Speed Review: The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil

As a teenager, The Body Shop featured heavily in my skincare routine thanks to a Saturday job in my local store, but in recent years, it has taken a back seat in favour of specialist and more results driven brands. Having said this, regular readers will know that I love to use a cleansing oil so I was intrigued when I heard that The Body Shop had introduced a version, which I've recently been trialling.

 

The Body Shop describe Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil as a silky-soft cleanser designed to effortlessly remove makeup, including waterproof makeup, from the whole face quickly and effectively, leaving skin feeling clean, refreshed and clear of impurities. It is suitable for all skin types including sensitive skin.

 

On first impressions, I liked the packaging. It's a transparent plastic bottle so it's easy to see how much product is remaining and what's more, I appreciated the functionality of the pump dispenser.
One to two pumps of the light golden oil was sufficient to cover my face so the 200ml bottle will last for a long time. However, I'm not convinced that the packaging is particularly travel friendly and I'd be concerned about leakage if I were to pack it in a gym or holiday bag.

The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil certainly lives up to the "silky" name with a soft and smooth formula which felt gentle on the skin, including the delicate eye area.

It has a lightweight texture and the thin formula meant that it had a lot of "slip" and was easy to work into skin. It is far more lightweight than my favourite DHC Deep Cleansing Oil. I did experience the "cloudy eye" effect that regular users of cleansing oils will be familiar with- more so with this product that with others I've tried but for me, that's not a deal breaker.

It has a delicate, fresh floral fragrance which I didn't find to be overpowering or offensive.

The oil emulsifies into a milk upon contact with water. I found it to be ever so slightly more difficult to remove than my beloved DHC Deep Cleansing Oil but this was barely noticeable and removal was still pretty effortless. It worked effectively to remove all my makeup, including eye makeup (note that I don't wear waterproof mascara so I can't comment on its effectiveness at removal).

My skin was left looking and feeling soft and clean, without being stripped. It didn't feel tight or dry following use.

For me personally, it's not quite as good as the DHC version but that comes down to personal taste. That's not to say that I didn't like it because I did.
It's worth noting that The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil is less than half the price of my beloved DHC Deep Cleansing Oil (which currently retails for £21.50 for 200ml). At just £10 for 200ml, The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil represents fantastic value for money. Taking the price and the quality of the oil into consideration, it is one of the best affordable skincare options that I've come across in a long time. I definitely recommend checking it out, whether you already swear by cleansing oils or are looking to try them for the first time.