Since discovering cleansing oils about a year ago, I couldn’t go back to life without them. I didn’t believe it could ever be possible to remove makeup so effortlessly and quickly. If you’ve never tried including a cleansing oil as part of your beauty routine – you must.
My benchmark cleansing oil is DHC’s Deep Cleansing Oil. This was my first foray into oils and I instantly fell in love. One thing that I have never loved however, is the price. At £16 + £3.95 shipping from the DHC website, this is venturing very closely into a price range that I’m not happy to pay.
So come, join me in my quest to find a purse-friendly alternative…
I have already blogged about the disaster that is Smashbox’s Cleansing Oil (thankfully now discontinued, although I still have my full bottle sitting in my bathroom cabinet *just bin it already*)
Next on my list was Shiseido’s Perfect Oil thanks to a recommendation by Kathi from Lotus Palace whose opinions on all products Japanese and Korean I hold in high esteem.
Let’s have a couple of quick fire comparisons:
Packaging… Yeah, Shiseido wins this one easy… simply prettier to sit on your shelf, plus it comes with a little ‘clip’ (not pictured) to put round the neck of the bottle to avoid the pump being mistakenly depressed whilst travelling – you do NOT want this shit leaking all over your holiday clothes!
The Shiseido oil has a fairly pleasant fragrance whilst the DHC smells like chip fat.
Shiseido’s formula is thin and watery compared to DHC’s heavier, oilier formula. A lot of people would prefer Shiseido’s easy to spread formula I would imagine, but not me! I actually prefer the heavier, oilier texture of the DHC as it feels so lovely to massage into my skin.
They perform equally brilliantly at shifting the makeup. Heavy foundation? “No problem!” Waterproof mascara? “Lemme at it!” – so yes, top marks for both on that score.
Shiseido easily triumphs with regards to cost… it literally piddles all over DHC. I paid £8.50 for a 150ml bottle on eBay, compared to nearly £20 for DHC’s 200ml. Also, because the Shiseido spreads so easily – I find that unless my makeup is particularly heavy, I can get away with using only 1 pump each time.
However, there is one thing that sets them apart and unfortunately it makes the Shiseido a big fat fail for me.
Emulsification people, I cannot stress the greatness of DHC’s emulsifying abilities! This thick, slightly smelly but extremely effective oil gently foams on contact with water before melting entirely leaving my face clean and residue free. It doesn’t stick to my cloths, the basin or my skin. I always ‘double cleanse’ with a mild soap afterwards out of habit, but when using the DHC oil, it wouldn’t bother me if for some reason I couldn’t.
The Shiseido just can’t compete. It’s not THAT far off… It’s not a complete loser like the Smashbox, but it does leave a slight residue and I can feel an oiliness on my hands which doesn’t disappear until I’ve 2nd cleansed. It also means that I have to scrub the sink after EVERY use or my husband calls me a minger for leaving the sink scummy. (Like he can talk with all those beardy little hairs he leaves behind after shaving, and he’s SO showing his age with that particular term of ‘endearment’… ).
I digress…
In conclusion, I won’t be repurchasing the Shiseido… but I also still refuse to spend £20 on a cleansing oil, so I need to hunt down my next contender!
I LOVE the DHC cleansing oil- would be one of my ‘must haves’ not tried any others though…
MAC’s cleasne off oil is magical as well. i got my mother hooked to it!
Love your reviews! I’ve only ever tried the MAC, and it does the trick. A wee bit cheaper than 20 squid!
Mx
@BeautyJunkie – Nothing I’ve tried so far betters it, I wanna find something soon before mine runs out or I’ll be forced to repurchase and my daughter will just have to go without nappies that week… no,wait… on second thoughts…
@Camilla – I have heard great things about Mac’s oil, will have to look out for it. Wish I could get my Mum hooked on beauty stuff, she couldn’t care less!
@Marie, thanks Chicka! Another rec for Mac huh? I will definitely have to give this a go! Ooh, have just found a small 50ml version on eBay which would be great to trial and see if I like – ‘citing!
I used to stash a lot of cleansers and face products and have recently started using them all up and cutting down my stash.
Amongst them I found a Capsule whipped cream facial which was PERFECT for taking my face off and it left me clean and soft skin, no dryness. That finished and trust it to be my luck that I can no longer find it.
Now I’m using jojoba oil and it works a charm, really really cheap and lasts ages. I can see all the stuff coming off my face and it’s great.
@Rhamnousia, I’ve tried using a proper oil fmixed with Castor Oil for the traditional Oil Cleansing Method, but I broke out really badly so went back to DHC. WIsh it would work for me. Have you looked on eBay for that other product?? I’m often finding discontinued stuff on there.
I was given the shu uemura one that turns to milk as a present.. it was fun to use but when i stopped i broke out! I have having to be dependant on products so i never got it again!!
@Tali, ooh not good! I think I can stop wishing for that one now then!
I tried in vain to look for it on ebay but couldn’t find it 🙁
I’m going to try again as someone may have it though I hold little hope, I bought it from the Debenhams clearance section about 3 years ago.
i just tried the shu uemura sample and really like. it’s the first cleansing oil i’ve had so i too am in search of ones a little less expensive. for now it’s working great though. i don’t have enough comparison to dhc. if i do i’ll let you know. i heard recently bobbi brown came out with a cleansing oil that has gotten really good reviews. it uses olive and jojoba oil but may be a little more expensive than dhc.
Hello Conzo, thanks for commenting!
In all honesty, since this review… I’m re-evaluating my thoughts on the self-imposed spending limit. I’ve tried some more cleansing oils (SK-II being one of them which was £££££) and I’m now just open to finding the best cleansing oil I can!
I have a sample of the Shu one which I haven’t tried yet for fear of falling in love before having set aside enough money to buy a full size bottle! I’m really looking forward to giving it a go!
I’ve also heard very good things about the one from Nude Skincare, but again… haven’t tried it yet.
I’m sure the Bobbi Brown one is more expensive than DHC’s but as I said, Cleansing Oils have become such a staple part of my routine that I’m quite happy to spend more money to make sure that I’m using the best!
try buying it directly off DHC’s website. they offer incentives that gives you 4-10% discount depending on how often you buy. not to mention the free samples.
If you think DHC is good, you better try Fancl! (seriously great Japanese brand that doesn’t sell here!)