How Different Cleansers Support Your Skin’s Needs Day and Night

Why Do I Need Two Different Face Cleansers in My Skincare Routine?

Understanding the importance of using two distinct face cleansers in your skincare regimen can significantly improve your skin’s health and appearance.

Many people wonder if having more than one cleanser is necessary. The simple answer is yes, and this is due to the different roles your skin plays during the day versus at night.

Why Two Different Cleansers in My Skincare Regimen?

Your morning and evening skincare routines usually serve different purposes, which calls for different cleansing methods.

In the morning, the goal is to prepare your skin to face environmental stressors like sunlight, pollution, and the natural oils that build up overnight.

Conversely, at night, cleansing focuses on thoroughly removing sunscreen, makeup, excess oils, and dirt accumulated during the day.

Some skincare ingredients work best under specific conditions. For example, certain active compounds may degrade or irritate your skin if exposed to sunlight, so they are better suited for nighttime use.

Because of these variations, the type of cleanser you use in the morning should differ from what you use at night.

Your Skin Type Dictates the Best Cleansers for You

Choosing the right cleansers also depends largely on your skin type. The Baumann Skin Type system is a useful framework to identify your specific skin characteristics.

People with oily skin require cleansing products that can manage excess sebum without stripping the skin, while those with dry skin need gentler cleansers that hydrate and protect the skin barrier.

If you’re unsure about your skin type, many online quizzes and dermatologist consultations can help you determine the best products tailored for your skin’s needs.

Why Do We Recommend Two Different Cleansers?

When dermatologists design a skincare routine for you, they often recommend two different cleansers to optimize your regimen.

The rationale behind this recommendation lies in the varying skin needs throughout the day and the types of products you apply after cleansing.

The cleanser you use impacts how well subsequent products—like serums and moisturizers—absorb into your skin.

A cleanser that is too harsh or disrupts your skin’s pH can reduce the effectiveness of these follow-up treatments.

For example, some powerful active ingredients like retinoids can make your skin more sensitive. If your evening cleanser is also a strong exfoliant, it might worsen irritation caused by retinoids.

Therefore, choosing the correct cleanser that complements your other skincare products is essential to maintain healthy skin.

How Cleansers Affect Your Skin

Cleansers do more than just remove dirt. They can alter your skin’s pH, influence exfoliation, and affect the skin’s protective barrier.

Because of these impacts, using one cleanser all day might not be ideal.

Using different cleansers at morning and night helps balance cleansing with skin protection.

Morning cleansers tend to be gentler to avoid stripping natural oils and prepping the skin for antioxidant serums or sunscreen.

Evening cleansers are usually stronger to ensure all makeup, pollution, and sunscreen residues are effectively removed.

Our team of dermatologists has spent decades curating effective AM and PM cleansers to cater to diverse skin types and concerns.

Following their advice helps achieve clearer, healthier, and more resilient skin.

Should You Use Both Cleansers Together?

Many people confuse the idea of having two cleansers with the practice of double cleansing. Double cleansing involves using two cleansers consecutively in one session, usually in the evening.

However, the recommendation of two cleansers refers to using one cleanser in the morning and a different one at night, not using both at the same time.

Double cleansing is beneficial in specific cases, such as for heavy makeup removal or oily skin, but should only be done if advised by a skincare professional.

We will cover double cleansing in detail in another article, but for now, focus on understanding why morning and evening cleansers differ and how to use them effectively.

Differences Between Morning and Evening Cleansers

Morning Cleansers

Your morning cleanser’s job is to gently cleanse away sweat, oils, and impurities that accumulate overnight. It should also prepare your skin to receive antioxidants and other daytime products.

Antioxidants are commonly used in morning routines to protect skin from free radical damage caused by sun exposure and pollution.

Vitamin C is a favored antioxidant due to its brightening properties and ability to fight premature aging. Other antioxidants include caffeine, coenzyme Q10, grapeseed oil, resveratrol, and vitamin E.

To maximize the effectiveness of a Vitamin C serum, your morning cleanser should be low pH, ideally between 2 and 2.5, because Vitamin C penetrates better at this acidity level.

Examples of low pH cleansers include those containing hydroxy acids (like AHAs), polyhydroxy acids (PHAs), and salicylic acid.

These ingredients gently exfoliate and prepare skin to absorb antioxidants effectively.

If you have sensitive skin, a mild cleanser with soothing, anti-inflammatory ingredients might be better to avoid irritation.

It’s important to avoid retinoids in the morning since they can increase photosensitivity and damage your skin barrier when exposed to sunlight.

Which morning cleanser is best depends on your specific Baumann Skin Type and the other products in your routine.

Evening Cleansers

At night, your skin needs a deeper cleanse to remove makeup, sunscreen, dirt, and pollution that build up during the day.

Evening cleansers are typically stronger than morning ones but should be chosen carefully based on your skin type.

For oily skin, an evening cleanser must effectively remove excess sebum and impurities without stripping the skin.

Oily skin often benefits from foaming cleansers that deeply clean the pores and control oil production. Many evening routines for oily skin also include retinoids, which should be applied after cleansing.

If you have dry skin, evening cleansers should be gentler to protect the skin barrier and prevent dryness or irritation. Creamy or low-foam cleansers that maintain moisture are ideal.

These tend to have a higher pH, which is less compatible with Vitamin C serums, making them more suitable for nighttime use.

Choosing the right evening cleanser for your skin type ensures your skin stays balanced, clean, and ready to absorb nighttime treatments.

Tailoring Your Routine to Your Baumann Skin Type

The Baumann Skin Type system classifies skin based on oil production, sensitivity, pigmentation, and wrinkle tendency.

Your personalized skincare routine, including your choice of cleansers, should reflect your unique skin profile.

General rules about morning and evening cleansers may vary depending on your skin’s specific needs.

Following the customized advice given by a dermatologist or a tested skin type quiz will ensure you use the right cleansers and products for maximum benefit.

Summary

Using two different cleansers, one in the morning and another in the evening, helps optimize your skincare routine by addressing the distinct needs of your skin at different times of the day.

Morning cleansers prepare your skin for protection against environmental damage, while evening cleansers focus on deep cleansing and removing residues.

Choosing the right cleansers depends on your skin type, the products you use, and your lifestyle. Consulting with dermatologists or taking a detailed skin quiz can guide you to the best regimen.

By adopting this approach, you improve your skin’s health, enhance the effectiveness of your serums and creams, and reduce the risk of irritation or dryness.

DQH Knowledge drop: In your 20s, your skin cell turnover decreases. (Cell turnover is a key component in keeping your skin youthful.) You know what else slows down? Your collagen production. Starting in your 20s, collagen decreases by about 1 percent per year. Should you want to prevent fine lines and wrinkles, start by eliminating behaviors that contribute to premature aging. “If it’s bad for you, it’s bad for your skin,” says dermatologist Michel Somenek. “Cigarette smoking reduces blood flow to the skin and causes premature wrinkling and a dull skin texture. Making the repeated pursed motion to inhale can also cause smoker’s lines. Alcohol and recreational drugs are toxins for the skin that damage its cellular structure and DNA,” Somenek tells us. “The faster you eliminate vices while you are young, the better chance your skin and body have to recuperate.” Also, adopting an anti-aging routine in your 20s is key. After all, the best offense is a good defense. We spoke to Somenek and experts Joshua Ross and Audrey Kunin to find out more. Keep reading for the best anti-aging products for your 20s, according to skincare professionals. Sunscreen “We all know that the sun is the number one cause of skin aging and starting the prevention in your 20s is very important,” Ross says. “The majority of your sun damage won’t start to appear until you’re in your 30s, so don’t wait until you see it surface or you’ll be behind the curve. Stay ahead of it with a good-quality zinc-based sunscreen worn daily.” Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen An invisible sunscreen with SPF 30, plus botanical extracts meant to protect skin with tons of antioxidants. Bonus: It’s clean and fine to use under makeup. Bareminerals Complexion Rescue™ Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Although we recommend you use your SPF and moisturizer separately, we also understand moments when you don’t have time or energy for that extra step. For those times, this bareMinerals moisturizer is a great thing to have on hand. Vitamin C Serum “A great introduction to anti-aging is to start with a vitamin C serum in your morning skincare routine,” Ross says. “It’s a powerful antioxidant that will neutralize free radicals and brighten the skin.” He adds that it’s a great way to counteract the effects of the sun’s harmful rays, which, as previously mentioned, are among the biggest causes of premature aging. Drunk Elephant C-Firma™ Vitamin C Day Serum The Drunk Elephant C-Firma is a lightweight serum that promises to give skin a glow by combining the brightening powers of vitamin C with ferulic acid, l-ascorbic acid, and vitamin E. The included sodium hyaluronate is meant to replace hydration loss, so you shouldn’t have to deal with any irritation. Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum This potent serum is jam-packed with vitamin C (15 percent, to be exact), which means it’s a potential superstar at both brightening skin and dousing it in antioxidants. Peptides Using peptides on your skin has many benefits, says Somenek. “The skin barrier is what defends the body against pollution, UV rays, bacteria, and toxins. It can be damaged by several everyday factors. Using topical peptides aids in building a stronger barrier,” he says. “Peptides comprise elastic fibers, which are a type of protein. These fibers help to make skin appear taut and firm. Peptides can also help repair damaged skin, relieve inflammation, and even out skin tone. Some peptides can kill acne-causing bacteria that is common in 20-somethings.” Kunin agrees, saying, “Peptides are an excellent entry point for supporting collagen.” She recommends looking for face and eye treatments that contain these collagen-boosting powerhouses. Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue Cream This Charlotte Tilbury super-emollient eye cream has a base of coconut oil and shea butter (read: it’s incredibly hydrating). Botanicals plus peptides are meant to help reduce dark circles and boost collagen, respectively. This creamy moisturizer serves up potent collagen-boosting peptides and pycnogenol, and antioxidant-rich vitamin C. “Instead of sitting on top of the skin, peptides penetrate the outer layer so they go deep. The ‘signals’ they send tell the cells to produce elastin and collagen, which are needed for youthful-looking skin,” explains Somenek. At-Home Peel Pads Remember that skin cell turnover fiasco we talked about earlier? One way to help support it is by exfoliating. “Exfoliation is important to help keep skin fresh and luminous,” Kunin says. She recommends using at-home peel pads as an easy and effective way to exfoliate. “The goal in your 20s is to fight the slowing pace of cell turnover. It is wise to use products that gently exfoliate, yet still remove oil and other impurities. Products that have Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) or Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA) are a good choice.” According to Somenek, you should only exfoliate two to three times a week. “People of all ages are guilty of over-exfoliating and that can be too much of a good thing,” he says. Dermadoctor Kakadu C Intensive Vitamin C Peel Pad A few swipes of this Derma Doctor powerful peel pad promise to leave your skin glowing and smooth, thanks to the seven (yes, seven) types of chemical exfoliants, including AHA and BHA. It also contains vitamin C via Kakadu plum extract for added brightening and antioxidant protection. KEY INGREDIENTS Kakadu plum extract is sourced from the Kakadu plum, a fruit grown in northern Australia. It contains vitamin C, which restores the skin’s natural barrier, increases collagen production, and soothes irritation. Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel Pads These are the gold standard of peel pads, with a cult following and over 900 five-star reviews on Sephora. They’re easy to use and contain a blend of anti-aging exfoliating acids. Emollient Night Cream “In your 20s, you need to start upping the hydration in your skincare routine. You may have been cautious of over-moisturizing because of acne in your teens, but as you enter your 20s, your skin transitions and becomes drier,” Ross says. “I recommend an emollient night cream added into your evening skincare regimen.” “Twenty-somethings need to make sure that they are not using creams that will clog their pores and cause excess oil production,” says Somenek. Opt for non-comedogenic products. Cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream One great choice is the CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, which is a non-comedogenic night cream that leaves skin soft and glowy. It combines the moisturizing powers of ceramides and hyaluronic acid. RoC Retinol Correxion Max Hydration Creme “The best night cream ingredients contain retinol, benzoyl peroxide, and/or salicylic acid or hyaluronic acid. The goal is to moisturize, yet remove excess oil,” says Somenek. This Roc Retinol Correxion cream fits the bill as it contains both hyaluronic acid and retinol so it promises to moisturize while also being non-comedogenic.

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