Facial cleansing with oil seems like an oxymoron to most of us in the west, but oil based cleansing has been popular for centuries in the Middle East and Japan. It’s hard to believe that putting more oil on your skin can make it look fantastic but cold-pressed, unrefined oils from nuts and vegetables are amazing cleansers. Cleansing with oil has many benefits that regular cleansing does not:

• maintains the moisture balance of the skin
• does not “strip” the skin
• dissolves impurities, especially makeup and pollution
• effectively delivers anti-oxidants to the skin
• excellent for even the most sensitive of skins

Cleansing with oil, not surprisingly, is great for drier skins. What may surprise you is that cleansing oils are also excellent for oily skins, too. In particular, oil cleansers will help to dissolve blackheads and other oil/sebum based blockages.

Oil cleansers have been available in the US for some time now, but have been more of a cult product known only to those in the beauty industry and only available from a few brands such as Shu Uemera. Recently, however, mainstream brands have cottoned on to the wonders of oil cleansers, and introduced their own versions.

Clarins recently introduced their Pure Melt Cleansing Gel 3.9 oz ($30) which starts out as a gel in the tube, then turns into an oil as you massage it onto dry skin. It then rinses off like a milk with warm water. The active ingredient is Marula Oil, which Clarins says rebalances the hydrolipidic film of the skin. I tried this for over a month, and I was quite happy with it. It certainly seemed to clean my skin well, had a light, not over-the-top fragrance and rinsed off easily.

Lancôme followed soon after with Huile Douceur ($34.50). This is a true oil cleanser, which is also safe to use on the eyes, removing even waterproof mascara. It contains White Lotus and Japan Cedar Bud; it has a stronger fragrance than the Clarins, but it is not overwhelming. I tried this for a month as well, and preferred it over the Clarins product. My skin looked and felt better after using this product. It is a little bit harder to rinse-off (I used a flannel to speed things up), but I felt that was worth it given the results.

Both of these products gave good results, definitely better than regular cleansers, but my favorite and most effective oil cleansers are homemade ones. The two recipes below smell delicious, are easy to make and will keep your skin looking great. Apply to dry skin, massage in to dissolve impurities, and then emulsify with very warm (almost hot) water. I then use a flannel soaked in very warm water to remove. Your skin should feel soft and velvety afterwards, not greasy.

Almond Cleansing Oil

4 tablespoons sweet almond oil
1 tablespoon apricot kernel oil
Contents of 6 Vitamin E capsules
6 drops sandalwood essential oil
6 drops mandarin essential oil
6 drops lavender essential oil

Combine all the oils thoroughly and store in a dark glass bottle. Shake well before each use.

Coconut Cleansing Oil

3 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
½ oz cocoa butter
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons macadamia or sweet almond oil

Heat the coconut oil and cocoa butter very gently in a saucepan until just melted. Allow to cool slightly before adding remaining oils. Pour into a small pot. This will be like a balm. If you prefer it thicker, keep in the refrigerator.

Have you tried cleansing with oil? Do you want some more hints and tips? Then head on over to the Blissfully Domestic Forum and have a chat with me!

Sarah Vitsas used to be a beauty executive before becoming a SAHM to two under two! Now she writes about her journey towards being a Chic Mummy at her blog Chic Mummy.

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