We all know the importance of cleansing our skin at bedtime. Not only taking off your make-up, but also the dirt, impurities and excess oil from the day is a key step in getting a healthy complexion – yet so many of us are still skipping this vital part of our skincare routine. I get it, us thirty-plus women are busy. We have a lot to juggle in modern life and sometimes we just want to get to bed after long days and late nights. And I’m the first to put my hand up and say I’ve forgotten to cleanse from time-to-time. I’ve even been known to sleep in my make-up, and as a beauty editor I know how much of a beauty-sin that is (shhh please don’t tell). But for me all it took to kick the bad habit was switching to a cleansing oil – the easiest to use cleanser on the beauty shelves.
You see, cleansing oils have taken the faff out of cleansing my skin. Before, I would need a make-up remover and copious amounts of cotton wool to get my waterproof eye-liner and stubborn mascara off, and still wake up with mascara smudges under my eyes. Cleansing oil is so much quicker and effortless to use, so I can always be bothered – it takes seconds. Simply massage onto the eyes and face and rinse. There’s no tough eye rubbing involved, because the oil dissolves make-up so quickly. I like to use mine with a good old-fashioned wash cloth for a really good cleanse.
In simple terms, cleansing oils work so well because oil is a solvent. It is attracted to the oil found in make-up and on the skin, and so can dissolve it super quickly (even long-lasting and waterproof formulas). And so are great for all skin types – even oily. And I love them so much I can safely say i’ve pretty much tried all the cleansing oils available in the UK now. These are my absolute favourites, because they leave your skin feeling super clean, comfortable and soft to the touch. And they are all purse-friendly because you need to use very little for a thorough cleanse – so trust me a bottle lasts a good six months and some beyond.
THE BEST CLEANSING OILS…
Pictured left to right
You can see I’ve currently got this bottle on the go. I like to use it as a first step in a double cleansing routine, using a cleansing balm after.
Burt’s Bees Cleansing Oil, £11.32
The pick for coconut and argan oil fans (as it contains both), so leaves skin silky soft.
DHC Deep Cleaning Oil, from £4.50
This comes in different sizes. A great option to try first to see how you get on with an oil (you’ll obviously love it).
bareMinerals Oil Obsessed Cleansing Oil, £22
This has my favourite scent, because the lavender really comes through.
Love the DHC oil the only product to take me away from micellar water.