Oil-based cleansing or water-based cleansing?

After the very first teenage outbreak, you have internalized one of the fundamental truths about good skin: How you cleanse your skin matters.

Over-cleansing will strip your skin of its natural oils, making your skin dry, sensitive, and perhaps even oilier as your skin starts to overproduce oil to compensate. But if you don't cleanse your skin enough, dirt and impurities can cause acne and clogged pores.

What is the difference between water-based cleansing and oil-based cleansing?

• Water-based cleansing: These cleansing products are often foaming, exfoliating, or hydrating and work by rinsing away particles from the outermost layer of skin. These types of cleansing products can be both powerful and gentle. On the more intense end of the spectrum, water-based cleansers may contain sulfates, which are considered the heavy hitters when it comes to facial cleansing. Micellar water, on the other hand, is a much gentler type of water-based cleansing. Micellar water is a non-rinsing emulsion that collects dirt, bacteria, and makeup on the skin and gently removes them without drying out the skin.
• Oil-based cleansing: The idea of using an oil to remove grease from the skin at the end of the day seems contradictory. After all, excess oil is what you're trying to remove. Surprisingly, that’s exactly what oil-based cleansing does. Oil-based cleansing works on the principle that oil attracts oil. Since too much sebum leads to oily skin and can cause acne, for example, oil cleansing breaks down sebum and effectively removes impurities. (Unlike a water-based cleanser that simply scrubs everything off the skin.)

Oil-based cleansing is also gentler on the skin; the natural oil layer on top of the skin is left untouched, so for those with sensitive and rosacea-prone skin, it creates minimal irritation. But just because oil-based cleansing is gentle doesn’t mean it isn’t powerful. Oil-based cleansing is excellent for breaking down makeup, so if you tend to wear foundation or makeup, an oil-based cleanser can help you achieve the ultimate cleanse.

Which type of cleansing is best for your skin?

Choosing between the different types of cleansing largely depends on your skin type.

Oil-based cleansing

• Best for: Makeup wearers, dry and sensitive skin.
• Avoid: Oily, acne-prone skin.

The consistency of oil cleansing is silky and luxurious. Oil cleansing is an excellent option for makeup wearers of all skin types because it has the ability to break down and remove makeup.

However, applying oil cleansing to oily skin is not the best combination. For individuals whose skin produces more oil than the skin needs, it is more likely that oil cleansing will aggravate the skin rather than help it in the long run. This is especially a problem for acne-prone skin.

Since we tend to wash away cleansing oil with oil-repellent water, it is common for oils to remain on the skin. This is good for those with sensitive, dry skin as this oil compensates for what the skin cannot produce and results in softer, rehydrated skin.

Water-based cleansing

• Best for: Oily, acne-prone skin.
• Avoid: Dry, sensitive skin.

Water-based cleansing is often a lightly exfoliating experience, meaning it can remove dirt and impurities deep down in the pores. This more intensive cleansing makes it easy for people with oily skin to remove sebum and dirt, which is why people with oilier skin types find this type of cleansing more effective. Foams and other cream-based cleansing products can be a bit too intense for dry skin types, especially if your skin is sensitive.

Can you mix oil and water?

• Best for: Oily, combination, and normal skin. Makeup wearers.
• Avoid: Over-dried and sensitive skin. (For drier skin types that want a second round of cleansing to ensure all impurities are gone, try following up oil cleansing with a gentle micellar water!

You may not need to choose between an oil-based and a water-based cleanser. Double cleansing – is when you use both an oil and a water cleanser at the same time. Double cleansing is "the backbone of many skincare routines, especially in the Korean.

Double cleansing works just as it sounds: instead of choosing one type of cleansing over another, you use double cleansing. Start with an oil-based cleanser to remove impurities, dirt, and makeup, followed by a gentle water-based cleanser to remove excess oil and remaining dirt particles.

When it comes to finding the right cleansing product, it may take some time to figure out what works best for your skin type. That said, it is well worth exploring the options as cleansing is the foundation of your skincare routine. Try not to test too many products at once so you can truly evaluate the effectiveness of each one to see how your skin reacts.