Oil cleansing. The idea of cleaning your skin with the very thing you're trying to banish sounds like the ultimate beauty oxymoron, doesn't it? But oil cleansing is actually one of the smartest things you can do for your complexion, whatever your skin type. Yep, even if you're naturally oily. From whisking away makeup to nourishing dryness, reducing inflammation and actually rebalancing excess sebum in acne-prone skins, oil cleansers offer endless benefits.
Here's why you should add an oil cleanser to your skincare routine...
Remove dead skin, excess dirt, and makeup
If an extra-foaming face wash or acid-laden cleansing gel is your first port of call for ridding grime, oil and makeup, you might want to think again. Potent cleansers like these can actually worsen skin by stripping away all the important goodness it needs.
Anything that comes with a high level of lather is likely to contain sodium laurel sulphate (a soap agent also common in shampoo) that can irritate skin. Similarly, cleansers containing harsh active ingredients, like glycolic or salicylic acid, can disrupt your skin's delicate microbiome and barrier function. This leaves it sensitised, dull and dehydrated – and susceptible to a whole host of problems from eczema to blemishes.
This is where oil cleansers come in. The oil in these formulations actually binds to other oil, makeup and dirt molecules then melts it all away as it emulsifies with water. And all without disrupting your skin's biome, barrier or important pH balance. Miraculous, right? I decided to develop our own By Sarah London Balance Oil-to-milk Cleanser for this very reason. Like my own sister and co-founder Lauren, so many cancer sufferers find it extremely hard to find gentle skincare products that won't irritate their sensitive post-chemotherapy skin – especially when it comes to cleansers.
I formulated ours with a whole medley of plant-based ingredients that don't only cleanse the skin but help repair it, too. Just the process of massaging the elixir into the skin then gently rinsing away feels relaxing and restorative.
Oil cleansing is perfect for any skin type, even oily
So many people fear oil-based skincare products and I'm forever asked whether our By Sarah London facial oils and cleansing oil will cause breakouts. The answer for both is no.
Any skin type can benefit from oil cleansing whether you're sensitive, dry, dehydrated or oily. In fact, our Balancer Oil-to-milk Cleanser actually helps blemish-prone skin since it doesn't dry it out – which can often lead to an overproduction of sebum as skin desperately attempts to quench itself.
By offering a deep and thorough clean, our oil cleanser banishes all the pore-clogging particles of makeup, SPF and dead skin cells that often lead to spots.
Nourish and reduce inflammation
Does your skin ever feel tight after cleansing? Have a desperate need to reach for a thick moisturiser straight after? That – along with any squeaky sensation – is a sign you've over-cleansed and over time, can result in a damaged skin barrier, disrupted microbiome and a fragile unhappy complexion. Yikes!
Unlike things like face wipes, foams, scrubs and gel facial washes, oil cleansing actually pumps goodness back into the skin, instead of merely taking away. In our By Sarah London Balancer Oil-to-milk Cleanser, you'll find hydrating Raspberry Seed Oil, antioxidant Grape Seed Oil, softening Olive Squalane and moisturising Marula Seed Oil.
By strengthening your skin's protective barrier and keeping your microbiome in check, oil cleansing also reduces inflammation – particularly important if you're suffering from acne, rosacea or eczema.
Hello clean, calm and truly cosseted skin. Now, oil me up!
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Written by: Sarah, Co-Founder, By Sarah London
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