Best Facial Cleansing Oil

Clear skin is healthy skin – right? Skin that is fresh and bright with a smooth, healthy glow, no blotchiness, and nearly invisible pores is the goal of any good skincare routine, right? Well, since cleansing and detoxification are the absolute foundation of any good skincare routine, then you probably know about facial cleansers. In your search for clear, radiant skin– foamy facial cleansers, gels, soaps, creams, and liquid soaps of all kinds, and then there are exfoliants, scrubs, toners, and astringents, masks, and cleansing devices…

Along the way, you’ve probably also heard about the oil-cleansing method – i.e., using an oil to remove the daily makeup and grime from your face too, well – remove oils from your skin… If you have tried it, you probably had an interesting experience, to say the least, since “oil” and “skin” don’t seem like a great combination. The whole concept of cleansing oils has grown in popularity even though they seem like a counterintuitive way to clean your face. For many people, the entire idea of using oil to cleanse the skin is plain crazy…

A little background is fundamental here for this to make sense, and it all comes down to Chemistry: 101 – it takes oil to dissolve another oil. Period. It is as simple as that. Any skin cleanser that is water activated will not dissolve cosmetic waxes, excess skin oils, and daily grime – it will remove surface debris at best. That means, when you think you are seriously cleansing your skin with the biggest, baddest facial cleanser or acid wash cleanser on the market, you know that is how to get your skin really clean to minimize big pores and get skin deep down clean, right? WRONG!!

I cannot possibly count the number of times someone has asked me, “Emily, what is the best natural cleanser for aging skin, and “what is the best skin cleanser for oily skin and large pores”? Well, my answer all comes down to this simple fact – if you want to radically change the look and feel of your skin and minimize large pores, dissolving daily grime and embedded oils and waxes in and on the skin is NOT an option! The concept of oil cleansing is very sound – however, the oils you can use to do this and the techniques on how to do this vary. All too often, it sends the user back through the revolving door of trial and error in the world of skin cleansers, and they land right back where they started. Frustrated and jaded… 

For this very reason, I created my version of the classic “oil cleanse.” It takes the guesswork out of which oil is best for what skin type and has the plant-based ingredients combined with these amazing oils to dissolve excess sebum quickly and cosmetic waxes that congest the skin, create blotchy skin, and enlarge the pores. Using this BEFORE you use your favorite skin cleanser will allow that product to dig deeper into the skin, delivering that ultimate skin cleansing experience and the results you want to achieve.

That said, all oils aren’t created equally: “There’s a big difference between applying cosmetically formulated cleansing oils versus rubbing olive oil from your kitchen onto your skin. You can use oils to clean your face; picking the correct can be a problem, and with that, it is trial and error – cleansing oils don’t work for everyone.

Taking the guesswork out of which oil to use for effective “oil cleansing” is why I created Pre-Cleanse and Detox… it’s my ultimate “oil cleansing” method that is balanced, clean, and takes the guesswork out of this whole cleansing approach. This fresh, detoxifying gelee’ will instantly melt makeup, dissolve excess skin oils, remove environmental toxins and surface debris that is ideal for all skin types. 

Personally, at the end of the day, I massage a generous amount of this ultra-fresh, oil dissolving gelee’ onto dry skin – face neck and eye area, then add just a touch of warm water to work it into the skin, which turns the oil to a light, milky consistency and massage it into the skin for a minimum of 60 seconds, so the product has time to melt surface build-up and grime. Then, I apply a very warm, damp washcloth to my face for about 20 seconds (this will feel amazing), then gently wipe the skin clean to reveal even-toned, deeply clean skin that is actually BREATHING!

Oil cleaning is terrific when it is done correctly (which is why I created my own to take the guesswork out of this). However, for you mavericks out there who like to go rogue, who want to try this out for yourself, here are a few guidelines that can help you navigate your way.

What Oils Are Best for DIY Oil Cleansing?

• Jojoba (all skin types, but very desirable for acne-prone skin)
• Sweet Almond (all skin types, especially oily)
• Grapeseed (all skin types, especially oily)
• Avocado (dry and aging skin)
• Sunflower Seed (all skin types)
• Olive (all skin types)*
• Apricot Kernel (dry, aging, and normal skin)
• Argan (all skin types, especially aging skin … very pricey)
• Tamanu (all skin types … very expensive)

* You may ask, “Is coconut oil good for your face?”, you’ll probably want to stay away from coconut oil for oil cleansing, as it is a known comedogenic and may clog your pores and exacerbate blackheads.

Beauty From The Inside Out

Beautiful skin as an inside job! The foundation of my skincare practice has always addressed aging and problem skin conditions from the inside out.  Getting to the root causes of any skin disorder is an absolute must for lasting changes and for the most dramatic results to be achieved, and nutrition, diet, nutrition, and gut health is foundational for beautiful clear glowing skin! When you combine a topical and nutritional program together results are very impressive and much quicker than topical treatments alone.