The beauty industry is such a fickle creature, even more so the green beauty niche, where brands, bloggers, retailers come and go like waves. One of my OG brands from the start has been Kahina Giving Beauty, who manages to swim the uncertain waters of this industry with a quiet poise, releasing gorgeous products aligned in their attention to quality and craftsmanship.
If you’re a sensitive-skinned reader who has e-mailed me over the years, I’ve most probably recommended a Kahina product or two (or the entire line) to you because of how gentle the products are. Even if you’re not sensitive-skinned, I probably suggested Kahina to you because their products are just plain wonderful.
The Kahina Giving Beauty Oil Cleanser continues to uphold the brand’s well-deserved reputation. However, I would go a step further to say that it’s beyond wonderful (which it is), and high-quality (which it also is). Here’s the spoiler: Kahina Giving Beauty’s Oil Cleanser hits all the marks for what an oil cleanser should be, I don’t just consider it one of the best oil cleansers around but the best oil cleanser around (and I’ve tried my fair share).
What’s in the bottle
When I first saw images of Kahina’s Oil Cleanser released over social media, it just felt cathartic. A fully transparent bottle where the golden goodness of the oils was the focal point just felt like something I had to have in my life. Researching it more, I soon landed on the ingredient’s list:
helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil*, isoamyl laurate, argania spinosa (argan) oil*, polyglyceryl-2 sesquioleate, polyglyceryl-2 caprate, daucus carota (carrot) seed oil, panicum millaceum (millet) seed extract*, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract*, tocopherol, calendula officinalis (calendula) flower extract*, curcuma longa (turmeric) root extract*, citrus aurantium amara (neroli) flower oil*, pelargonium graveolens (geranium) leaf oil*, tanacetum annuum flower oil, hypericum perforatum (st. johns wort) leaf extract, santalum spicatum (sandalwood) wood oil, bisabolol, citronelol†, geraniol†, linalool†, farnesol†, limonene†
* ingredients from organic farming
There really aren’t that many cleansing oils (green or not) that use this many plant-based oils. I had previously used the much-lauded One Love Organics Cleansing Oil, but truth be told, felt slightly underwhelmed at how there were only 3 plant oils in the formula. In this cleanser, we have Sunflower, Argan, Carrot Seed, Millet Seed, Rosemary, Calendula, Turmeric, Neroli, Geranium, Blue Tansy, Sandalwood – I think you’ll agree with me that the ingredients are so high quality that it’s basically a face oil grade oil cleanser.
The unpronounceable ingredients in there are the emulsifiers, which means that this cleanser has the power of an oil to get rid of waterproof makeup (including eye product) and stubborn sunscreen but will emulsify or break down into a milky fluid when exposed to water. This benefit is a non-negotiable for me as I need the cleanser to rinse off my skin without leaving additional residue or even worse, oxidizing with the impurities left on my skin to create more trouble. That is the major issue that I have with pure-oil cleansers which do not rinse off well, sure you can use a cloth to wipe but that creates more friction/irritation, presents another thing you need to clean daily to prevent bacteria build-up, and is a very manual process so there is still no certainty that you’ve effectively removed everything.
How does it feel
The texture of this oil is just right, not so thick that you’re not getting any traction with skin but not so thin that you’re just tugging and pulling at skin either. It has just the right amount of cushion and slip for a nice massage.
The fragrance is similar to their Kahina Giving Beauty Essaouira Perfume Oil, very light, crisp and refreshing. The sensorial experience is definitely sophisticated and luxurious, and I delighted in using it every night.
Final thoughts
This really is a case where a smart, well-formulated product absolutely hits it out of the park. I don’t need to hype it any more than that. I think Kahina Giving Beauty really thought about what an oil cleanser should be and what people needed in terms of real-life performance that wasn’t being met. They created something that I think is flawlessly executed. This will be the go-to cleansing oil that will be in my routine from now on. There is no FOMO (fear of missing out), I’ve tried the rest, save your time and money, invest in this, your skin will love it, and you will thank me.
Price: 100 ml for $59 (the bottle will last a long time – pictured is what I still have remaining after using about 2-3 pumps every night, 5 times a week since July save for a total of 3.5 weeks of travel from July to now).
From now until November 4th, CREDO is having a 20% off Friends & Family sale (code: CLEAN20) while supplies last so be sure to take advantage and get this oil cleanser ordered quickly: Kahina Giving Beauty Cleansing Oil.
Other retailers:
The Detox Market
Kahina Giving Beauty
This came just in time! I was on Credo’s site and thinking of what to stock up on, and then I was like “OMG totally forgot about the oil cleanser” that I know you’ve been loving from Kahina. Also the photos really are amazing!
I was ordering couple (loosely described) of items to take advantage of Credo sale and decided to order this cleansing oil because I was getting tired of my DIY oil cleanser. I remembered your previously lauding this cleansing oil and I was bummed out because I had purchased De Mamiel cleansing oil, which is great but wouldn’t make a 2nd purchase. And now you posted this! It was meant to be and I’m even more excited to try!