Lancôme - HUILE DOUCEUR

Lancôme - HUILE DOUCEUR $37

The concept of washing my face with oil to remove makeup never appealed to me before. It wasn’t until I discovered Lancôme - HUILE DOUCEUR that I recognized the benefits of washing my face with an oil cleanser.

It claims to be an “all-in-one cleansing oil with antioxidant White Lotus and moisturizing Japan Cedar Bud [that] instantly dissolves even waterproof face and eye makeup.  Immediately skin texture and tone are refined. Skin is velvety soft and dewy, without any greasy after-fell.”

The direction states “Apply 1-2 pumps to fingertips and massage onto dry skin. Close eyes and spread over lashes to dissolve mascara. Emulsify by adding lukewarm water, then rinse thoroughly.”

I use 2 pumps. One pump is not enough to remove my face makeup and mascara. I found that this oil cleaner only works on dry face as the direction advised. If you forget and wet your face beforehand, don’t even try to apply this oil, it will not work. With a full face of makeup (dry face), I pump two full pumps directly onto my face. I do this by holding the bottle directly above my forehead, and as close to my skin as possible without touching. I find that pumping onto your fingertips is a waste of product. Some of the oil on your fingers can’t be transfer to your face. I close my eyes as I rub the oil on my face and eye area. The oil has a light pleasant scent, nothing too irritating. To properly remove all of my eye makeup including mascara, I need to close my eyes real tight as I rub the oil on my lash lines. If my eyes are not shut, some of the oil can transfer into my eyes and my vision becomes blurry. I wear contacts and I find this super annoying. Who want to be semi-blind as they wash their face?   

After a few time of usage, I perfected my eyes closing technique. The oil has a light consistency so it fairly easy to smooth over your dry face. After you completely cover your face with the oil, wet your fingertips and began the rubbing process again. This will emulsify the oil. After a couple of minutes of rubbing, rinse off and you’re done.

Aside from temporary blurriness, this oil cleanser does an awesome job of removing my makeup without stripping my skin. Some makeup removers are irritating with their harsh ingredients, such as, makeup remover wipes, and some are too delicate and doesn’t remove much. I like the fact that this oil cleanser also nourishes my skin while it cleans. At first, I was skeptical that my face would be oily afterwards, but surprisingly my face was smooth and soft without the oiliness. And it felt really clean, like I just came out of a professional facial. I follow up with my everyday cleanser, something to help treat my acne.

Besides it being a great product, I really like the packaging too. It comes in a slick plastic bottle. The plastic’s quality is quite sturdy, making it great for travel. I brought it on my vacation and no explosion or spillage. 

Yes, it's pretty pricey, but a bottle is probably going to last me more than 8 months. I bought this the beginning of December, and so far I used a bit more than half. What are your experiences with oil cleanser? Have you tried any? Please let me know.