The one where she shows off her favorite cleansers

If I'm wearing anything on my face other than a non-SPF-containing moisturizer, I have to double cleanse before I go to bed. Otherwise, things go along swimmingly for a while, and then one day, I discover icky clogged pores. Or milia. NO THANK YOU.

The only thing worse than going to bed with your makeup on is going to bed with SPF residue on your face. That stuff can be the worst.

For a while I was in love with micellar water. It was so easy, and didn't involve waiting for the water in my bathroom pipes to become comfortably warm. But I found that swiping my face with a cotton pad or two of Bioderma micellar water wasn't good enough. It's the same with makeup wipes. Don't let them fool you; they are a lick and a promise and nothing more. I don't care if, like me, you think of yourself as a dry-skinned person who basically never breaks out and can skimp on cleansing. IT WILL CATCH UP WITH YOU.

So, first I melt off the makeup and/or SPF product with an oil-based cleanser. Think the Wicked Witch of the West. "I'm melting ... melting ..."

I have tried several cleansing oils, and find some very heavy. They rinse off fine, but massaging them into my skin feels like a lot of work and leaves my skin reddened. I like DHC's Gentle Touch cleansing oil very much, but it's hard to find in stores. MAC's version is fragrance-free and is available at Ulta, MAC stores, department stores, etc.

To make sure I've removed every bit of makeup, I follow with this foaming cleanser. It's a low-pH, unscented cleanser that produces a lovely, soft cushiony foam and rinses clean, leaving my skin clean but not stripped. I've found it on Amazon, eBay, and Sally Beauty. It's dirt cheap and lasts forever, because you only need a pea-sized dab of it.

Once or twice a week I use my trusty ancient Clarisonic Mia. I'm a huge fan of chemical exfoliants (which I'll discuss in another post) but nothing is easier and more cost effective than a physical exfoliator. I tend to use it in the shower so I can use it on my neck and upper chest without spraying water all over my bathroom.

That's it. I still keep a bottle of Bioderma micellar water around, mostly for freshening up my face when I get up in the morning. And I find that I don't need eye makeup removers; the cleansing oil takes care of that for me.

OMG how did I become such a minimalist????