How to Use Cleansing Oil: Do Balms, Creams, and Cleansing Waters Finish Differently?

Quick answer: How to use cleansing oil comes down to the directions on the container, not a number of pumps or minutes. For balms, creams, milks, gels, and cleansing waters too, check the container first to see whether you finish by wiping it off or by rinsing it off. If you finished by wiping, wash once with a gentle cleanser, and don’t rub at any step. If you develop painful, swollen spots or oozing, consider seeing a dermatologist.

This guide is for readers who use an oil, balm, cream, milk, gel, or cleansing water as a first cleanser, and who want to decide how to finish that product and what to do next on evenings they take off makeup or sunscreen. It does not cover which first cleanser to choose, whether you need to double cleanse today, or acne diagnosis and prescriptions.

This is a brand guide run by SKIN9HARI. SKIN9HARI has only a foaming facial cleanser and no first cleanser, so our own product description sits separately at the end of this guide.

How to use cleansing oil: what tells you when to emulsify and rinse?

When you look up how to use cleansing oil, numbers like how many pumps or how many minutes to massage tend to come up. None of the institutional guidance or papers we checked for this guide set those numbers, so the standard is the directions on the container you are using now.

On the container, look for whether it says to use it with dry hands on a dry face, to add water and emulsify, or to rinse with lukewarm water. If it says to emulsify, add water in the order written and then rinse; the first step is finished only once you have rinsed.

Instead of numbers, what to keep in check is how hard and how long you rub. The guidance is to apply a cleanser gently with your fingertips in a circular motion, and scrubbing can irritate your skin and lead to more breakouts (habits that can worsen acne). We also found no evidence that massaging longer removes more, so don’t extend the time.

Cleansing cream, milk, or water: where do you check whether it’s meant to be wiped off?

You can’t tell how cleansing creams, milks, and waters are meant to be finished from their names alone, and within what we checked for this guide, we found no data comparing how each formula is finished or how well it cleanses. The 2020 study that compared cleansing methods covered only three: water, a foam cleanser, and a cleansing oil, and the authors wrote that follow-up studies on other washing products are needed (cleansing method study).

“Future studies are needed to investigate other types of sunscreens and washing products.” — Chen W, et al., Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology (2020)

That is why the table below does not decide in advance how each product is finished. The words to look for are examples; copy the wording from your own container into the last column along with the date.

Decide your next step based on the wording you copied.

An illustration of someone copying the directions onto a sticky note.

If you wiped it off, what does the second cleanse do?

If the container only says to wipe it off and says nothing about rinsing, the next step of washing with water is where whatever that product left behind gets washed away. After removing makeup with a remover, the guidance is to wash your face with a gentle cleanser and not to rub even while removing it. That guidance is about makeup, and we found no data measuring how much each product leaves behind.

“Avoid scrubbing your face, even when removing makeup.” — American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), guidance on makeup and acne

When you wipe, watch how many times you do it. We found no guidance evaluating cotton pads, but wiping the same spot over and over also means rubbing it over and over. Washing with something other than your fingertips, such as a washcloth or mesh sponge, can irritate your skin.

A second cleanse is not the same as washing your face more often. The guidance is to limit washing to twice a day and after sweating, and washing many times a day can build up irritation and lead to more breakouts. The first cleanser and the second cleanse are two steps within a single evening wash.

For how often to wash your face, see Oily Face: Can Washing More Often Keep the Shine Down?

What should you keep in mind when finishing or switching your first cleanser?

1. Copy the directions from the container along with the date

Write the wording exactly as it appears in the last column of the table, add the date, and write it out again whenever you open a new container (our suggestion).

2. Don’t extend the time you massage or wipe

Even if it feels like something hasn’t come off, first check whether you finished the way the container says. Rubbing can irritate your skin.

3. Rinse with lukewarm water using your hands, then pat dry

When you rinse, use lukewarm water and your fingertips (face washing basics), and pat dry with a clean towel (habits that can worsen acne).

4. Don’t switch your first cleanser and your facial cleanser at the same time

If you switch both in the same week, you can’t tell which one is behind any tightness or stinging, so note the date and switch one at a time (our suggestion).

5. If it stings or redness spreads, stop that product

If stinging or redness lingers after you finish, stop that first cleanser rather than covering it up with another product. If irritation or a rash appears, the basic guidance is to avoid contact with whatever you suspect is causing it.

An illustration of someone patting their face dry with a towel.

When should you see a dermatologist instead of switching cleansers?

You don’t have to wait a set amount of time before getting care. If any of the following apply, consider seeing a dermatologist first.

• You have spots that hurt or swell even when you don’t press on them (acne signs and symptoms).
• You have spots that ooze or have pus (acne signs and symptoms).
• Pitted marks or scars have started to remain (how acne can progress and scar).
• The spots keep spreading over a wider area while you leave them alone (how acne can progress and scar).

An illustration of someone looking into booking a dermatology appointment.

For when to get care for large, painful spots, see Painful Breakouts: When to See a Dermatologist, and When It’s Okay to Wait

Related guides

• Double Cleansing for Breakout-Prone Skin: Do You Need It Every Day?
• Breaking Out From Sunscreen: Is It the Product or How You Remove It?
• Low-pH vs. Alkaline Cleansers: Does pH Change How Well They Clean?

FAQ

How many pumps of cleansing oil should you use, and how long should you massage it in?

We found no standard that sets a number of pumps or minutes, so follow the amount and order written on the container. The guidance is to spread a cleanser gently with your fingertips, so don’t massage it for a long time; finish with emulsifying and rinsing as written.

Is cleansing milk too weak to remove makeup or sunscreen?

We found no data separating weak from strong cleansing power. The 2020 study in 20 people that compared cleansing methods also covered only three: water, a foam cleanser, and a cleansing oil. With a cleansing milk, first check whether the container says to wipe it off or to rinse it.

Can cleansing water alone remove makeup and sunscreen?

The 2020 study in 20 people that compared cleansing methods did not include cleansing water, so it’s hard to say how much it removes. The guidance is to wash with a gentle cleanser after removing makeup, so if you wiped with cleansing water, wash once with a gentle cleanser.

If I only wore sunscreen, can I skip the foam cleanser after cleansing milk?

In the 20-person study, a sunscreen without a water-resistant label washed off with a single use of a foam cleanser or a cleansing oil, to the point of showing no clear difference from before it was applied. Cleansing milk was not tested, so if your milk says nothing about rinsing, don’t skip the foam; wash once with a gentle cleanser.

Can you use a cleansing gel instead of a foam cleanser?

We found no comparison data showing which is better. The 2018 review of studies on washing and cleansers in acne also concluded that with so few studies it is hard to make reliable recommendations. If you use a gel, finish by rinsing as the container’s directions say.

Does washing with a low-pH foam cleanser after cleansing oil double the irritation?

Look at how hard you rub and how many times a day you wash rather than the number of steps. Rubbing and washing many times a day can irritate your skin. If your skin stings or turns red after washing, stop that product as in step 5 above.

Is it okay to wipe with cleansing water on a cotton pad several times?

The more times you wipe the same spot, the more you rub it. The recommendation is not to rub even while removing makeup, so wipe gently and leave what remains to the next step of washing with a cleanser.

What should you check before buying a cleansing milk someone recommends?

On the recommended product’s container, first look at whether you wipe it off or rinse it, and whether rinsing is mentioned at all. If it’s a wipe-off product, plan the step of washing with a gentle cleanser afterward as well. Don’t switch it in the same week as the facial cleanser you use now.

When should you see a dermatologist if painful, growing pimples continue after switching cleansers?

If you get spots that hurt or swell even when you don’t press on them, oozing, or pitted marks, consider getting care rather than switching cleansers. The same applies if spots keep spreading over a wider area while you leave them alone.

In one sentence

Whether it’s how to use cleansing oil or any other first cleanser, finish by emulsifying and rinsing or by wiping off as the container says, and if you only wiped, wash once with a gentle cleanser, without rubbing at any step.

SKIN9HARI products we recommend for this concern

For the washing step where you rinse your face with water after taking off makeup or sunscreen with a first cleanser, SKIN9HARI recommends the Revive Therapy A.C Cleanser. SKIN9HARI does not make a first cleanser, so we chose a product for the washing step that comes next. There are three reasons.

• Its directions, which say to wash gently with plenty of lather, rinse with lukewarm water, and not rub the foaming net directly on your face, match this guide’s direction of not rubbing and finishing with a rinse.
• It is a rinse-off facial cleanser with a mildly alkaline formula that lists an amino acid–type cleansing ingredient (potassium cocoyl glycinate).
• It is irritation patch-tested.

Clinical study (finished product) of primary skin irritation (24-hour occlusive patch) | Testing institution: Korea Dermatology Research Institute Co., Ltd. | Report No.: KDRI-2019-052-F2 | Study period: February 19–22, 2019 | Participants: 30 | Individual results may vary

How to use it for this concern. The step listed on the product detail page is “cleansing, the first step of skincare.” On days you take off makeup or sunscreen with a first cleanser, this is the second cleanse that follows once you have finished the first cleanser the way its container says; on days you don’t use a first cleanser, this wash is simply your first step. Work up plenty of lather and wash gently with your hands, and don’t switch it in the same week as your first cleanser. If you are using a prescription medication or your skin has reacted to fragrance before, read the check-before-use wording first. This product is a cosmetic, not a medicine.

If any of the signs for getting care above apply to you, seeing a dermatologist comes before products. Results may not be the same for every skin type. Product information is on the Revive Therapy A.C Cleanser product page.

Sources

1. American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). I have acne! Is it okay to wear makeup?.
2. American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). 10 skin care habits that can worsen acne.
3. American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Face washing 101.
4. Chen W, et al. The optimal cleansing method for the removal of sunscreen: Water, cleanser or cleansing oil?. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020;19(1):180-184.
5. Stringer T, Nagler A, Orlow SJ, Oza VS. Clinical evidence for washing and cleansers in acne vulgaris: a systematic review. Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2018;29(7):688-693.
6. American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Acne: Signs and symptoms.
7. American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Guidance on how acne can progress and scar if left alone.
8. American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Guidance on reactions to things that touch the skin.

This guide is general skincare information, not medical advice. SKIN9HARI products are cosmetics and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If a skin problem is painful, spreading, or persistent, see a dermatologist.