I feel like at some point, maybe in our teens?, we were all taught to be afraid of putting anything containing oil on our skin. As if somehow the rate of our revolting teenage skin could and would increase exponentially if we applied something that contained an oil. Even now you can find anything – foundation, moisturizer, sunscreen – with an oil free label slapped on it. The truth is not all oils are bad for all skin types. Take for instance, oil cleansers, they actually do a ton of good and are pretty boss on eye make up (where my oily skin girls at? take note…. they can be amazing for your skin – oil removes oil!) Particularly so going into the winter months when personally, my skin could use an extra bump of moisture, which they absolutely provide. Here are some of my favorites.
Julep “love your bare face” Hydrating Cleansing Oil
The thing about cleansing oils is they are most often all you need to use to remove make up and the dirt that has sneakily settled on your skin throughout the day. This does all of that, as well as contains a blend of antioxidant rich oils to protect your skin from that gross dirt, aka environmental pollution, aka free radicals. It is also lightweight and smells quite pleasant.
Josie Maran Argan Cleansing Oil
This cleansing oil smells amazing! Like apricots. I want to eat it. It is quite a bit heavier feeling when using it, but like all cleansing oils, rinses completely clean leaving behind no greasy residue – only soft and deeply hydrated skin. I seriously bought this for almost all of my girlfriends last Christmas.
You might notice more than a couple Dermalogica products pop up in my posts. That’s because I own a lot of them, have tried them all, and it is currently my go to line to use in my treatment room. This is the first product I use in all of my facial treatments and 9 times out of 10 I immediately hear “….. that smells sooooo good.” And it really does. It also feels super silky and smooth. Dermalogica calls this a precleanse because they promote a double cleansing regimen. I personally use this sometimes on it’s own, and sometimes followed by a second cleanser (you guys, I have a crap ton of cleansers) Either way, it is a staple on my skincare shelf.
I added this to my most recent Sephora order because: 1) I was out of shower gel 2) All youtubers rave about it 3) I needed to add something else to get free shipping. Though I’ve been using it only for a week, I can tell you I already love it. I wouldn’t say it moisturizes my skin to the point of not needing to apply a body moisturizer after my shower, but it does a pretty great job at getting the hydrate/moisturize process started. Also, whoa, a little goes a long way!
What do you love in an oil cleanser? Have any suggestions for me to try (because clearly I need one more oil cleanser.)
As usual, I bought all of these with my own money. And as crazy as it sounds, use all of them too.
Do you recommend any of these for acne-prone skin? I’ve been afraid to try OCM for fear of breakouts and I have no idea where to start!
Good question! I think jumping into using a cleansing oil headfirst is tricky, especially with the concerns of an acne-prone skin type, because what causes a breakout is different for everyone. Out of the oil cleanser I have listed, you may be best suited with the precleanse. Precleanse is a product you can work into your skincare routine without changing it, but rather adding it in as a first step. I know, you don’t need on more step…. it’s all we can do as busy women to get our makeup off at the end of the day, right? But trust me, using precleanse and then washing with your normal cleanser, as a starting point, you will see results. A simple gel cleanser following the precleanse will be great, or another recommendation would be to follow with Demalogica’s medibac cleanser, an adult acne specific cleanser. Those two work really well together. I hope this helps a little. Let us know what you find works for you!