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I have combination-oily skin that happily over-produces oil at any given chance so I consider make-up removal a key part of my skincare regime as leftover makeup traps dirt, bacteria and other nasties on the skin.

For the longest time, I relied on products to work on their own and was sorely disappointed when they didn’t. I finally realized there was no one amazing product that would do it all and if I wanted results I had to use products together. My current routine is so effective for me there are no traces of makeup and sometimes I feel confident in just splashing my face with water in the morning. It may seem high maintenance but just like with my skincare routine (linked here) and I have not experienced make-up related breakouts in months.

Interested? Let’s get to it!

(Organic Virgin Coconut Oil) – I purchase mine from Trader Joe’s but any health food store carries it.

My eyes were never truly sensitive until my Rheumatoid Arthritis kicked in. Now, with the addition of Sjogren’s Syndrome they are even more dry, itchy and irritated than ever. I wanted something natural and non-irritating and the first thing that came to mind was an oil. However, I was skeptical of coconut oil because I previously tried jojoba, olive and almond. Each one seeped into my eyes, stung them, and blurred them. Scary, right?

I use coconut oil as a cuticle cream and body lotion so one day I thought I’d give it go on my eyes. I was surprised by how well it works. Coconut oil is more viscous than the others so it stays put on my skin without running. Only a little bleeds into my eyes and it does not irritate them. It is slick so I do not have to rub very hard and it lifts away makeup like a magnet. It is so moisturizing it replaces my nightly eye cream!

Are you worried about clogged pores? Coconut oil is comedogenic and likely to settle into them but if you follow it up with a good cleansing oil and cleanser they remove all traces of it from the skin.

(Caudalie Make-up Remover Cleansing Water)

Water and oil repel each so while the coconut oil lifts away makeup wonderfully it doesn’t remove it from the face. I soak cotton rounds in the Caudalie makeup cleansing water to remove the coconut oil. This cleansing water is not particularly impressive at removing makeup but it takes away enough oil to make the next step more effective. And, like other Caudalie products it has a wonderful fresh grape smell.

(The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil)

Next I reach for the Body Shop Silky cleansing oil. It glides over the skin without snagging it and gets in between the lashes to reach the really stubborn eyeliner. I switched to this after seriously disliking the Boscia one which stings my eyes like none other and and blurs my vision for minutes at a time! The Body Shop cleansing oil does neither of those things and performs a lot better. It goes on like an oil but turns milky white when mixed with water. It washes off the face without leaving a greasy film but leaves my skin feeling moisturized and clean.

It seems counterintuitive to use an oil but the skin produces oil to moisturize the face when it thinks it is too dry. Using an oil, fixes that issue and tricks the skin into producing less oil.

As long as I cleanse and tone my face properly I never worry about breaking out.

If I wear more eye makeup than usual I may go in with the Caudalie water one last time just to double-check everything is gone. I then continue with my trusty Neutrogena and the rest of my skincare routine (linked here).

Does this seem like a lot? Oh yeah! But, I don’t wake up makeup on my face and I go to sleep confident knowing my skin is as clean as can be!

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

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