How to find oil cleansers that don’t break out you (it’s simpler than you think):

Most people don’t realise that popular oil and balm cleansers are typically made from the same few ingredients. That’s why every oil cleanser you try seems to cause the same reaction, because most of them are made of these.

So why do brands use these ingredients in the first place? Primarily, they're cheap and effective at breaking down makeup. Secondly, because the majority of people don't have skin that reacts like yours and mine.

Most people can use oil cleansers with these specific ingredients with absolutely no problem, but there is a group of us who react poorly to them.

Here are the few I avoid:

1. Ethylhexyl Palmitate

2. Isopropyl Myristate

3. Stearates or ingredients ending with ‘ate’

And here are ingredients you might tolerate better, but do a similar job WITH product recommendations:

1. Squalane (The Ordinary squalane cleanser)

2. A mix of plant oils (Jordan Samuel, HaruHaru Wonder black rice). Look out for grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, sunflower seed oil.

These types of oil cleansers are much rarer, which is likely the reason you've broken out with every oil cleanser you've tried. Consider looking at the oil cleansers you've already tried to see if they are made of the same problematic ingredients, so you can determine if this alternative style would suit you.