Clean skin is vital to your skin's health. We've all read the magazines and watched the makeup shows and vlogs telling us never to go to bed without removing makeup. Well, what they don't tell you is that you not only need to remove your makeup, you need to remove your makeup well. That way, your skincare is able to absorb into your skin, and your pores aren't blocked out by leftover makeup.

One surefire way to clean your skin effectively is by double-cleansing. You do this by first removing your makeup with a cleansing oil, and then cleansing your face once again with a cleanser (preferably a cream based cleanser - like the Simplicité Plant Gel Cleanser, a hybrid gel/cream cleanser).

So...cleansing oils.

They've been around a while now, and most people already know what cleansing oils are thanks to the famous Shu Uemura cleansing oils. If you haven't heard of cleansing oils, they are oils (duh!) that you use to cleanse your skin and remove your makeup and sunscreen. They are extremely effective but gentle on the skin, and they remove even the most difficult of waterproof makeup. Cleansing oils can be used on all skin types.

How to Use Cleansing Oil

While a lot of people know about cleansing oils, not everyone knows how to use them correctly, so please read this because it might change the way you use cleansing oils, and more importantly, what cleansing oils can do for you!

1. Make sure your skin is dry. With most oils, you'll need to have completely dry skin in order for them to work properly.

2. Massage the oil into your skin. If you are removing makeup as well, you can massage the oil directly on top of your eyes and lashes, to remove any eye makeup and mascara.

3. Now here's the important part. Wet just your hands, then massage your skin. You will feel the oil on your face thin at first, and then thicken again. This means the oil is emulsifying - and this emulsification process is very important if you want to clean your skin properly! I know most people just rinse the oil off at this point - I've done it before myself - but you need to make sure that the oil emulsifies so your skin gets cleaned well.

4. Repeat step 3 at least twice.

5. Rinse everything off with water.

6. Follow with a cleanser. This step is more important than you think, because some cleansing oils contain mineral oil. Mineral oil can clog pores, so it's important to follow with a cleanser to completely remove all traces of your cleansing oil before moving on to your skincare.

Best Cleansing Oils

Here are some cleansing oils I personally loved! All pictured above:

1. Innisfree Olive Real Cleansing Oil - This is a Korean, olive oil based cleansing oil that is smooth, effective, and natural. It is also affordable, which is great, because there aren't a lot of cleansing oils out there that are both affordable and effective at the same time.

2. Senka Perfect Oil - Another affordable cleansing oil, hallelujah! Senka's cleansing oil is one of the most effective cleansing oils I've tried - it is not as thick as the other oils, but removes makeup like a dream.

3. DHC Cleansing Oil - I used this cleansing oil for a really, really long time and absolutely loved it! It's olive oil-based, like the Innisfree oil, and cleans the skin quite well too. I like that it's gentle on the skin, and even if I get some in my eye, it doesn't get irritated at all.

4. Shu Uemura Porefinist Skin Purifier Cleansing Oil - this one is my most recent discovery, and a new favourite. I like it because on top of being just a cleansing oil, this one also cleans pores well (hence its name). It is formulated in such a way that the oil is able to get into your pores and clean them better than other oils, and I am actually witnessing a significant improvement in my skin.

Now that you know the ins and outs of using a cleansing oil, get on it! It will do absolute wonders for your skin :)