Murad Renewing Cleansing Oil.

I've never been excited about cleansing my face with oil. In fact, I don't think I ever have until now. Why did I try this? Well, because Dr. Murad created this new Renewing Cleansing Oil and I am such a huge fan of his products; I knew it had to be good.

Topically, products featuring natural botanicals and essential oils offer a wide range of benefits – from plumping to hydrating, from dissolving makeup to boosting cell turnover – and doing it all without irritating the skin. Additionally, many types of oils, such as Safflower, Grape Seed and Sunflower, have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties when used topically. When using oils for cleansing, the oil in the skin attaches to the oil in the cleanser, and when rinsed off, it results in clearer, unclogged pores. Oil cleansers also bind to makeup and other daily dirt leaving your skin clean, but not parched. -- Howard Murad, M.D. FAAD, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCLA’s Geffen School of Medicine, Founder of Murad, Inc. and the Inclusive Health® movement

This non-comedogenic (meaning it will not clog pores) cleanser that utilizes a powerful combo of botanical oils, including Grape Seed, Pomegranate Seed and Sunflower Seed Oils along with Olive Fruit Extract to gently removes impurities, irritates and makeup. Additionally, it contains Jojoba and Licorice Extract which helps to improve dry, cracked skin and Sweet Almond Oil, which provides the optimal level of moisture to soothe and soften the skin.

I was surprised by how nice this feels on my skin. I need just a few drops of the oil. I pour it into my palm and then rub my hands together. I notice the oil doesn't lather, but it does thicken up and feels like more of a cleanser. I then simply wash my face. The cleanser removed every trace of makeup and grime. My face was left feeling super soft and supple. I usually feel parched pretty soon after washing and need to apply moisturizer immediately, but I didn't with this. My skin looked and felt like I had already applied moistuizer, when in fact, I had not.

I am not sure how often I will use Renewing Cleansing Oil this summer, because I don't need the extra hydration right now. Honestly, I already feel like a grease pit. Come winter, though, I think this will be my best friend. For now, I am going to use it to shave my legs. Yes, I experiment with products and this is making for an awesome close shave and super smooth legs that don't need body lotion.

Murad Renewing Cleansing Oil sells for $32.00 and is also available at Sephora.