Um. Yes, yes, and yes. Absolutely, and especially in the EVENING! Why? Because we need to remove the dust, sweat, sunscreen, makeup, and optionally all of these together or in various combinations from our skin before we moisturize it again. Only then can it absorb active ingredients and work its nightly magic while regenerating.
In the evening, I always cleanse twice (a.k.a. Double Cleansing) - first with a balm, then with a cleansing gel. This is great because the first step gets all the gunk (as we say here in Cologne 😉) off. The second step then really cleans the skin thoroughly.
Why does this make sense? Because water alone doesn't dissolve fat. Sebum that your skin has produced during the day, your sunscreen, your makeup - none of this magically disappears just because you splash a little water onto your face in the evening. And if you only use a cleansing gel and nothing else, it won't dissolve everything either, because these gels are usually - tadaa - water-based. So: fat dissolves fat (and dirt)!
In the morning, I use the cleansing gel from my evening second step for sole cleansing. Those who prefer a minimalist approach can also just cleanse with water in the morning. However, if your skin works a lot at night (sometimes it can feel like there's a film on the skin in the morning), I would recommend a cleansing product (reason: see above. Because this fine film also contains fats).
Here are a few of my favorite cleansing products:
Step 1 for Double Cleansing:
- Price Winner: Light Work Cleansing Oil by Pai Skincare
- Without essential oils: The Ceramide Oil Cleanser by Ruhi
- Great for blemish-prone and troubled skin and my personal favorite: Salva Cleansing Potion by Yin Your Skin
- For all active ingredient fans: Amazon After Dark by Lilfox
- Cleansing balm with enzymes and clay and a heavenly scent of lemon balm: The Divine by Seed to Skin
Step 2 for dry and normal skin:
- For all Aloe Vera fans: Cleansing Cream by Pharmos Natur
- With Ayurvedic formula: Cream Cleanser by Ranavat
- For active ingredient fans, Part 2: Tomato Milk by Lilfox
- Best mix of gel and lotion: Calming Cleanser by LESSE
Step 2 for combination and oily skin:
- For Aloe Vera fans: Cleansing Gel by Pharmos Natur
- Also great for acne: Phaze Cleansing Gel with PHA by Pai Skincare
- Best mix of gel and lotion: Calming Cleanser by LESSE (yes, it works here too!)
- My absolute favorite: The Clarity Cleanse by Seed to Skin
For Rosacea:
Keep it as simple and pure as possible. I like the combination of Salva + The Clarity Cleanse. Also recommended: Cleansing Cream by Pharmos and LESSE Cleanser.
Important for all skin types and conditions: Say yes to cleansing! :-))