Love it: Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Botanical Cleansing Oil

Anyone that checks in here regularly will know that I’m a huge fan of oils - body oils, hair oils and facials oils - and love the fact that nine times out of ten, they are brilliant multi-taskers and are great travel companions too.

Cleansing your face with one is a given with me, but for many oil may seem counterintuitive, especially for those who associate it with breakouts and the like. Well it just ain’t true, and there are more and more great oil-based cleansers arriving on the market all the time that are making their way into bathroom cabinets across the globe.

Cleansing your skin is one of the most important parts of the skincare regimen, and it’s always a good idea to track down a richer, heavier cleanser when the temperature plummets. It can definitely help address the dryness that comes with the cooler air and when used correctly can make a real difference to your skin’s health and wellbeing. Cleansing removes makeup, dirt and debris from the skin. It also helps to cleanse pores (hair follicles actually) of dead skin cells and sebum to help prevent acne. For aging skin, a cleansing oil can be a great way to help remove makeup, dirt and debris and also to help fight off free radicals that actually cause skin to age quicker. 

Which brings me to my latest great love affair, which is with Kiehl’s newest release – an absolutely heavenly cleansing oil. An extension of their cult-favourite Midnight Recovery Concentrate, it is a super duper lightweight yet highly efficacious face oil. Non-comedogenic, non-acnegenic and joyfully free of mineral oil, it gets its slip from squalane. Midnight Recovery Botanical Cleansing Oil not only efficiently washes away skin impurities such as dirt, oil and sunscreen but also is also effective on stubborn makeup, which Kiehl’s say eliminates the need for double cleansing. “Using oil to clean one’s skin may seem contrary to what consumers have historically been taught, especially those with oily skin,” says Cammie Cannella, Kiehl’s Vice President of Global Education of the new release. “However, cleansing oils like Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Botanical Cleansing Oil are a most effective way to gently cleanse skin. Our formula offers the distinct benefit of not only cleansing gently but also maintaining the skin barrier.” 

Super gentle yet completely effective, this baby removes all traces of my make-up with ease (even heavy foundation and waterproof mascara), leaves my skin feeling super hydrated and doesn’t pull or tug around the eyes. It also smells amazing and feels absolutely delicious on the skin, and is reportedly suitable for all skin types - even oily and dry complexions.

As well as being gloriously un-messy – the pump dispenser helps - it doesn't have a tendency to leave behind any residue, so even if you’ve had a bit of a late night, using it is a breeze. I’ve still been using it before a cream cleanser for a double cleanse at night, and have found that even long-wearing formulas and lip stains come off in seconds. Amazing! I love that the juicy botanical oils in the formula like Evening Primrose oil nourish skin and maintain the skin barrier, leaving it feeling soft, healthy and hydrated. 

Kiehl’s recommends the following, super simple 4-Step Oil Cleansing Method to get the most from this beauty: 

Step One: Dispense 3-4 pumps into dry or wet hands. 

Step Two: Massage into dry skin, including eye area. 

Step Three: Add water and massage skin to emulsify the oil, creating a gentle cleansing milk. 

Step Four: Rinse your face thoroughly and pat dry with a soft towel. Follow with your existing nightly skin regimen. 

For long-wear and waterproof eye makeup, first dispense two pumps onto a cotton pad and gently press on the eye area for 10 seconds. Gently wipe outwards and repeat if necessary. Follow with the 4-Step Oil Cleansing Method. 

Midnight Recovery Botanical Cleansing Oil is on counter now, RRP $65.00.