Continuing the series on my favorite Asian skincare products, let me introduce you to the first step in my double cleanse routine.
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Asian skincare, you’re the best!
After decades of using American skincare, I was tired of spending money on products that didn’t really seem to do much except empty my wallet. So, about 3 years ago I switched over to using mostly Asian skincare products on my face.
How did you figure out which Asian skincare products to use?
I did my research and found that most Asian skincare companies are about 3 to 12 years ahead of American skincare companies when it comes to research and development. I read about double cleansing and thought it was a great idea. After doing more research and figuring out what was available on Amazon, I bought my first oil cleanser – Hada Labo Gokujun Hylauronic Acid Oil Cleanser. I have been using this oil cleanser ever since.
Why an oil cleanser?
Because oil is more effective at breaking up makeup, facial oils, and sunscreen better than most non-oil based face washes. Before I started double cleansing with oil, I always felt like I had to do a bunch of extra steps to get my face completely clean, using eye makeup remover then washing two or three times with a gel or foaming face wash. Oil cleansers melt away all the surface stuff so your second cleanser can clean your skin and pores. Also, most oil cleansers don’t strip your skin of natural oils, which makes them good for oily skin types, as well as dry skin types.
Aren’t all oil cleansers the same?
No, they are not. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve tried a couple of other oil cleansers, but I didn’t like them as much as I like the Hada Labo oil cleanser. Why? The Hada Labo oil cleanser feels light, is olive oil based and fragrance free, spreads well on the skin, and melts away all my makeup like a dream. That includes waterproof mascara, eyeliner, and heavy Bellydance makeup! Once all my makeup is broken up, it emulsifies with warm water and rinses away easily. Best of all, it doesn’t sting my eyes! Other oil cleansers I’ve tried were thick, heavily fragranced, and stung when I used them to take off my eye makeup.
Unlike some other oil cleansers I have tried, this one does not leave an oily residue on my face. If I really wanted to, I could just do the oil cleanse and move onto the rest of my skincare and my normal/oily combination skin would be fine. No tight, dry feeling with this cleanser!
You mentioned double cleansing. What do you use for the second cleanse?
Originally, I used the Hada Labo oil cleanser in conjunction with the Hada Labo Gokujun Hylauronic Acid Bubble Foaming Cleanser. I liked that combination a lot, but in 2017 Hada Labo changed the formula of the foam cleanser. After that, the foam cleanser didn’t seem to rinse away as easily as it used to.
Now I use the Hada Labo oil cleanser with the Cosrx Good Morning Low pH Cleansing Gel. I find this to be a great double cleanse combination for my skin. You can read about why I like the Cosrx gel cleanser so much in this post.
Alright, so how do you use an oil cleanser?
It’s easy! If it takes a bit for your water to get hot, go ahead and turn on your faucet now. Start with dry hands and a dry face. Pump some cleansing oil into your palm. (I usually need a pump and a half.) Rub your hands together to distribute the oil, then start rubbing the oil all over your face and neck. Be gentle around the eyes since the skin there is delicate. If you want to use the oil cleanser to take off lipstick you can, but I recommend you do that last. Make sure all of your other makeup is dissolved before tackling your lips.
Once you think all your makeup is pretty well broken up, rinse your hands. Then use your wet hands to emulsify the oil and makeup on your face and neck. The oil will turn milky looking. After the oil is emulsified, rinse your face and neck. You can stop here, or you can go onto the next step of your double cleanse.
Would you buy this oil cleanser again?
Definitely! I will and I have, at least three times in the past three years. I will continue to purchase the Hada Labo Gokujun Hylauronic Acid Oil Cleanser for as long as it works for my skin.
Another nice this about this cleanser is that you can order refill pouches and just keep filling the original bottle when you run low. Yay! Less waste!
Wrinkles & War Paint 