I’ve lost track of the number of requests for a cleansing oil I’ve received over the last little while. Danielle, Christine, and Shelley all sent some in, and then there’s been a bunch in the comments on various posts and videos, so I figured I should pull this one off my never-ending to-play list (much better than a to-do list!) and make it—stat! And I’m very glad I did. This silky citrus-scented Grapefruit Deep Cleansing Oil leaves my skin feeling all kinds of clean and happy. I love the scent first thing in the morning, too.
A cleansing oil uses oil-soluble liquid emulsifiers/solubilizers to create an oil mixture that rinses off cleanly with water. Almost all cleansers, from soap to cleansing balms to bubbling cleansers, clean with double-ended molecules that grab onto the oils on your skin with the oil-loving end, and then hitch a ride down the drain with your rinsing water with the water-loving end, and a cleansing oil is no exception. The oils in the cleansing oil pick up the oil and general schmag from your skin (remember, like dissolves like!), and then the added emulsifiers mean when you add water to the mix, your skin will easily rinse clean without an oily residue. Cool, no?
I chose two different emulsifiers for this cleansing oil. Mostly ’cause I had two and wanted to play with them both, honestly. You could likely use all of one or the other and it would work out great. I used Olivem 300, a water-soluble ester derived from olive oil, and Polysorbate 80, a solubilizer/non-ionic surfactant that works well to emulsify carrier oils with water. I’m loving Olivem 300 these days, but in the interest of keeping costs down, I thought I’d incorporate some Polysorbate 80 as well.
Since this cleansing oil is heading straight down the drain after a minute or two of use, I chose inexpensive carrier oils for the oil part of this Grapefruit Deep Cleansing Oil. I went with a blend of fractionated coconut oil and safflower oil, plus a bit of castor oil as it’s a drawing oil that’ll boost the cleansing abilities of the cleansing oil. You could definitely use whatever light to mid-weight inexpensive liquid carrier oil you have on hand—this would be a great place to use up something that’s nearing the end of its shelf life.
I decided to take advantage of the wash-off-ness of this project and add some rarely used citrus essential oils to it, and I love it! There’s something very lovely about washing up with grapefruit first thing in the morning—it’s all fresh and juicy and lovely 😊 You should definitely give this Grapefruit Deep Cleansing Oil a go!
Grapefruit Deep Cleansing Oil
6g | 10% Olivem 300 (USA / Canada)
12g | 20% Polysorbate 80 (USA / Canada)24g | 40% fractionated coconut oil
6g | 10% castor oil (USA / Canada)
11g | 18.33% safflower oil
0.3g | 0.5% Vitamin E MT-50 (USA / Canada) (~7 drops)0.3g | 0.5% orange essential oil (~5 drops)
0.39g | 0.66% grapefruit essential oil (~12 drops)Weigh everything into a 70mL/2.5oz bottle, cap, and shake to combine. That’s it!
To use, I like to wet my face a bit with a warm, wet washcloth, and then massage about 1/2 tsp of the cleansing oil into my skin. I’ll then rinse/wipe that off with the washcloth and follow up with some face cream.
Shelf Life & Storage
Because this cleansing oil is 100% oil based, it does not require a broad-spectrum preservative (broad spectrum preservatives ward off microbial growth, and microbes require water to live—no water, no microbes!). Kept reasonably cool and dry, it should last at least a year before any of the oils go rancid. If you notice it starts to smell like old nuts or crayons, that’s a sign that the oils have begun to oxidize; chuck it out and make a fresh batch if that happens.
Want to use a different carrier oil? Read this for information on how to make good substitutions.
Notes as of February 2020:
- I’d recommend reducing the amount of solubilizer as the as-written version (30%) is really quite strong. I’d drop the Polysorbate 80 and replace that amount with more fractionated coconut oil or other inexpensive carrier oil, like safflower oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, etc.
The only emulsifiers I have on hand are emulsifying wax like you use in your creamy clay cleanser (which I love, btw) and sunflower lecithin. Would either of those work, do you think?
Oh, I have Turkey Red castor oil as well.
That’s what I’ll use Joan, its also a nice emolient.
I think this recipe might be more up your alley 🙂
Thank you! Sounds like a great recipe, even for someone with cystic acne. Grapefruit essential oil works well for blemishes, especially cystic acne. Thanks for helping us understand what works well together!
Thanks, Laurie! Happy making 🙂
Thank you for your inspiring blog! I am just beginning with home made cosmetics, and it’s a lot of fun. My challenge of the moment: a shaving bar with lather and no soap for the men in my family.
In your article I guess you mean oil-loving, or water-hating not oil-hating 😉
Whoops, good catch! Thanks 🙂
I always assumed that if you use an emulsifier you have to also mix the blend with some sort of tool. You know like a mixer, a whisk, a milk frother….something! Old dog…new trick…thanks Marie! And, this recipe sounds amazing. Can’t wait to make it both for mine and DH’s 50 something skin and grand daughter’s teenage skin.
Shake it like a polaroid and you are good to go in this case! Mostly ’cause we’re not actually making an emulsion, just adding an emulsifier, but still. Woo! 😀 I hope you enjoy this whenever it makes it onto your lengthy to-DIY list!
Thanks for your recepies! I wonder why do you use emulsifiers in this, I thought it was for mixing oils with water?
Go back and read the post 🙂 I explain the reason for the emulsifiers very thoroughly!
Yayyyy, for once I happen to have all those ingredients! I’ll try this asap.
Greetings from Spain!
Yay! Happy making 😀
Thank you Marie! I always love your blogs! I only have Poly 80 so should I increase this to make up for the other emulsifier I am not using?
Thanks!!!
You can likely use all of one or the other emulsifier and it would would work out great 🙂
Eek! I am soooo excited to make this. I LOVE the creamy clay cleanser and cleansing balm from the book. This sounds like a lovely, fruity addition. Thank you!
Yay! Happy making, and thank you for buying my book! 🙂
Mentioning that poly 20 is better for incorporating essential oils than poly 80 brought a question to mind. Do the essential oils in this one have a skin benefit, or just for scent?
In here they’re just for scent, as they tend to be with most wash-off products—I don’t imagine any EOs would do much of anything when they’re on the skin for all of 15 seconds.
Why do we need emulsifiers here? It is a mixture of oils only.
It’s because you’ll be adding water to rinse it off.
At the beginning of the post Marie explains, the emulsifiers in this recipe make these oils rinse off cleanly with water. Otherwise you would have an icky oily residue. Great recipe Marie,thank you. I am having a diy weekend, so will definitely give this a go
Thanks, Pauline! 🙂
Go back and read the post 🙂 I explain it very thoroughly!
Excellent!!! I am so excited to make this!! Thank you for your great recipes.
You’re very welcome! Happy making 😀
Ooh! Inspired by your cleansing balms a while ago but lacking the necessary ingredients, I ended up concocting something similar to this and have been using for about a year.
40% castor oil, 40% hemp or grapeseed oil (both infused with meadowsweet in the hopes of getting some salicylic acid in the mix), 20% Polysorbate 80, ylang ylang and sweet orange essential oils.
I was quite reluctant to part with my previous salicylic acid face wash, but this turned out as efficient in terms of acne control, more efficient at removing waterproof eye make-up, and much more gentle on the skin and eyes. Bonus points for not needing to buy and throw out a new bottle every few weeks 🙂
That’s awesome! I kind of can’t believe it’s taken me so long to do one of these, but at the same time it’s always nice to discover new things I haven’t played with yet—I’m not running out of post ideas any time soon haha.
Have you found that the infusion of meadowsweet makes a big difference? How much do you infuse into how much oil?
Question: Can I replace Polysorbate 80 with Cocamidopropyl Betaine?
Bedst regards Marian
Definitely no—Cocamidopropyl Betaine is water soluble and will not emulsify.
ooooo I can’t wait to try this! I love grapefruit which I’ve also added to some of your cleansers I’ve made. Thanks again for the recipe!
Woo! Happy making 😀
Any reason not to use Olivem 1000 instead?
One giant one: olivem300 is liquid, olivem1000 is a waxy, flaky solid. They’re entirely different emulsifiers!
Ah-ha! Tx! 🙂
Okay, so, I will need to make this asap. Wonder if I can whip it up before bed? Hmmm
I believe in you!
Thank you so very much for my recipe request! I cannot wait to try it as soon as I get the olivem 300. Perfect timing too since I’m almost out of my current commercial product. You are such a blessing to your readers and to me!
Woohoo! Thanks for the suggestion 🙂 I’m already dreaming up my next cleansing oil project!
I’ve been reading about the caustic properties of the Poly 80… sooo, since I am an all natural mama, is there any substitute for it that is natural?
Hey! So… what were you reading? Gakenheimer WC, Ludwig KG; Parfuem Kosmet 54(2): 43 (1973) found no irritation to human skin. Polysorbate 80 is pretty darn benign. As for “natural”, please read this. You might consider Turkey red oil more “natural”, but that is castor oil that has been reacted with sulfuric acid, and it definitely is irritating to the skin in high concentrations. You may just want to use entirely olivem300, but again… that’s definitely not “piked off a tree” natural, either. It’s been esterfied, just like polysorbate 80 has.
http://thegoodhuman.com/what-is-polysorbate-80/
“…Some cosmetic grade Polysorbate 80 may potentially contain ethylene oxide, 1,4-dioxane and mono- and diethylene glycol as impurities, although worryingly these carcinogenic contaminants have also been picked up in food additives.
The report on Skin Deep gives Polysorbate a moderate hazard, with a 3/10 rating, but the contaminants ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane have ratings as a high hazard (8/10 and 10/10).
Generally, the cosmetic grade Polysorbate 80 is more likely to contain these impurities. Some natural cosmetics manufacturers are very careful about the quality that they use, and stick to only the food grade Polysorbate 80.”
“The evidence suggests that this ingredient is potentially toxic, particularly the lower grade versions – which are typically used in cosmetics which list Polysorbate 80 in their ingredients lists.”
—I’m torn as to whether or not I, myself, would consider it safe. There are so many chemicals out there that have been labelled “green” and then have been removed from the list because there were not long term studies done. I’m not criticizing anyone that feels it is safe. I just wanted to know if you knew of a natural option.
Still love your blog. The recipes that are not all natural I just move along…but I really like this recipe…so I figured I’d ask.
Thanks for replying and hearing me out. God bless!
Ah, ok—so not “caustic” (able to burn or corrode organic tissue by chemical action), but other concerns. That explains my confusion! I recommend asking your supplier if the Polysorate 80 has undergone “vacuum stripping”, which will really help remove any contaminants.
I do find it interesting that your primary concern is safety, but you are asking for a natural alternative—those two things aren’t synonymous by any means. I’m genuinely curious—what do you consider “natural”? If we’re talking plucked-from-a-tree sort of natural, there are no “natural” emulsifiers (or preservatives), and you will have to stick to 100% oil based products. Happy making!
My comment didn’t load! I promise I did start to comment! I have been around trying your new recipes as I can, but as you’ve seen my friend and I decided to begin a social profile for getting ready to leave China. Holy smokes after almost sixteen years here… WHOA! I’ll be sending you an email about that at some point- it is number 17 on my currently 107 to do list. It’s crazy!
I did make this! And used up the last of my last tiny bottles of stuff and then ordered a kilo of this stuff. I forgot how bloody expensive it is! But people like their foot bombs.
I added an awesome citrus blend to mine! Tons of orange and grapefruit and lemon and lime… all I needed was a wee hint of coconut and I am calling in sick.
No worries… in my home, I try to stick as close to natural (nature…God) as possible. After reading about the poly80… the most CAUSTIC effects are internal consumption. And YES, if consumed, it is caustic. Topical is still a matter of discussion because of the lack of studies long term. The fact that if taken internally…caustic is the perfect word. Since everything we put on our skin soaks in… the toxicity of this product may take 10x’s longer to bring about a caustic effect. Caustic…also considered CANCER causing… hence…caustic. I understand your definition…however those of us that have to investigate every ingredient IF used on non-suspecting people that are not fully informed… Caustic has a much wider definition.
After more research, I don’t know that I fear Poly80 as much but definitely wouldn’t put it on my children’s skin.
Thanks for replying. I’ll most likely get me some Poly80…especially with your recommendation of the process it should go through. Thank you for clarifying that. I do appreciate it.
Also… I bought your book! While I don’t have all the ingredients for various recipes… it is a kick-butt book for ANYONE wanting to cut down on the toxic crap on the market. I do appreciate all you’re doing to help the general public learn how to DIY safer alternatives…and yes…safer by every means…as well as much cheaper!
I don’t mean any disrespect. I’m just very blunt. I pray you understand where I’m coming from.
I’ve been following you for at least 3 years. You were one of my first bloggers I ever followed. So thank you for all you do!
God bless!
Kim (Indiana, USA)
If we’re being blunt, I think the word you are looking for is “carcinogen”: a substance capable of causing cancer in living tissue. The definition I cited is not “mine”, it is THE definition; I checked about 5 different dictionaries to be sure! Unless, of course, you are speaking about particularly brutal sarcastic humor… 😛
Happy making, and keep researching!
Yes… thank you for correcting me… Caustic is not carcinogenic. Those C words get me all floopy and panicked. We try to steer clear of them all… but understood that caustic is not a death sentence (unless ingested.)
So I’m getting Poly80 and back to making greatness. Thank you! Hugs!
Happy making! 🙂
Citrus I swear I want citrus in all my cleansing stuff after making this; it’s so lovely and fast to make, and then I can get a big ol’ citrus hit without worrying about the sun or losing the scent to saponification! SWOON.
Also—exciting! Back to the world of… more expensive hydrosols?
IS it possible to make this into a balm? I am waiting for my olivem 300 to arrive, but have all the other ingredients.
I would probably make one of my actual cleansing balm recipes if that’s what you want, rather than trying to morph this one!
I made this yesterday and I love it! I had just received some Grapefruit essential oil from Brambleberry and it smells so amazing! I did notice that my product had some separation after a day. Is this normal and I need to shake it each use or should I shake it vigorously so it doesn’t separate? Thank you!
Oooh lovely! No, separation isn’t normal as everything is oil soluble. Did you make any substitutions?
Hi Marie,
Yes, I used Extra Virgin Olive oil in place of the Safflower oil and I used Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides from Brambleberry in place of the fractionated coconut oil. No matter, I love this oil cleanser way more than the Olive oil cleanser I’ve been buying for years from DHC. Thank you so much!
Hmm, odd. Neither of those changes should cause separation. At least in 100% oil based things it really isn’t that big of a deal! I’m so glad you’re loving it 😀 Thanks for DIYing with me!
I have noticed that polysorbate 80 sometimes forms kind of a blob in the bottom of the bottle? I just shake everything together again a couple more times if necessary and the cleansing oil seems to work fine.
I have noticed the same thing with mine and was wondering which ingredient was separating out into the bottom of the bottle. My thought was that maybe a difference in density was causing it.
polysorbate 80 is water soluble which causing the problem. I have the same problem with my dispersing bath oil. But you can sahke it before use or use cromollient SCA.
I would love to get my hands on some cromollient! None of my usual (Canadian) suppliers stock it. Sigh.
Hi.
Can I substitute fractionated coconut oil for any other oil as we don’t have this in South Africa .
Also I’ve been using Lanette wax as an emulsifier. Could that possibly work. ?
Thank you for a great site.
Check this article for more information on carrier oil substitutions 🙂 If the Lanette wax you are using has been working as an emulsifier, it will work here!
I finally got around to making this. I didn’t have the emulsifiers until recently. I love the smell of grapefruit oil. I don’t have a lot of free time these days so was nice to be able to through something together so quickly and easily.
Awesome! I, too, am in love with how fast cleansing oils come together—good thing, too, ’cause I feel like I’m going through a lot of cleansing oils these days!
The essential oils – are we not concerned about the photosensitivity because we wash them off? I have several requests for some citrus cleansers/body wash but I don’t want anyone to burn more easily in the summer sun.
Yup, exactly that 🙂 I’m going to delete your copy of this question on the other post you left it on as they’re the same—no need to double ask, they just get stacked on top of each other in my comment line-up 😉
My mom has been asking if I could make her something similar to a cleansing body oil she’s been using. Could something like this be used as an all-over body wash?
It could be, but it would be a pretty darn expensive way to clean your entire body. The “cleansing body oils” I’ve seen have been mostly surfactant blends with a oil-like consistency rather than actual cleansing oils.
Hi Marie
I’ve been wanting to make this cleansing oil for the past 10 days or so but I’m quiet confused as to how much olivem 300 we have to add if we’re using olivem 300 as our only emulsifier. Is it 6g or 18g , Since you said we can use any either of the emulsifier .
Thanks in advance !
You can use all of one or the other, so that would be 18g.
Hey
Can we use polysorbate 60 instead of polysorbate 80 ?
Yup!
Hello Marie
I purchased the polysorbate 80 specifically for this recipe. We cannot get Olivem 300 in the UK, so I thought that I would just use the PS80, as instructed in a comment response to Sandhya above, for a substitution of the olivem. However, on using the mixture, my rosacea skin strongly disagreed, and I felt that despite being an oil for cleansing, my skin was stripped of all oils and sebum.
I then looked into the recommended usage of polysorbate 80, and the max is 20% (Leva’s comment gave me a clue). So basically in this recipe, if PS80 is subbed as the sole emulsifying agent at 18g, the percentage of the total is around 44%, that’s over double the recommended amount.
I have since added a good amount of oils to bring the PS80 percentage down to under 20%. Fingers crossed…
Perhaps this recipe, as it stands, may be good for those who have truly greasy skin, but not those with dry/sensitive or rosacea.
You have the most amazing blog and youtube channel, and think that your personality and knowledge are so refreshing and inspirational for those of us wanting to dip a toe into homecrafted beauty. So please don’t take my comment the wrong way!! x
Yup, this recipe definitely is “deep cleansing” 🙂 My further explorations in the realm of cleansing oils have led me down the path of less and less emulsifier/solubilizer for a gentler end prouduct 🙂 Thanks for reading, watching, and sharing your experiences!
Hello Marie,
Am looking to make this, but i prefer facial cleansing oils that will emulsify and wash off with water. Will this emulsify once in contact with water, turning oil into white liquid? Srry for the questions, totally new to this!
Thanks a lot 🙂
Read paragraph 2 😉
Hello! I absolutely love your recipes! I need some help, I’ve been hunting for info all day and can’t find any insight for what I need to make. A simple bath oil. I want to infuse some coconut oil and evening primrose oil with herbs then add essential oils. Then simply pour some in a bath. But after seeing one of your recipes I learned I need an emulsifying product to help fuse the oils with water as well as make the bath less slippery when getting out. I cant find any examples to help me but I found a product called Olivem 300. It seems like the most natural and beneficial for the skin. Would that product work? If not what is the best choice? And just to be safe what do you recommend as the second place choice?
Thank you for your help!
Yup, that should work! Have you discovered the Humblebee & Me DIY Encyclopedia (https://www.humblebeeandme.com/diy-encyclopedia/) yet? There’s a bunch of information in there. I bet you’ll also find this FAQ helpful. Happy making!
Given your 2020 update, can you still use the Polysorbate 80 (at 6g) instead of the olivem 300? With the olivem being the only ingredient I’m missing, I don’t really want to place a special order to the various suppliers for a single ingredient that I’ll wind up paying 50-100% more after shipping.
Also, noticed other comments mentioning Polysorbate 60 as an alternative or Cromollient? Are those suitable replacements at 6g?