Origins Clean Energy Cleansing Oil

Photo credit: Origins website

After reading reading and hearing about a lot of people turning to cleansing oils as an effective makeup remover and gentle facial cleanser, I just had to try it. One of my favorite skincare brands is Origins. I love their facial moisturizers. So I stopped by a few months back and picked up their Clean Energy Cleansing Oil ($21 for 6.7 fl. oz. and $1 for the pump). I have been using it routinely for months. It is my night cleanser. I am a convert. It is phenomenal. I know cleaning with oil sounds counterintuitive, especially if you have oily skin. But, this oil does not leave any residue. Unlike the jojoba oil I once reviewed, you do not have to wash your face again to remove residue after using this. Once you apply water, it emulsifies and just rinses off.

The first thing I noticed when I used it was the amazing citrus aroma. It's so refreshing. Clean Energy has a grapefruit, orange, and lemon scent. Then, when I rubbed it into my skin, I noticed that it was light,  and easily melted even my waterproof makeup. Mascara be gone! And it rinses away like a dream. In fact, make sure your hands are dry before you use this, because if they are wet, it will breakdown before you even apply it. My skin feels clean after I use it, but not overly dry (like some harsh cleansers make it feel), and it is not oily to the touch, nor does it get oily as the night progreses. The more I use it the better my skin has been looking. It's gentle but effective. I can remove my makeup and cleanse in one easy step.  (Note, if I have lots of makeup on, I may repeat the procedure, but 95% of the time, I don't have to)

And breakouts? None. Well, except for the normal one or two I get around that time of the month, but that's normal for me and has nothing to do with my cleanser, but instead my hormones.

I absolutely love my cleansing oil, and the best part is that it lasts a long time. I've had mine for months (since March), and I'm only half way through the bottle. Now that's lasting power. I used 2-3 pumps each night. That translates to a cost of less than $4/month, since I'm only half way through it.

My only qualm: they don't make a travel size version! Origins, we need this. In the meantime, I just pour a little bit into a travel container and use it on the go when I'm out of town. If I'm too lazy to do that, I just travel with makeup remover wipes.

I think my skin is doing so much better now that I'm not attacking it with harsh cleansers day and night. I use a stronger cleanser in the morning (to wash away sweat from my morning workout sessions) and go gentle at night.

Oh, and lets not forget the list of good-for-you-skin ingredients:

• Vitamin E (to reduce effects of environmental hazards)
• Olive, sunflower, seasame, safflower oils (to remove dirt and makeup)
• Kuikui nut and macadamia (to keep skin moisturized)

Are you interested in trying out cleansing oils? Will you now that you've read a little more about this product? By the way, it's totally returnable if you don't like it, so no big money commitment, if that's what makes you nervous. Have you already tried cleansing oils? What do you think of them?