Evening cleansing: gel, oil or balm?

What evening cleansing is meant to do

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) advises washing your face no more than twice a day: once in the morning, once at night, and again after sweating heavily. Make-up should come off before you go to bed, with no exceptions, according to the AAD. Gesundheitsinformation.de, the patient information service of the German institute IQWiG, notes, for acne-prone skin, that washing too often, several times a day for example, can dry the skin out and make irritation worse.

The Verbraucherzentrale (German consumer advice centre) explains that foaming surfactants remove oils from the skin. The tight, dry feeling that follows is then often answered with a cream or lotion.

What follows for the evening: choose a mild product and take a tight feeling after rinsing as a signal. If your skin feels tight after washing, the product or how often you wash probably does not suit you. The Verbraucherzentrale names only the tight feeling as a consequence of surfactants; the conclusion about product or frequency is not documented.

Gel, oil or balm compared

A comparison of gel, oil and balm is not documented. The table does not assign a texture to a skin type and is not a recommendation for one. The only documented drawback is that of surfactants (Verbraucherzentrale).

How well a product removes make-up or sunscreen depends on its formulation, so follow the manufacturer's instructions. The table cannot tell you which form your skin tolerates best.

Which texture suits you?

The questions below are rules of thumb. Use them rather than the promises on the packaging.

• How does your skin feel after rinsing? If it stays soft and comfortable, the product works for you. If it feels tight or itchy, switch products or cleanse less often.
• How much make-up and sunscreen do you wear? The more product sits on your skin, the more it matters that it all comes off in the evening.
• Are you prone to blemishes? The AAD suggests choosing make-up, sunscreen, skin care and hair care labelled "non-comedogenic" or "won't clog pores". By the manufacturer's description, such products should not clog pores. If you suspect acne, ask a dermatologist about suitable products (see "When to see a doctor").
• How much time do you have in the evening? A cleanse you do every night beats a perfect one you skip.

If you are unsure how to classify your skin, the skin type test (in German) is a first orientation, not a diagnosis.

Double cleansing: yes or no?

Double cleansing is commonly described as first an oil or balm, then a mild cleanser. No study shows that it makes sense for everyone. As a rule of thumb:

• More likely to help if a single cleanse clearly leaves residue on your skin.
• More likely unnecessary if you wear little make-up. Cleansing twice may strain the skin more than once; washing too often can irritate it (Gesundheitsinformation.de).

Common cleansing mistakes

• Water that is too hot. The AAD recommends lukewarm water for wetting and rinsing.
• Scrubbing and washcloths. The AAD recommends applying cleanser with your fingertips. A washcloth, mesh sponge or anything other than your fingertips can irritate the skin, and scrubbing can irritate it too.
• Rubbing dry. Pat your face dry with a soft towel (AAD).
• Sleeping in your make-up. The AAD is clear: remove it before bed. If you are too tired to wash, a make-up remover towelette is the fallback, and it should be labelled non-comedogenic.
• Applying nothing afterwards. If your skin is dry or itchy, the AAD recommends a moisturiser. How day and night care work together is explained in the guide Day cream and night cream.

Soap-free and pH

Gesundheitsinformation.de writes that ordinary soaps have a high pH of 8 to 10 and can irritate the skin. Soap-free cleansers adjusted to the skin's pH of 5.5 are described there as better suited to acne. Gesundheitsinformation.de states this explicitly for skin care with acne; for healthy skin the transfer is not established.

When to see a doctor

If redness does not fade, or you notice burning, strong itching or a rash after washing, have a dermatologist look at your skin. The Verbraucherzentrale advises seeing a doctor in case of rashes after using cosmetics, to find out which ingredient caused the reaction. Keep the product and take it with you. If you suspect acne, ask a dermatologist; Gesundheitsinformation.de says the same for suspected acne. The German Dermatological Society explains how to find a dermatologist on its page Facharztsuche Dermatologie (in German).

Keep reading

• Skincare and cosmetics: guide
• Evening cleansing: gel, oil or balm (in German)
• Skincare routine in three steps: guide
• Day cream and night cream: do you need both?
• Skin type test (in German)

By Luljeta Dine · Updated 11 November 2026 · next review 11 May 2027