Triple Cleansing Is the New Summer Skin Hack I Learned After a Music Festival

Although summer are the time I wear the least makeup, it’s still the time I’m most likely to deal with skin issues. Acne, dermatitis, skin barrier concerns, dry patches—you name it. It makes sense, of course: All that sweat, excess heat, and dust in the air is not kind to my skin.The culprit of many of my skin woes this year has been long days in the sun, usually at music festivals or by the beach for hours with friends. As fun as it is, I get home at night to my face covered in dried sweat, dirt, dust, and god-knows-what-else from a day outside. At first, I’d make sure to hop in the shower as soon as I got home to scrub myself from head to toe. But I quickly learned that one cleanse wasn’t nearly enough, especially if I was coated in layers of sunscreen.While attending Lollapalooza last weekend, I tried something new: I wiped my face with a makeup remover wipe as soon as the day was over to get my face clean immediately, then I sudsed up with a cleansing balm and gentle cleanser to make sure every last bit of grime was removed. And for the first time all year, I didn’t leave the weekend with a face covered in breakouts or bumps.Why triple cleansing? I’m no stranger to double cleansing in general. I have acne-prone, oily skin and wear a full face of makeup most days; one wash usually isn’t enough to get everything off. But my go-to has always been a cleansing balm or micellar water, followed by a gentle gel cleanser. Double cleansing became mega popular once Korean skincare made its way stateside, but it’s evaded trend status at this point. Oil-based cleansers are the best way to break down sebum on your face and remove zinc-based mineral sunscreen.But triple cleansing? That was new. It all started when I was meeting with Jessica Maciejewski, principal scientist at Kenvue (the parent company of Neutrogena) before the first day of Lollapalooza. She put a huge emphasis on the importance of double cleansing after the festival day, shoving the brand’s Hydro Boost wipes and gel cleanser into my bag to test that evening. I was excited to enact my usual double cleansing method that night when I got back to the hotel, but as I touched my face and felt gritty sand and dust sticking to the dried sweat all over, I felt like I might need a bit more. And it all clicked: Maybe a quick cleanse just as I was leaving the grounds was the move to get all that grime off my face ASAP, then I could follow it up with my true cleansing method. Three cleanses is a lot, but for a special occasion, maybe it’d be worth it.Beth Gillette/CosmopolitanMy skin before cleansing... although my makeup looks fine, my skin felt so irritated after all the sweat and grime buildup.Beth Gillette/CosmopolitanAfter the triple cleanse routine (and a much-needed shower).The Hydro Boost wipes are easily my favorite makeup remover wipes. I try to avoid wipes for daily use (beauty creates enough waste as it is, let’s not fill up landfills with even more of it), but they’re perfect while traveling and on special occasions when you really need to quickly remove makeup. I love that these not only help get rid of the makeup on my skin, but they really do leave my face feeling hydrated. The texture is also super soft—never scratchy. I just stuffed a small pack of them in my purse to use as I was walking off the grounds and didn’t care about my makeup anymore.Add Cosmopolitan as a preferred source in your Google search results.Use your Google account to add this to your settings.Neutrogena Hydro Boost Facial Cleansing WipesNow 25% OffReale Actives Get Bare Cleansing BalmNeutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Facial CleanserNow 29% OffThen, once I got to the hotel, it wasn’t such a dire situation to get my makeup off immediately. I went in with my favorite makeup remover, Reale Active’s Get Bare Cleansing Balm (it’s fantastic for acne-prone skin), which helps further break down any foundation, concealer, etc. and sunscreen. But the best part of this routine is actually my final cleanse with the Hydro Boost Gel Cleanser. It’s pretty no-frills, but that’s precisely why I love it. The formula suds up into a light foam that is easy to massage all over my face to get super clean. But it doesn’t leave my skin stripped or dry at all—just clean and soft.Afterward, I go in with my usual skincare routine (mandelic acid serum, growth factors, and moisturizer), but my cleansers really were the star of the show.My resultsBeth Gillette/CosmopolitanAfter four days at the festival, my skin looked shockingly good. Normally, even one day sweating at Coachella or Gov Ball would cause me to break out or get bumps all over my forehead from all the dust. But I left the weekend with the same complexion I got there with (albeit maybe a bit drier, but that’s to be expected when I don’t pack my full skincare routine of hydrating masks, serums, and barrier creams).Will I triple cleanse all the time? Hell no. Who has time for that!? But when my skin is seriously dirty, the triple cleanse is called for.Why trust Cosmopolitan? Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with eight years of experience researching, writing, and editing hair, makeup, nail, and fragrance stories.Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.