We all know my love for The Body Shop’s skincare ranges. I have raved about them many times before and I have no doubt I will continue to keep on loving some of their products. They don’t come out with loads of new products all the time, but a range I hadn’t tried much from was their Oils of Life range. All I’ve used so far is their face oil from this line, but while that was nice it didn’t wow me and I didn’t feel it was worth a repurchase. But when I was browsing the store a few months ago, I spotted this cleanser and I was instantly intrigued. Would this be a cleanser that wouldn’t make my skin feel stripped and dry?
Review: The Body Shop Oils of Life Intensely Revitalising Cleansing Oil-In-Gel cleanser
Cleansers and me: we are not the best of friends. My dry, dehydrated, sensitive skin doesn’t love anything that is stripping the skin and I can use all the moisture and hydration I can get. I have tried many cult favorite cleansers over the years and all of them made my skin feel as dry as the Sahara desert. So I have been on the hunt for something that can work for me. For taking off makeup I have found the Good Molecules Cleansing Balm works well for me. But for a quick morning cleanse? I was still stuck on just a bog standard micellar water. At €15 for a tube, I felt this wasn’t too expensive and so worth a shot.
What does this cleanser have to offer?
The Body Shop Oils of Life Oil-in-Gel cleanser is not the kind of product you will want to use for taking off makeup. I accidentally grabbed for this a few times over my cleansing balm and this cleanser is just not great for breaking up makeup. What it is great for? A morning cleanse or a gentle second cleanse that ensures your skin is clean and ready for applying your skincare. The Body Shop promotes this as a mild cleanser that should leave your skin feeling comfortable, hydrated and smooth. After having used this for just over 2 months I can attest that that’s exactly what this cleanser does for me.
How does this cleanser work?
Before you start using this cleanser you do have to bear in mind the instructions. I didn’t at first and didn’t love it as much. This cleanser starts as a very thick paste that almost feels difficult to rub out. I therefore added a bit of water first to loosen it up before applying it to the skin. I felt it wasn’t doing much. Turns out, that’s not how you should use it. What you should do instead, is rub this between your hands to warm it up. Then you apply it to your skin and then you add the water. The cleanser will turn into a milk and as you wash it away, you also wash away the dirt. The result? Great feeling skin that doesn’t feel stripped, but still clean.
What are the ingredients like?
Now with cleansers, I am not too fussy when it comes to ingredients. You end up washing it all off anyway. These are the ingredients:
Glycerin, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Aqua, Sucrose Palmitate, Glycereth-26, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Tocopherol, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Nigella Sativa Seed Oil, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Linalool, Limonene, Glycine Soja Oil, Geraniol, Citronellol, Citric Acid, CI 15985, CI 19140.
As you can see this cleanser is mainly glycerin and oils. Olive oil and sunflower seed oil to be exact. It does contain fragrance, but I am not someone who is sensitive to fragrance so I don’t mind. The three oils the marketing boasts about are also present but not until the middle part of the ingredient list so that may be good to know.
My final thoughts
I have lowkey fallen in love with The Body Shop’s Oils of Life Oil-in-Gel cleanser. This cleanser has been my go to staple in the mornings and I don’t really want to use anything else. I still have one or two other cleansers to try though first, so it may be some time before I end up repurchasing it, but I am sure I will. My dry, sensitive skin has been loving this stuff. It is truly the first cleanser I have tried, after the The Body Shop’s Aloe Vera face wash, that I have loved this much.
Would I recommend The Body Shop’s Oils for Life cleanser?
Yes I would for anyone with dry/ dehydrated skin. If you are looking for a cleanser that will not strip and dry out your skin any further than this cleanser has got your back. For those people with more sensitive skins, you may want to be careful as this product does contain fragrance. While that has never bothered me, this may end up bothering your skin, so if you do decide to buy it, I would test drive it on a patch of skin first before dousing your entire face with it.