Oil Spill!

Do not fear, this is a good oil spill. I have had combination skin for all of my life, and so for years I used "oil-free" cleansers. My skin felt great afterward; fresh, squeaky clean, residue-free. But over time I realized that that "squeaky clean" feeling was really me stripping my skin of oils it needs to keep it's elasticity and youthful appearance. I have been using and swearing by Desert Essence Thoroughly Clean Face Wash because it's not harsh but does a brilliant job of cleaning (using tea tree oil) without stripping. For years I'd heard about women using cleansing oil, and because of my t-zone issue I stuck to my guns about using an oil free cleanser. That is to say, until I got a small sample of Shu Uemura's Cleansing Oil. For a short time Sephora had travel size bottles in stock and luckily I snagged a free sample! After reading and often disbelieving a lot of online reviews, I threw caution to wind and tried it for myself. Oil can actually clean oil! Our skin seeps sebum (oily/waxy matter) in order to protect our skin, but this can cause bacteria in some cases, thus problematic skin. The more you strip your skin with cleanser, the more sebum your skin produces, hence oily skin comes back. It's hard to break a skincare regimen when it's done alright by you for years, but I decided to give it go since skin changes with age, like every thing else. My skin was soft, my pores clean and now I can positively say, I am a believer.