I am a huge fan of Dior makeup and when they released their first ever cleansing oil, I was ecstatic to try it! Let me tell you, this cleansing oil performs like no others. It’s so gentle, just like the name suggests, but delivers such high-performance cleansing results!
I have a deluxe sample version of it (as shown above) which doesn’t come with a pump like the full size. There’s quite a bit of product in this tiny bottle and it should easily last a week or two. And just so you know my photos may make the oil look like a color of gold but in person it is clear. :D
Dior Instant Gentle Cleansing Oil is different from your typical cleansing oils in so many ways. It is first and foremost, mineral oil-free (yay!) and it is formulated with Pure Lily Extract to prevent skin inflammation (sounds good for acne-prone skin). It is suitable on all skin types and can be used on either dry or damp skin. The smell of it is divine. It has a delicate yet refreshing floral scent that I literally can’t get enough of, and when I use it, I feel a slight cooling effect, too.
The consistency is also different. It is not as thick like most cleansing oils and at first, you may assume it’s going to be too light and gentle and not going to do a good job at removing makeup. Well, that’s what I thought, too. And in fact, my experience using it for the first time was indeed quite disappointing!
Having used quite a few cleansing oils myself I know the routine – dispense a small amount on your hands, massage the oil onto dry skin (i.e. face full of makeup) in a circular motion, then wet your hands with water, massage the skin a little more until the oil emulsifies and turns milky/soapy. Keep massaging until you feel all the makeup has melted and come off, then rinse with water and pat dry or follow with a face cleanser. I normally follow with a cleanser to rid of the oily residues left behind by the cleansing oil.
As I found out, with Dior cleansing oil, the routine had to be tweaked. Because it does not emulsify or turn soapy! On my first use, I kept massaging and adding water, struggling to get it to foam up but it just didn’t. And by the time I was done massaging, the oil was all dried up on my skin before the makeup even started to loosen. I was really disappointed with it because I had high hopes for it. The good thing about it was once I rinsed with water, it didn’t leave any oily/greasy residues on my face at all.
I tried again the next day and found a better way to use it. See, this oil has a thinner texture so you are going to need a bit more than you are used to with other cleansing oil per application. I applied twice as much as I would with other oils, basically enough to keep the slipperiness while massaging until the makeup comes off. Then I added water, rubbed some more (it will not turn soapy regardless of the amount you use, so do not expect it), and rinsed. I patted my face dry and then I soaked a cotton pad with my other makeup remover and wiped my face to see if all my makeup had been removed and believe it or not, there’s literally nothing transferred to the cotton pad! Even the waterproof mascara was gone! I was wowed!
And the best part, it didn’t leave my face feeling all dry and tight! My skin felt soft, fresh, squeaky clean but not stripped! :D I think you can even get away without following up with a cleanser but I did anyway just to be on the safe side.
It isn’t without a few cons, though. Sadly, this oil does sting my eyes! Ouch. So I think it’s not really safe to use to remove eye makeup unless you keep your eyes closed at all times. But in reality, you have to open your eyes at some point to see if all the makeup has been removed, right? And that’s when it gets into your eyes and stings! This isn’t really a problem for me, though, since I usually remove my eye makeup with a separate eye makeup remover first anyway. Also, you have to use quite a bit more each time compared to other oils, and with such thin texture, you will probably finish up a bottle rather quickly (it isn’t cheap, either, well, it’s Dior…)
To sum it up, I do like it! It smells nice, cleans really well while being gentle to the skin, is mineral oil-free, and doesn’t leave my face with oily residues. I’m glad I found a way to make it work and there’s no doubt in my mind at this point that I’ll be purchasing the full size when I run out. :D
