PRODUCT REVIEW: Cleansing Oils -- Shu Uemura and DHC

Photo: ShuUemura.com

Cleansing Oils are cropping up everywhere these days...

Photo: DHCCare.com

I bought my first bottle of Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil (green) in San Francisco at the Nordstrom Westfield while we were driving the West Coast Hwy 1 in 2006. I have been using either the Shu or the DHC since. I know when I first heard of it, I thought "what oily skinned human would slather oil over their face to clean it?" and after trying it, apparently *this* oily skinned human would. Except that I mostly use it to take off the 8lbs of eye makeup I slap on every morning. For the most part it helps remove that, though I have to really let it sit for 30 seconds before I start really working it all off and then rinsing. Then I use the Alien Deathray Laser Gun with a regular foaming cleaser to clean up the rest.

So this Shu oil is apparently quite a cult classic. It's been around for a LONG time, since 1967 exactly, and it's with good reason. The stuff is pretty awesome. I initially started with the green one, which is the "antioxidant" version. That worked well for me, and I ordered another bottle after I finally ran out, I think that it lasted almost a year, which is great since the "smaller" size is $32. So after the 2nd bottle, I had heard about DHC's version. It only came in one formula, but it got great raves on Makeupalley. So I got a small bottle for $12. That lasted a good while also. It was slightly thicker but worked jsut as well and rinsed just as well--though like I said I still use the Alien Deathray Laser Gun with a foaming cleanser after because I just have to have foam to feel clean. Around that time was the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, which is like the death of any sort of savings I might build over a year, because I go nuts. They had a special on the ludicrously massive bottle of the Shu Uemura, in Original, in a spiffy bottle (had art all over it). I am a sucker for a deal and packaging. Normally these bottles (15oz I think) are $62-72 depending which "flavor" you go with. And they last over a year for a biggun (actually apparently nearly 2 as I just poured the last of it into my DHC small size bottle). So I grabbed one for under $50. And since I had a gift card, big score. I liked the original just as much as the antioxidant version. Although in my already very crowded shower, the thing takes up a ridiculous amount of space. Since I kept the small DHC bottle, I just keep refilling that one with the Shu.

I told myself I would go back to the DHC which is $25 for a 6.7 oz bottle and really that's not bad at all. I don't really need a monster sized bottle of either product. But if I can get another deal like I did on the big Shu, I might do that. The Anniversary sale is coming up again, afterall. Hopefully I can make this small bottle last a few more weeks to squeeze out the possibility that it might just work out.