I had first heard of Oilixia while watching a Lisa Eldridge video about natural and organic skincare. She raved about the Oilixia Gummy Cleanser and how much she loved its unique, goopy texture. It has stuck in my mind ever since and lucky for me, Oilixia got in touch and offered to send me some products to try. I felt that their philosophy, ingredients and minimalist range of products aligned with Fluke so about two months ago I started testing the Australian Kakadu Plum Gummy Facial Cleanser and Explorer Blend Facial Oil.
Oilixia is a UK-based natural skincare company run by Alexandra Janson, an Australian-born self confessed travel obsessive.
I’ve travelled through over 50 countries … and counting … and the most fascinating observation I made was that time and time again, women tend to use native ingredients and local knowledge to inform their beauty and wellbeing treatments.
Oilixia source their ingredients globally, ethically and make their products in small batches. The range is small with 4 products on offer but that’s one of the things I love about niche brands. Sometimes, the smaller the range, the more time has been spent developing and testing the product before releasing it to market.
Australian Kakadu Plum Gummy Facial Cleanser
The Australian Kakadu Plum Gummy Facial Cleanser was the product I was most excited to try. It contains, as the name would suggest, a lovely Australian bush ingredient called Kakadu Plum from the Kimberley region. This fruit is one of the richest sources of Vitamin C which is great for brightening the complexion. It also contains antioxidants and anti-fungal properties, making it perfect for acne-prone skin types. Eucalyptus is another ingredient which can help with acne due to its antibacterial properties, whilst a mixture of oils help to nourish the skin and remove makeup.
Ingredients aside, it’s the texture that sets this cleanser apart from others. You squeeze the product out of the tube, which takes some effort as the formula is quite thick, and it feels tacky to the touch, a bit like glue. You then spread the product all over your face (avoiding the eyes) and work it into the skin after which you press your hands to your face and then pull away from the face. Due to the tackiness, this manoeuvre creates a bit of a vacuum cleaner effect, pulling up dirt and grime from your face. Lisa Eldridge likened it to hydro-microdermabrasion which literally involves a tiny vacuum that cleans out your pores. I love this treatment so the idea of a cleanser being able to do that for my skin at home is amazing!
One of the other great features of the Gummy Facial Cleanser is that you do not need to use a flannel to get it off. Once you’ve massaged the product in and done the vacuum cleaner thing, you just rinse your face with water and it magically turns into a milky consistency that doesn’t leave any residue. I typically use this product as a 2nd cleanse or morning cleanse as I don’t want to use something as good as this to remove makeup. That’s what oils and cleansing balms are for.
Explorer Blend Facial Oil
Going into summer I was really conscious of not overloading my skin with heavy oils so the Explorer Blend Facial Oil was a perfect candidate to test in the warmer months. As it’s a very light weight oil it’s perfect for newbies and those with oilier skin who can’t stand the thought of their face being any greaser. It contains a blend of a whopping 18 oils including some of my old favourites such as Argan, Camellia, Jojoba and Rosehip Oil. I also love that Squalene is high on the ingredients list because this ingredient does amazing things for acne prone skin. It mimics sebum, therefore it helps to control oil production (better than jojoba apparently). There are also some pretty cool extracts such as Cacay oil, Tomato extract and Paracress extract, all which offer brightening, smoothing and firming benefits that really make this oil an all rounder.
It has a beautiful scent, a light colour and the texture is perfect and not oily at all. I mostly use it in the mornings as it makes my skin glow and makeup goes on really easily and smoothly. I have been starting to pat my oils in rather than swipe them onto my face so I take about 4 drops of the Explorer Blend Facial Oil, rub it between my palms to warm it up and then press it into my face and neck. I’ve noticed that my skin looks firmer and brighter when I use it. I like that I can still use oil in the summer time but not feel like my skin is weighed down or my pores overloaded with oil. I highly recommend this oil to anyone who is apprehensive to delve into the world of facial oils, or if you have very oily and acne prone skin.
Overall, I have really enjoyed using both the Australian Kakadu Plum Gummy Cleanser and the Explorer Blend Facial Oil and my skin has loved them. They have slotted into my skincare routine really nicely and I can see myself purchasing them when I run out! If you are located in Australia, V-Spot and The Beauty Club both stock the Oilixia range.
I hope that this review gave you a little insight into what Oilixia is all about. If you try any of their products please let me know how they work out for you by leaving a comment below, or you can email me and connect with me on Instagram and Facebook.
Next week: Kjaer Weis blush review
I loved this! Your description of the Gummy Cleanser was great!
Glad you enjoyed it! It is certainly a unique texture!