Review: Garnier Clean+ Nourishing Cleansing Oil

Purchased by Me

As you may recall, I was very excited to hear that Garnier was coming out with a cleansing oil when I first posted about it back in November. Aside from the Lumene cleansing oil, I believe this is one of the only other cleansing oils now in US drugstores (Biore makes one for Asian countries but it's not available in US drugstores), and I definitely hope this is a new trend that all drugstore brands will jump on ASAP. If you don't know why I love cleansing oils, check out my review of the DHC Cleansing Oil here for much more info.

Part of the new Clean+ line for 2014, the Garnier Nourishing Cleansing Oil falls under the "dry skin" sub-category in this new line. If you haven't seen the Garnier Clean+ line in your area yet, here are some pics of the display, which I found at Rite Aid a while back (and thanks to everyone who gave me the heads-up that this collection was already in stores!):

 NEW Garnier Clean+ Skincare Collection

For Dry Skin:

Nourishing Cleansing Oil, Smoothing Cream Cleanser

For Combination Skin:

Purifying Foam Cleanser, Balancing Daily Exfoliator

For Oily Skin:

Blackhead Eliminating Scrub, Shine Control Cleansing Gel

Now that you're all caught up, here's my review of the Nourishing Cleansing Oil:

Garnier Clean+ Nourishing Cleansing Oil for Dry Skin

(retail: around $8.49, 4.2 oz)

As you can see, the main ingredient in this cleansing oil is mineral oil. I know that some of you try to avoid mineral oil in your skincare (I personally don't mind it--I've been using skincare products with mineral oil for decades), but if this is something you're trying to avoid, this will be a deal-breaker for you.

From the Garnier website:

Is it right for me?
Dry skin types have different cleansing needs in order to look and feel their best. Often, the wrong face scrubs are used for specific skin concerns. As a result, skin does not get the right care it needs to look and feel its best. 

How is it different?
Customized Cleansing + Skin Type Specific Care
Customized Cleansing: Cleansing oil instantly dissolves impurities and long-wear makeup with no greasy residue.

Skin Type Specific Care: Formula, infused with nourishing Jojoba and Macadamia Oil, helps replenish skin's moisture balance.

How do I use it?
Make sure that hands and face are dry. Apply 1-2 pumps to fingertips and massage onto skin. Close eyes to remove eye (area) makeup. Wet face to emulsify oil then rinse thoroughly.

How do I use Clean+ products together?
For optimal results, alternate use with Clean + Smoothing Cream Cleanser.

As mentioned above, cleansing oils are not like regular facial cleansers and your hands and face need to be 100% dry before you apply this product to the face. Otherwise, you'll have a very difficult time removing your makeup, so I can't stress enough that your hands and face must not be damp when applying this product to your skin.

I find that, just like the instructions above indicate, two pumps is enough for my entire face, even when I'm wearing a full face of makeup. It's important when using a cleansing oil that you take the time to massage the product into your skin (gently and slowly) before you rinse. You'll literally feel your makeup, mascara, etc. breaking down when you start to work this product into your skin, and it happens almost instantaneously.

This oil is not super thick--it's comparable in consistency to olive oil, but maybe just a touch lighter than olive oil. The scent is very light--it smells a bit fruity but it shouldn't bother those with sensitivity to fragrance.

As most of you know, I have very oily skin, and this product is formulated for dry skin. But since I love cleansing oils, I was hoping it might still work for me. I think it does a nice job at breaking down my makeup, although I do detect some faint traces of eyeliner and mascara underneath my eyes after rinsing. This is a disappointment for me because I like to use cleansing oils specifically for removing my eye makeup and I was hoping this would remove every last trace of eye makeup. As for the rest of my makeup, it did remove my face primer and long-wear foundation easily, with no residue left behind.

Rinsing is where this product sort of loses it for me though. Unlike my DHC Cleansing Oil, this product does not rinse easily off my skin. It sort of feels like I'm using regular olive oil on my face and if you've ever used olive oil and tried to rinse it off with water, you know that it's not an easy task. After a few minutes of rinsing, I can still feel a slight film that never quite rinses off completely. It's not super heavy or thick, but it's definitely something I can feel after rinsing.

After I've patted my skin dry with a towel, my skin does not feel greasy or oily, but it does feel like there's a light coating still remaining on my face. THIS is where it becomes clear that this product is in fact better suited for dry skin (as intended by Garnier), because I can see how those with dry skin might enjoy the light coating that this product leaves behind. Again, it's not greasy or oily, but it's more like a light, protective film that adds softness to the skin. I personally need for my skin to feel clean and free of any residue after rinsing, but again, I have very oily skin to begin with and I just can't handle anything extra left behind.

UPDATE: Garnier suggests that, for optimal results, you use this product alternately with their new Clean+ Smoothing Cream Cleanser (see photo at the top of this post). I know that several of you already use cleansing oils as your FIRST step for cleansing (followed by a regular cleanser) so if that's already something you're used to doing, then this might be a good product for you even if you have oily skin. The second cleanser you use will definitely remove that light coating that I mentioned above.

I personally only like to use one cleanser and, if I'm wearing heavy eye makeup, I like to use a cleansing oil or makeup remover BEFORE my regular cleanser. Since this product doesn't quite remove all of my heavy eye makeup, it's just not a good fit for me personally. But of course your mileage may vary. One more thing: Garnier indicates on the label that this product is non-comedogenic and I have not experienced any unusual breakouts while using this product.

FINAL VERDICT: I think this is a nice effort from Garnier, but it's not suited for my oily skin due to the light residue that it leaves behind after cleansing (but again, this product formulated for dry skin, so I suspected it might not be a good fit going into it). I like that it breaks down my makeup easily and with little effort, but it does not remove every last trace of my eye makeup, and that's why I love cleansing oils to begin with. If you already like to use a cleansing oil as a first step in your cleansing routine (followed by a regular cleanser) then this might be a good fit for you, even if you do have oily skin. But if you are looking for a cleansing oil that can be your one and only primary cleanser (or for eye makeup removal), then I'm not sure this will be a good match. I would certainly give it a try though, especially if you've never tried a cleansing oil before. So many cleansing oils on the market today are double, or even triple the price of this one, so it's a nice way to see if cleansing oils might be for you before committing to a higher-priced product.

Have you tried any of the the product in the new Garnier Clean+ line yet? I'd love to hear from you!

The products featured in this post were purchased with personal funds. For more information, click here.