What is an Oil-Based Cleanser? What is the Difference Between Oil-Based Cleaners and Water-Based Cleaners? Benefits of Oil-Based Cleaner? Which Skin Types Should Use Oil-Based Cleanser?
What is an Oil-Based Cleanser?
Oil-based cleansers are cosmetic products that are mainly composed of oil and do not contain water.
Skin cleansing with oil-based cleansers is based on the principle of "like dissolves like" , which is the most basic principle of chemistry.
The structures that an oil-based cleanser can easily dissolve are the oil secreted from the skin (sebum - environmental pollution adheres to sebum), make-up materials and sun filters.
In other words, oil-based cleanser easily removes sebum, make-up material and sun filters, which are formed by residue and pollution on your skin.
What is the Difference Between Oil-Based Cleaners and Water-Based Cleaners?
Although both product groups are used for skin cleansing, the working principle and the effect they leave on the skin are very different.
Oil-based cleaners only consist of surfactants or emulsifiers that reconcile water and oil for added convenience during oiling and rinsing. They do not contain water.
Water-based cleaners do not contain oil. Water-based cleaners basically consist of a combination of water, surfactant, thickeners and preservatives.
Oil-based cleaners work with the logic of similar solvents.
Water-based cleansers break down the excess oil secretion (sebum) secreted from the skin and remove it from the skin in this way.
What are the benefits of an oil-based cleaner?
Oil-based cleansers can easily remove excess sebum, make-up residues and sun filters from the skin.
However, water-based cleansers cannot effectively remove water-resistant make-up materials and sun filters from the skin.
Water-based cleansers remove sebum from the skin uncontrollably. There should be as much sebum on the skin as the skin needs. The presence of sebum prevents moisture loss through the skin. Sebum makes your skin look soft and vibrant.
Oil-based cleansers dissolve and remove excess sebum from the skin. Even if they remove excess sebum, they can compensate for this loss with their own oil. This is how they do the gentle and gentle cleaning.
However, water-based cleansers dissolve all of the sebum and do not contain any oil that can compensate for this. For this reason, it is common to experience tension in the short term and lack of moisture in the long term after cleaning with water-based cleaners.
Which skin types should use an oil-based cleanser?
Although the use of oil-based cleansers is commonly recommended only for dry and sensitive skin, this opinion is not true.
The structure of the skin is the same in all living things. There is a regular loss of water through our skin. The skin prevents this situation by secreting sebum and covering the skin like a film layer. Dehydration can be a problem for all skin types.
In oily and combination skin, lack of moisture causes more sebum secretion and then more blackheads, comedones and acne formation.
Oil-based and combination skin types cleanse the skin with an oil-based cleanser, preventing water loss from the skin and ensuring sebum secretion as needed. This can reduce the formation of acne, comedones and blackheads.
Dry skin type has less congenital sebum secretion. Dry skin can benefit from the oil in the cleanser by using an oil-based cleanser. Thus, their skin can achieve a softer and more vibrant skin appearance.
Sensitive skin is more likely to have damaged skin barriers. They should stay away from harsh cleansers to avoid further damage to the skin barrier. People with sensitive skin support this process by including products containing precious fatty acids in their skin care routine to repair the skin barrier. Oil-based cleaner is one of the products that will provide this support.
CLICK HERE to read our comprehensive blog post to learn more about the skin barrier!
Despite all these benefits, you may still think why water-based cleansers are more dominant and more abundant in the skin care market than oil-based cleansers.
The biggest reason is cost.
It is a costly process to manufacture all-natural, cold-pressed oils and an oil-based cleaner and present it to the consumer. However, water-based cleaners are produced at very affordable prices compared to oil-based cleaners, because most of their content is water. Cleaners, whose cost is reduced by adding water, can appeal to many customer groups with lower prices.
Although oil-based and water-based cleaners are not different from each other in terms of cleaning performance and effectiveness, oil-based cleaners may be your choice as they are less irritating to the skin. ***
CLICK HERE to see our recommendation for an oil-based cleaner!
If you have more questions about oil-based cleansers, let us know on our @evolvy.skincare Instagram account; or via e-mail info@evolvy.co .
with love
On behalf of the Evolvy Team
Pharmacist Evrim Damar Guest
If you don't know your skin type, you can take our skin type quiz to find out. CLICK for the test!
(***) Source: The optimal cleansing method for the removal of sunscreen: Water, cleanser or cleansing oil? Wei Chen MD, Mei He MB,Li Xie MM,Li Li PhD, MD ( https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.12995 )