How to Cleanse & Tone Your Skin Properly

Cleansing is the step most people rush, and the one that quietly decides how well everything else works. A cleanser that is too harsh strips the barrier and leaves skin tight, flaky or oddly oily by mid-afternoon. One that is too gentle leaves sunscreen and makeup behind, so the serums and treatments that follow never reach fresh skin. Toning sits in a similar grey area, still surrounded by old myths about pores and squeaky cleanliness that no longer hold up. In this article we review how to choose a cleanser for your skin type and concern and whether double cleansing is a good idea. We also explore what a modern toner can actually do for your skin and how to use one in your routine.

Why Does Cleansing Matter So Much?

Throughout the day your skin collects sebum, sweat, dead cells, pollution particles, makeup and sunscreen. Cleansing clears that layer so the skin can repair overnight and absorb whatever you apply next. The aim is balance rather than total stripping. Healthy skin sits at a slightly acidic pH of around 4.5 to 5.5, a state often called the acid mantle. Research shows that this mild acidity supports the barrier and the skin’s defences against unwanted bacteria. It also helps regulate the skin microbiome, the community of microorganisms that helps keep the barrier healthy. Harsh, high-pH soaps and aggressive foaming agents push that pH up and disrupt the barrier. This is why over-washed skin often feels tight, looks dull and breaks out more rather than less. Crucially, good cleansing removes the day without dismantling the barrier that protects you.

How Do You Choose a Cleanser for Your Skin Type?

There is no single best cleanser, only the right one for your skin type, your main concern and the time of day. Texture matters as much as the ingredient list, because a foaming gel that suits oily skin can leave dry skin feeling stripped. Use the categories below to narrow down what to look for.

• Oily and acne-prone skin: Gel and foaming cleansers suit this skin type because they cut through excess sebum without leaving a residue. Look for salicylic acid, an oil-soluble acid that works inside the pore, or a benzoyl peroxide wash. Benzoyl peroxide reduces the bacteria involved in acne and is one of the most established over-the-counter acne ingredients, usually at 2.5 to 5 percent. With a wash it helps to leave it on for the contact time stated on the label rather than rinsing straight away. Benzoyl peroxide can bleach towels, flannels and bedding, and it may irritate at first. Start with a lower strength a few times a week and build up as your skin tolerates it.
• Dry skin: Cream, lotion and balm cleansers clean without foaming away the lipids that dry skin already lacks. Ingredients like glycerin, ceramides, squalane and fatty acids help replace what washing removes, whilst sulfate-free formulas avoid the tight, squeaky feeling that signals an over-stripped barrier.
• Sensitive skin: A gentle, fragrance-free, pH-balanced cleanser is the safest starting point for reactive or easily flushed skin. Soothing ingredients such as colloidal oatmeal, panthenol (provitamin B5), allantoin and glycerin calm the skin whilst they clean. Avoiding sulfates, essential oils and added fragrance also reduces the risk of stinging. Synthetic detergent (syndet) washes and non-foaming milks tend to be kinder than traditional soap.
• Combination skin: A mild gel or low-foam cleanser usually keeps the oilier T-zone clear without dehydrating the cheeks. If one product cannot do both, a gentle everyday cleanser paired with an occasional exfoliating wash on the oily areas works well.
• Congested or textured skin: If you get clogged pores and rough texture rather than active spots, a gently exfoliating cleanser can help. A low level of glycolic, lactic or mandelic acid used a few times a week keeps pores clearer. These acids are best introduced gradually and balanced with hydration so the barrier is not overworked.
• Mature or ageing skin: Creamy, milky or oil-based cleansers preserve moisture and comfort as skin becomes drier with age. Avoid stripping foams, and favour ingredients like glycerin, ceramides and antioxidants that support the barrier rather than challenge it.
• Rosacea-prone or reactive skin: Very gentle, non-foaming cleansers used with lukewarm water help limit the flushing that heat and harsh surfactants can trigger. Soothing actives such as centella, allantoin and oat are useful, and you can read more about managing the wider condition on our rosacea page.
• Normal skin: A simple gentle gel or cream cleanser is usually all that is needed. The goal here is maintenance, so choose something comfortable that does not leave skin tight and save stronger actives for your treatment steps.

What Ingredients Should You Look for in a Cleanser?

Once you know your skin type, the ingredient list tells you whether a cleanser will support or undermine your barrier. A few categories of ingredient do most of the useful work.

• Gentle surfactants: Surfactants are the agents that lift away oil and grime. Milder options include the amino-acid surfactants sodium cocoyl glycinate and sodium cocoyl isethionate, as well as coco-glucoside. These clean effectively without the tightness that harsh sulfates like sodium lauryl sulfate can cause.
• Humectants: Glycerin, hyaluronic acid and panthenol draw water into the skin and offset the drying effect of washing. They are worth seeking out in any cleanser if your skin tends to feel tight afterwards.
• Barrier lipids: Ceramides, cholesterol, fatty acids and squalane mirror the skin’s own protective layer and help it stay intact through cleansing. These are especially valuable in cleansers for dry, mature or compromised skin.
• Soothing actives: Colloidal oatmeal, allantoin, centella asiatica and bisabolol calm redness and reactivity, which makes them ideal in formulas for sensitive or rosacea-prone skin.
• Active exfoliants: Salicylic acid, glycolic acid and benzoyl peroxide turn a cleanser into a mild treatment for congestion and breakouts. A wash is rinsed off within a minute or two. So these are gentler than the same ingredients in a leave-on product, and they suit people who cannot tolerate strong serums but still want a little extra help.

What is Double Cleansing & Do You Need It?

Double cleansing means washing twice in a row with two different types of cleanser, an approach borrowed from Japanese and Korean routines. It is not compulsory, but it solves a specific problem. Water-based cleansers struggle to remove oil-based things like sunscreen, long-wear makeup and the day’s sebum on their own, so a single wash often leaves residue behind.

• First cleanse, oil-based: Start with an oil cleanser, cleansing balm or micellar water massaged onto dry skin. The oil dissolves sunscreen, makeup and sebum and lifts them away, so the second step can reach the skin underneath.
• Second cleanse, water-based: Follow with a gel, cream or gentle foaming cleanser chosen for your skin type. This clears any remaining residue, sweat and debris and leaves the skin properly clean rather than coated.

Double cleansing is most worthwhile in the evening. It is especially useful for anyone who wears sunscreen daily, uses heavy or long-wear makeup or has oily, congestion-prone skin. In the morning it is rarely necessary, and a single gentle cleanse or even a splash of water is enough. Dry and sensitive skin types can often skip the second cleanse or simplify to one mild product, since washing twice can be too much for them. Whatever you use, lukewarm water and a light touch protect the barrier far better than hot water and vigorous scrubbing.

How Often You Should Cleanse & What to Avoid

For most people, cleansing once or twice a day is plenty. Oily skin usually copes well with a morning and evening wash. Dry, sensitive or mature skin often does better with a night cleanse and a water rinse in the morning. A few common mistakes tend to undo good intentions.

• Over-cleansing: Washing too often or with harsh products strips the barrier and can trigger more oil, dryness and breakouts. If your skin feels tight straight after cleansing, your cleanser is probably too strong.
• Water that is too hot: Hot water feels satisfying but dilates blood vessels and dries the skin. Lukewarm water is gentler and just as effective.
• Scrubbing and rough towels: Vigorous rubbing irritates the skin and the barrier. Massage the cleanser in with your fingertips and pat dry with a soft towel.
• Stacking too many actives: Using an exfoliating cleanser, an acid toner and a strong serum on the same night is a fast route to a damaged barrier. Choose one active step and keep the rest gentle.
• Skipping your evening cleanse: Leaving sunscreen and makeup on overnight clogs pores and interferes with repair. An evening cleanse is the one step worth never missing.

What Does a Toner Actually Do?

Toners have changed a lot. The old astringent, alcohol-heavy versions were designed to strip oil and tighten pores, and they often left skin dry and irritated. Most modern toners do the opposite, adding a light layer of hydration or active ingredients to freshly cleansed skin. A toner is an optional step rather than an essential one, so it is worth choosing one for a specific job rather than out of habit. The main types are grouped by function below.

• Hydrating toners: Built around humectants like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, panthenol and beta-glucan, these top up moisture and prepare the skin to absorb serums. They suit dry, dehydrated and sensitive skin and add comfort without adding actives.
• Exfoliating toners: These contain acids such as glycolic, lactic or salicylic acid to dissolve dead cells, smooth texture and clear congestion. They help oily, dull and acne-prone skin, but they count as an active. Use them a few times a week at most. Avoid layering them with other strong treatments on the same night.
• Microbiome-supporting toners: Formulated with prebiotics, postbiotics, fermented ingredients or a low pH, these aim to keep the skin’s bacterial balance healthy and the barrier calm. They are a good choice for reactive or easily disrupted skin. You can read more about how this ecosystem works in our guide to the skin microbiome.
• Antioxidant and brightening toners: Ingredients like niacinamide, vitamin C derivatives, panthenol and peptides target dullness, uneven tone and early signs of ageing. They layer well under a moisturiser and add a treatment benefit to an otherwise simple step.
• Soothing toners: Centella, allantoin, oat and thermal spring water calm redness and reactivity, which makes them useful for rosacea-prone skin or after using stronger actives. They are among the gentlest toners and rarely cause problems.
• Astringent and pore-refining toners: Traditional witch hazel and alcohol-based toners promise tighter pores and a matte finish, but they frequently over-dry the skin and weaken the barrier over time. Most people do not need them, and if you like the fresh feeling, an alcohol-free version is a kinder choice.

Apply toner to clean skin using your hands or a cotton pad. It goes on after cleansing and before your heavier treatments and moisturiser. How often you tone depends on the product and your skin. So it can range from twice a day for a gentle hydrating toner to every other day for one with exfoliants.

Who Should Use a Toner?

A toner is a useful extra rather than a must-have. Whether it earns a place in your routine depends on your skin and what you want from it. Some people see a clear benefit, whilst others are better off keeping things simple. The groups below tend to gain the most.

• Dry or dehydrated skin: A hydrating toner adds an early layer of moisture, so the skin feels more comfortable. It also helps the products that follow absorb, which makes it an easy way to boost hydration without a heavy cream.
• Oily, congested or acne-prone skin: An exfoliating toner used a few times a week helps keep pores clear and texture smooth. It suits skin that copes well with acids, as long as it is not already dry or irritated.
• Sensitive or rosacea-prone skin: A soothing or microbiome-supporting toner can calm reactivity and help a stressed barrier settle. Gentle, alcohol-free formulas are the safest choice here.
• Dull or ageing skin: An antioxidant or brightening toner adds niacinamide, vitamin C derivatives or peptides early in the routine. This supports an even tone and radiance over time.

Equally, plenty of people do not need a toner at all. If your skin is balanced and comfortable after cleansing and moisturising, a toner is optional and you can skip it without missing out. The same is true if your routine already feels full, since adding more steps rarely improves results on its own.

How to Fit Cleansing & Toning into Your Routine

Once the products are chosen, the order is straightforward. Cleansing comes first, toning is optional and everything else builds on a clean base. A simple structure looks like this.

A morning routine:

1. Cleanse gently or rinse with water if your skin is dry or sensitive.
2. Apply a hydrating or antioxidant toner if you use one.
3. Follow with a serum such as vitamin C, then a moisturiser.
4. Finish with a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher every day.

An evening routine:

1. Double cleanse if you have worn sunscreen or makeup, starting with an oil-based cleanser and following with a water-based one.
2. Apply a toner suited to your skin’s needs if you use one.
3. Apply your treatment to clean, dry skin, for example a Retinoid or prescription tretinoin.
4. Seal everything in with a moisturiser.

Cleansing and toning are the quiet groundwork that the rest of your skincare depends on. Choose a cleanser that suits your skin type and clean gently twice a day. Add a toner only if it solves a specific problem for you. Protect the barrier with lukewarm water and a light touch rather than heat and scrubbing. Get these basics right and the rest of your routine can do its job.

At City Skin Clinic, we believe healthy skin starts with the simple steps done well and built on with the right actives for you. Our doctors design bespoke compounded treatments for concerns like acne and hyperpigmentation, using prescription ingredients such as tretinoin where appropriate tailored to your skin. If you would like a personalised plan, you can book a video consultation or complete our online consultation form. The journey towards great skin starts here.

This article is intended for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult a qualified medical provider for any medical concerns or questions you might have.