Review: Muji Cleansing Oil

Cleansing oils have become terribly fashionable in recent years.  Personally, I reckon it's partly to do with the rise of long wear makeup products - stubborn mascaras, lip products, and foundations are often best removed with oil.  Oils are also a great way of cleansing the skin without stripping it of moisture, which marks a welcome departure from high alcohol, harsh cleansers which I know I used a lot in the not too distant past.

Anyway, I digress.  I've been a cleansing oil fan for a few years now - not least because I love a long wear eye product - and so when Muji released their skincare line, and I discovered that one of the products was an oil, I had to have it.  With a base of olive and jojoba oils, it contains no mineral oil, and is relatively inexpensive - £9.95 for a 200ml bottle.  Compared to more expensive oils from Shu Uemura and Nude, this is a bit of a bargain.

A couple of pumps massaged into the face effectively loosens stubborn makeup and leaves the skin feeling clean and soft; the oil emulsifies with water a little bit, but not as much as other oils I've used in the past.  It rinses away cleanly, and although the skin is left mostly clean, one application of this isn't really enough for a proper cleanse, as some makeup residue is left behind.  Two applications is absolutely fine, however, removing all the visible makeup and dirt from the skin.

I really like the packaging, which is simple and clean, as you'd expect from Muji, and comes with a neat little clip that prevents the pump from operating, which makes the bottle very portable.  One thing I'm not quite so keen on is the taste.  That might sound a bit weird, and I promise I've not been eating it - but a tiny amount might have strayed between my lips when I've been removing lip products, or some residue might have been left behind on my lips post cleanse.  The taste is very bitter and horrible, which isn't exactly strange for a beauty product (it's hardly a drink!), but it was very noticeable - and this isn't something I've found with any other oil in the past.  Conversely, there's absolutely no scent; it smells mildly oily, but has no perfume.

All in oil (hee hee) this is a very serviceable and effective cleansing oil at a pretty decent price.  I'll be buying it again (and keeping my mouth tightly shut whilst using it).  If you'd like to try it for yourself, you can pick it up from Muji stores, or online, at the cost of £9.95 for 200ml.