Laura Mercier Purifying Oil - Light

...I was talking to the Laura Mercier make up artist who was doing our make up for my friend's wedding. Surely that would make my face greasy or worse make me break out in a rash? I mean I always buy oil-free products and it's not like I am unknown to Laura Mercier products - apart from the make up bag full of their products I use Laura Mercier's oil free tinted moisturiser so why would I want to put oil on my face to clean it?

Don't ...
...oil does.

Laura Mercier Purifying Oil (which is part of the Laura Mercier Flawless Skin range) is a mineral oil infused with sea mineral and tea (camelia sinensis) extracts which gently removes all traces of make up and dirt and other impurities (dead skin cells etc) by absorbing and suspending it in the oil and then when you rinse your face all the bad stuff goes with it. She said that this was a Japanese way of cleansing (OK so at ... more

"Wash my face in oil? Are you serious?" was exactly what I was thinking when I was talking to the Laura Mercier make up artist who was doing our make up for my friend's wedding. Surely that would make my face greasy or worse make me break out in a rash? I mean I always buy oil-free products and it's not like I am unknown to Laura Mercier products - apart from the make up bag full of their products I use Laura Mercier's oil free tinted moisturiser so why would I want to put oil on my face to clean it?

Don't get me wrong I wasn't totally adverse to the idea (my friend was paying for us to have our make up done so I wasn't going to kick up a fuss) and in fact I was quite intrigued. In truth I had been looking for a decent cleanser for years - I'd gone from Eve Lom to Boots own and I'd be happy for a few weeks (or minutes in some cases) but having sensitive skin has meant that I know fairly quickly if a product is going to work/irritate my skin and then I would spend a fortune on other products to sort out the problems that the cleanser had caused. I was curious to see what the product was like but I explained that I had sensitive skin and I use oil free products and that I didn't want my skin looking blotchy if I reacted to it and the make up artist told me not to worry and started to explain about this oil does.

Laura Mercier Purifying Oil (which is part of the Laura Mercier Flawless Skin range) is a mineral oil infused with sea mineral and tea (camelia sinensis) extracts which gently removes all traces of make up and dirt and other impurities (dead skin cells etc) by absorbing and suspending it in the oil and then when you rinse your face all the bad stuff goes with it. She said that this was a Japanese way of cleansing (OK so at this point I was getting quite sold on the idea as I love anything to do with Japan!) and was very simple and effective. When explained like that it made sense to me that the dirt would mix and stick to the oil and then when you apply water it will float on top of it and get washed away but I was still concerned about the greasiness. She told me there were two types of Purifying Oil product - Light (which I am reviewing) and Rich for more dry, dehydrated skin. The Light version was for normal to oily skin.

Still a little sceptical I asked if she could use the Light version which she did. The first thing she did was take two pumps of the oil (which is light in texture and actually doesn't feel that greasy and also has no real smell) into her cupped hand and rubbed between her hands. She told me to close my eyes and began to spread the oil all over my face. She didn't wet it first - she just applied it on to dry skin. Then she began to massage my face in firm but gentle circular movements for about 10 to 15 seconds in each area. She rinsed her hands and this is where the clever bit happens. Taking a small amount of clean warm water on her hands (literally only the amount you would have on your hands after you wet them) she began to again massage my face. She told me to open my eyes and I could see that the clear oil was now a milky white film on my face. She then got a clean white flannel, soaked it in warm water and gently wiped over my face. I was horrified to see the state of the flannel. Although it was early in the morning, I had washed my face before I went out and I had removed my make up the night before. You would never have thought it looking at the flannel.

One of my own tests when I use a new product is the smile test - if I smile and my skin feels tight I know I have problems. But there was no tightness or tingling or blotchiness. My skin just looked really clear and fresh. It looked bright like it does after I have used an exfoliate mask - I would even go as far to say that it felt soft and comforted. The mineral oil (according to their website) is a non-comodegenic (seemingly this means that it doesn't cause acne or other skin irritations) cosmetic grade oil which is designed to soften the skin and remove excess oil and build up which leaving essential nutrients for your skin's lipid barrier. I didn't know this at the time but I told the make up artist that I was impressed and about my cleanser woes so she decanted some of the oil into a bottle for me to try at home. I was pretty amazed by this (she was only doing her job I suppose) but the proof would be in how quickly it greased up my face. Come 12.30am when the last of us were thinking about leaving the reception I was still waiting for this to happen.

So I got home and tried out my sample pot to remove the make up and not a smudge on my pillow in the morning. One week later I was off to Selfridges to buy this product (Laura Mercier is not that widely available everywhere and tends to be found in larger department stores such as House of Fraser or SpaceNK apothecary stock it on their website www.spacenk.co.uk) and 8 months later I have just finished my first bottle.

My skin is noticeably clearer and healthier looking. I only need to exfoliate once a week to keep my bright skin looking fresh (which is a blessing when you have sensitive skin). My skin feels hydrated and nourished after I cleanse as well as feeling soft, smooth and supple. I used to suffer from wide pores and blackheads around my nose but these have cleared and my pores are more refined. I also use it as my main make up remover even for my eyes. I admit it does take a bit of time and is more tedious than a dedicated eye make up remover but at least it is all removed and not on my pillow! It's especially great for getting rid of under eye concealers which can dry your delicate eye area out. And I have got some in my eyes before and it doesn't sting but you are advised to wash it out asap.

I use one or two pumps of the oil (depending on how dirty my dace is) morning and evening and normally I use a fresh flannel to wipe away all the residue every day (same one morning and evening - I'm not that good!) but you can just use water (although the flannel is more effective). I admit that as a routine it is a little labour intensive but if I really am in a rush I put the oil onto my face and quickly massage it in before I jump in the shower and I do the second stage quickly before I was my hair and then by the time that is done the shower has rinsed everything away.

The product comes in a clear square plastic bottle with a white pump dispenser. It does look stylish I must admit on the sink. Each bottle contains 200ml and it says to use within 6 months. Well I've had mine for 8 months and just finished it and not seen any deterioration in the product in the intervening 2 months so don't panic if you don't use it all in that time. The only thing I have found is that in recent weeks it has been harder to dispense (I've had to pick it up and move the oil around to get some by the tube!).

The slight disadvantage with this product is that the last time I bought some it was £30 - a hefty price tag I admit but in the last 8 months I have spent less on my face than in the 8 months prior. I have also looked everywhere on the net for Laura Mercier's policy on animal testing but as an american company they don't have to declare one way or the other so if you are particularly concerned about this issue then I would do some research or contact Laura Mercier prior to purchasing any of their products.

Personally I love this product and what it has done for my face so of course I would recommend it to anyone but especially those who have sensitive skin or have tried loads of different products but not found the right one for them. I've even had people comment on my skin when I've been out asking where I get my foundation from because my skin looks so good - and I'm not wearing any foundation. It just goes to show that I have finally found the right cleanser for me if I'm getting comments like that and despite the ritual and the price, I certainly won't be changing brands in a hurry. 

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