You apply an oil cleanser on dry skin with dry hands. Massage it in until makeup and sunscreen dissolve, then add some lukewarm water until the oil turns milky, and rinse everything off thoroughly. Afterwards, pat your skin dry. It sounds simple. However, a few details determine whether your skin feels soft and clean afterwards or leaves a film. In this guide, we'll show you the application step by step. You'll also learn how often oil cleansing is beneficial, which skin types benefit from it, when a second cleanser is needed, and how a cleansing balm differs from a cleansing oil.
In Short
- Apply cleansing oil on dry skin and massage it in with dry hands. Only then add water.
- An oil with an emulsifier becomes milky when emulsified with wet hands and can be rinsed off with warm water. Pure plant oil is removed with a warm, damp washcloth.
- Once or twice a day is too much: Oil cleansing is mainly for the evening routine, once a day is enough.
- For oily or combination skin, follow with a mild second cleanser if a film remains after the oil. Dry or sensitive skin often manages with just the oil.
- Balm and oil cleanse on the same principle. The difference is mainly in texture and feel during application.
Table of Contents
- How a Cleansing Oil Works on the Skin
- Step-by-Step Application
- How Often Should You Cleanse Your Face with Oil?
- Which Skin is Suitable for an Oil Cleanser?
- Double Cleansing: When a Second Cleanser is Useful
- Cleansing Balm or Cleansing Oil: What's the Difference?
- Common Mistakes in Oil Cleansing
- What Comes After Oil Cleansing
- Our View: Why We Value Oil Cleansing
- Oil Cleansers and Balms at Rammilav
- Frequently Asked Questions about Oil Cleansing
- Sources
How a Cleansing Oil Works on the Skin
The principle behind oil cleansing is simple: fat dissolves fat. Many components of makeup, waterproof mascara, and sunscreen are fat-soluble. Water alone beads off them, and even a foaming cleanser often requires several passes to remove them completely. An oil, on the other hand, binds with these residues and with excess sebum, allowing them to be removed from the skin without vigorous rubbing.
To ensure the oil can be removed afterwards, most cosmetic cleansing oils contain an emulsifier. It ensures that oil and water mix. As soon as you add a few drops of water, the clear oil turns into a milky emulsion that can be rinsed off, taking the dissolved dirt with it. Pure plant oils from the kitchen or drugstore do not have this emulsifier. They also dissolve makeup but remain on the skin when rinsed off and must be removed mechanically.
You should know this difference before you start, as it determines the final step of the application. Stiftung Warentest describes both variants: emulsifying cleansing oils are rinsed off with warm water, conventional plant oils are gently removed with a warm, damp washcloth.
Step-by-Step Application
This is how you proceed with an emulsifying cleansing oil, as is common in Korean skincare:
- Keep hands and face dry. Wash your hands and dry them. Your face remains dry, even if you are wearing makeup. Water before the oil would trigger the emulsion too early, and the oil could no longer properly dissolve makeup.
- Put some oil in the palms of your hands. Two to three pumps are usually enough for the whole face. Rub the oil briefly between your hands to warm it up and distribute it evenly.
- Gently massage in. Spread the oil on your forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin and massage it in with circular movements. Take your time: Stiftung Warentest advises massaging the oil in for a few minutes. Pay special attention to the sides of the nose, hairline, and chin area, where sunscreen and sebum tend to accumulate.
- Gently remove eye makeup. Close your eyes and gently stroke your eyelashes and eyelids with your fingertips. Waterproof mascara sometimes takes a little longer. Do not pull on the delicate skin, but let the oil do the work.
- Emulsify. Moisten your fingertips with some lukewarm water and continue massaging. The oil turns milky white. Repeat this once or twice until the texture feels light and watery.
- Rinse thoroughly and pat dry. Rinse your face with warm, not hot, water until no slippery feeling remains. Then pat your skin dry with a clean towel instead of rubbing.
If you are using pure plant oil, replace steps 5 and 6: Place a washcloth in warm water, wring it out, and remove the oil with it in gentle movements. Again, pat instead of rub.
How Much Product and How Long?
The amount depends on how much you want to remove. On a day with only sunscreen, a smaller amount is sufficient, after a full makeup look, you may need a bit more. A good guideline: Your fingers should glide effortlessly over the skin without pulling. If it catches, more oil is needed.
Patience is worthwhile for the duration. The massage is not an end in itself; it gives the oil time to bind with the residues. Many also find this minute or two in the evening a small ritual that concludes the day.
How Often Should You Cleanse Your Face with Oil?
The short answer: once a day, preferably in the evening. In the evening, you carry the residues of the day on your skin, such as makeup, sunscreen, sebum, and particles from the environment. This is exactly what an oil cleanser is made for. Dermatologists interviewed by Vogue also recommend cleansing oil primarily for evening cleansing, once a day.
In the morning, it's different. After the night, mainly sebum and remnants of your night care are on the skin. Here, lukewarm water or a mild, water-based cleanser is usually sufficient. Those with very oily skin often find a gentle gel cleanser pleasant in the morning.
Why not more often? Every cleansing also removes the skin's own fats. Stiftung Warentest points out that oil cleansing, like other cleansing products, dissolves skin fat and sebum and can thus dry out the skin. Overdoing it risks the opposite of what you hope for from the oil.
Which Skin is Suitable for an Oil Cleanser?
In principle, oil cleansing is suitable for healthy, uninjured skin of all types. Depending on your skin type, you set different accents.
Dry and Mature Skin
Dry skin benefits particularly because cleansing with oil is perceived as less stripping than a strongly foaming cleanser. Many manage with just the oil and do not need a second step. Still, make sure to emulsify thoroughly so that no residues hinder the subsequent care.
Sensitive Skin
Oil cleansing can also be pleasant for sensitive skin because it does not involve rubbing. Choose a product with a short ingredient list and without essential oils. Important: If your skin reacts with redness, itching, or inflammation, stop using the product. If the reaction persists or you already have a skin condition like rosacea or eczema, discuss the cleansing with your dermatologist before trying something new.
Oily and Blemish-Prone Skin
Oil on oily skin seems contradictory to many at first. But precisely because oil dissolves sebum, it can work well here too. The key is complete rinsing: A film that remains on the skin is undesirable with blemishes. Therefore, a second, mild cleanser is usually part of the routine for this skin type. How to build your routine for oily skin overall is explained in our guide to caring for oily skin. If pimples are your main concern, you will find a step-by-step plan in our Korean acne routine. For inflamed, painful acne, the dermatologist is the right contact, no cleansing routine replaces treatment.
Does Cleansing Oil Clog Pores?
We often hear this concern. Whether blemishes occur after oil cleansing depends less on the oil itself than on whether it is completely removed and how well your skin tolerates the formula. A well-emulsifying oil that can be rinsed off without residue does not remain on the skin. If a heavy film remains, a second cleanser is the safer choice. Observe your skin for two to three weeks after a new product and do not introduce it simultaneously with other new products so you can attribute reactions.
Double Cleansing: When a Second Cleanser is Useful
In Korean skincare, double cleansing is well established: first an oil-based cleanser for fat-soluble residues, then a water-based cleanser for sweat and water-soluble dirt. However, the second step is not a must for everyone.
Stiftung Warentest recommends an additional mild cleanser for oily or combination skin if a disturbing or too rich film remains after the oil. The experts quoted in Vogue also see it this way: For oily or acne-prone skin, a second, water-based cleanser is often recommended, while dry or sensitive skin often manages with just the oil cleansing. The decision depends on your skin type and the condition of your skin.
A simple guide for everyday use:
- Second cleanser yes: oily skin, combination skin, tendency to blemishes, a lot of waterproof sunscreen or long-lasting makeup.
- Second cleanser optional: normal skin, on days with little makeup.
- Often not necessary: dry, very sensitive skin, as long as the skin feels clean and not greasy after rinsing.
How the two steps play together in a complete routine and which products complement each other, we show you in detail in our guide to double cleansing in K-Beauty.
Cleansing Balm or Cleansing Oil: What's the Difference?
Anyone looking for an oil cleanser quickly comes across cleansing balms. Both belong to the family of oil-based cleansers and work on the same principle: They dissolve fat-soluble residues and are emulsified with water. The difference lies mainly in texture, handling, and feel.
| Criterion | Cleansing Oil | Cleansing Balm |
|---|---|---|
| Texture | liquid, usually in a pump dispenser | solid to creamy, in a jar |
| Application | pump directly into dry hands | take with a spatula, let melt between fingers |
| Distribution | glides immediately, spreads quickly | melts on the skin into an oil |
| Travel | pump and liquid, close well | solid, cannot leak |
| Skin feel | often lighter | often richer, perceived as enveloping |
| Popular with | combination skin, oily skin, quick routines | dry skin, people who enjoy a massage |
How to Use a Cleansing Balm
The application differs only in the first step. Use the included spatula to take a small amount from the jar, about the size of a pea to a hazelnut, and do not use your fingers. This way, no water or dirt gets into the product. Rub the balm between your dry fingertips until it melts, and massage it like an oil onto dry skin. Then emulsify with damp fingers and rinse with warm water, just like with oil.
Which One Suits You?
There is no right or wrong choice here. If you like it quick and uncomplicated or tend to oily skin, many find a light oil more pleasant. If you enjoy cleansing as a massage ritual or travel a lot, a balm is practical. In the end, what matters is that you enjoy using the product regularly and that it can be rinsed off completely.
Common Mistakes in Oil Cleansing
Most problems with cleansing oil do not arise from the product but from small mistakes in application. Avoid these:
- Wet hands or face. If water comes into play too early, the oil emulsifies prematurely and dissolves makeup less effectively. First massage, then water.
- Incomplete removal. If oil remains on the skin, subsequent care can be absorbed less effectively, and oily skin feels weighed down. Better to emulsify and rinse once more.
- Cleansing too often. Oil cleansing morning and evening is too much for most skins. Once a day in the evening is enough.
- Essential oils for makeup removal. Essential oils are not cleansing oils and have no place on the eyes and sensitive skin. Stiftung Warentest also advises against them.
- Rubbing instead of patting. Vigorous rubbing with a towel or washcloth irritates the skin. Pat it dry gently.
- Water too hot. Hot water additionally removes fat from the skin. Lukewarm is ideal.
- Ignoring reactions. If the skin reddens, itches, or becomes inflamed, stop using it.
What Comes After Oil Cleansing
After rinsing, your skin is clean and ready for care. Don't wait too long, as freshly cleansed skin absorbs moisture well. In the Korean routine, a toner follows, then serum and a cream that suits your skin needs. What distinguishes toner and essence, we explain in our guide Toner vs. Essence. And if your skin tends to feel tight after cleansing, you'll find tips in the article on dehydrated skin.
Our View: Why We Value Oil Cleansing
In our everyday life with Korean cosmetics, we repeatedly see that cleansing is the most underestimated step in the routine. Many invest in serums and creams but cleanse hastily in the evening with a strong foam or makeup wipes. The result is often skin that feels tight and yet not completely clean.
For us, the oil cleanser is therefore not a trend product but a solid foundation. It removes the residues of the day, especially the sunscreen that we recommend every day, without rubbing. Our experience is: Once you have internalized the technique, i.e., apply dry, massage patiently, emulsify thoroughly, you rarely want to go back.
Honesty is important to us. A cleansing oil does not magically solve skin problems, and not every formula suits every skin. We therefore carefully select our products and source them directly from verified suppliers so you can be sure you are holding an original product in your hands. Especially with something you apply to your face and around your eyes daily, this is non-negotiable for us.
My personal tip: Start with a light oil, observe your skin for two or three weeks, and then decide if you need a second cleanser. Your skin will show you quite clearly what it likes.
— Aleksejs
Oil Cleansers and Balms at Rammilav
If you want to try oil cleansing, you will find suitable products for both textures with us. For a liquid, light oil, the Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Cleansing Oil is a good start. If you prefer a jar, choose between the Purito From Green Avocado Cleansing Balm and the Dr Althea Pore Refresh Cleansing Balm. All products come from verified suppliers, delivery within Switzerland usually takes 2 to 3 days, and we ship for free on orders over 80 CHF. You can find the matching second cleanser, toner, and care afterwards in our range for cleansing and care.
Frequently Asked Questions about Oil Cleansing
Does the Skin Need to Be Dry When Applying Cleansing Oil?
Yes. Cleansing oil works best on dry skin and with dry hands. If water is added too early, the oil emulsifies and no longer properly dissolves makeup and sunscreen. You only need water when you want to rinse off the oil.
Can I Use Cleansing Oil in the Morning?
It's possible, but not necessary for most. In the morning, mainly sebum and remnants of night care are on the skin, for which water or a mild cleanser is sufficient. Oil cleansing shows its strength in the evening when makeup and sunscreen need to be removed.
Does Cleansing Oil Remove Waterproof Mascara?
Generally yes, as waterproof formulas are fat-soluble. Gently massage the oil over your lashes with closed eyes and give it some time. Do not pull on the skin, and rinse thoroughly afterwards.
Can I Use Regular Cooking Oil for Makeup Removal?
Pure plant oils also dissolve makeup but do not contain an emulsifier and cannot be easily rinsed off. You need to gently remove them with a warm, damp washcloth. Cosmetic cleansing oils are tailored for use on the face and are therefore usually more pleasant.
Do I Need a Second Cleanser After a Cleansing Balm?
It depends on your skin type, not whether you use balm or oil. For oily or combination skin, a mild second cleanser is useful if a film remains. Dry or sensitive skin often manages without.
Sources
Stiftung Warentest: Cleansing Trend Oil Cleansing
Vogue: Best Cleansing Oils
