{"id":14059,"date":"2015-01-29T08:30:57","date_gmt":"2015-01-29T00:30:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mywomenstuff.com\/?p=14059"},"modified":"2015-01-28T11:06:50","modified_gmt":"2015-01-28T03:06:50","slug":"should-use-cleansing-oil-or-cleansing-balm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mywomenstuff.com\/2015\/01\/should-use-cleansing-oil-or-cleansing-balm\/","title":{"rendered":"Should I use a cleansing oil or cleansing balm? Some tips on which to pick"},"content":{"rendered":"
Here’s an interesting question I get sometimes, about when or whether to use cleansing oil or cleansing balm. I should say that I’m a proponent of using both, because I’m a proponent of double cleansing. It’s the one facet of the Japanese skincare routine I started with, that I maintain and it seems to be a pretty popular practice or notion these days as well, to ensure your skin is properly clean.<\/p>\n
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However, what would you use as your first step of the double cleansing routine? Years ago, I’d have unhesitatingly said “Cleansing oil as a one step process to remove makeup and dirt from skin”. But in the past 2 years, my answer would be “Cleansing balms because they feel more gentle on skin”<\/p>\n
So naturally, I get people asking me which I prefer and why did I stop using cleansing oils when they’re so much more convenient. I hope to explain myself here \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
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Do note the difference between a cleansing oil and the oil cleansing method. I know of many who are fans of the latter (a DIY cleansing method involving various oils and a hot flannel) but I’m not. I tried it once with olive oil<\/a> and it was not only messy, it broke me out. Perhaps I did it wrongly, I don’t know, but don’t ask me to give it another go. I never will. Period.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Popular types of cleansing oils would be those that go on dry skin and emulsify when water is added.\u00a0A popular brand would be Shu Uemura, the bestselling item in the brand, and one I know many people love. I’ve used many brands over the years and you can read the whole repository here<\/a>. My favourite is the Kose Softymo cleansing oil<\/a> which I used to stock up in Hong Kong. They’re very affordable and they work very well.<\/p>\n So, should you use a cleansing oil? My answer would be, why not? It’s convenient. The oil literally melts and lifts off makeup so it serves as a one-step makeup remover and cleanser in one. The trick to using a cleansing oil, to me, is this:-<\/p>\n However, from my own experience, let me warn you that cleansing oils can be potentially drying to the skin if you use it daily as I used to. It’s not something you notice immediately, but I\u00a0realised it over time, and I realised that this maybe because cleansing oils claim to deep-cleanse your skin.<\/p>\n With regular use, the drying effects of cleansing oil resulted in my skin breaking out as well, and becoming dehydrated. So, I eventually stopped using cleansing oils altogether, as a daily cleanse. However, I do keep a small bottle in my travel bag because when you’re travelling, it can come in very useful as a one-step first cleanse. I still don’t use it very regularly, and when I do, I use a washcloth (after emulsifying, I remove using a wash cloth which gets my skin cleaner more quickly).<\/p>\n Based on feedback I get, cleansing oils appear to work well or perhaps, better for those who have oilier skin, who could benefit from regular deep cleansing. If you use heavier makeup, you may also benefit from using a cleansing oil because it ‘melts’ and lifts off makeup better than a makeup remover. But if you have drier skin, then you may find that a cleansing oil may cause you to break out, in which case, I’d venture a suggestion that it may be due to the drying effects of using a cleansing oil regularly.<\/p>\n Who will prefer\u00a0using cleansing oils:-<\/strong><\/p>\n My introduction to cleansing balms is a recent one but fortuitous. When I decided to drop cleansing oils from my routine, I needed an alternative to a first cleanse and cleansing balms appeared on my radar. I quickly set up my cleansing balm repository<\/a>, which is a work in progress \ud83d\ude00<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A cleansing balm is quite literally a cleanser in a more solid balm form, that you similarly apply all over your skin, massage in and then remove. Some cleansing balms will emulsify upon contact with water (e.g. The Body Shop Camomile butter<\/a>, Clinique Take The Day Off cleansing balm<\/a>) or claim to be removable with water (e.g. Bobbi Brown Extra Balm Rinse<\/a>) but most don’t, and that includes my personal fave, Antipodes Grapeseed Butter Cleanser<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you are used to using a cleansing oil, the first thing you will notice is how much harder or more troublesome it is to remove the product and that puts many people off. The secret therefore is a warm wash cloth or face flannel. The trick to using a cleansing balm for me is this:-<\/p>\n\n
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Should I use a cleansing balm instead?<\/h2>\n
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