So, we say “use oil to clean your face”, and you say, What??? Well, First! Please don’t fret as we don’t want you to slather your face with oil mindlessly. And, Second! To know what we intend by the aforesaid statement, just keep on reading.
Oil cleansing has been a part of Ayurvedic practice since ancient times. However, Oil Cleansing gained real popularity only with the rise of K-Beauty regime in the western world. At the same time, it also resulted in an upsurge of Beauty brands coming up with their own variants of Cleansing Oils and Balms. Nevertheless, not all Cleansing Oils are made alike and we need to be careful enough while choosing the right one for our skin type and skin state along with being mindful of the ingredients that goes into the formulation of a particular product. We will talk more about this later in the blog but right now; let’s start with what Oil Cleansing really is!
What is Oil Cleansing?
Oil Cleansing is a method of cleaning your skin using a balanced concoction of oils- Often with a certain emulsifier that will turn slightly milky and take off all the oil from the skin. This works on the same concept as Like attracts Like and hence Oil dissolves Oil and every other oil based product be it makeup or sunblock. Cleansing Oils are also resilient enough against the everyday dirt, grime and other environmental aggressors too.
Benefits of Oil Cleansing:
- - Oil Cleansing is the most effective known way of melting and lifting off not just the toughest of makeup but even eliminates excess sebum that our skin produces.
- - Say bye bye to dirt, pollutants and everyday buildup by using a Cleansing Oil
- - Oil Cleansing leads to reduced blackheads and whiteheads over time.
- - Cleansing Oils are dense in nutrients and anti-oxidants. They therefore have anti-ageing and various other skin benefits depending on the oils and extracts used in creating them.
- - They are also beneficial for the health of good microflora that thrives on and off our skin
Who is it for?
It might sound counterintuitive but Cleansing Oils can be used by any and every skin type be it Oily, Acne prone, Super sensitive, Dry, Mature, Combination or Normal. It’s literally for everyone but one has to be cautious of what kind of Cleansing Oil are they putting on their skin and how they are putting it which takes us to the next question which is…
How To of Oil Cleansing and what is Double Cleansing?
This is a Big question but let’s look at it in a simplified way.
The right way to use a Cleansing Oil is taking a small amount of it on hands and massaging it onto the Eye area, Face and neck very gently until the makeup and grime dissolves completely. This would take only around a minute and that’s also the duration that you should let the oil stay on your skin. Always use your fingertips lightly to massage the oil in. Afterwards, wash your face using warm water or clean the face with damp organic cotton pad or soft wash cloth.
Now comes the twist, whether to go ahead with next steps of your skincare regime or clean the face again with a cleanser (and this is what Double Cleansing is). The act of rinsing the face with a gel face wash or powder based cleanser after you have oil cleansed your skin is called Double Cleansing. It is needed for more combination oily skin types or depending on how your skin is feeling post the oil cleanser. The second cleanse will help even further remove any leftovers of impurities in skin.
Q. How many times to use a Cleansing oil?
- Once a day is more than enough for Oil Cleansing. It would be better to include this step during your nighttime skincare routine.
Q Do I use hot or cold water to cleanse?
Lukewarm to warm water would be more suitable for the procedure. A big no to hot or cold water as they won’t do the needful.
- Gleam is made with lightweight non-comedogenic oils and gentle ingredients. Suited for all skin types whether it’s Dry, Combination, Oily, Mature or Sensitive. Conduct a patch test before use if you are sensitive to certain ingredients! :)
This ends our little Cleansing Oil guide for you. We hope that we were able to provide you with some clarity on the topic. To your lovely skin, Cheers!
