Why Do Skin-Care Experts Love Oil Cleansers?

Cleansing your face is an essential step of any beauty regime. But when it comes to choosing a cleanser, everyone seems to have a different preference. Some skin types benefit from the foaming variety, while others are more suited to a cream or gel. But what most people don’t know is that there’s one type that’s fit for all skin: oil cleansers.

“Many people are surprised to find that oil cleansers are universally good for all skin types, even oily acneic skin,” we learned from the founder of Just Ageless Body Sculpting and Beauty Lab, Jeannel Astarita. “This is because oil bonds with oil, without stripping the skin, the way many cleansers with harsh surfactants will. An oil cleanser will bond with and easily lift sebum, makeup, sunscreen, perspiration, etc., and can be wiped away with something gentle like a muslin baby washcloth.”

Sound appealing? Here’s why the experts love them.

Luiz Stehling, marketing manager of U.SK Under Skin, explains that while all cleansers function to remove dirt, sebum, exfoliated skin cells and other environmental pollutants and bacteria from the skin, traditional cleansers are comprised of surfactants. This makes them water-soluble, meaning that the debris on your skin can be rinsed away with water. Oil cleansers, on the other hand, operate as solvents, and the oils within them work to dissolve the oils on your face and any oil-like ingredients in makeup. This is what makes them “excellent make-up removers of excessive dirtiness” says Stehling. And don’t worry, the oil cleanser can still be fully rinsed off thanks to a type of ingredient known as an emulsifier.

“Any skin type will benefit from an oil cleanser because it will remove what must be removed (excess sebum, pollutants) without damaging your skin’s most valuable asset: its capacity as a barrier,” says the founder of Skin Actives Scientific, Dr. Hannah Sivak, PhD. “You can clean oily skin, acne-prone skin and dry skin with an oil-based cleanser that is carefully formulated.” 

Because oil cleansers don’t strip your skin, you can work them into your daily routine. Stehling advises, “The regimen needs a physician and expert consultation to properly address the right care depending on the skin type. Generally cleanser should be used twice a day, in the morning, as a first step of the skin-care routine, and at night, before you go to bed.”

Astarita continues, “I always recommend washing your face with a double cleanse method for which you would first use an oil cleanser to remove makeup and dirt away from the skin, rather than something like a disposable makeup wipe. Not only is this better for your skin, it’s better for the environment because you’re not throwing away single use wipes that are often made from synthetic fabric and packaged in plastic.”

So next time you whip out the credit card to splurge on that latest beauty product, keep oil cleansing in mind. It might just be what you’ve been missing.

Shop Oil Cleansers: Skin Cleansing Oil by Skin Actives ($20); Province Apothecary Moisturizing Oil Cleanser + Make Up Remover ($20); Biossance Squalane + Antioxidant Cleansing Oil ($30); La Ceiba Facial Cleansing Oil ($70); Tata Harper Nourishing Oil Cleanser ($82)