Washing with oil sounds like the opposite of everything we've been taught in skincare. If there's too much oil on your face, do you add more oil to it? Yes, that's precisely what you do in practice.
The chemical principle is simple: like dissolves like. Fat dissolves fat. Dirt, makeup, sunscreen, and excess sebum on the face are all primarily fat-soluble. Oil adheres to these, and they can be wiped away without disturbing the skin's natural protective barrier.
Traditional foaming cleansers, on the other hand, use surfactants that remove all oils – including those the skin needs to maintain its barrier. After washing, tightness is a sign that the surfactants have done their job a little too well.
Silky Sage works as a simple oil cleanse: take a small amount on your fingertips, massage it onto your face in circular motions for about a minute, and wipe it off with a warm, damp cloth. Tallow and olive oil dissolve dirt, calendula simultaneously soothes, and tea tree oil keeps bacteria at bay.
So, one product takes care of both cleansing and moisturizing.
Surprisingly, oil cleansing is particularly well-suited for oily and blemish-prone skin. Because it doesn't strip the skin of its natural oils, sebum production isn't activated to compensate – and the problem that starts with dryness can gradually even out.