I have been using Illi Total Aging Care Cleansing Oil since January 1st 2018, and these are my thoughts about this product. Spoiler Alert: it's not my favourite.. but it could be yours!

I bought it from a seller on eBay back in early October but due to shipping delays I did not receive it until the middle of December. By that time I had already begun using Banila Co. Clean It Zero and so I wasn't ready to add the Illi to my routine just then. I am doing my best to test products in a fair manner by using them for a long enough period of time to get a real feel for how they work for me. This review is based on having used 3/4 of the bottle of Illi, approximately 100mL of Banila Co Clean it Zero, 75mL of Heimish All Clean Balm, and a sampling of others. During this period I have used a lot of different leave-on skincare products, but I kept my second cleanser constant. You can see a lot more about my products and routine by checking out my spreadsheet.

Cleansing with oil has been a big part of my routine right from the start. I have very acne prone skin despite being in my thirties because it's pretty much always been this way. I have been trying to work with the skin I was born with ever since I began getting acne at the tender age of eleven. You can learn more about my history here. 

I never wore much makeup because my ideal was to have perfect skin that didn't need any cover. Haha, joke's on me. I had cystic acne all throughout my teenage years and up to my mid-20s. Even now in my early thirties I still have a fair bit of acne but thankfully no cysts. What kick-started my journey in to AB was the reality of aging with its fine lines, wrinkles, and sun damage.

Avoiding further damage means wearing a daily sunscreen in the proper quantity of 2mg/cm^2, or about 1/2 teaspoon for face and neck. I plan to review a bunch of sunscreens later because I am in the process of trying about 6 different ones in order to find my ideal daily driver. For now though, the focus of this post is on how to get that sunscreen OFF.

The signature move - sourced from giphy

Others have written extensively on the virtues of double cleansing, arguably the signature move and most important step in a Asian Beauty routine. Double cleansing also happens to be my favourite part of the whole routine. I typically zen out for 20+ minutes massaging the oil into my face. I am perhaps unusual in this preference because it seems that many AB lovers quickly cruise through the double cleanse in order to get to the 'meat' of the routine; that being all of the amazing toners, skins, essences, serums, lotions, emulsions, masks, creams, packs, and more available to those of us willing to look beyond the aisles of our local drugstores.

I get that, I do. BUT some of my best results to date have been specifically due to prolonged oil massage plus the use of lactic acid, and later tretinoin. The acid clears the surface layers of dead skin and the long massage makes the closed comedones nearly jump from my pores. My skin has become dramatically smoother and more acne-free because I spend the time nearly every night to let the oil permeate deep into my pores. Funnily enough, I'm not sure it really matters what oil you use. As long as the oil you choose has enough time to mix with the natural oils of your face, I'm quite confident it will remove the debris of the day.

This review is supposed to be about the Illi Total Aging Care Cleansing Oil, but to be honest it's not the one for me. I really wanted to get my hanbang on and Fiddy from Fifty Shades of Snail declared this cleansing oil as her HG back in 2015. The Beauty Witches loved it too, so what is my problem?? I figured I could skip the search and just fall in love, but alas no. Still, I really do like it just not enough to repurchase it. The scent and texture were originally part of the appeal of the Illi Cleansing Oil but in the end I want a thicker, less scented oil.

The make a fetching pair, do they not?

It begins as a thin-textured oil which spreads quickly and smoothly across my skin. In order to get enough for my face and neck I use 3 full pumps and I smooth on each individual pump before drawing more. I lightly rub the cleansing oil around so that I can be sure I've covered everything and sometimes I let it sit undisturbed for a few minutes to really settle in. Most of the time I just jump right into the massage. I find that the Illi takes longer to break up my sunscreen than both plain olive oil and Banila Co. Clean It Zero. It also begins to thicken and sort of gum up as I get into the 10 minute mark of my massage. The Illi cleansing oil loses a lot of its slip and generally feels unpleasant to use after fifteen minutes. This is partly the fault of certain sunscreens because it does not gum up equally for all products.

The smell changes too. It starts out lovely with scents of honey and flowers, and then quickly moves into a more gentle floral and herbal tone. Then the oil takes on a vegetal scent which is pleasant at first but seems to get kind of gross and cloying about the same time the oil changes in texture.

In contrast with Banila Co. Clean It Zero, the Illi just can't keep up. Banila Co. Clean It Zero spreads easily just like the Illi does but it actually stays smooth and slippy no matter how long I decide to massage my face. Likewise, the scent starts out soft and pleasantly fruity and then stays that way. It does fade with time, but I vastly prefer that to being assaulted with the smell of strange vegetable matter. If you search 'Illi Total Aging Care Cleansing Oil' on r/AsianBeauty you will find tonnes of glowing reviews. People are saying that this oil smells amazing, washes away cleanly, and doesn't strip skin of all its natural goodness so it leaves your face soft and happy. They are all completely accurate too.

If I was the kind of person who moved efficiently through the double cleanse I would probably love this oil. The bottle is cute, the initial smell is great, it emulsifies and washes away swiftly, and you get to move on with the rest of your routine in no time. I would definitely recommend this to people just getting used to the idea of using an oil cleanser because the pump format makes it much more space efficient and easy to use versus the tub and spatula of Clean It Zero. For myself however, I will not be repurchasing. It is on the pricier side too at about 25CAD for 200mL of oil so I have steered budget-minded friends away from it.

My rating therefore is three out of five:

To see how I rate products click here.

I have already purchased DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, however I have decided not to open it until I have used the last drops left in the bottle of Illi Total Aging Care Cleansing Oil. DHC was recommended to me over and over again by various AB-minded folks so I took the plunge. It costs even more, at 35CAD per 200mL, so this had better be good  ಠ_ಠ

I am not affiliated in any way with any brands and these products were purchased by me with my own money. I am reviewing them because I feel strongly that more reviews of more products leads to better information for everyone.