Thread by @MakeupForWOC

Is double cleansing just a scam to buy more products? Or is there biochemical explanation behind the method? Keep reading to find out more... 🤔

What is double cleansing?

Step one: rubbing an oil into your skin to dissolve excess oil, makeup, water resistant sunscreen
Step two: regular cleanser

Double cleansing has a lot to do with the polarity of oil, water and soap (surfactant) molecules!

First, I’m just going to explain some vocabulary so you guys can understand better.

Element: simplest form of chemical matter. It cannot be broken down into a simpler substance w/o a loss of identity. There are about 90 naturally occurring element, all with different chemical & physical properties.

Ex: hydrogen, oxygen

Atom: particles from which all matter is composed. It is the smallest particle of an element that still retains the properties of that element.

Matter: anything occupying space and has weight

Molecule: Formed by joining two or more atoms chemically.

Ex: water is made from 2 hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. H2O

The shape is a water molecule is bent, not straight. Here’s what it looks like;

The two hydrogen atoms have a positive charge, and the oxygen atom has a partially negative charge. This charge distribution is what gives water molecules their bent appearance.

Non polar molecules have no separation of charge, so no positive or negative poles are formed. The electrical charges of nonpolar molecules are evenly distributed across the molecule.

The polar nature of water means that it dissolves other polar materials. It’s often called a universal solvent because it’s dissolves so many types of substances!

Ex: sugar in water, salt in water.

Why water is an awesome solvent:

Because opposites attract!

- negative ends of water molecules attract the positive ends of other substances
- the positive ends of water molecules attracts the negative ends of other substances

But why doesn’t oil and water mix?

Because your oily makeup and oil in your skin (also known as sebum) are non-polar. Water is POLAR.

Non-polar and polar molecules don’t dissolve within each other.

Polar molecules dissolve in water (like sugar or salt) and are considered hydrophilic (meaning water-loving).

Your makeup & skin oils are non-polar molecules. They are considered hydrophobic (water-hating) and lipophilic (oil-loving.)

Soap molecules (like your cleanser) are ampipathic, meaning they dissolve in water AND oil.

This is why soap molecules are in dish soap to wash dishes, cleanser to wash your face, and detergents to wash your clothes.

The non-polar oil cleanser in your first step bonds with the non-polar makeup & skin oils, allowing them to dissolve.

Using an oil before your regular cleanser breaks down makeup, loosens blockages like blackheads and can help reduce excess oil.

As an esthetician, I can personally say that using an oil cleanser with clients definitely makes extractions easier!

However, using only water to wash this combination won’t work because polar (water) and non-polar (oil) don’t dissolve.

This is where your cleanser comes in!

Soap molecules (in your cleanser, detergent, dish soap) are ampipathic. Meaning it dissolves in OIL AND WATER.

The oil-loving part of the soap molecule dissolves in your oil cleanser + skin oils + makeup combination.

The water-loving water stays in the water.

This breaks everything down, keeps it in solution and goes down the drain.

I really tried my best to make this easy to understand 😩

If anything I said is wrong or you still have questions, feel free to tweet or dm me!

Sorry! I’m gonna try again.

Polar molecules: one side is positive, one side is negative

Non-polar molecule: no charge because everything is evenly distributed. no positive or negative poles

https://twitter.com/slaylongloveyou/status/1134569118668140549?s=21

“So i should apply oil on my face before washing with a cleanser? even if i have make up on?“

Yes! At the end of the day, you massage in the oil on top of your makeup, then use your cleanser on top.