Coming Clean on Cleansers

I recently got an email from an Energy Matters patient asking about oil cleansing versus the types of face cleanser we carry. It’s a great question and here’s what I said.

What is oil cleansing? Oil cleansing is just what it sounds like - using a combination of plant oils, usually including castor oil, to clean the face of oil and dirt. I love to recommend oil cleansing for almost any skin type. The main advantages to oil cleansers are

1. They clean thoroughly without over-drying the skin. This is good for folks with dry skin, obviously, but also those who get breakouts due to oily skin. If the skin gets too dried from harsh cleansing, it can overcompensate and produce even more oil.

2. Oil cleansing blends can be completely natural and ‘low-tech,’ anyone can make them at home with a few plant oils and optional essential oils, and no chemicals, preservatives, emulsifiers or other additives are needed. This makes them great for people sensitive to ingredients or who want the most natural option.

Oil cleansing works by binding to the oil and dirt on the skin which are then washed away when you rinse off your face. Cream cleansers like the ones we carry at Energy Matters, Jade & Ginseng Cleansing Cream, Jade & Burdock Cleansing Cream and Rose Skin Renewal Cleansing Cream work in a similar way. They contain plant oils like jojoba, argan, rosehip and shea that bind to dirt without drying or stripping the skin. Their additional non-toxic ingredients offer other skin benefits, make cream cleansers easier to rinse off than pure oil, and help them feel and smell nice!

The other type of cleanser we carry is a gel cleanser; Daily Ritual Cleansing Gel - Immortelle, which is water-based. Daily Ritual has mild plant-based cleansers (rated 'green' for safety on the Skin Deep Database), and herbal and essential oil ingredients that add other skin benefits, like the herb yarrow, which has been used as a healing skin cleanser for hundreds of years.  Daily Ritual foams up into a nice lather that leaves skin feeling clean, but not stripped.

Although I used oil cleansing for many years, making my own in my kitchen and then later for sale, these days I use Skin Renewal Cleansing Cream or Jade & Ginseng Cleansing Cream in place of pure oil cleansing, as I find it easier! If I am wearing sunscreen, have been wearing a mask all day, or otherwise feel like my skin wants a change, I use the Daily Ritual Gel Cleanser.

That’s the dirt on cleansers!

PS Questions about choosing products and creating pleasurable and effective skin care rituals for yourself? Reply to this email to schedule a free skin care consultation!