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Thursday, October 1, 2015

Review: Sephora Supreme Cleansing Oil (New 2015 Formulation)

Unless you're very new to this blog, chances are you know my love of cleansing oils. Every time I review a new one, I seem to get asked the same basic set of questions (What's your favorite cleansing oil? How do cleansing oils work for oily skin? How does this one compare to the Garnier cleansing oil? Etc. etc.), so I'll be sure to address all of those questions in this post!

 Sephora Supreme Cleansing Oil - New 2015 Formulation
(retail: $14, 6.4 oz.)

I ordered the newly-reformulated Sephora Supreme Cleansing Oil a month or two ago from the Sephora website, when I was trying to bump up my total to qualify for a particular freebie (hey, we've all been there, right?). Frankly, I wasn't expecting much from this one, since the original formulation was not a huge hit across the board (read the reviews prior to the July 2015 reformulation HERE).

So let's see how the new formulation has been working for me...

First of all, you may recall that the original formulation, released in 2012, came in a teal-colored bottle (here's a picture). The new formulation comes in a translucent, gold-tinted bottle (the product itself is a clear, colorless oil). Standard pump applicator. 


From the Sephora website:

What it is: 
A cleansing oil with the effectiveness of an oil and the gentleness of a lotion for skin that is immaculately clean without dryness.

What it is formulated to do: 
This oil transforms into a lotion when combined with water to cleanse deeply and effectively, gently removing any and all types of makeup—even long-lasting formulas—from the face and eyes. It is enriched with nourishing cottonseed oil to leave the skin incredibly soft and comfortable with no oily film.

What it is formulated WITHOUT: 
- Parabens

What else you need to know:
This product is formulated without mineral oil. It is dermatologically and ophthalmologically tested and suits all skin types, even sensitive skin.

Ingredients:
Ethylhexyl Stearate, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Hexyldecyl Stearate, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Tridecyl Trimellitate, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol, Gossypium Herbaceum (Cotton) Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Retinyl Palmitate, BHT.


So right off the bat, those who have issues with mineral oil will be happy to know that this product is mineral-oil-free (and also paraben-free). Looking at the ingredients above, the main ingredient in this cleansing oil is Ethylhexyl Stearate, which is an emollient/emulsifier that Paula's Choice gives a rating of "Good." Other oils in this formula include castor seed oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower seed oil, and Vitamin E.

To answer the questions I always seem to get asked when it comes to cleaning oils, yes, cleansing oils can be great for those with oily skin. I have very oily skin myself, and I find that cleansing oils can effectively remove all makeup and dirt from my face without over-drying my skin. If you have oily skin, you know that using a harsh cleanser can rob your skin of all oil, leaving it dry and tight. This can cause oily skin to actually over produce oil, ultimately leaving the skin even more oily than it was to begin with. So a gentle, yet effective cleansing oil may actually help balance oil production.

To date, I have reviewed the following cleansing oils: DHC (my holy grail), Garnier, The Body Shop, and Neutrogena. I have also tried (but not reviewed) many Asian cleansing oils over the years, and also the Eclos Cleansing Oil. I have not yet tried the Burt's Bees, Simple, or Palmer's cleansing oils.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, let's talk about this new Sephora cleansing oil.

In short, I really like it. As with all cleansing oils, you apply this to your dry face with dry hands. Almost immediately, you'll start to feel your makeup (even stubborn mascara) melt away as you work the oil into your skin. When it comes time to rinse, I like to get my hands wet and then work the product in some more, and this is when it emulsifies and takes on a more lotion-like consistency. After it emulsifies, it then becomes easier to rinse off the skin. I find that it rinses pretty cleanly (much cleaner than the Garnier did for me) and there is only a faint trace of an oily residue left behind. But patting my face dry with a clean towel removes the faint residue completely for me.

Just like with the Neutrogena cleansing oil, this product leaves my face feeling extremely clean, to the point of ALMOST feeling a little tight. My face doesn't actually feel dry or tight after I use this product, but it's right on the border of feeling just a little tight. I find that this cleansing oil removes every last trace of my makeup, provided that I take some time and really work it into my skin (you really can't rush a cleansing oil, but I'm sure you already knew that).

As for the fragrance, I find it to also be similar to the Neutrogena cleansing oil. To me, it smells like Cherry ChapStick, and I swear I can even detect that slight waxy note that you get with Cherry ChapStick. I happen to love the scent of Cherry ChapStick, so this is a positive for me.

When it comes down to it, I really can't distinguish much difference between the Sephora and Neutrogena cleansing oils. They behave almost identically to me, despite the fact that the ingredients are different (the Neutrogena contains mineral oil, while the Sephora does not). Neither product breaks me out, and they both perform in the same way. Cost-wise, the Sephora product actually turns out to be a slightly better value. The Neutrogena is $9 for 4 oz., while the Sephora is $14 for 6.4 oz. That breaks down to $2.25 per ounce for the Neutrogena, while the Sephora is $2.19 per ounce. (But do keep in mind that Neutrogena goes on sale at the drugstores quite often, and you can use coupons and store rewards to bring the price down even further.)

FINAL VERDICT: If the thing that was holding you back from trying the Neutrogena cleansing oil was the mineral oil, I think the Sephora cleansing oil is a perfect alternative. They're extremely similar to me in almost every way and I do not regret purchasing the Sephora product, considering that I like the Neutrogena product quite a bit. But on the other hand, due to their similarities, if you have already tried the Neutrogena and you didn't care for it, I think you probably won't care for the Sephora. I feel that they're almost interchangeable, and I personally really like both of them equally.

What's your favorite cleansing oil? Have you tried the newly reformulated Sephora cleansing oil (and/or the Neutrogena)? I'd love to hear from you! 

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

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23 comments

  1. My Favorite cleansing oil (because it's the only I've tried) is the Clinique Take The Day Off cleansing oil, I've been really interested in trying this one out too because I also have oily skin. Now that you've mentioned all of these facts I didn't know about I really need to check out what the ingredients are in the Clinique one. I also need to find the Simple Skincare one because I haven't seen it anywhere. BTW, the Walgreens by my house is discontinuing the Garnier Cleansing oil to like $4.39 so if you're a fan of this one you might want to check your local Walgreens and if you use the Garnier red plum coupons, I'm pretty sure it would be a steal!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for the tip! That's a great deal for those who like the Garnier!

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  2. This is very good to know, G. Have you experienced any leaking with this or the Neutrogena pump tops? Every Garnier has leaked significantly and I have decided to try another brand to minimize the mess in my cabinet and the waste.

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    Replies
    1. No leaks with either one so far, Robin! Although I have not packed either one in a suitcase for travel yet. When I do, I'll report back if there were leaks. :)

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    2. Wow, robin, I've had the EXACT same problem with the two bottles of Garnier's cleansing oil I've purchased. It's terrible! I left a comment on their website (I said I was waffling about buying a third bottle because the previous two leaked), and they said they'd pass along my comment and sent me a coupon for $5. Not a solution, but nice customer service at least :)

      Delete
  3. I love Julep's cleansing oil. I have a bottle of the Eclos to try when that one runs out, and this one sounds good, too!

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    Replies
    1. I'd love to know what you think when you try the Eclos. I love that one, except for the fragrance. Only because I detect lavender, and I'm not a big lavender fan. :(

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  4. Ugh. I was excited to try this because of no mineral oil and the reasonable price, but hearing about the cherry smell totally turned me off. I want one that smells like a spa, not synthetic fruit flavoring. :-(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Have you tried the Eclos? You can get it at Ulta, and it smells like lavender and other essential oils to me (nothing artificial at all). That's the only thing I DON'T like about it (I'm not a huge lavender fan) but it works really well and rinses cleanly.

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    2. I haven't! I had no idea it smelled like lavender. Must investigate.

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  5. I honestly don't think Simple is going to release their cleansing oil. It's still not listed on their website; I think the ones people found might just be the stock they had made and wanted to get rid of. I was really looking forward to that one, since fragrances on my face not only give me rashes, they give me migraines :(

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    1. Yeah, I don't know what's up with that one. I really hope it gets wide distribution...eventually! In the meantime, have you tried the DHC? I know it's a bit pricey ($14 for the small bottle) but that bottle lasts a while and there's no fragrance (it just smells like olive oil to me). It's still my holy grail after all these years. :)

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    2. yeah, but the rosemary oil in it makes me break out. I tried that a long time ago, still have a half a bottle that's probably not any good anymore ;) Love their mild lotion, it's my go to if I happen to get a sunburn, heals it up in no time!

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  6. Ewww fragrance, well, the hunt continues.

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    Replies
    1. Hey Ginny! See my comment right above yours for a great fragrance free alternative. :)

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  7. Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Oil is my favorite. Fragrance free and my skin doesn't feel tight at all after usage--which is important to me.

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  8. I tried the original formulation and hated it - it left a residue and just didn't work. Plus mineral oil - bleh! Glad to see they did something about it!!

    Castor oil is the second ingredient in the new one, which could be causing your skin to feel almost too clean - it's a rather drying oil. I have crazy oily skin and I read castor oil can help reduce oil, so I used it straight as my cleansing oil for a couple weeks. It did make me less oily... to the point that my skin dried up and started peeling and flaking like crazy!! I remember being out with a friend one night and I scratched my chin and felt my skin flake up. When I got home, I was SO embarrassed - it looked like something was dried up all over my face!! O.O It took months of TLC for my skin to go back to it's normal crazy oily ways, which was kinda nice, but not worth the dry patches. I would use it with caution - especially for the dry-skinned girls out there!!

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  9. While the DHC oil is my favorite, it's a bit pricey, so I only splurge on it when DHC is having a deal... in the meantime, I am loving the Salma Hayek Nuance Cleansing Oil at CVS. It's amazing!! I, too, have oily skin, but this stuff spreads and massages beautifully, it emulsifies in water and rinses completely clean, no residue and doesn't leave my skin feeling tight. It's mineral oil free, too!!

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  10. I tried the Garnier and Neutrogena oils, but the mineral oil broke me out something fierce. So I just made my own and it's fantastic! I just buy grape seed oil from the cooking section at wal-mart and I brought some Cromollient SCE from Garden of Wisdom for fairly cheap. I also add a little castor oil to my mix, not too much cause it will dry me out. For awhile I was just using the OCM, but it left me feeling too oily. The added Cromollient is just the ticket. It rinses clean now.

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  11. i recently tried the Face Shop Rice Oil to Foam cleansing oil and if you have oily skin this is excellent for cleansing the skin because its oil but if foams up and take off makeup and if you dont wear a lot of makeup you might not have to wash your a second time just using this item will do the trick i like it but its more of a summer time cleanser for me as i have combo skin

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  12. If you get a chance you must try the Nuance cleansing oil by Selma Hayek, you can purchase it at CVS for $9.99. I've used it for more then 2 years & I love it!! I totally think this is a great dupe for the Josie Maran cleansing oil & that is saying a lot. It does build up into a nice lather once wet it's great.

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  13. I use the L'Occitane Shea Cleansing Oil.
    Its ok, but quite expensive, I got it during the VIB Sale earlier in the year.
    Will try out the Sephora one when I run out since I like the concept of cleansing oil for my dry skin.

    ReplyDelete
  14. My favorite cleansing oil is from Muji. It is also mineral oil free. The texture is thinner than the Body Shop one.
    I'm just shopping at Sephora.ca at the moment and trying to get the before X'mas bonus sample bag and searching this cleansing oil. Now I'm ready to check out!
    Great review!

    ReplyDelete

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