If there is one product that I most frequently recommend in conversation with friends, readers, or anyone else, it is oils in their infinite usefulness. Despite my own oily to combination skin and history of acne, which appeared in my early 20s and persisted for several years, I am on a mission to fetch oils back from the naughty step and espouse their almost sacred usefulness. Every oil (with the exception of gutter oil – google it, but not before eating) is a holy oil.
So no, oils in skincare are not solely the remit of reiki practitioners or people who misuse the word “summer” as a verb – they are a basic part of any skincare routine. Oils can be preventative, preservative and treatment skincare, depending on which you choose and how you use them. Though I would argue loudly and with wagging finger that everyone, male, female, of all ages (with the exception of children) and skin types should incorporate an oil into their night-time skincare regime, even I can accept that oils are frightening.
A little like Catholic guilt and the importance of taking a jacket no matter the season, the mantra “oils are bad for oily skin” has been horsed down our fear-struck Irish gullets for generations.
Ease yourself into recognising how beautiful and beneficial oils are with an oil cleanser. It will balance your own skin’s oil production (not exacerbate it), and make skin happier. It will also remove all make-up (yes even eye make-up) better and more easily than anything else.
For a mid-priced and entirely sumptuous cleansing oil, try Trilogy Rosehip Transformation Cleansing Oil (€23.95, cloud10beauty.com), which is based upon the brand’s bestselling and widely loved topical rosehip oil. This cleanses so efficiently, and emulsifies on contact with water to rinse away without trace, that you will fire your cold cream or wipes out the bathroom window.
Caudalie Makeup Removing Cleansing Oil (€21.45, lookfantastic.com) is another option in this price bracket, and is comforting, straightforward and unembellished by nonsense or frippery. It works beautifully, smells softly natural and won’t irritate or leave a heavy feeling on the skin.
Chanel L'Huile Anti Pollution Cleansing Oil (€38, Brown Thomas) is a Chanel cleansing oil, so it is luxuriant, simple and features an elegant texture with quality cleansing. It is a treat to remove make-up with.
If you like a brand with a natural focus, Tata Harper Nourishing Oil Cleanser (£66, cultbeauty.co.uk) is the Rolls Royce of cleansing oils. The hefty glass bottle, the rich, golden unguent inside and the joy of removing your make-up with it all make for a special product, but you don’t have to spend hugely if you can’t or don’t want to.
For those who are concerned about budget, not to mention (despite my finger wagging) congestion, and may trust a hypoallergenic brand we all know, try Simple Cleansing Oil (€6.66, Boots). It does the job perfectly, leaves no oily residue when washed off, and you will have change from a tenner for a Cornetto.
