Recommended by Dr. Dray – The Best Oil Cleansers & Cleansing Balms

 

Hello my beautiful people! We are back with another post about some of the best skincare products recommended by our favorite dermatologist, Dr. Dray.

The Double Cleanse Method

First, in case you are not familiar with the double cleanse method, allow me to explain. The double cleanse method consists of two steps to cleanse your face:

1. Gently massage your face with an oil to loosen up any dirt, sunscreen, makeup from the day.
2. Wash the face with a cleanser to get rid of the oil, dirt, sunscreen, makeup from the day. There are a few Dr. Dray recommended Cleanser options below. Keep reading!

Vanicream Facial Cleanser is one that Dr. Dray recommends.

I have been following the double cleanse method before I discovered Dr. Dray and it is great to have it validated by a professional. Some people like to just massage their face with oil, and then sleep without cleansing the face with a face wash.

There are a few problems with that:

1. While the oil has loosened up the makeup, sunscreen, dirt etc. from your face, they are still sitting on your skin, they need to be washed off by a cleanser.
2. While oils are fabulous when it comes to removing makeup, kept on your skin for too long, might lead to reactions. Oily skin, sensitive skins particularly might not tolerate oil sitting on the face all night very well.

Just started taking skin care a bit seriously? Here are 5 must have products recommended by Dr. Dray. 

Coconut Oil for the Face?

As I mentioned, while I have been using the double cleanse method for several years, I was not aware of which oils to use. My main goal was simply to get rid of any makeup on my face. I made the mistake of using coconut oil on my face for several weeks, NOT A GOOD IDEA for anybody with oily and/or acne prone skin.

I watched a lot of youtubers talking about the magic that is coconut oil for the face, and I went ahead and gave it a try. My skin hated me for it, and I ended up seeking a dermatologist. It took over a year to get rid of the acne caused by coconut oil.

Dr. Dray has also suggested to stay away from coconut oil if you have any kind of a skin condition. It has been known to cause acne, rashes, also not recommended for anybody with dandruff. Coconut oil is good for the hair strands, but not so much for the scalp.

So, now that we know which oil NOT to use, lets get into the ones that we can use. Of course, with the expertise of Dr. Dray, lets get right into some of the BEST oils for cleansing.

Note: The inserted images from amazon are for your benefit and mine. They give you a better idea of the products I talk about; and if you use my link to make any purchase, I make a small commission from Amazon as part of their Amazon Affiliates Program.

 

The Best Oil Cleansers – Dr. Dray Recommendations

 

1. The Hada Labo Hyaluronic Acid Cleansing Oil: $26.99

 

We are not saving the best for last! This one is Dr. Dray’s favorite cleansing oil. (scroll down for her favorite cleansing balm) This product contains olive oil and jojoba oil, both rich in antioxidants, both are suitable for people with oily skin or eczema.

You take a drop of water on the palm of your hand, two pumps of the oil and then gently dab it all over your face and eyes. It gets rid of sunscreen, mascara, makeup from the face without any heavy-duty tugging.

For the step two of the Double cleansing method, go in with your favorite cleanser, Dr. Dray recommends the Hado Labo Hyaluronic Cleansing foam. These two make a fabulous combo when it comes to the double cleanse method.

2. Neutrogena Fragrance-Free Lightweight Body Oil: $9.59

If you are looking for a more affordable option, this one is a good one to test out. This oil is a no-nonsense product that is useful to get the sunscreen off your body, however, this works just as well on your face as well. This is another product that Dr. Dray recommends for the double cleanse method. There is no fragrance, which is typically what you must look for in skincare products.

The oil contains Polyethylene glycol which helps this rinse off so you do not have to worry about the oil sticking to your skin after cleansing. Just lather some to dry skin and you are good to go. 

Wondering which Netrogena products are Dr. Dray favorites? I have a post about it right HERE. 

 The Best Cleansing Balms

3. Pond’s Makeup Remover, Cucumber Cold Cream: $11.68

This is cold cream is another favorite of Dr. Drays. Ponds cold cream has been around for a really long time, but it was not until recently that Ponds came up with a fragrance free version of their popular cold cream. This cream is effective to remove sunscreen, makeup, dirt and oil. It is very hydrating and perfect for anybody with dry, oily or sensitive skin. This will not clog your pores and is suitable for anybody with acne prone skin.

Dr. Dray recommends washing this cream off with a cleanser, just like other cleansing oils. The label on this cream recommends just wiping the cream off, however there have been reports of women getting various skin conditions because of unwashed cold creams. Dr. Dray recommends washing this off, her cleanser recommendations are below. 

4. Banila Co Clean it Zero Purity Cleansing Balm: $22.14

 

This cleansing balm has liquorish extract for a brightening effect to the skin, aloe vera is a good moisturizing and anti-inflammatory ingredient. This product is not fragrance free but since it is washed off from the face, that fragrance will not be terrible and Dr. Dray loves this product, as she states in her video. However, be wary if you have overly sensitive skin.

Just massage this product lightly onto your face and it does a nice job at taking off your makeup and is relaxing!

Looking for ways to calm your mind a bit more? click here!

 

5. Heimish All Clean Balm: $18.50

 

This one contains shea butter, DONKEY MILK (What!), coconut oil and fragrances so be wary if you have oily, sensitive skin. This one works like the Banila Co Cleansing Balm and works just as well.

 

6. Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm: $7.90

 

 

This fragrance-free cleansing balm is one of the more popular ones. This is a little drier than the other two balms mentioned, it requires a bit more of a tugging but is a good option to test out of you are looking for a good fragrance-free cleansing balm. It also comes in a travel size so that is a plus.

 

7. Farmacy Green Clean: $34.00 This cleansing balm will come off easily with just water, if you are not one for a double cleanse, this is a good choice. This product has fragrance, while the cleanser is good, and Dr. Dray enjoyed it, she does caution people with sensitive skin about products with fragrance in it.

 

8. Albolene: $9.69

Last but not the least, Albolene is Dr. Dray’s favorite cleansing balm. It is fragrance-free, it has mineral oil in it. Mineral oils get a bad rep, but dermatologists love mineral oils. This non-comedogenic cleansing balm is a simple, affordable cleansing balm that gets your makeup off easily.

The directions in the packaging say you can wipe it off with a wash cloth after massaging your skin but in my experience, you will need water to get this off, so double cleanse with it is necessary. Dr. Dray recommends using a face cleanser after using this as well. This is the one that I use as well, it is beautifully moisturizing and has not broken my super sentive, oily, acne prone skin off. 

9. CeraVe Cleansing Balm: $13.99 

This is a new cleanser released by CeraVe. As with all CeraVe products, this cleansing balm has the three essential ceramides. Ceramides are beneficial to restore moisture to the skin. This cleansing balm has Jojoba Oil and Castor Seed Oil as the primary emolients.

This cleansing balm easily melts into the skin, unlike some of the other cleansing balms in the market. It is easy to spread into the skin. Dr Dray uses this to remove eye makeup, sunscreen, mascara, and found it to work really well to get the job done. It is silky and smooth, moisturizing without leaving the skin feeling greasy.

Dr Dray and CeraVe recommend using a gentle cleanser after using this balm to get everything off. This product is suitable for all skin types.

This is fragrance free, but Dr. Dray says it smells exactly like Butter, I somehow don’t think that is a problem at all. Butter? Yes Please!

10. Paula’s Choice Omega Complex Cleansing Balm: $28.00

This Cleansing Balm by Paula’s Choice is highly recommended by dermatologist Dr. Dray. The skin around the eyes is extremely sensitive and this gentle balm does not burn the eyes, which makes it an ideal choice to get mascara off without losing any of those much cherished eyelashes.

11. CeraVe Eye Makeup Remover: $10.12

It is difficult to find an eye makeup remover that does not burn your eyes. This one by CeraVe is easy on the eyes. Dr. Dray does not find it to be burning. Just a little product on a cotton pad gets all that makeup off within seconds, including waterproof mascara . The ingredients include ceramides and castor oil. If you are allergic to castor oil, then avoid this eye makeup remover.

You can use any of the cleansing balms to get that eye makeup off, but if you are someone who likes using an eye makeup remover, then this one by CeraVe is a good option to test out.

 

STEP 2 OF THE DOUBLE CLEANSE – CLEANSER

Apart from the Hado Labo Hyaluronic Cleansing foam, that Dr. Dray loves for step two of the double cleanse, she also recommends the Vanicream Gentle Cleanser, if you are looking for a more affordable option, that is a good one. CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser is another fantastic option.

Wrapping Up

Double cleansing method is an effective way to make sure you get all your makeup, sunscreen, mascara off. However, it is not the only way to clean your face. You can test it out, if it works for you, you can continue, if it does not work for you, that is fine too. It is not a requirement for skin care, it is what Dr. Dray and a million other people, including myself, do to wash their face and it might help you too.

Having acne or oily skin does not mean you cannot use an oil based cleanser. In fact, many people with acne prone, oily skin, notice a substantial improvement after using the double cleanse method. So there is no need to fear oil cleansing.

Calm that skin, but more importantly calm that mind. Stay safe!