, while still removing dull and dry skin cells to maintain radiant skin. This is an absolute plus for me, because I am not into skincare regimens that include too many steps. A product that combines two important steps in one process is not only practical but effective especially because I can use it every day.”