Cleansing is the first step to achieving healthy-looking skin. It’s easy for any basic facial cleanser to remove oil, debris and dirt but to remove makeup effectively without causing skin imbalance, it gets a little tricky. Skin breakouts and clogging of pores are often the result of remaining makeup debris trapped in the pores along with dirt, oil and bacteria.
There are various types of makeup removers and cleansers out there and I like to use a few types of makeup removers depending on how light or heavy my makeup for that day is. For instance, if I put on light makeup, I would go for cleansing water or cleansing milk which formula is effective enough to remove light makeup such as foundation. For heavy-duty makeup, I like to opt for cleansing oils that can dissolve away most makeup debris and at the same time keeping the skin moist and soft. Why are cleansing oils better? It goes back to this basic chemistry concept of ‘like dissolves like’. Cleansing oil can dissolve the oil generated by the skin as well as oil-based make up.
However, I find that if the cleansing oils are too oily by nature, my pores also tend to get clogged easily as it is too rich for my skin. Thus, I am glad that Neutrogena has just added two new products to their Deep Clean range, Hydrating Cleansing Oil and Brightening Cleansing oil. They are a gentler version of cleansing oil enhanced with triple action – cleanse, remove and hydrate or brighten.
But how effective is it in removing makeup? A good makeup remover is one that can remove makeup first without having to swipe the product over the skin too many times. It is also cost-effective where only a small amount of product is required to cleanse the whole face.
It also needs to be gentle on the skin so it will not cause more problems during cleansing especially for those with sensitive skin. It should also strip away the dirt without stripping the skin’s natural lipid barrier. More importantly, it would be good if it is gentle enough to remove eye makeup.
I’ve decided to put Neutrogena Deep Clean Brightening Cleansing oil to the test to see if it makes a good makeup remover-cum-cleanser because if I were given a choice to pick a product out of the two, I would probably go for the brightening cleansing oil which probably contains ingredients to even out and brighten my skin tone.
Neutrogena Deep Clean Brightening Cleansing oil contains mulberry extract which contains chemicals to prevent the formation of melanin. This in turn will help to brighten up the skin complexion.
On the other hand, the hydrating variant, Deep Clean Hydrating Cleansing Oil contains cucumber extract that is filled with natural sugars which act as humectants to moisturize the skin.
Both variants are formulated with a non-comedogenic micro-emulsion that consist of water, oil and surfactants. Upon contact with water, the mineral oil-free cleansing oil transforms into a gentle cleansing milk.
I decided to go with one pump and dispense it on some cotton wool. The texture is lightweight and it smells of sweet berries! In fact, it’s quite watery so I suggest that you use it together with a wet cotton pad instead of dispensing directly to your hands and rub into the skin. Besides, the cotton pad helps to pick up any makeup debris more effectively.
Do note that the cleansing oil works more effectively when it is mixed with a little water to form a white emulsion or lotion that removes all the makeup and dirt.
Sometimes I used the cleansing oil as a facial cleanser in the morning as it is gentle for the skin and it cleans the skin lightly.
Then, I swipe 3 different types of make up on the back of my hand – lipstick, black eye liner and mascara. I always find it more challenging to remove eyeliner and mascara completely because sometimes the makeup debris is still stuck. It’s hard to remove completely even with some water on a the cotton pad.
And ladies, here’s a tip when removing makeup. Place the soaked cotton pad (with makeup remover) on your skin for about 10 to 15 seconds for the oil to interact and allow the oil and dirt on the skin to dissolve in it.
So there it goes! I placed the soaked cotton pad over the makeup and leave it there for some time before making the first swipe. I must say it did a pretty good job in removing the makeup smoothly in just one swipe on a smooth surface. From the photos, you also see that there is still some eyeliner and mascara marks and stains which are even harder to remove if the surface is uneven (e.g eyelash)
One concern I have is whether this product is suitable for the eyes as it did not state in the product box description. But I did try it on my upper eyelid to remove any make up.
It actually look me about 3-5 wipes before all the makeup is gone. And I usually pair this product with a facial foam as a second-step to cleansing to remove that oily feel to the skin and to remove any other impurities on the skin. But for its price and technology, it’s rather cost-effective.
It’s pretty good as a daily cleanser and makeup remover to remove light makeup! It’s also rather affordable too.
Verdict: 8/10
Neutrogena Deep Clean Brightening Cleansing Oil and Deep Clean Hydrating Cleansing oil are retailing at $29.90 and will be available at Guardian and Watsons stores.
Do you know any other ways of cleansing? Do drop me a link if you know!
