If you’ve ever wondered what one of the most important steps in skincare is, I’m going to tell you right now.
It’s oil cleansing.
And I don’t mean it’s the singular most important step, because obviously you can’t just oil cleanse and expect to wake up with glass skin and no problems. Skincare doesn’t really work like that, as much as we’d all love it to.
But if you’re using all your toners, serums, moisturisers, treatments, essences, whatever else, and you’re not oil cleansing first, I do think you’re seriously missing out.
Because oil cleansing is the step that makes the rest of your routine make sense.
Oil cleansing isn’t new
I think sometimes people hear “oil cleansing” and assume it’s just another skincare trend, but it really isn’t. Cleansing with oils has been around for centuries in different ways, across different cultures. Before we had foaming cleansers and micellar water and all the modern things we now use without thinking twice, people were using oils, balms, butters and plant-based fats to clean and soften the skin.
And when you think about it, it makes sense.
Oil is one of the best things for breaking down stubborn residue. It can loosen dirt, soften the skin, melt away pigments and help remove things that plain water just doesn’t want to deal with.
So when we talk about oil cleansing now, especially in K-beauty, it’s not like we’ve invented something brand new. We’ve just taken a very old idea and made it much more elegant, much less messy, and much more suitable for modern skincare routines.
The difference now is formulation. A proper cleansing oil is made to rinse away. It’s not just oil sitting on your face forever. It has emulsifiers, which basically means when you add water, it turns milky and washes off properly.
That’s the important part.
So what actually is oil cleansing?
Oil cleansing is using an oil-based cleanser, usually as the first step in your evening routine, to break down all the oily stuff sitting on your skin.
And by oily stuff, I mean:
- sebum
- SPF
- make-up
- sweat
- pollution
- grime
- whatever your face has collected from simply existing that day
I really don’t see oil cleansing as just a make-up removal step. That’s where I think people go wrong.
Because yes, it’s amazing for make-up. But even if you don’t wear make-up, your skin is still producing sebum. You might still be wearing SPF. You’ve still been outside, or in the gym, or cooking, or touching your face, or walking around in pollution, or just being a person with skin.
So by the end of the day, your face is not as “bare” as you think it is.
There is always something to cleanse.
Why does oil cleansing work?
The simplest way to explain it is: oil attracts oil.
Imagine trying to clean a greasy pan or stovetop with just water. It’s annoying, isn’t it? The water just sort of slides around and doesn’t really grab the grease properly.
That’s because oil and water don’t naturally mix.
And the same idea applies to your face.
Your skin naturally produces oil. Then that oil mixes with SPF, make-up, sweat, pollution and everything else. So if you go straight in with a water-based cleanser, it might feel like you’re doing something because there are bubbles and foam and that “clean” feeling, but that doesn’t always mean the oily residue has actually been lifted properly.
You can feel clean and still have a film of stuff sitting there.
Then you go in with your toner, serum, moisturiser etc, and what are they sitting on?
A little leftover layer of oil and grime.
And because a lot of toners, essences and serums are water-based, they’re not exactly best friends with that oily film. They’re trying to get to your skin, but there’s something in the way.
So oil cleansing is really about clearing the path.
It’s not replacing the rest of your routine. It’s making the rest of your routine worth doing.
Please don’t use cooking oil
When I say oil cleanse, I do not mean go to the kitchen and get your olive oil or coconut oil.
Please.
A proper cleansing oil or cleansing balm is formulated for your face. It has emulsifiers in it, which means it can mix with water and rinse away instead of just sitting there like a greasy little blanket.
That milky stage you get when you add water? That’s the cleanser emulsifying. That’s what you want. It means the oil has done its job, grabbed onto the sebum, SPF, make-up and grime, and now it can rinse off.
Kitchen oils don’t do that in the same way. They can be heavy, difficult to remove, and depending on your skin, they can contribute to congestion.
A cleansing oil is made to cleanse.
A cooking oil is made for the potatoes.
Different jobs.
What happens when you actually oil cleanse?
You apply the oil cleanser onto dry skin with dry hands.
That part matters.
Then you massage it in. Gently. Not like you’re trying to exfoliate your whole identity off. Just enough to let the oil move around, get into the areas where sebum and SPF and make-up like to sit, and start melting everything down.
The cleanser basically mixes with the oil already on your face. It loosens it. It breaks it up. It lets everything become one big oily mess, which sounds disgusting but is exactly the point.
Then you add a bit of warm water, it turns milky, and it rinses away.
That’s it.
You’re not scrubbing your skin into submission. You’re just letting the oil do what oil does.
And your skin feels clean afterwards, but not in that tight, squeaky, “I have removed my entire skin barrier” kind of way.
Just clean.
But what if you have oily skin?
This is the part where people with oily skin panic.
Because I get it. If your T-zone is already shiny by lunchtime, the thought of putting more oil on your face feels like a crime.
But oil cleansing is not the same as leaving oil on your face.
You’re applying it, massaging it, emulsifying it, and rinsing it away.
The whole point is that the oil cleanser helps break down excess sebum and remove it gently. Especially around the nose, forehead and chin where everything loves to collect.
And honestly, oily skin does not always need more punishment. A lot of people with oily skin are already using harsh cleansers, over-washing, scrubbing, trying to dry their face out – and then wondering why their skin is annoyed.
Oil cleansing can be a much gentler way to remove the excess without making your skin feel like it’s been through something traumatic.
Is oil cleansing good for all skin types?
In my opinion, yes.
Obviously you still need to choose a formula that suits your skin, because not every product works for every person. But as a step, oil cleansing can benefit so many people.
Young skin, mature skin, oily skin, dry skin, blemish-prone skin, combination skin – it’s not about having a certain “type” of face. It’s about removing the kind of build-up that skin naturally collects.
Skin is skin.
It produces sebum. It gets exposed to the outside world. It wears SPF. It sweats. It collects things. That’s just what happens.
And let’s be honest, if the UV index is over 3 and you’re going outside, SPF should be on your face anyway. Even wearing it daily just keeps you in the habit, which is half the battle.
So oil cleansing is not only for make-up wearers.
It’s for anyone who wants to actually remove the day from their face.
Why I think it makes the rest of your routine better
This is why I’m so passionate about it.
You can have the most beautiful toner, the most expensive serum, the most gorgeous moisturiser, but if your skin still has SPF, sebum and pollution sitting on it, those products are basically trying to work through a layer of leftovers.
It’s like doing skincare on top of yesterday.
And yes, your products may still do something. I’m not saying everything becomes useless. But are you giving them the best chance? Probably not.
Oil cleansing gives you a better starting point.
It clears the surface. It helps your skin feel softer and cleaner. It means when you go in with your hydrating and treatment steps, they’re not just sitting on top of all the stuff your face collected that day.
That’s why I see it as a base step.
Not the exciting step maybe, but the step that makes the exciting steps make more sense.
The ingredients can be lovely too
Another thing I love is that a lot of cleansing oils aren’t just boring oil and done.
Some formulas use oils like jojoba, sunflower, macadamia, olive, moringa seed and so on, which can bring fatty acids, vitamin E and that soft nourishing feel.
Some have calming ingredients like calendula, or centella.
Some have antioxidant-rich ingredients like purple rice.
Some have gentle acids like LHA.
Some include probiotic ingredients, which can be really nice if you’re thinking about supporting the skin barrier.
So depending on the formula, your cleanser can feel like a little buffet for your skin before you’ve even started the rest of your routine.
Obviously, it’s still a rinse-off product, so I’m not saying it’s going to behave like a serum. But it can make the cleansing step feel a lot less harsh and a lot more skin-friendly.
Balm or pump oil?
Oil cleansers usually come in two main forms: a cleansing balm or a cleansing oil.
A balm is the one you scoop out. It starts more solid, then melts into an oil when you rub it between your fingers and massage it onto your face.
A cleansing oil is usually in a pump bottle, so you just pump it into your hands and go straight in.
Both can be great. It’s really just preference.
I personally think pump oils are easier and less faff. But balms can feel more luxurious and satisfying, especially if you like that whole “melting the day away” feeling.
Either way, they’re doing the same general job.
How I personally oil cleanse
I personally only oil cleanse in the PM.
Twice a day feels like overachieving to me.
In the evening, yes, absolutely. That is when your skin has collected SPF, pollution, make-up, sweat, sebum, and everything else the day has thrown at it.
But in the morning? I’m not trying to remove the whole outside world from my face. I’ve just been asleep.
Also, if I’ve done a lovely night routine, especially if I’ve used richer creams or slugged, I don’t want to wake up and immediately wash all that away.
That feels rude to the products.
They worked hard.
So for me, oil cleansing belongs in the evening.
If I haven’t worn make-up, I go straight in with oil cleanser on dry skin, massage it in, rinse, and carry on with the rest of my routine.
If I’ve worn a full face of make-up, I oil cleanse twice.
First cleanse: melt the make-up.
Second cleanse: let the oil cleanser actually get to my skin with no make-up standing in the way.
Because that contact between the skin and the oil is where I think the magic really happens.
Common oil cleansing mistakes
1. Oil cleansing twice a day
I just don’t think most people need to do this.
If you’re oil cleansing properly in the evening, then doing it again in the morning can be a bit much. Especially if you’re using richer night products or slugging.
Let your evening cleanse do the deep work. Let your morning routine be more of a refresh.
2. Skipping it because you didn’t wear make-up
This is probably the biggest mistake.
Oil cleansing is not just for make-up.
Your skin produces sebum whether you wore make-up or not. If you wore SPF, that needs removing properly. If you went outside, your skin has been exposed to pollution and grime. If you sweated, touched your face, cooked, exercised, existed – there is something there.
No make-up does not mean no cleansing needed.
3. Putting oil cleanser on wet skin
This ruins the whole moment, in my opinion.
Oil cleanser should go on dry skin first. If you wet your face before applying it, you start the emulsifying process too early.
Basically, the cleanser starts turning milky before it has had a proper chance to grab onto the oily stuff on your face.
So the order is:
Dry hands.
Dry face.
Oil cleanser.
Massage.
Then water.
Let the oil do its job before water gets involved and starts causing drama.
4. Not massaging it long enough
You don’t need to scrub.
But you do need to actually give it a second.
Massage around your nose, chin, forehead, jawline – all the places where SPF, sebum and make-up like to cling on for dear life.
Gentle massage is enough. You’re not trying to punish your skin. You’re just giving the cleanser time to do what you bought it to do.
5. Giving up because you don’t like the feeling
I know some people hate the feeling of oil on their face.
I get it. If you’re used to foamy cleansers and bubbles, oil cleansing can feel strange at first. A bit too much. A bit “why am I doing this to myself?”
But that temporary feeling of oil on your skin could genuinely be the thing that changes your routine.
You don’t have to be obsessed with the sensation straight away. But I do think it’s worth getting used to, because the results can be so worth it.
Final thoughts
Oil cleansing is not the loudest step in skincare.
It doesn’t have the drama of retinol. It doesn’t have the glow-up reputation of vitamin C. It doesn’t have the cuteness of snail mucin or the comfort of a barrier cream.
But I honestly think it’s one of the steps that makes all of those other products work better.
Because skincare doesn’t start with treatment.
It starts with cleansing properly.
And for me, oil cleansing is the difference between just washing my face and actually cleaning my skin.
It melts down SPF, make-up, sebum, sweat, pollution and all the general nonsense your face collects in a day. It does it without needing to strip your skin or scrub it to death. And it gives the rest of your routine a much better starting point.
So if you’ve been skipping oil cleansing, especially in the evening, this is your sign to try it.
Your skin doesn’t need to be attacked.
It just needs the day melted off properly.
And that is exactly what oil cleansing does.