Now I’ve tried the Dr. Lewinn’s 4 Fusion Cleansing Oil, I’m mulling a return to using cleansing oils!

I have one major flaw in character, and that’s sticking quite closely to my beliefs and principle. Usually, once I make up my mind about something, for better or worse, I stick with it. It’s both a boon and a bane. The latter, mostly because it means I have a tendency to close my mind off to options that aren’t in line with my choices, simply because I have the impression I won’t like it.

This is what happened when I was introduced to the Dr. Lewinn’s 4 Fusion Cleansing Oil. A cleansing oil. BAH! I’d given up on cleansing oils! They made my skin so dehydrated and dry, I hadn’t used one in years and I’d tell everyone that I was a cleansing balm user, and proud of it.

But you know what? I love being proven wrong. I love when my convictions start to waver in the face of a product that is everything anathema to me, yet does everything the opposite of how I feel about it.

The Dr. Lewinn’s 4 Fusion Cleansing Oil is one such product. It flies against everything I believe about cleansing oils – over cleansing, dehydrating, pore-clogging, eye-smarting – and just made me believe in cleansing oil again. I LOVE THAT! And this! 😀

Dr. Lewinn’s is a brand that hails from Australia, and is one I’m not unfamiliar with. I used to swear by their S8 Super Hydrator serum (thanks to my friend, Tine) and would ask for it all the time from Australia. But for some reason, it’s disappeared off the shelves and become very hard to find, and so, I never blogged about it and eventually moved on to other hydrating serums. I have been told however, it might be making a comeback – let’s see!

The Dr. Lewinn’s 4 Fusion Cleansing Oil functions pretty much like most cleansing oils. This is your first cleanse, and I have to tell you that it’s also fantastic at removing makeup. All makeup. Even eye makeup for me (although I’d recommend you remove that first for reasons you can read here). Occasionally however, when I’m just too tired in the evening, I go at my eye makeup with this oil cleanser and it does a fantastic job. Cleans off every trace of makeup and so importantly, does not make my eyes smart or go cloudy! Ever experienced that with other cleansing oils? Ugh, I hate that! That said, I don’t use very thick makeup, nor strong waterproof makeup or mascara, but it gets rid of my long-wear shadows and liners easily so if you don’t pile on the makeup, this works beautifully.

This is a typical cleansing oil that emulsifies, so you don’t need a face cloth (although I occasionally use one) which I know suits many of you. I use a minimum of 3 pumps which I find gives me the best amount of product to work on dry skin comfortably without tugging on my skin. While it’s tempting to save on product by using less, my experience with cleansing oils is that you do need a significant amount, in order to properly work into your skin while massaging. If you’ve never used a cleansing oil or aren’t sure if you’re using it right, read my tips here.

I find the texture a little thick, like a true oil. It has that oily feel as well, although it emulsifies quite quickly and easily to leave your skin feeling clean and comfortable without any residue.

The most important thing for me, and what made me appreciate this cleansing oil after swearing off them for years, is that it truly is not dehydrating at all. I have a thing against cleansing oils because through experience, I’ve found that they tend to strip the oils from my skin too much, leaving it dehydrated. All that regular deep cleansing that a cleansing oil boasts to do, isn’t good for your skin. Some clog my pores and break me out.

This one doesn’t. Not only is it not dehydrating, it does not clog my pores one bit, and does not make my skin feel stripped after use. The 4 oils used are the following:-

• Rosehip oil – regeneration and hydration
• Tamanu Oil – firm and boost elasticity
• Argan Oil – nourish and protect
• Baobab Oil – rich in Vitamin A, C, D, E & F and Omega 3, 6 and 9

From my experience, these are all very good oils and I was pleasantly surprised to find them all in this. I cannot say for certain that all their benefits actually do anything, since we wash it off anyway, but I believe it’s these oils and the way this cleansing oil has been formulated, that makes it so nourishing for my skin.

It feels like a thick luxurious oil and I seem to feel like this may even be good for my skin. After cleansing, my skin doesn’t feel stripped, as there almost seems to be a layer of protection on my skin that makes it feel soft and supple. There isn’t (I’ve gone without the second cleanse, and my toner doesn’t bring up any residue on my cotton pad) but it feels very comfortable. It sure makes taking off my makeup a breeze (I ran out of cleansing waters LOL!). I usually follow up with a second cleanse (currently, the Cerave Hydrating Cleanser) but sometimes I don’t and my skin feels fine.

I love the product so much, I’m happy to admit I could be wrong about cleansing oils. Not all are crap. I did find one I liked before this, but it was very expensive and honestly, this one’s far better and I’d not hesitate to tell you to try it, if you too would prefer to use a cleansing oil (as opposed to a balm) just for ease of makeup removal.

There are a couple of things that do bug me however (I haven’t yet found a perfect product – sigh 😛 ).

The packaging shits me big time. Mine leaks, so it messes up my bathroom counter with all the oil splotches. I did not store it on it’s side and the pump isn’t loose. It just leaks. I can’t travel with it for this reason and that really bugs me because when you travel, you want something that can multi-task and a cleansing oil does that!

The other thing I’m not big on is the scent. It’s not unpleasant nor is it too strong. It’s just an oil scent that reminds me a lot of how most rosehip oil smells. That slightly “off” scent. It isn’t off because it doesn’t smell rancid, but it makes me think of that.

I don’t personally find this expensive as I only use it once a day and I’m only about 1/3 of the way through after over a month’s use, despite my heavy handed approach, but price is subjective 🙂 I am really in love with this cleansing oil, for the simple reason that it’s made me appreciate using a cleansing oil again! 🙂

IN A NUTSHELL

The Dr. Lewinn’s 4 Fusion Cleansing Oil is a typical cleansing oil that emulsifies on contact with water. I suggest 3 pumps on dry hands and face, massage, then gently emulsify slowly before rinsing. It removes makeup beautifully, even eye makeup, without stinging the eyes or making them cloudy. It does not strip my skin nor make it feel dry and dehydrated and it does not clog my pores nor break me out. If anything, it leaves my skin feeling clean, smooth and supple after every wash and I love it!

PROS: Luxurious thick oil texture, Removes makeup very well, Emulsifies easily, Rinses off without residue, Does not dry or strip skin of its oils, Not dehydrating, Leaves skin clean, smooth and comfortable

CONS: My bottle leaks, The scent may smell unpleasant to some

WHO WILL LIKE THIS: Anyone who uses cleansing oils, Anyone who finds cleansing oils too drying or stripping, Anyone who has drier skin and wants something easy to remove makeup and clean skin as first cleanse

WILL I REPURCHASE: Abso-freaking-lutely YES!

PRICE: RM126.14 | AU$32.99 for 200ml

WHERE TO BUY: TNS Skinlabs stores and online, Zalora (MY), Priceline or other pharmacies (AU and NZ)

For those curious about ingredient lists, here is the ingredient list for the Dr. Lewinn’s 4 Fusion Cleansing Oil.

I’d also given a go to 2 other Dr. Lewinn’s products – the Purifying Toner and the Ultra R4 Regenerative Night Cream. I found out that the Dr. Lewinn’s Purifying Toner is highly rated, as it contains glycolic acid, but I don’t think much of it at all. My skin didn’t feel as good as it does after I use other glycolic acid toners like the Pixi Glow Tonic and Alpha-H Liquid Gold and Biologique Recherche Lotion P50, which I prefer. It might just be the content of glycolic acid, but my skin just feels blah. None of that nice zing I get when I use other acid toners. Either way, I wasn’t sold on it and I won’t be giving it a full review. However, if you’re looking to try an acid toner you could with this as I feel it to be quite mild.

As for the Dr. Lewinn’s Ultra R4 Regenerative Night Cream, I’m still a little on the fence, so I’ll give that it’s own post in time to come 🙂

Have you tried anything else by Dr. Lewinn’s? Are you still using cleansing oils or have you migrated away?

In Australia and New Zealand (I believe), Dr. Lewinn’s is one of those premium pharmacy brands and I’ve been reliably told by friends there, a reputable and effective one. I’m glad we too have access to it now, albeit on a smaller scale. But hey, it’s a start! 😀

Paris B