Cleansing Oil Is the Fastest Way to Get Sunscreen and Mascara Off

In 1967 a Tokyo-born makeup artist who had spent years working in Hollywood put out a cleansing oil for taking off makeup. The idea sounded a little strange at the time: use oil to remove oil. Heavy film makeup dissolved in it, and skin was left soft rather than tight. The same logic still holds. Sunscreen, long-wear foundation and waterproof mascara are all built to resist water, so water-based cleansers struggle with them. Oil loosens them in about a minute.

The good ones turn milky when you add water, which is what lets them rinse clean instead of leaving a film. Dermalogica's PreCleanse is plant based and made as the first step of a double cleanse. Clinique's Take The Day Off oil is simple and gets mascara off without much rubbing. Josie Maran's Argan Melt-Away oil is rich, lovely on dry skin in winter. Sulwhasoo's Gentle Cleansing Oil is a softer formula, and MARA's algae enzyme oil has chia and moringa and doubles as a makeup remover.

Skinfix's foaming oil cleanser has hyaluronic acid and turns into a light foam, a nice middle ground if oil makes you nervous. Dieux's Ethereal oil is concentrated, so a small amount goes further, and Benefit's POREfessional Get Unblocked oil is made with pores in mind.

Use it on dry skin with dry hands. Massage for a full minute, paying attention to the sides of the nose and the lash line. Then wet your fingers and keep massaging until it turns white, and rinse well with lukewarm water.

Oil takes off the makeup and sunscreen. A second, water-based cleanser takes off the oil and whatever is left, and it is the step that makes skin feel properly clean. It should be gentle, because the hard work is already done.

fresh's Soy cleanser is the one I have repurchased most, a gel that is gentle enough to use on the eye area. Youth To The People's Superfood cleanser is hydrating and comes in a refillable bottle. First Aid Beauty's Ultra Gentle cleanser goes from cream to foam and has colloidal oatmeal, good for skin that gets red easily. Tatcha's Rice Wash is a creamy cleanser that turns to a soft foam.

For oilier skin, Origins's Checks and Balances is a frothy face wash with a fresh feel, and Caudalie's Vinopure gel is made for pores. Clinique's All About Clean liquid facial soap is simple and gentle. Dieux's Baptism is a foaming gel made to hydrate and clarify at once.

A pea sized amount is plenty after an oil. Work it in with lukewarm water for thirty seconds and rinse. If your skin feels squeaky afterward, the second cleanser is too strong for daily use, so save it for nights after a workout or a heavy makeup day and use something creamier the rest of the week. In the morning you can skip the oil entirely and use only the second cleanser, or just splash with water if your skin is dry.

After cleansing, skin is at its most ready for water. A hydrating toner or essence patted on while the face is still slightly damp sinks in quickly and makes whatever comes next feel better.

Milky toners are the easiest. Laneige's Cream Skin toner has ceramides and peptides and feels like a light lotion. innisfree's Green Tea Ceramide milk toner is refillable and soothing, and rhode's Glazing Milk is a ceramide essence for that dewy look. Ole Henriksen's Barrier Booster is a milky vitamin C toner with niacinamide, the brightening one of the group. Farmacy's Honey Milk essence has chamomile and ceramides.

Essences are thinner and more concentrated. SK-II's Facial Treatment Essence is watery and very light. Tatcha's The Essence is similar, and fresh's Kombucha essence is full of antioxidants.

Pour a few drops into your palms and press them into your skin rather than swiping with cotton, which soaks up most of the product. Two thin layers hydrate better than one heavy one.

What I would skip: an astringent, alcohol-heavy toner straight after an oil cleanse. The whole point of the double cleanse is to clean without stripping, and a harsh toner undoes that. I would also skip exfoliating acid toners on the same night as a retinoid, unless your skin is well used to both. Pick one active per night and let the essence and moisturizer do the rest. Your skin will usually tell you within a week whether the routine suits it.

The part most people skip is time. An oil needs a full minute of massage to dissolve sunscreen and makeup, and most of us rinse after ten seconds. Set a timer for a week and the habit sticks.

Keep the oil by the sink, not in the shower, where wet hands stop it from working properly. If you wear contact lenses, take them out first. Wipe the bottle before closing it, since a slippery bottle is easy to drop on a tiled floor. Your skin should feel soft and clean afterward, never tight. If it does feel tight, or you see little bumps, try a lighter oil or a gentler second cleanser for a week and see if it settles. Nights when you wore no makeup or sunscreen can skip the oil altogether.