Accueil > Le blog Anne Semonin

Clean Start: The Secret to Beautiful Skin Begins Here

02/01/2026

January means new beginnings. After festive indulgences, skin often loses its glow and comfort — the perfect moment to give it a complete reset. Some steps seem simple or insignificant… until you realize they change everything. Cleansing is one of these fundamental yet often underestimated gestures, while it determines the effectiveness of your entire beauty routine.
Before serums and creams, before any treatment… there is cleansing.

At Anne Semonin, we consider cleansing not as a mere formality, but as the first step of a skincare ritual - the one that prepares, balances, purifies, and reveals the skin's natural beauty. Skin freed from impurities breathes better, regenerates faster, and absorbs active ingredients more effectively… in other words, it performs at its full potential.
Welcome to the art of cleansing by Anne Semonin: a preparatory ritual where efficacy, naturality, and sensoriality converge.

Why is Cleansing the First Essential Skincare Step?

Throughout the day, the skin accumulates:

Pollution particles
Excess sebum
Makeup residue

At night, the skin engages in its natural repair and renewal cycle. By morning, cleansing away the impurities and surface residues produced during this process helps the skin function at its best.

These elements build up in the hydrolipidic film, clog pores, and impair the skin's radiance.

The Science Behind It

1) Pollution & Dullness: Airborne particles oxidize sebum and create oxidative stress. The result: duller skin that shows signs of fatigue more quickly. Proper cleansing then becomes an essential step to preserve radiance and youthfulness.

2) The Importance of Gentle Cleansing: Overly aggressive cleansers weaken the skin's barrier and increase sensitivity. Conversely, gentle, natural formulas preserve hydration and optimize the absorption of subsequent treatments.

3) Cleansing Influences the Skin Microbiome & Treatment Efficacy: Research shows that certain formulations (cleansing oils, balms enriched with postbiotics) preserve or rebalance the skin microbiote and can improve hydration and the skin's response. Recent studies indicate that an adapted routine (gentle cleanser + pre/postbiotic ingredients) increases markers of hydration and skin repair. Clean, balanced skin is therefore more receptive to targeted active ingredients.

Double Cleansing: An Essential Ritual

During the day, the skin's barrier is continuously challenged.
And whenever there is makeup, sunscreen, pollution, or excess sebum, a single cleanse is no longer enough.
Double cleansing is a ritual inspired by professional aesthetics and Asian skincare routines. It is based on a simple logic:

Step 1 – Oil-Based or Milky Makeup Removal
→ Dissolves makeup, sunscreen, lipophilic particles, and greasy impurities.
Step 2 – Water-Based or Clarifying Cleansing
→ Removes hydrophilic particles and purifies the skin deeply.

Thanks to this two-step process, the skin is perfectly clean but never stripped, ready to receive treatments optimally.

The Art of Cleansing by Anne Semonin

1. Makeup Removal: The First Step of Double Cleansing

Botanical Milk
A 2-in-1 treatment that cleanses with infinite delicacy. Its melting, ultra-light texture:

Eliminates makeup and impurities,
Respects the hydrolipidic film,
Soothes with hazelnut oil,
Rebalances with seaweed extracts.

Ideal for:

A pre-cleanse
Dry and sensitive skin
Those who love milky, cocooning textures.

[Discover]

2. Deep & Expert Cleansing

Pro-B Cleansing Balm

At the heart of the Clean Start ritual, this balm reinvents cleansing. Its transforming texture supports every step for an expertly precise cleanse:

Rich Balm: clings to surface impurities from the very first application for an initial gentle lift
Melting Oil (as you massage): dissolves makeup, excess sebum and pollution particles — thanks to its oil phase that captures lipophilic impurities
Silky Milk (on contact with water): rinses away effortlessly, leaving skin fresh, comfortable and without any greasy film.

Enriched with a postbiotic complex, it strengthens the skin microbiome, an element now recognized as essential to:

Helps reduce feelings of discomfort,
Protect the skin from aggressors,
Delay premature aging.

It removes pollution particles and deep impurities without disrupting the skin’s balance. An expert, gentle, and preventative cleanse suitable for all skin types, even the most delicate.
[Discover]

3. The Toner to Tone and Regulate

After cleansing, the skin is ready to be rebalanced. This is the moment to apply a toner to tone and refine the skin. At Anne Semonin, you have two options: the Marine Toner or the Botanical Toner.

Marine Toner
It purifies, regulates, and tones. Formulated with mineral salts, and marine and plant extracts, it has mattifying, purifying, and rebalancing properties.

Ideal for:

Combination to oily skin,
Blemish-prone skin,
Hot or humid climates (or in summer),
Men (as an after-shave).

It leaves the skin clear, fresh, and ready to receive serum and cream.
[Discover]

Botanical Toner
This toner is enriched with trace elements and plant extracts. It:

Soothes sensitive skin,
Provides instant hydration,
Helps the skin look more revitalized,
Prepares the skin for a deeper cleanse.

Its fluid, fresh, and enveloping texture offers a soft and delicate sensory experience.
[Discover]

4. The Weekly Treatment: Exfoliation

Exfoliating Mask

A 2-in-1 exfoliating mask that is natural, gentle, and effective.
Thanks to red algae and rice powder, it removes dead skin cells, refines skin texture, helps eliminate blackheads, revives the skin's radiance, and prepares it for treatments.

To be used: