For those looking to take their skin care to the next level, perfecting the art of the double cleanse may be just the ticket to a clearer, cleaner complexion.

To complete a double cleanse, you’ll need to employ the services of both an oil-based cleanser and your regular targeted cleanser for hydration and nourishment.

But why double cleanse? Our faces are like magnets for muck, sweat, oil, grime, makeup, air pollution, smoke - you name it, our faces are exposed to it all. With all contaminants considered, double cleansing can start to sound good even to the most reticent skin care novice.

Dirt and oil have a way of clinging to skin, despite the effects of a single-step approach to cleansing. In basic chemistry we learn that oil attracts oil, making an oil-based cleanser the logical first step in the one-two punch of a double cleanse regime.

An oil-based cleanser will help to break down acne-causing sebum and pull impurities to the surface for easier disposal.

Now that your skin has been primed, it’s time to follow-up with your targeted cleanser. This can be your tried and true gentle daily cleanser, though keep your eyes out for a cleanser that hydrates and nourishes the skin at the same time as it cleanses.

Following up with a second cleanser will allow the product to work far more effectively, ensuring all of your additional skin care steps aren’t for nought.

As with most things in life and skin care, it’s often a case of less is more. The intensive nature of the double cleanse can compromise our skin if it’s placed under too much duress.

Over-cleansing can dry the skin out and throw off its natural oil production, causing the sebaceous glands to overproduce sebum, or oil, to compensate for the loss - naturally increasing the likelihood of breakouts.

To mitigate the risk of further breakouts, it’s best to employ the double cleanse at night and follow with adequate hydration.