Washing Off Sunscreen

[BoAFriend]

Are Cleansing Oils The Only Way?

I recently hit the end of my Cetaphil bottle so I made a random pit stop to an Asian beauty/gift shop to look around. I bought the Shiseido Uno Ultra Black Wash (which turned out to be a terrible choice, BTW. Reminded me of why I never use Asian face washes targeted for men - they give a waxy, squeaky finish on the face). But while I was checking out, I asked the girl working behind the counter if the cleanser was good, and that turned into a full on questionnaire from her about what kind of skin I have.

She asked what I use everyday and I said aside from washing my face, I only use sunscreen. She immediately stopped me and went "Oh no. Don't wear sunscreen. It blocks the pores and can cause you to break out. You don't need to wear sunscreen. Why do you wear sunscreen anyways?" Now this is quite ironic to me, especially coming from an Asian girl, because I know Asian girls have always been ANAL about skincare, with sun protection being the absolute must. I have no idea what in the world this girl was trying to preach to me. I looked at her like she was from Mars and said, "Well, I wear it pretty much for everything it's said to be good for. It protects the skin from the sun." Well then she told me I absolutely cannot use regular facial washes to wash my face because apparently these don't properly remove the sunscreen from the face. She told me I had to use cleansing oil to ensure proper cleansing, then follow up with a regular face wash.

Well pretty much I was persuaded by her into buying the Shiseido Perfect Cleansing Oil. I'm kinda iffy about it because it contains mineral oil and on top of that, my face feels damn dry after using it. And imagine following up with a regular face wash afterwards. So I'm not too sure about this whole cleansing oil thing now (during the summer I tried the OCM with EVOO and after a few weeks of trying to put up with it, I gave up because it broke my face out in unsightly redness that looked like acne).

I grew paranoid of the Shiseido Perfect Cleansing Oil and have stopped using it. I'm afraid that the mineral oil in it can clog pores and I also think it's drying my face out. I also recently formed a few nasty pimples and my face turned all dry and unsightly (I guess to the double cleansing of oil then face wash) so I even stopped wearing sunscreen for a few days, and my paranoia is killing me. I don't know who that lady thinks she is to tell me to not wear sunscreen, but I personally think my face even got a bit more red from no protection the past 4 days.

I know a lot of girls on here are on the absolute top of their game when it comes to skincare. And as a guy, frankly, I know a lot too because I care a lot about my appearance. The problem is, most guys don't give a hoot about sunscreen and how the sun is harmful, so it's hard to find good advice. I know a lot of girls use cleansing oil, esp that pricey DHC one, but I mean - is there any other cleanser that can remove sunscreen successfully? Preferably something that isn't pricey (I know Shiseido has a Ultimate Cleansing Oil or something, specifically marketed with their Sun Care line, but I'm not about to drop that much money). And probably my main question at hand - is a cleansing oil the only type of cleanser to fully remove sunscreen? Because I know sunscreen is actually considered a cosmetic, hence a make up remover must be used to wash it off, but... I just hate the hassle of double cleansing.

Any help would be appreciated, and please, I don't want those type of helpless, smart richard simmons responses like "Well, why don't you just not wear sunscreen then? Problem solved!" or "Get over your paranoia of that stuff". Anyone who really cares for their skin has little nicks and ticks that they're picky with, so in my case, I'm just paranoid of ingredients and such that can clog pores or irritate my skin.

Thanks.

[Guest jenniss]

Sounds to me like that girl talks a lot of BS. I have acne prone areas (T-Zone) and been using sunscreen every day of the week for a couple years and never had a break out because of that. Your regular facial wash should take off the sunscreen.

[WENJJANG]

wow what a lot of BS! I use regular face washes all the time for my face and I wear sunscreen almost everyday.

A lot of asian beauty stores try to con you so you would buy their expensive products. I can't believe she even said sunscreen isn't good for you.

[Guest danger]

The lady might just be saying stuff just to get you to buy something. Most of the beauty counter workers don't know mini cooper. They just wanna get paid. Sunscreen does come off. That's why you have to reapply it throughout the day. Was your face fine (no acne, dryness, etc.) prior to using the cleansing oil? If so, I think you should probably just go back to your old routine.

[Guest Shellymelly]

^ yeah i agreed! that girl just wants to sell products. those sales aren't dermatologists... they just there to sell and earn money. why wouldn't u wear sunscreen? haha, that's really weird that she said that. anyways, u should wear sunscreen that says it doesn't clog pores (or non-comedogenic) like olay all day moisturizer for example - i think that works very nicely. and also mineral oil clogs pores... well i heard there are some that doesn't but in general it's not good. for example i used to have really bad eczema, and i used BABY OIL on my back.... guess how that turned out = . = . i switched to cetaphil and my eczema cleared up so much. i think u should stick with cetaphil... it's really good for a non natural brand. but i think that some asian products are ok because it's made for asian skin. and asian skin is different from american skin. that's why a lot of the american brands us asians use are typically too harsh on us. i was at an asian supermarket and i got really intrigued by some of their products because they were packaged so nicely, and then i noticed this brand that didn't seem asian, it was SebaMed or somethin like that. it said something about "ph of 5.5 for healthy skin" and it kept on emphasizing that. anyways just a suggestion. lately i've only used jojoba + vitamin e oil on my face after cleansing with water and it really works. it stops my skin from producing excess sebum and also leaves your skin supple =D

[BoAFriend]

Thanks for all the good responses.

And yeah I definitely know I shouldn't just take a random salesgirl's advice and be pushed to buy something. The only reason I brought myself into buying the cleansing oil was because I remember reading from soompi or some other place that only cleansing oil can fully remove sunscreen. Something like that. I just remember hearing it somewhere, and I don't know....I tend to trust Asian girls and Asian women because most of them have flawless skin (even if they have foundation on, I can tell if they actually have good skin or if it's all make up).

However the strange thing is, the past 4 days of wearing no sunscreen, I realized my face doesn't get even half as oily as it does compared to when I normally do wear sunscreen. I mean I know it makes sense in a way, since sunscreen has all those ingredients in it. But it just sucks because on my normal days of wearing sunscreen, I have use 2 sheets of blotting paper at various times of the day to blot the shine away. It really bugs me. I have oily skin to begin with, but ...it's just inconvenient to me.

But could someone explain to me the whole thing about sunscreen being considered a cosmetic? Because I remember hearing that somewhere (again, not sure if it was soompi or not). And I know a ton of Asian girls always use cleansing oil to remove their make up (even though I obviously don't wear any of that), and I guess because sunscreen is technically a cosmetic, a make up remover (hence the cleansing oil) has to be used to properly remove it. I don't know if there's any truth to this logic...it just kinda got me thinking after that salesgirl explained to me. Am I thinking too much or is there actually a possible point here?

Also, haha to those of you who said the girl doesn't know crap. But it's odd because one winter when I went back to Taiwan and I had terrible skin at that time, my mom dragged me to a esthetician who supposedly works with Taiwanese celebrities so I could get a facial. And the esthetician told me a similar thing: "Don't wear sunscreen everyday. Only wear it when the sun is out." It was cloudy those few days and I remember even saying to her how I've heard for a long time that on cloudy days, it's even more important to wear sun protection since UV rays come straight through the clouds and the esthetician just said, "No, no. There's no sun on cloudy days, so don't wear sunscreen." What the heck...

^ yeah i agreed! that girl just wants to sell products. those sales aren't dermatologists... they just there to sell and earn money. why wouldn't u wear sunscreen? haha, that's really weird that she said that. anyways, u should wear sunscreen that says it doesn't clog pores (or non-comedogenic) like olay all day moisturizer for example - i think that works very nicely. and also mineral oil clogs pores... well i heard there are some that doesn't but in general it's not good. for example i used to have really bad eczema, and i used BABY OIL on my back.... guess how that turned out = . = . i switched to cetaphil and my eczema cleared up so much. i think u should stick with cetaphil... it's really good for a non natural brand. but i think that some asian products are ok because it's made for asian skin. and asian skin is different from american skin. that's why a lot of the american brands us asians use are typically too harsh on us. i was at an asian supermarket and i got really intrigued by some of their products because they were packaged so nicely, and then i noticed this brand that didn't seem asian, it was SebaMed or somethin like that. it said something about "ph of 5.5 for healthy skin" and it kept on emphasizing that. anyways just a suggestion. lately i've only used jojoba + vitamin e oil on my face after cleansing with water and it really works. it stops my skin from producing excess sebum and also leaves your skin supple =D

See, I've always heard that saying about Asian skin products, about how they're targeted towards Asian skin because Asian skin is different than American skin. So I've always had the urge to find good Asian skin products, but the problem is 1) A lot of them are loaded with all this alcohol in the very first ingredients listed and 2) Like with my most recent purchase, the face washes (at least the ones for men) leave a waxy, squeaky finish to my face, which is NOT good.

I know maybe some of you girls can't really speak for the men products sold out there, but what are some good, no frills Asian face washes then (I don't care if they're targeted towards females)? I've seen and heard of the Mentholatum Acnes wash for one, but I don't know if it's any good or not (I tend to avoid acne face washes since from my experience, they don't help my skin at all, and I feel the SA or BP usually used dries my face out in the long run). I'm disappointed with this Shiseido Uno Ultra Black wash, since Shiseido is a name brand in Asian skin care.

[Guest av]

1k

[Guest justwildbeat]

Pffft that lady was just pushing products to sell to you. Plus not all sunscreens contain ingredients that clogs pores. Now for the cleansing oil, they do cleanse your skin of dirt, makeup, and dead skin without stripping your skin of natural oils. However how often it's used just depends on the person. It can be used everyday as it removes makeup it easily. Also I have friends that just use it 1 - 2 times as a deep cleanser.

As for the double cleanser, I feel it's just for paranoid people. As we are conditioned to think that all oil is bad for our skin. Some of those cleansing oils contain mineral oil, which can react badly to acne prone people. However as with all skincare it's subjective for each person's skin type. As there are some who can use it daily and not even have a single blackhead.

[BoAFriend]

It depends on what s/s you are using. I hear that Japanese/ asian s/s have ingredients in them that you HAVE to wash off with an oil cleanser. For ex: Shiseido will not come off all the way unless it's an oil cleanser.

Apparently b/c it's supposed to keep your face very matte and it's water resistant.

But if you are using an USA sunscreen like Neutrogena or Coppertone sunscreen, you don't need an oil cleanser, just a regular one.

But there are some sunscreens that will clog your pores, but you shouldn't give up on them all. They help your skin keep looking good years down the road! You just have to find the right one. also, higher spf isn't necessarily better, some higher SPF can be more greasy and can cause more acne/irritation. You really only need between 15-30 if you are just using it for daily use ( not at the beach or anything, if you are going to be active, outside and in the sun all day, step it up!!) Also look for broad spectrum, UVA AND UVB.

That girl was just selling you stuff!

Good luck

Yeah, that's kind of my problem right there. I realized I haven't mentioned the sunscreen I use. I don't use any American brand sunscreens simply because I find that they all fail to do what they claim to do. What I mean is like Neutrogena, whose sunscreens are supposed to have a light finish and such - I always have white streaks no matter how much I blend, the fragrance in the sunscreen is TOO strong, and my face always ends up looking super oily. I know so many people online who've said that Neutrogena's Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock is the best for facial usage, but I beg to differ.

I've used Asian sunscreens for the past 3 years - I've used Mentholatum's sunscreens because they're most accessible when I buy them in Taiwan (now I can just buy at many Asian beauty stores in So Cal, but for about $12-15 ). My main reason for using Asian sunscreen is because Asia's sunscreens are all milky - almost just like water and usually dry very fast. Although I still get somewhat oily, it's not as bad as if I were to use an American sunscreen. SPF wise I always use 50 PA+++, but the past half year I've been using an SPF 25 PA+++ sunscreen lotion from Mentholatum, of which I'm almost finished with. I like to use SPF 50 because I've heard SPF 30 and lower can sometimes destabilize when exposed to sunlight after a while, so 50 is a good fallback. I've also heard the thing of how only SPF 30 is really needed for daily usage, but because I go to school near the desert and everyone walks to class, I think SPF 50 ties me over better.

Also, only this year did Neutrogena finally catch on to the milky liquid sunscreen type (shows just how slow America is) and released SPF 55 and SPF 70 versions. If possible, I'd go for the SPF 55 one, but I'm wondering if it also has that same strong fragrance as all of Neutrogena's sunscreens do.

But yeah I've briefly looked at the ingredients in these Mentholatum sunscreens and....I don't think there are any specific ingredients that require cleansing oil to remove? I don't know...I'm not really knowledgeable about any of this.

[Guest lorac29]

From experience, any good cleanser should be able to remove sunscreen. I used to be very wary of using oily products on my face, but after reading many good comments and recommendations for cleansing oil, I decided to try one. I bought the Fancl Mild Cleansing Oil and used it as part of the double cleansing routine. After a while, I noticed that my face cleared up a lot and many people complimented my skin. So if you were to use a cleansing oil, I strongly recommend Fancl. Also, they don't use preservatives in the product which is a nice plus for me. I also use the Fancl sunscreen and I think it's great. It doesn't give an oily look it feels like you're not even wearing it.

[Guest sweetfantasy09]

She asked what I use everyday and I said aside from washing my face, I only use sunscreen. She immediately stopped me and went "Oh no. Don't wear sunscreen. It blocks the pores and can cause you to break out. You don't need to wear sunscreen. Why do you wear sunscreen anyways?"

hmm.. that reminded me of yesterday when i went to junbayu's store. junbayu is horse oil, which is really widely used and famous in japan. it's from hokkaido. that consultant, who is in her 50's, she told me that junbayu is completely free from chemical. note that it's not free from harsh chemical alone but CHEMICAL. means it has no whatsoever chemical at all let alone harsh chemical. anyway, my point is, she told me that she doesn't use sunscreen because it has chemical, which is not good for skin.

Then I asked her what about those brands that produces harsh chemical free products? are those sunscreen not good as well? then she said sunscreen/ sunblock itself is chemical; hence not good for skin.

she said that she doesn't use sunscreen at all and horse oil has been known to inhibit melanin production and it's perfect for sunburned skin too. she said that she doesn't use sunscreen and has been using horse oil skin care for years.. her face is really free from any forms of pigmentation. she doesn't even have brown spots on her hands and all while my aunts who are in her 50s started to produce brown age spots already.

i have heard so much about horse oil in japan and finally, i decided to try it. so, i bought it.

[BoAFriend]

Yeah, understand that it's not that I'm appalled by using oil on my face because I have oily skin. It's just 1) I've had bad experience with using even just extra virgin olive oil, which is supposedly all natural and very good for the skin and 2) The Shiseido Perfect Cleansing Oil I have right now contains mineral oil, and I'm paranoid that it'll clog my pores, esp when I'm rubbing it all over my face for a good few minutes

And maybe I'll get lucky with a cleansing oil that doesn't have mineral oil. I don't know, but I just don't like blowing all my money on skin products. It just results in a bunch of unwanted, regret-purchased products thrown into my sink cabinet, money down the drain for me.

Besides, I think the whole double cleansing process of an oil then a face wash really takes its toll on my skin, despite me having oily skin.

hmm.. that reminded me of yesterday when i went to junbayu's store. junbayu is horse oil, which is really widely used and famous in japan. it's from hokkaido. that consultant, who is in her 50's, she told me that junbayu is completely free from chemical. note that it's not free from harsh chemical alone but CHEMICAL. means it has no whatsoever chemical at all let alone harsh chemical. anyway, my point is, she told me that she doesn't use sunscreen because it has chemical, which is not good for skin.

Then I asked her what about those brands that produces harsh chemical free products? are those sunscreen not good as well? then she said sunscreen/ sunblock itself is chemical; hence not good for skin.

she said that she doesn't use sunscreen at all and horse oil has been known to inhibit melanin production and it's perfect for sunburned skin too. she said that she doesn't use sunscreen and has been using horse oil skin care for years.. her face is really free from any forms of pigmentation. she doesn't even have brown spots on her hands and all while my aunts who are in her 50s started to produce brown age spots already.

i have heard so much about horse oil in japan and finally, i decided to try it. so, i bought it.

Wow that's really new to me. Never heard of this. Maybe let me know how it goes for you?

Personally, I tend to trust sunscreen just because of all the research and name that's gone into it. Like this horse oil - I've never heard of such a thing actually being able to protect the skin from sun damage. Until firm research comes out proving anything, I'd stick to sunscreen, even if it is technically all chemical.