Most people use soap to cleanse their faces. In addition to soap, the researchers found that using cleansing oil can also more successfully remove dirt from facial skin.
How does oil cleaning work?
It might seem contradictory to cleanse your skin with oil or oil-based skincare products. Why add oil to our face when we want to remove excess oil, dead skin cells, and other impurities? However, using specific oils to cleanse your face or using oil-based skincare products can benefit your skin.
Using oils instead of traditional soap or detergent cleansers can also help protect the natural lipid layer of the skin and the "good" bacteria that live there.
Oil-based cleansers function in the oil cleansing method by binding extra oil and other impurities to the skin. Furthermore, oil-based cleansers can eliminate dead skin cells, unclog pores, and remove makeup and sunscreen residue. The oil cleansing method helps preserve the skin's natural fat layer in comparison to regular soap use.
Various kinds of natural vegetable oils can be used to clean the face in addition to face cleansers that contain oil as the primary ingredient, like:
- Olive oil
- Sunflower oil
- Coconut oil
- Argan oil
- Soybean oil
- Sesame oil
- Almond oil
- Rosehip oil
Read more: Benefits Of Yogurt For Face And Hair Beauty
Benefits of cleaning your face with oil
Some of the advantages of cleaning the face by method oil cleansing include:
- Cleaning clogged pores
- Eliminating dead skin cells, pollutants, and the buildup of makeup
- Raising the excess of sebum, the oily substance produced by the glands on the skin
- Maintain skin moisture
- Can be used with other facial cleansing methods
- Balance oil production in facial skin
Using oil cleaner can keep the skin soft and moist. In addition, because the cleaning made from oil leaves good bacteria on the skin, this can help prevent infection and acne in the skin.
Read more: All The Things You Need To Understand About Double Cleaning In Your Face
Steps for cleaning your face with oil
You can use natural oils or commercial oil cleansers to cleanse your face using the oil cleansing method. You should select an oil that is appropriate for your skin type.
- Dry skin: Olive oil, which is moisturizing and rich in vitamins and antioxidants
- Sensitive skin: Jojoba oil, rosehip oil
- Oily or acne-prone skin: Jojoba oil, argan oil, marula oil
It is best to select oils without additives, such as colorants or fragrances, when selecting oils. To determine whether you have an allergy to the oil, do a patch test or allergic reaction test on your skin before using an oil-based cleanser.
You can use the following techniques to cleanse your face using the oil cleansing method:
- Pour 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of oil into the palm of your hand, according to your skin's needs
- Apply the oil on the face and gently massage for 2 minutes until the oil is absorbed
- Wipe off the oil with a damp washcloth
- Gently dry your face with a towel
- Apply moisturizer if necessary
The method of cleansing your face with oil is also known in Korean skincare routines. The difference is that you can wash your face with facial cleansing soap, pat dry, and then use a wet washcloth to wipe away any remaining oil before applying moisturizer.
According to Skinkraft, you can use the oil cleansing technique right before bed once a day. You will notice that your skin is more supple and moisturized the following day. However, you should take a break for a while if you get breakouts.
If you need medical advice or consultation, you can either visit a doctor or make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.
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- Sean Edbert Lim, MBBS
Bennett, E. (2022). Everything You Need to Know About the Oil Cleaning Method. Available from: https://www.healthline.com/health/oil-cleansing-method
Sharkey, L. (2019). A Beginner’s Guide to Double Cleansing. Available from: https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/double-cleansing
WebMD Editorial Contributors. (2023). What to Know About Deep Oil Cleansing. Available from: https://www.webmd.com/beauty/deep-oil-cleansing-what-to-know