Shu Uemura Fresh Pore Clarifying Gentle Cleansing Oil

(Unfortunately photos in this post were lost due to The Great Deletion of 2014. Some efforts to re-do photos will be made but not all posts will be redone.)

The Shu Uemura cleansing oils have a pretty intense following. Even before I got into cleaning oils, I knew about Shu's oils and thought it was the pinnacle of cleansing oil goodness. Purchasing it at the duty free during my Asia trip finally allowed me to cross it off my 'must-try' list.

This Fresh Pore Clarifying Cleansing Oil is advertised for combination to oily skin conditions. It is suppose to be the 'first step to pore-less skin' (but you know..we need our pores....). As a lightweight cleansing oil, it leaves the skin clean, fresh and refined. It washes away impurities in pores and eliminates excess sebum with the Sakura Complex. It is also suppose to prevent blackheads and maintain skin's moisture level.

I only use about 1 or 2 pumps each time. As a makeup remove it does the job well; the cleansing oil breaks everything down. I had to work a little to rinse the oil off since it didn't emulsify as much as some other cleansing oils I've tried. The best method for washing this product off was to put some water in my hands, rub it onto my face and repeat. If I put my face under the shower and scrubbed, it didn't really seem to get as much off as when I did it in stages. Weird.

 This product contains Jojoba Oil,  Safflower Oil and Propylene Glycol (which is a form of mineral oil). My skin was going through a breakout period while I was using this, and it's possible that this was a contributor. It's always hard to say what product, if any at all, is causing a breakout and I try hard not to jump to conclusions about ingredients since it's sometimes hard to know the counterfactual. Considering the price, the fact that it took a little more work to wash off, and the fact that my pores and sebum level stayed the same, I probably won't be purchasing this product again.

For a product that is super duper hyped, I'm a bit underwhelmed. I still think the DHC has been my favorite so far and will most likely return to that once I finish the rest of the oils in my stash.

Have you tried this cleansing oil? 

Daily Zen: Currently on my way to the YVR till Nov 3rd. Gonna hole myself up in my room prepping for my interview on Wednesday. They want 5 references and I've had to jump through two assignment hoops already...jebus! Please wish me luck!