Cleansing oils are the perfect tool for removing makeup quickly without having to rub the skin. Cleansing oils can trace their lineage to Japanese makeup artist Shu Uemura, who popularized cleansing oils in the 1960s after returning to Japan from Hollywood.
As the name implies, the main ingredient in cleansing oil is, well, oils. Each cleansing oil can feel different depending on what type of oil it uses as its main ingredient.
However, some cleansers can be too strong and can actually strip away too much moisture from your skin, resulting in dryness. Additionally, the loose texture of oil cleansers can make them difficult to use, since they can drip easily from your hands.
Keep on reading to find out how to choose the best Japanese cleansing oil for your skin type!
We tested the cleansing oils out on various types of makeup. We then applied the products and made note of how well they removed them.
An expert was then asked to look over the ingredients with us and judge how gentle they were. Based on their performance on our tests, we ranked the top 10 Japanese oil cleaners available online.
※Japanese prices for some of the products are given; they’ve merely been converted into USD for easy viewing.
$25.00
Japanese | ファンケル マイルドクレンジングオイル |
---|---|
Double-Cleansing | Necessary |
Can be Applied Wet | Yes |
Eyelash Extensions | Yes |
Features | Pigment-free |
Main oil ingredient | Cetyl ethylcaproate |
Best for | All skin types |
Cleansing | 5.0 |
Ingredients | 3.9 |
Overall Score | 4.67 |
$15.93
Japanese | 無印良品 マイルドオイルクレンジング |
---|---|
Double-Cleansing | Necessary |
Can be Applied Wet | Yes |
Eyelash Extensions | N/A |
Features | Pigment-free, mineral oil-free |
Main oil ingredient | Hydrogenated polyisobutene, ethyl oleate |
Best for | Combination skin |
Cleansing | 4.7 |
Ingredients | 3.8 |
Overall Score | 4.36 |
$60.00
Japanese | ドクターシーラボナ チュラルクレンジングオイル |
---|---|
Double-Cleansing | Necessary |
Can be Applied Wet | Yes |
Eyelash Extensions | N/A |
Features | Paraben-free, pigment-free, mineral oil-free |
Main oil ingredient | Ethylhexyl palmitate, decanoyl/octanoyl-glycerides |
Best for | All skin types |
Cleansing | 4.3 |
Ingredients | 4.3 |
Overall Score | 4.30 |
$7.55
Japanese | ミュオ クレンジングオイル |
---|---|
Double-Cleansing | Unnecessary |
Can be Applied Wet | Yes |
Eyelash Extensions | N/A |
Features | Pigment-free, preservative-free, non-sulfate, silicone-free, quality stabilizer-free, mineral oil-free |
Main oil ingredient | Cetyl ethylcaproate, ethylhexyl palmitate |
Best for | All skin types |
Cleansing | 5.0 |
Ingredients | 3.4 |
Overall Score | 4.29 |
$7.30
Japanese | クラシエホームプロダクツ ナイーブ ボタニカル クレンジングオイル |
---|---|
Double-Cleansing | Unnecessary |
Can be Applied Wet | Yes |
Eyelash Extensions | N/A |
Features | Paraben-free, pigment-free, non-sulfate, free of animal-derived ingredients |
Main oil ingredient | Mineral oil, ethylhexyl palmitate |
Best for | All skin types |
Cleansing | 4.3 |
Ingredients | 3.8 |
Overall Score | 4.08 |
$135.15
Japanese | シュウウエム ラアルティム8∞ スブリム ビューティ クレンジングオイル |
---|---|
Double-Cleansing | Unnecessary |
Can be Applied Wet | Yes |
Eyelash Extensions | Yes |
Features | Allergy tested, non-comedogenic-tested |
Main oil ingredient | Ethylhexyl palmitate, decanoyl/octanoyl-glycerides, corn germ oil |
Best for | All skin types |
Cleansing | 3.8 |
Ingredients | 5.0 |
Overall Score | 4.00 |
$26.88
Japanese | アテニア スキンクリアクレンズオイル |
---|---|
Double-Cleansing | Unnecessary |
Can be Applied Wet | Yes |
Eyelash Extensions | Yes |
Features | Paraben-free, pigment-free, mineral oil-free |
Main oil ingredient | Cetyl ethylcaproate |
Best for | All skin types |
Cleansing | 4.3 |
Ingredients | 3.4 |
Overall Score | 3.92 |
$13.94
Japanese | 肌ラボ 極潤オイルクレンジング |
---|---|
Double-Cleansing | Unnecessary |
Can be Applied Wet | No |
Eyelash Extensions | N/A |
Features | Pigment-free, mineral oil-free |
Main oil ingredient | Ethylhexyl palmitate, triethylhexanoin |
Best for | All skin types |
Cleansing | 4.1 |
Ingredients | 3.4 |
Overall Score | 3.88 |
$49.18
Japanese | THREE バランシング クレンジング オイル |
---|---|
Double-Cleansing | Necessary |
Can be Applied Wet | No |
Eyelash Extensions | N/A |
Features | N/A |
Main oil ingredient | Decanoyl/octanoyl-glycerides, olive oil |
Best for | All skin types |
Cleansing | 3.8 |
Ingredients | 3.8 |
Overall Score | 3.80 |
$30.02
Japanese | 花王 エスト クレンジングエッセンス オイル |
---|---|
Double-Cleansing | Necessary |
Can be Applied Wet | Yes |
Eyelash Extensions | N/A |
Features | Pigment-free, preservative-free, quality stabilizer-free, mineral oil-free |
Main oil ingredient | N/A |
Best for | All skin types |
Cleansing | 4.3 |
Ingredients | 3.3 |
Overall Score | 3.79 |
Image | 1 ![]() FANCL | 2 ![]() MUJI | 3 ![]() Dr.Ci:Labo | 4 ![]() muo | 5 ![]() Kracie Home Products | 6 ![]() shu uemura | 7 ![]() Attenir Skin | 8 ![]() Rohto Pharmaceutical | 9 ![]() THREE | 10 ![]() Kao |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Mild Cleansing Oil | Mild Oil Cleansing | Natural Cleansing Oil | Cleansing Oil | Naive Botanical Olive Cleansing Oil | Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil | Clear Cleanse Oil | Hada Labo Gokujyun Oil Cleansing | Balancing Cleansing Oil | Est Cleansing Essence Oil |
Features | Melt Thick Makeup Off Your Face With This Well-Balanced Oil Cleanser | A Refreshing Oil Cleanser That Makes Quick Work of Heavy Makeup | A Non-Irritating, Non-Sticky Cleansing Oil | An Oil Cleanser With Relaxing Essential Oils and a Moist Feel | Feel Moisturized With This Very Effective Cleanser | An Oil Cleanser With the Best Ingredients | Formulated for a Very Deep Cleanse | An Effective, Refreshing Oil Cleanser | Well-Balanced Performance and Ingredients | A Strong Oil Cleanser With a Gentle Scent |
Price | $25.00 | $15.93 | $60.00 | $7.55 | $7.30 | $135.15 | $26.88 | $13.94 | $49.18 | $30.02 |
Japanese | ファンケル マイルドクレンジングオイル | 無印良品 マイルドオイルクレンジング | ドクターシーラボナ チュラルクレンジングオイル | ミュオ クレンジングオイル | クラシエホームプロダクツ ナイーブ ボタニカル クレンジングオイル | シュウウエム ラアルティム8∞ スブリム ビューティ クレンジングオイル | アテニア スキンクリアクレンズオイル | 肌ラボ 極潤オイルクレンジング | THREE バランシング クレンジング オイル | 花王 エスト クレンジングエッセンス オイル |
Double-Cleansing | Necessary | Necessary | Necessary | Unnecessary | Unnecessary | Unnecessary | Unnecessary | Unnecessary | Necessary | Necessary |
Can be Applied Wet | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
Eyelash Extensions | Yes | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Yes | Yes | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Features | Pigment-free | Pigment-free, mineral oil-free | Paraben-free, pigment-free, mineral oil-free | Pigment-free, preservative-free, non-sulfate, silicone-free, quality stabilizer-free, mineral oil-free | Paraben-free, pigment-free, non-sulfate, free of animal-derived ingredients | Allergy tested, non-comedogenic-tested | Paraben-free, pigment-free, mineral oil-free | Pigment-free, mineral oil-free | N/A | Pigment-free, preservative-free, quality stabilizer-free, mineral oil-free |
Main oil ingredient | Cetyl ethylcaproate | Hydrogenated polyisobutene, ethyl oleate | Ethylhexyl palmitate, decanoyl/octanoyl-glycerides | Cetyl ethylcaproate, ethylhexyl palmitate | Mineral oil, ethylhexyl palmitate | Ethylhexyl palmitate, decanoyl/octanoyl-glycerides, corn germ oil | Cetyl ethylcaproate | Ethylhexyl palmitate, triethylhexanoin | Decanoyl/octanoyl-glycerides, olive oil | N/A |
Best for | All skin types | Combination skin | All skin types | All skin types | All skin types | All skin types | All skin types | All skin types | All skin types | All skin types |
Cleansing | 5.0 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 5.0 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 4.3 |
Ingredients | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 5.0 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.3 |
Overall Score | 4.67 | 4.36 | 4.30 | 4.29 | 4.08 | 4.00 | 3.92 | 3.88 | 3.80 | 3.79 |
Link |
Firstly, we tested the most important part when considering an oil cleanser; how well it removes makeup.
We applied makeup to artificial skin, then used the cleansing oils to check how much makeup it could remove. We blended the cleansing oil with makeup for 20 seconds, wiped it off with a damp cotton pad, and evaluated the results on a five-point scale.
Next, we asked our expert, scientific beautician Kaori, to check the ingredients that are essential to choosing a cleansing oil.
Specifically, we had her look for the following points:
Note that unlike cosmetics, manufacturers aren't required to label all the ingredients for quasi-drugs, which categorically fall between cosmetics and pharmaceuticals in Japan, and it's mostly up to the manufacturer whether they decide to label some ingredients or not. Therefore, we had Kaori evaluate only the ingredients that were listed on the label.
In this test, we found that products that balance ingredients that both offer decent cleansing abilities and skin conditioning properties were rated higher.
We also found that hydrocarbon oil-based products tended to rank higher in terms of cleansing ability. Ester oils, natural fats and oils, as well as silicone-based products that are made in combination with several other ingredients were also given high scores.
However, products that use natural fats and oils were rated higher for their skin conditioning properties.
Finally, products that primarily focus on makeup removal had fewer oils that help condition the skin, and they were outranked by other products.
Here are the four major points to look out for.
As mentioned earlier, there are a lot of different types of cleansing oils. How each product feels is different depending on the type of oil it uses as its main ingredient, so we recommend choosing an oil type based on your skin type and feel.
Oil cleansers are usually made up of hydrocarbon oils, ester oil, naturally occurring oils and fats (usually plant-derived), or a combination of the three. The main properties of a cleanser are determined by the first oil on the list—that is, whatever type of oil is present in the largest quantity.
If you have oily skin or want your skin to feel extra refreshed after washing up, give hydrocarbon oils a try.
Hydrocarbon oils are the oiliest, so as cleansers, they tend to leave behind little to no makeup residue. If you use waterproof items on a regular basis, a hydrocarbon oil-based cleanser is your best bet.
For mid-to-heavy makeup, we generally recommend choosing a mineral oil, but if you have particularly heavy makeup, choose an oil cleanser with hydrogenated polydecene.
If any of the following is at the top of the ingredients list, you’ll know you have a mineral oil cleanser on your hands.
Esters aren’t quite as strong as mineral oils, but they are still effective cleansers. Their low viscosity gives them a refreshing feel. There are quite a few ester-based products with varying degrees of cleansing ability and texture, and many don’t require double-cleansing—that is, you don’t need to follow up with a face wash—which can save you time.
Another benefit of ester oils is that it’s less likely to oxidize, meaning that it’s also less likely to contribute to acne.
Note that not all parabens are irritating. However, items that contain a large amount of parabens or parabens that are highly antibacterial can sometimes act as triggers when applied to sensitive skin.
Here are just a few tips and tricks.
If you feel like your cleanser’s not getting to all your makeup, try switching up how you apply it. Start off by blending product into areas where your makeup is the thickest—namely around your eyes and mouth. When you try to cleanse your entire face at once, you end up mixing all that gunk together, which may result in more residue.
The water should then mix with the oil on your hand, forming a whitish liquid. That’s the emulsion. Massage the emulsion into your face, then rinse off.
Here are some common questions people have regarding oil cleansers. If you've ever wondered about these, you're not alone!
While there's nothing preventing you from using oil cleansers when you have acne, make sure that when you use an oil cleanser while you have acne or are experiencing other inflammations, be careful you don't rub those areas.
Moreover, if you're experiencing a breakout, wearing makeup can take a toll on your skin. If you insist on wearing makeup, make sure that you don't put on heavy makeup to minimize the burden on your skin.
As we mentioned earlier, there’s typically six steps to a Japanese skincare routine. You use cleanser to rid your face of makeup. You then get rid of any residue and extra sebum with a face wash, prime with a toner, treat with a serum, moisturize with a lotion, and cap off with a cream. Learn more about some of the other products below.
Author: Rio Sasaki/Translation: Jasmine Li, Mitsuki Nagasawa, Mana Yoshida
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