Shu Uemura Anti/Oxi Cleansing Oil: An oil cleanser with anti-oxidant benefitsOf course, unless you've been living under a rock, you'll know that Shu Uemura's cleansing oils are something of cult products. They're routinely found in "best-of" lists, and there is a huge fanbase behind them. I'm told that Shu Uemura is the #1 cleansing oil brand on the market, with 1 bottle of cleansing oil sold ever 7 seconds! So of course, I wanted to check out the hype for myself, and see whether it really lived up to expectations.
Shu Uemura Anti/Oxi Cleansing Oil: A lightweight, but efficient oil cleanser
Fortunately, this is indeed a very nice cleansing oil (although I didn't get to tet it on lash extensions as I don't have them), so I wasn't let down. And there are some before-and-after photos that show this, but of course, let's start our review by looking at the ingredients list first!
Shu Uemura Anti/Oxi Cleansing Oil Ingredients
The Anti/Oxi Cleansing Oil primarily consists of thickeners (Zea Mays, Polybutene) and emollients (Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Isopropyl Myristate, Capric/Caprylic Triglycerides), which are carefully chosen to be lightweight and non-sticky with a nice skinfeel. There are also emulsifiers (Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Polyglyceryl-6 Dicaprate, Polyglyceryl-2 Oleate), of which some have emollient benefits too. After that we hit the main preservative, Phenoxyethanol, so we know that we have looked at the key ingredients in the formula that give the cleansing oil its main properties.
Interestingly, unlike most of the other Shu Uemura cleansing oils I've tried before, this doesn't have any mineral oil. Instead there are a blend of other emollients that help to dissolve the makeup. So if you've been looking around or a cleansing oil with no mineral oil, this fits the bill.
Shu Uemura Anti/Oxi Cleansing Oil: Unlike most of Shu Uemura's other cleansing oil, this one doesn't have mineral oil
After Phenoxyethanol, we have the ingredients which are present in smaller amounts. This includes some plant extracts and fragrances (Limonene, Linalool, Glycine Soja Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Moringa Pterygosperma Seed Extract, Carica Papaya Extract), which are a mixed bag as far as plant extracts go - some of them are primarily fragrance ingredients and might be irritating to some skin types (Limonene, Linalool), whereas some are emollients (Glycine Soja Oil), and some are plant extracts with potential antioxidant benefits (Camellia Sinesis Leaf Extract, Moringa Pterygosperma Seed Extract, Carica Papaya Extract). In any case, the plant ingredients aren't there in large amounts, and cleansing oil doesn't sit on skin for a long time, so I doubt it would trigger any sensitivity.
There are also functional ingredients such as emulsifiers (Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate), emollients (Dicaprylyl Ether, Dicaprylyl Carbonate), Vitamin E (Tocopherol), humectants (Glycerin), Water, buffering agents (Disodium Phosphate, Citric Acid), preservatives (Potassium Sorbate), and fragrance (Parfum).
Shu Uemura Anti/Oxi Cleansing Oil: A blend of various emollients, with some plant extracts and antioxidants in smaller amounts
So from the formula, we can see that this is a cleansing oil formulated to be emollient, but not too heavy, with some plant ingredients and extracts as advertised. This is also borne out when I used the oil - it was very lightweight and with a thin, nearly water-like texture, to my surprise. It's probably as "un-oil-like" as an oil cleanser can be, and spreads out easily, and rinses off cleanly too. It also has a nice citrus fragrance, which is quite a refreshing scent, although not everyone might like scented products.
Shu Uemura Anti/Oxi Cleansing Oil Test: Here's the before, with some of my long-wearing makeup products
Of course, a proper review wouldn't be complete without a before and after, so I have here swatched on my arm a variety of my most tough, waterproof makeup. On my arm is my Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow in Skinny Jeans, which is a super long-wearing cream eyeshadow, my Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Blushed Rose, which is one of my longer-lasting cream blushes, my Rouge Bunny Rouge Raw Silence Lipstick, one of the shades from my Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage, which is a really nice long-wearing concealer, my Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Mascara, and my Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner in Indigo, which is also one of the longest-lasting eyeliners.
Shu Uemura Anti/Oxi Cleansing Oil: Upon application, the oil spreads easily and starts breaking up the makeup quickly
I figure, if any makeup remover can remove all the above products cleanly, then it must be a win in my book! So I took a small pump of the Shu Uemura Anti/Oxi Cleansing Oil, and began to massage it into my skin. As you can see, it spreads out easily, and really started working on all the makeup products on my arm! I know the photo looks a bit gross with all the smeared makeup, but I thought a photo of the cleansing in progress might be useful for some people.
Shu Uemura Anti/Oxi Cleansing Oil: Rinses off cleanly, without leaving behind any makeup or residue
And, after some massaging and rinsing, all the makeup was rinsed away. I have to say, I was quite impressed. The nice thing about the Anti/Oxi Cleansing Oil is that it does rinse cleanly, leaving virtually no oily or sticky residue, and I didn't have to tug at my skin to remove the makeup fully, even though I was using stubborn makeup. Aesthetically, this has to be one of the most elegant cleansing oils I've tried to date.
I was also initially concerned about the Anti/Oxi Cleansing Oil breaking me out, because in the past, some makeup products with Isopropyl Palmitate and Ethylhexyl Palmitate have made me break out before, and these are pretty high up in the ingredients list. But after a few weeks of use, I didn't get any breakouts from it. Perhaps it's due to the fact that unlike a leave-on product, the cleansing oil is rinsed off after a few minutes, so it doesn't sit on my skin for too long. I don't know about you guys, but I'm so glad I didn't have to suffer yet another breakout of cystic acne trying to review products for this blog! :P
Shu Uemura Anti/Oxi Cleansing Oil: With a lightweight texture, and a clean rinse with no residue, this will be popular with many people
Would I recommend the Shu Uemura Anti/Oxi Cleansing Oil? I definitely would! It has a lovely lightweight texture, really dissolves makeup quickly and efficiently, and rinses off cleanly without leaving any residue. If that doesn't sell you on the cleansing oil, I'm not sure what will. Perhaps the only people who might not like the product are people who really like thicker, oilier cleansing oils, or people who don't like some of the ingredients, like the fragrance. At S$55 (150ml) and S$125 (350ml) it's on the pricier side, but I think the quality makes it worth the price if you have the budget for it.
| Recommended? | Formulation | Packaging | Ease of Use | Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes, if you like lightweight oils | 9/10 | 8/10 | 10/10 | 10/10 |
| The Bottom Line: The Shu Uemura Anti/Oxi Cleansing Oil feels lightweight, dissolves makeup effectively, and rinses off cleanly without leaving any residue. | ||||
Love your informative sharing as usual. Glad Shu Uemura finally launched a mineral oil free cleansing oil in addition to their famous cleansing oils. Will definitely check this out.
ReplyDeleteYou are so lucky to have this green bottle without mineral oil in it. The same green bottle sold in Canada has mineral oil as the first ingredient. The only one that doesn't have mineral oil is the ultime8 (brown bottle), but it is only good for 6 months after open, so I can't get the large bottle. The green one here lasts 12 months though. Just curious, your green bottle how long does it say it's good for after open? Thanks!
ReplyDelete@Ladiesinflats: Wow, I didn't know that the formulation of the oil was different from place to place! It's too early to tell how long the bottle will last since I got it in May or so, but so far it's still all good! Maybe in a few more months I will be able to tell :)
DeleteThe new formula has no Mineral OIL... they took it out. So now the Ultime8 and Anti Oxi are formulated with no Mineral Oil
ReplyDeleteI purchased the 450ml size coz i calculated the price and felt it's cheaper and since I don't use make up so i use only about 2 pump for each wash will it be okay say if the bottle last for about 2 years.. thank you for your advise .. I really love this cleasing oil
ReplyDelete@Han Joo: You can check the packaging of the bottle to find how long it can last for after opening, but in my experience, you'll probably be fine. While in theory it's always safest to use the bottle up by the time indicated on the packaging, in practice I've kept and used some cleansing oils longer than the stipulated dates, and they are fine, as long as it's not ridiculously long (e.g. Don't keep it for 4 years). You can also monitor the product to determine if it's still ok to use past the date - if the product hasn't changed colour/texture/smell/etc. you can probably still use it without issue, but if it has, it's safest to not use it.
DeleteDo you know of other cleansing oils that are formulated without mineral oil?
ReplyDeleteNot recommending it.
ReplyDelete