There areplenty of skin myths out there. One of the most common is that oily skin types should avoid oil, and that actually isn’t so; when it comes to oil-based cleansers, any skin type can use them, and yes, that includes oily skin.
“A lot of times if people think [that because] they're oily, you don't want to use oil, but it actually helps break down oil,” explains Laura Cline, Senior Director of Product Development + Education at Youth To The People. “For example, when I use oil paints, I clean my paintbrushes with vegetable oil, because you can't use soap to break it down. So, if you're thinking about breaking down oil in your skin, oil is a very efficient way to do that.”
Youth To The People’s new Superberry Dream Cleansing Balm is all about completely cleansing skin, melting away makeup, sunscreen, dirt, oil, and anything else that can clog pores.
“Within the pore and on the surface of the skin, oils help break down sunscreen and gunk—you name it,” says Cline. The Dream Balm leaves skin soft and clean before bedtime, so that antioxidants from super berries, hydrating oils packed with omegas, and three molecular weights of moisturizing hyaluronic acid can do their work while you snooze.
The Superberry blend includes goji, maqui, and açai berries to fight free radicals and minimize damage from oxidative stress, plus there’s prickly pear cactus to moisturize, calm, and soothe skin. The Dream Oil Blend is made up of moringa, sunflower, and jojoba oils to remove makeup while nourishing the skin with omegas 3, 6, 9, and 12, and vitamin E.
In addition to cleansing, the Superberry Dream Cleansing Balm also tackles dullness, dryness, uneven texture, and oiliness.
“The oils that we use in the Superberry Dream Cleansing Balm are super conditioning and have a lot of natural conditioning agents in them, such as vitamins and amino acids, but they don't leave any kind of residue, don't congest the skin at all, and they're really, really gentle,” Cline says. “The flexibility of it being for any skin type is really cool.”
The Superberry Dream Cleansing Balm can either be used solo or as part of a double cleansing routine. If you opt for the latter, Cline suggests using the Superberry Dream Cleansing Balm to break everything down first and then following up with the Superfood Cleanser afterward.
“If someone's dry, they might enjoy just using the Superberry Dream Cleansing Balm by itself,” she says. “It's definitely designed to be able to use either way.”
The reason an oil-based cleanser can be excellent for oily skin is that certain oils can mimic the oil that skin makes naturally.
“Your skin can utilize it for hydration rather than overproducing its own oil, so what ends up happening is that your skin is like, ‘I'm in like this happy, happy space. Now I don't need to overwork myself and overwork my sebaceous glands,’” Cline explains. “And so you don't typically make as much excess oil if you are an oily skin type. Whereas if you're dry, you need oil because your skin's lacking it.”
Since the Youth To The People Superberry Dream Cleansing Balm can even get rid of eye makeup, it’s a one-stop shop before bed, making it easier to properly cleanse even after a long day.
“You don't have to use anything except your hands and water, which is nice,” Cline says. “When you're tired and don't want to wash your face, we really thought about making this something that you actually want to do because it's so important. Your skin needs to have a clean slate for it to fully repair and recover while you're sleeping because it's not on defense anymore like during the day.”
The best way for any skin type to use the Superberry Dream Cleansing Balm is to apply it to a dry face with dry hands. Cover your face with a dollop and massage it on for at least 15 seconds—but ideally up to a minute—until it’s broken down into an oil.
“You can close your eyes, do your eyelashes, everything like that,” Cline says. “Then add gradual amounts of water, massage more in little circular motions, and you’ll see it turning into a milk [consistency] and you'll actually feel it start to break down to where you can feel your skin again. Once it's broken down, rinse it off. You don't have to use a cloth or pad or anything to take it off, but you could if you want to.” Then it’s time for sweet dreams!
Written by Celia Shatzman for Youth To The People
