What is Oil Cleansing?

Oil cleansing is not just the latest TikTok skincare craze—it can be a monumental addition to your regime. 

By: Nicolette Cavallaro

Skincare has become overwhelming lately, with every influencer giving different advice, promoting new products, and trying new methods to maintain ‘perfect’ skin. Most of the time, these trends come and go and aren’t highly crucial to add to your maintenance routine. However, oil cleansing is not to be overlooked. Oil cleansers make a fantastic addition to your everyday face routine and can help fight through makeup, sunscreen, and other products that build up on the skin and dissolve them. This is based on the principle of like dissolves like – with many oil-based makeup products requiring oil to truly clean them away instead of regular water-based cleaners. 

For people with oily, sensitive, acne-prone skin, the idea of adding more oils to the face may set off warning bells.  While it may seem counterproductive, these face oils can help prevent skin stripping or the over-drying effect that can be caused by acne medication. 

With so many cleansing oils out there, finding one that is a good fit for you and your skin can be challenging. One aspect to focus on is the different blends of oils, which can have unique nourishing benefits. Oils with sunflower and grapeseed are popular because they are less likely to leave a film on the skin. It is also essential to find an oil that does not use coconut, apricot kernel, jojoba, or olive oil since these are pore-clogging and comedogenic.

Now that you have found your oil cleanser of choice, it’s time to change up your skincare regime. Experts recommend using it during your nighttime routine since it is perfect for dissolving dirt, makeup, sunscreen, and all the other gunk that's accumulated on your face throughout the day. Your new oil should be the first step of your routine while your skin is still dry. Rub it in a little, and then add a little water to help massage it. If you wear makeup, focus on the spots with heavier application to help disintegrate the leftover products. Finally, rinse with warm water and follow up with your regular face wash. 

Of course, it is essential to pay attention to your skin in the days and weeks following adding this step to your routine. If you notice any concerning reactions or bad breakouts, finding a different cleanser or stopping oil cleansing altogether may be best. While this addition may not work for everyone, it can still be a game changer for skincare.