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The Hit List: Worst Cleansing Oil

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

What’s the Worst Cleansing Oil…?

What brand/product wins this category? Any particular reason it wins?

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L'Occitane Almond Apple Cleansing Oil made me break out BADLY! I usually never break out, but this product gave me such awful skin, probably the worst I have ever had. Kinda surprised too because I've never had any problems with L'Occitane before.

The NARS cleansing oil made me break out BADLY!

Eve Lom cleansing cream - not called an oil but it is all the same. It is the worst thing I have ever put on my face - broke me out in massive cystic adult acne. Just horrific….not really surprising after I looked at the ingredients (bit late for me though)….pure lanolin and cheap mineral oil…Do not touch it!

My skin just hates all kinds of cleansing oils. Not working for me. The only oil that I have tried without disaster hitting me in the face, is Neutrogena Body Oil Original Light Sesame Formula. I know it's not a cleansing oil, but I used it in emergencies a few times and it did the job. Beautifully I might add!

Shu Uemura. didn't work well and broke me out in cysts galore.

Mac Cleansing oil has Wheat Germ Oil which is a disastor for acne-prone skin

Shu Uemura--I know a lot of women swear by it, but it's chock full of mineral oil (at the top of the ingredients list), so terrible for your skin in the long run.

DHC is horrible! Hate the smell, the thickness, and it makes my otherwise DRY skin breakout like a no one's business.

don't like nars'. Thanks, Marissa. I'm gonna try the towel thing.

To the people having difficulty rinsing the oils off: Try steaming with a wet washcloth. I haven't been using name brand facial cleansers for 3 months now ever since reading about the oil cleansing method. I know it sounds gross, but olive oil and castor oil, mixed to suit my skin type, and steaming, has cleared and balanced my skin more than any commercial cleanser ever has, and I have problem combination skin with adult acne. This solution takes off everything for me, even waterproof mascara and eyeliner. Try it, it works!

I havent tried mixing with castol oil, but olive oil works for me! takes off everything everything off! and i have acne-prone skin too, and it doesnt make me break out.

I love love love olive oil as a makeup remover. It doesn't give you a film over your eyes and it doesn't sting when it accidentally gets in.

This! Olive oil and a warm flannel is my HG for cleansing and makeup removal.

I tried castor oil & grapseed oil - I think the castor oil broke me out :( took off make up really good but not worth it if my skin will react that way.

I use the oil cleansing method, too! I've done it with castor oil + olive oil and castor oil + coconut oil, with great results both times. The only downside of the latter is that coconut oil solidifies in cooler temperatures :( But I'm a big fan of the method. Recommend it to all my friends! And so relaxing.

Almat is a good brand... And it's only 3 bucks! I use to use mac but it got to be to expensive

nars cleanse off oil, and the johnson and johnson one!

Bobbi Brown's totally rocks. I've used Shu and Origins too and they are good too. Haven't tried one that I don't like. Baby oil? you get what you pay for...

I know I may be alone in thinking this, but MAC Cleanse Off Oil did nothing for me

L'occitane Almond Apple Cleansing Oil. Broke me out (and i never break out from products generally) and wouldn't rinse off. The consistency was too thin. An upside though - smells good.

Could be because of the almond oil. I've tried products with almond oil before and I broke out.

Hmm...I've had pretty good luck, so I'll rate them in order of my faves: #1Bobbi Brown #2Shu Uemura #3DHC #4NARS

Smashbox's oil is useless!

I agree. I tried it before and ended up tossing the entire bottle.

I can't say as I've never used a cleansing oil... But I'd like to try Bobbi Brown's. Does anyone recommend it?

Went to the Bobbi Brown counter a few days back. Their cleansing oil is ~ $45. I know she's more high-end than MAC, but c'mon...$45? I'd rather spend half that on MAC's cleanse-off oil; I can't imagine that they are too different. Plus, if you've never tried a cleansing oil, perhaps MAC is a great place to start as it's got pretty rave reviews on makeupalley :) ...Of course, if $$ is no object, then, experiment away!

i've only used MAC's cleanse off oil, and I LOVE it. I do have very dry skin though and only get a pimple or two around "that time of the month." I've heard of people putting on wet skin, or trying to lather it. Put in on a dry face and rinse. You have to rinse more than with regular cleansers, but It gets every drop of makeup off.

i love it too! it works amazingly on nars eyeliner markers which is saying a lot. it also doesn't sting if it gets in your eyes

MAC makes the only one that actually dries out my oily skin. That's a hard thing to do.

The Orgins one for sensitive skin. It did not clean anything on my face and I had to wash my face 3 times with something else to get it all off!

I haven't met a cleansing oil that didn't put my adult acne into overdrive! Yuck, I avoid them.

Ugh. You and me both. I'll stick with Purity Made Simple...

Any of them! I have tried Shu Uemura most recently and I must be doing something wrong. None of them ever remove my makeup. I end up looking like a melted wax doll - a racoon-eyed, lipstick-smeared, foundation sliding mess. Yuck!

you're probably using it wrong

Me too!! I had such high hopes but it turned out to be totally useless.

I didn't like it mainly cause it contains mineral oil.

you have to put it on your face dry, rub it into your skin dry, THEN put water. maybe you were doing it wrong?

Really? I've been using a sample of it and I love it~ Takes my makeup right off with a bit of water.

You do know you're supposed to use it on dry skin with dry hands first. It dissolves the makeup, even waterproof mascara. You may have to rub it into the lashes a bit. Then mix a little water in to emulsify it. And then wash it off.

baby oil. it just smothers your skin-

DHC ... it doesn't remove everything like Shu Uemura and also dried out my skin

Without a doubt Kiehl's. I received samples of this and it didn't remove anything, but left my face totally greasy with the makeup smeared all over. Yuck!

Johnson & Johnson baby oil, I wouldnt put on my face or my baby if I had one.