Saturday, September 13, 2008

DHC: Cleansing Oil and Washing Powder

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I've been using these two products regularly since mid-March, and have been meaning to review them for a while.


DHC Cleansing Oil:
The cleansing oil is a yellowish colour with a thick consistency similar to olive oil. It has a strong scent of olive oil too.

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The thick feel of the oil makes it a pleasure to massage into the skin. Afterwards I use a little bit of warm water to massage with the oil to emulsify the dirt, before splashing off the remaining oil with lots of lukewarm water. I find it leaves my skin with just the right feel - no tight / dry feeling on the skin. If I had a lot of product before or if its been a very humid / grimy day, I follow up with the washing powder.

The product comes in a pump bottle with a cap on top. The cap helps protect the pump from being pushed so you have no fear of product accidentally leaking out during travel. I got the smaller size, which is 70mL which passes the airline liquids rule of max 100mL per bottle.


DHC Washing Powder:
The washing powder is a fine white powder. You pour out about 1/2 tsp into your palm, add a little bit of water and rub to foam up the product. Btw the picture shows too much product - I just poured some out to take the picture but this is definitely over 1/2 tsp :D

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The bottle cap is a blue flip top, with a small hole so that its easy to measure out the tiny amount you'll need.

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I tend to use this as a morning cleanser, and then at night only if I didn't wear makeup that day, or after using cleansing oil to remove foundation first. So far I find it can be a little drying if I use too much (over 1/2 tsp). Otherwise it does its job , a small amount is really all you need.

What I like best is how convenient the powder format is for travel. No need to worry about the bottle leaking. You also don't have to factor this into the liquids restriction on flights!

The main reason I took so long to review these two products because I couldn't see a dramatic difference in my skin. These products did not improve my skin dramatically, but they did not affect it badly either. During the last few months, my skin has been alright - no purging from using these products, but no massive breakouts or other problems either.


Overall:
For the cleansing oil, the aroma and consistency may appeal to some but not others. I personally liked this because the scent makes it seem more natural, and the thickness of the oil feels nice.

However if you'd rather have a more odourless and thinner product, check out MAC's cleansing oil. MAC's product is also made of olive oil, but it is clear and has much a thinner consistency. It also cleanses just as well as the DHC product and has a milder scent. However MAC comes in only a 200 mL size, while DHC at least also offers a small bottle which is more travel friendly.

Price: 3/5 (US$11/ 70 mL, US$24/200 mL)
Packaging: 5/5
Effectiveness: 4/5
Repurchase: Yes

For the washing powder, I like how the dry format makes it convenient for travel. In my opinion it'd work best for normal/combo skins.

Price: 5/5 (cheap at US$8.50/bottle)
Packaging: 5/5
Effectiveness: 3/5
Repurchase: Yes

19 comments:

purple snowflake said...

HEY I always wanted to get the DHC cleansing oil.. but never actually got the chance.. Is it really oily?? like those cooking olive oils???

Also I wanted to ask.. does it actually foam up?? or just stays like oil?? does it really clean off the make up??

hehe I have so many questions but great review...

watercoloursky said...

Oops, I guess I could have been more specific with how it cleans.

Basically cleansing oils are oils that you massage onto your skin to dissolve makeup and dirt.

Its different from normal oils because its esterified so that when you wash it off, it doesn't leave an oily residue.

When you use it, after massaging the oil in, you should wet your hands with some lukewarm water and massage it on top of the oil to "emulsify" the oil and dirt.

It doesn't foam up, but turns whitish in colour when emulsified. Don't use too much water in this step otherwise it doesn't clean as well.

After that, rinse your face with some warm water and the oil will wash off completely without any oily residue.

I guess that might be more info than you asked for...but hope that helped ...haha.

Ai said...

oh i heard DHC a nice products, i wanted to try but it was pretty expensive back in Japan and i don't think they sell it in Indonesia :( but thnx for review! :) i'd try when i find one..

jing said...

I've been meaning to review both products as well! I can't end the day without using cleansing oil. It's a staple in my routine. But DHC has to be my favorite. Its consistency feels more natural than let's say shu. I have a feeling shu and kanebo freshel are "plastic-y" while dhc almost feels like the actual olive oil without the greasiness. cleansing oil helps take everything off. i'm a user of shiseido sun protect foundation and lotions, and those are a pain to remove. but cleansing oil removes it beautifully.

Angie said...

Oooh thanks! I'm kinda thinking that I may break out more often because I don't wash of my makeup separately-I just use face wash. I'm going to look into a cleansing oil or make my own =P

I posted the recipe up! The ingredient list is pretty short (so long as you have the kitchen basics). Keep in mind you need a pan that can be used on stove top and in oven.

Haha, I'm going to use both tonight and I'll let you know how it works for me! =)

And thanks, Pocky's getting better..we hope.

cheryl said...

great review of these products with great prices!

Unknown said...

Thank you mega much for this review!

I have been uming and ahing about the powder! I think its definately worth a try now.

Thanks again

fuzkittie said...

I remember trying a powder wash from Body Shop, kinda drying as well... and it made me feel like I'm some sort of laundry, and it was the laundry detergent, hahahaha. Thanks for the review though! :] I wish Japapnese brands were more available all around the US.

♡ Nic Nic ♡ said...

ohh i wanted to get using washing powder again, but from fancl! decided not to buy it though since i got too much cleansing oil to go thru >_< nice review!!

Ling said...

Thanks for the review Blu3! :)

There used to be a rave about it in Singapore some time ago but
I've never tried it cos it was too damn expensive! lol.

Btw, have you received the package? :)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the review. I love my Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil, but I keep hearing good things about this one by DHC. Maybe it's time to try something new and give the wallet a rest. :D

Grayburn said...

Hmm..the thickness of it sounds appealing to me!

Grayburn

fuzkittie said...

Hello Blu3! Since I travel for work every week, I pick out 4 days worth of work clothes every Sunday. But when I do stay at home, I usually also pick out outfit the night before for work. :] I'm not a morning person so I need as much sleep as I can get! Haha.

purple snowflake said...

Hey thanks for answering my questions.. So useful.. I never know that oil can actually clean. cuz I always thought it's like those gel foaming cleanser but contains oily stuff. hehehe

Tracy Roa said...

Thanks for your reviews! I should see if I can find these at the markets here.

miemiemie said...

ooh that powder looks interesting,great for travel too..i wonder if i could find it though..

watercoloursky said...

Thanks for the comments! Hope this helped some :)

Miemiemie: you can get it online too at the DHC US site :)

fuz: I thought the same thing at first....I was afraid it would feel harsh because it looks like powdered laundry detergent! It feels normal though not harsh at all. Thank you for answering my question :)

Ling: I just got it :) Thank you!

theChas said...

Hmmm...the cleansing powder has caught my attention. How interesting! I never would have thought it would be like that, and I see it around now and then too. This is probably because I didn't know what to do with it, haha. Cleansing oils are especially nice, especially for taking off makeup. I didn't know MAC makes one now! I've always used the cleansing oils by Shu Uemura.

Anonymous said...

where di you buy dhc oil?

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