Do You Need to Double Cleanse Every Night?

By Mari, founder of K Skin Aura · Updated 30 September 2026

If I only wear sunscreen, do I really need two cleansers? It's a question people often ask me about Korean skincare, and the answer is usually shorter than they expect.

What does double cleansing do?

It's two cleanses in a row. First an oil or balm, massaged onto dry skin, which loosens make-up, sunscreen and oil. Then a water-based cleanser, such as a gel or a gentle foam, which washes away what the oil has lifted along with anything left on the surface.

The idea behind it is sound. Oil dissolves oily, long-wearing products that water struggles with. But it is a method for a particular job. It was never meant to be a rule for every face on every night.

If you only wear sunscreen, do you need to double cleanse?

This is the question I'd spend the most time on. The answer is that it depends on the sunscreen and on the cleanser, more than on the number of steps.

The clearest evidence I've found is a small study by Chen and colleagues, published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. Twenty people applied sunscreen and then washed it off with water alone, with a foaming cleanser, or with a cleansing oil. Nobody in the study double cleansed.

• Water alone left roughly half of the sunscreen behind, whichever sunscreen was used.
• With the non-water-resistant sunscreen they tested, one wash with either the foaming cleanser or the cleansing oil removed most of it, and the difference between the two was small.
• With the water-resistant sunscreen they tested, the foaming cleanser left over a third behind, while the cleansing oil removed it much more effectively.
• Eight of the twenty said their skin felt dry after the foaming cleanser, compared with one after the oil.

It's one study with twenty people, one sunscreen of each type and one product of each kind, so I wouldn't stretch it too far. It doesn't show that an oil cleanser is always better for sunscreen, and because nobody double cleansed, it doesn't prove you need two cleansers for water-resistant formulas either. What it does suggest matches my own experience: with an everyday sunscreen, one good cleanse can be enough, and with a water-resistant one, an oil or balm may shift what a foam leaves behind.

So look at your sunscreen label. If it says water-resistant, or it's a formula you know clings on, an oil or balm first is worth considering. If it doesn't, try one gentle cleanse, massaged in for a little longer than feels necessary, and see how your skin feels.

Wearing sunscreen every day is still worth it. Taking it off properly is part of wearing it, but it doesn't automatically mean two cleansers.

When do two cleansers make sense?

I'd double cleanse on the nights when there is more on your face than one cleanser can comfortably shift. Cleveland Clinic dermatologist Dr Jane Wu makes the same point: the people who benefit most are the ones wearing make-up or sunscreen, and for most people one thorough wash with a gentle cleanser is enough.

There's no need to pick a side. Double cleansing on a make-up day and using one cleanser on a bare-faced Sunday is a perfectly good routine.

When is one cleanser enough?

When it does the whole job. If your skin feels clean, isn't tight, and there's no film left on it, you've removed what you needed to remove. Adding a second wash just to follow a routine gives your skin more cleansing without a reason.

This matters most for dry, mature or easily irritated skin. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends a gentle cleanser, lukewarm water and fingertips rather than cloths or brushes, and advises limiting face washing to twice a day and after sweating. If your skin already feels tight, the extra cleanse is the first thing I'd look at. If you're over 50 and your skin has become drier, the simple routine for mature skin covers what else I'd change.

An oil or balm also isn't the only first cleanse. Dr Wu suggests micellar water to remove make-up before a water-based cleanser, as an alternative to starting with an oil.

The easiest test: how does your skin feel afterwards?

Ten minutes after cleansing, before you put anything else on, notice how your face feels. It's practical feedback, not a diagnosis, but it tells you a lot.

Tightness can come from other things too, such as a retinoid or an exfoliating acid. Why skin can feel tight after washing but oily later goes through what I'd check first. If you get burning, a rash or redness that doesn't settle, stop the product you suspect and speak to a pharmacist, or your GP if it doesn't improve.

Why do our Blueprint routines include an oil cleanser?

If you own one of our Blueprint sets, you'll see a cleansing oil or balm on the evening card. That's because it gives you a reliable first cleanse for make-up, heavier sunscreen and the days when one cleanse doesn't feel like enough. It doesn't mean everyone needs two cleanses every single night.

Even the Glass Skin Blueprint card allows for this. On a night when you're exhausted, the minimum it gives is the oil cleanse, then toner, then cream. That's one cleanse.

What would I use?

Start with what you have. If your cleanser leaves your skin comfortable and you rarely wear make-up, you probably don't need anything new. If you'd like an oil for the nights that need one, or your current cleanser leaves you tight, these are two I stock. They're for different jobs, so you may only need one of them.

If you need a first cleanse

Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Moisture Deep Cleansing Oil

I'd choose this if you wear make-up or water-resistant sunscreen and want an oil that rinses off cleanly.

How to use

Massage onto dry skin, add a little water until it turns milky, then rinse

Best fit

Make-up and heavier sunscreen days, including drier skin

Mari's note

A short list of nine ingredients with no fragrance listed. It contains macadamia seed oil, worth knowing if you check labels for nut oils. It's the first cleanse in the Glass Skin Blueprint.

£18.00 · 150 mlView product

or

If your cleanser leaves you tight

Etude SoonJung pH 6.5 Whip Cleanser

I'd choose this if you want one gentle cleanser that works on its own or as the second step.

What it is

A soft whipped foam with panthenol and madecassoside, made for sensitive skin

Best fit

Dry, sensitive or easily irritated skin, and one-cleanse nights

Mari's note

Etude list it as fragrance-free. If any foam leaves you tight, use less and rinse with cooler water before giving up on it. It's the cleanser in the Age Defense Firming Routine.

£15.99 · 150 mlView product

You don't need both to have a good routine. Pick the one that fills the gap you have.

Skin Advice is a cosmetic routine review. It is not a diagnosis, and I won't tell you to change prescribed treatment.

Mari, K Skin Aura, London

About Mari. Mari is the founder of K Skin Aura, a UK Korean skincare retailer. She reviews cosmetic routines and product choices through K Skin Aura's free Skin Advice service. She is not a dermatologist or clinician.

Sources checked. Chen W, He M, Xie L, Li L, The optimal cleansing method for the removal of sunscreen: water, cleanser or cleansing oil?, Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020 (20 participants; residue after water, a foaming cleanser or a cleansing oil, for a water-resistant and a non-water-resistant sunscreen). American Academy of Dermatology, Face washing 101 (gentle cleanser, lukewarm water, fingertips, no scrubbing, twice a day and after sweating). Cleveland Clinic, Double cleansing explained, with dermatologist Dr Jane Wu (2022). Product details from the manufacturers' ingredient lists and our own listings.

Articles are written and reviewed under Mari's direction using questions and patterns from K Skin Aura's Skin Advice service. Skincare and health-related claims are checked against sources such as the NHS, DermNet, the American Academy of Dermatology and published research where appropriate. Product details are checked against current packaging, manufacturer information and K Skin Aura stock data. Recommendations are not paid placements within editorial articles. If a product you already own is suitable, we will say so.