Evening Routine Staple: Dermalogica Precleanse

Be it make-up wipes, dual phase remover, micellar water or ritual chanting - all of us make-up wearers have our favorite way of removing the slap from our faces at the end of the day. After trying and liking the DHC Cleansing Oil, I was on the lookout for a natural oil-based option and I've stumbled upon this little gem: Dermalogica Precleanse ($37 for 5.1 fl oz/ 150ml), a deep-cleansing oil featuring a blend of apricot kernel, kukui, rice bran, sunflower, safflower and olive oils.

'Deep-cleansing oil melts impurities and make-up from skin. Achieve ultra clean and healthy skin with the Double Cleanse regimen that begins with PreCleanse. Thoroughly melt away layers of excess sebum (oil), sunscreen, waterproof make-up, environmental pollutants and residual products that build-up on skin throughout the day with skin fortifying Olive, Kukui and Apricot oils. Add water to transform this hydrophilic (water-loving) formula into a milky emulsion that easily rinses debris from the skin's surface, allowing your prescribed Dermalogica Cleanser to penetrate even further for professional cleansing results. Formulated with conditioning Rice Bran and Vitamin E oils, this gentle blend can be used around the eye area to even remove waterproof mascara. Offers a deep cleansing ideal for even the most oily skin conditions. Formulated without artificial fragrances and colors.' (from the blurb on the cardboard box)

The packaging is rather simplistic and utilitarian, although I find that one has to quickly tip the bottle upside down, shake out the preferred amount and then tip it back up to avoid wasteful spillage down the side of the cap. The product is clear and not very viscous, which makes the application a tiny bit more challenging, and smells lightly and very pleasantly of tangerine hard candy/ lemon drops.

As described, I usually pour a bit in the palm of my dry hand (by bit, I mean the size of a nickel, or about 7 drops... see, I'm anything if not technical), and then dab the oil on my face, starting on the forehead, cheeks and chin. Whatever is left, I gently dab onto my eyes, and then with both hands I first massage the oil on my face, then moving onto the messier eye make-up; I simply prefer not to smear black mascara all over my face. I delicately rub the oil between my lashes to get everything off, then rinse my hands from the oil, and with damp hands emulsify the oil on my face, starting with my eyes this time (same reason as above). Like promised in the product description, it turns into a milky lotion after adding the water from my damp palms, which in turn rinses clean with warm water. Oh, and by clean, I mean no residue, but no squeaky feeling either - it just leaves my face feeling soft and comfortable and with neither a trace of make-up nor even a smidge of mascara on the lower lids. I then move on to using an actual facial cleanser.

To sum up, on the plus side Dermalogica Precleanse is a (somewhat) natural cleansing oil that's very effective and pleasant to use. On the down side, it's rather pricey, hard to come by (as Dermalogica can only be carried by spas or wherever there's an esthetician on hand... and which is why you probably shouldn't be buying it from Amazon; they have their own online store, though) and definitely more time consuming than using something like a make-up wipe (brrr!). I'm not sure yet if I'll repurchase; after the recent price increase, I may want to try Nude's slightly cheaper version first, or come back to micellar waters. But if you do like cleansing oils and are looking for a more natural alternative, I do recommend you check out Dermalogica's Precleanse for its gentle but ultra-effective formulation.

Have you tried using cleansing oils in your evening routine? What is your favorite way of removing make-up?