Beauty Review: Muji’s Mild Oil Cleansing

If you’ve ever heard of Muji, chances are you’re familiar with the wide range of products this no-brand company has to offer- from nifty stationery to minimalist clothes to all manner of sizes in way of containers, Muji is a definite haven for shoppers out there. And best of all? Everything’s tagged with reasonable prices! What a steal. But what about its less known beauty section?

It’s reasonably priced for sure, but is it good?

Here, we’re about to dive into my findings on this hidden gem from Muji: Mild Oil Cleansing 400ml. Priced at a hard-to-beat RM59.90, this beaut bests my previous cleansing oil buy, Philosophy’s Purity Cleansing Oil 174ml, by a solid RM45.10 and more than double the volume! I admit I experienced a bit of buyer’s remorse right after stumbling over this Muji giant, because I had just bought the Philosophy bottle less than an hour ago that day. Laughs. I could have saved so much!

Of course, being the weak-willed person that I am, I purchased the Muji cleansing oil not too long after. What is self-control?

So imagine my elation when I finally finished off my Philosophy cleansing oil. I was quick to give this Muji version a try, and I was not disappointed.

My first impression of this product is that the oil is just the tiniest teeniest bit thick in viscosity, which concerned me a little. As in, do I need to use more to see it work? It performed without a problem though, as it was able to remove dirt and make-up from my skin with just one pump. That said, it does leave a hint of residue behind, which can be easily fixed with a foam cleanser.

Here are before and after shots for a glimpse on how well it works on melting away my foundation, eyeliner and mascara:

Products from left to right: Benefit’s Hello Flawless! Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation, The Body Shop’s Liquid Eyeliner and IT Cosmetics’ Superhero Elastic Stretch Volumizing Mascara.

Honestly speaking, it works just as well as a pricier cleansing oil would, but if there is one thing that bothers me about this product, it has to be the smell.

Bluntly speaking, it smells like cooking oil. So much that it feels like I’m rubbing essence of fried noodles all over my face. Thank goodness it doesn’t have to stay on my skin for long, or else I wouldn’t tolerate it.

That, and I started seeing results overtime; my skin is clearer, smoother and brighter than it used to be.

The pros outweigh this tiny con, I say. For the price and benefits, I’m willing to buy this again without a second thought.

Packaging

Encased in Muji’s signature minimalist-style packaging, this product is pleasing to the eye. Really, it was partially the reason why I was immediately drawn to it in the first place, curiosity aside.

This bottle is not all about looks, though. It comes with a pump, which not only means a tinier likelihood for spillage, but that you’re able to control the amount of product used more easily. Great, huh?

It also comes with a tiny clip to clamp underneath the pump for travel purposes. This will help prevent spillage while you have the bottle neatly tucked in your luggage.

Where can I find it?

Muji.

Verdict?

• Product rating: 4.5/5
• Packaging rating: 5/5

Encouraged by the results, I’m definitely going to scavenge Muji’s beauty section again for another hidden gem.

Ingredients

Hydrogenated polyisobutene, peg-7 glyceryl cocoate, ethyl oleate, sorbitan oleate, olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, simmondsia chinensia (jojoba) seed oil, helianthus annuus (hybrid sunflower) oil, dpg orange (citrus aurantium dulsis) flower water, water, bg, tocopherol, prunus, persica, peach leaf extract, prunus armeniaca (apricot) juice, glycerin, propylparaben, butylparaben.