Scouted: Simplify Your Skincare Routine With Merit Beauty’s New Double Cleanse Formula

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Unlike many beauty brands that roll out a slew of new products on the regular, Merit Beauty has always been strategic in its approach to new releases. Everything they launch fills a gap in the growing clean beauty market, and newly launched Great Skin Double Cleanse is no exception.

This oil-free, bi-phase foaming cleanser combines the power of a makeup remover and cleanser into a one-and-done product that streamlines your skincare routine. Plus, unlike many cleansers that promise to give the skin a deep clean, Merit’s new formula is actually gentle and non-stripping.

I gave this two-in-one cleanser a test drive for a few weeks to see if it could substitute my two favorite double cleansing products: True Botanicals Ginger Turmeric Cleansing Balm and The Outset’s Micellar Antioxidant Cleanser. Considering these two products cost an astounding $84, a $32 cleanser would definitely be the budget-friendly skincare salve I’ve been on the hunt for. Read ahead for my thoughts.

It cleanses and hydrates at the same time

The Great Skin Double Cleanse is a bi-phase cleanser, so to use it, you’ll need to shake it up and watch as the potion combines into what looks like an iced latte.

Merit recommends anywhere from two to four pumps to cleanse your skin, but I often found that two wasn’t enough to thoroughly remove all my makeup, especially on days when I was wearing a full face of heavy makeup.

For me, four pumps was the perfect sweet spot to thoroughly cover my face. I applied it and used circular, smooth motions for about 30 seconds to gently emulsify the cleanser and break down makeup, before rinsing with warm water. You can apply the cleanser on either wet or dry skin, but I found I had to use more product if I went with dry skin.

Whereas other mainstream makeup removers and face washes struggle to strip away hard-to-remove waterproof mascara and smudgy, residual eyeliner, the Great Skin Double Cleanse completely removes all traces.

Merit Beauty Great Skin Double CleanseThis two-in-one, oil-free cleanser is gentle enough to use both morning and night. See At Merit Beauty$32

Skin soothing ingredients that nourish—not strip

The Great Skin Double Cleanse is infused with a slew of hydration-boosting ingredients, including oat-derived surfactants, that effectively dissolve makeup, sunscreen, and other debris without stripping. It also contains polyhydroxy acid (PHA) and plant-derived humectants that gently exfoliate your skin while sealing in moisture to counteract irritation.

Affordable and versatile

As I age, it seems that the beauty world becomes more focused on promoting more complicated, time-consuming, and costly skincare routines.

I quickly found that this does-it-all cleanser outperformed a number of my go-to skincare staples, effortlessly removing makeup and impurities while hydrating and exfoliating my skin at the same time. This is a game-changer for busy mornings and nights when I need a reliable, effective product that doesn’t hold up my schedule.

Sensitive skin-approved

Last but certainly not least, the Great Skin Double Cleanse works wonders on sensitive skin. My late-thirties skin tends to be very acne and breakout-prone, but this gentle cleanser didn’t irritate or inflame my skin in the slightest.

Even when I apply the product around my eyes, I don’t experience any stinging or burning sensation, which is a rarity for those of us with delicate under-eye areas.

If you’re on the hunt for a gentle, effective, and affordable facial cleanser that gives you a double cleanse with a single product, Great Skin Double Cleanse is the one-and-done solution missing from your lineup.