Being someone with skin oilier than a KFC bucket, the idea of cleansing oil seemed more than impossible. So you remove oil, by adding more oil!? Such abomination! Then the double cleansing method got popular and I, like other hype-influenced people, jumped on the bandwagon. I was skeptical, but I haven't looked back since.
Just like the ol' chemistry principle, like dissolves like, so do the oils on your face. So the "good oils" from the cleansing oil will break down the "bad oils" on your face, and that'll remove the gunk, dirt, and other icky stuff that can clog your pores. Koreans swear by the double-cleansing method, that is washing your face with an oil cleanser first, then following it up with a gentle foam cleanser.
Tons of brands have their own cleansing oils, but I prefer Korean ones a lot more. My last cleansing oil was Innisfree's Apple Juicy Cleansing Oil, it was great, but anything apple-scented aren't really my thing so the smell put me off at times. As I've always loved Skinfood, I thought I'd give their cleansing oil a go.
Just like the ol' chemistry principle, like dissolves like, so do the oils on your face. So the "good oils" from the cleansing oil will break down the "bad oils" on your face, and that'll remove the gunk, dirt, and other icky stuff that can clog your pores. Koreans swear by the double-cleansing method, that is washing your face with an oil cleanser first, then following it up with a gentle foam cleanser.
Tons of brands have their own cleansing oils, but I prefer Korean ones a lot more. My last cleansing oil was Innisfree's Apple Juicy Cleansing Oil, it was great, but anything apple-scented aren't really my thing so the smell put me off at times. As I've always loved Skinfood, I thought I'd give their cleansing oil a go.
Product Description
A cleansing oil featuring rich black sugar, refined rice wine, and six botanical oils to effectively remove makeup and for a smooth, clean complexion. Botanical oils work effectively to remove oil based makeup and impurities for a cleaner, clearer complexion without a sticky residue.
The ingredients are all in Korean, but the first ingredient is mineral oil. Some people have issues with mineral oil, so this cleansing oil isn't for everyone.
Packaging
The packaging's pretty simple, it comes in a plastic bottle which is bigger than my previous cleansing oil. Great, more product! Skinfood does have a knack for... unique packaging. In some way, they're always associated with food. Tomatoes, milk, rice, and now, sugar. The bottle looks kind of rustic, like something from the countryside. The labels on both sides aren't those cheap labels that look disgusting after getting water on them, they hold their shape really well. I'm all about pristine makeup & skincare packaging, I store my products in their original boxes (I never throw them out).
It comes with a pump that disperses a quarter-sized dollop of oil, one pump is enough for my whole face. The clip is really handy! It's great for travelling (and shipping) so you don't accidentally end up with a greasy luggage looking like a soggy french fry.
Performance
This cleansing oil is runny, it almost doesn't feel like oil. It's gentle on the skin, as it doesn't strip all your facial oils. It smells like burnt caramel cookies with a tinge of lemon. I actually like the smell, it reminds me of my mom's CNY baked goods. I'd smell this over apples any day.
For those wondering, here's how to use it:
- Wash your hands and dry them with a clean towel. This is important, both your hands and your face must be dry, or it won't work as effectively.
- Pump the oil once or twice onto your palms, everyone has different needs so you can adjust first. You can rub them between your palms first.
- Massage the oil into your skin. Use gentle, circular motions directing outwards, really get it in there but don't be rough to your skin. As you massage, your makeup melts away and so do other impurities.
- Add a little bit of water and massage again to emulsify the oil. It'll turn into something milky, keep adding water until all of it has emulsified.
- Rinse your face a few more times, I do this to make sure I don't have leftover grease on my face.
- Follow up with a gentle foam cleanser.
I don't double-cleanse everyday, to be honest, I only do it whenever I have makeup on. But I do double-cleanse after a day of exercise or outdoor sports, or just days when I feel a little more special and need some stress relieve.
This cleansing oil claims to remove all your makeup, so I put it to a test. Here's my arm full of makeup:
From left to right:
- NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer
- Tony Moly Easy Touch Auto Eyebrow Pencil
- YSL Dessin Du Regard Waterproof Eye Liner
- Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner
- Etude House Color My Brows
- Lancöme Hynôse Doll Lashes Mascara Waterproof (this one doesn't budge, extremely hard to remove!)
- YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick
- Innisfree Vivid Tint Rouge
I used only one pump of oil, and massaged it into my hands for 2 minutes. It took quite a bit of pressure to really dissolve all that makeup away. If you massage it long enough, you can actually feel and see some of your blackheads coming off, if you use this daily I'm sure the results can be significant.
 |
| Rubbin dat in. |
Surprisingly, the Stila eyeliner held up! I was expecting the Lancome mascara to stay put, but it was completely removed. All of the other makeup was succesfully removed. Strangely, the Stila eyeliner can usually be removed easily with a water-based remover. Maybe some formulas just work better with oils.
I don't usually remove eye makeup with a cleansing oil, actually. I typically use my favorite Bifesta eye makeup remover, then moving on with a cleansing oil to remove base makeup. I dislike rubbing my eyes with oil, so I use cotton pads and Q-tips to gently wipe off lash-hugging mascaras.
After rinsing the cleansing oil, my arm felt smoother but it wasn't very significant. As for moisturizing properties, I always follow up with a foam cleanser. But it does clean up my pores, especially after a tiring day, when your only finishing powder is dirt.
In conclusion, Skinfood's Black Sugar Perfect Cleansing Oil is a great pick-me-up, it cleanses your pores and does leave you feeling fresh. It smells like burnt caramel baked goods and lemon juice. But I don't recommend this for eye makeup removal, especially when you need more pressure to rub your delicate eye area. I do recommend this for base makeup removal, or for days when your face needs more cleaning and pampering.
And that is the end of this review, you can get this at Korea Depart and w2beauty, I got mine from KoreaBuys (warning: shipping took a month) at around $20. With 20 bucks you get 200 ml of product, for me that's quite a lot, but then again I don't use it on a daily basis.
With hugs and kisses, until next time.
