DHCicon products are interesting. Based on olive oil (in fact one product is solely pure olive oil), a common first thought is: Won’t this cause break outs? But the general reports from both the company and from consumers is that the products, even the pure oil, do not clog pores. Instead, olive oil helps to dissolve the gunk that can sink into them.

The use of olive oil for skin care can be traced to the ancient Greeks, who used it for its moisturizing properties. Extra virgin olive oil from the supermarket can be used on dry skin, put in the hair as a treatment, added to the bath, and more. When used as a cleanser, it dissolves makeup quite well, including waterproof mascara.

So it is not surprising that DHC, a popular Japanese company focusing on skin care, does well with its olive oil products. I found myself with eleven different products to try when I purchased the beauty buyble. Now that I have used them, I am reviewing them in two parts. Today I will cover what DHC calls “The Olive Essentials Set.” The next installment will look at some of their other items.

DHC has a variety of cleaners, moisturizers, and other products. But they focus their advertising on a basic regime consisting of an olive oil cleanser, soap, toner, and pure olive oil.

  • DHC Deep Cleansing Oil icon is my favorite of the bunch. I had tried this in the past and had forgotten how much I loved the stuff. It looks like oil, and initially feels like oil, but it quickly turns into a moisturizing lather that dissolves makeup quite well and rinses clean without feeling drying. It has pretty good reviews at MakeupAlley, where one reviewer noted the seeming inconsistency with an oil that rinses clean. Yet it does just that. I too am fascinated by it and I love how it works and feels. I am definitely buying this stuff.
  • Another basic product is the DHC Mild Soapicon, whose ingredients include olive oil and honey. Why a soap when there is already a cleanser? The DHC literature states that the cleanser is best for people who wear makeup or have oily skin because the cleanser breaks up makeup and oils, while the soap gets rid of “finer impurities.” The soap certainly feels fine and I suppose the extra step doesn’t hurt, but I don’t know that it really is all that necessary. I felt perfectly clean using just the cleanser and rinsing well. I also tend to be lazy and hate extra steps. So for me, the soap is not a necessary product. However, people who don’t like the idea of an oil cleanser or who prefer a bar soap will find that the soap cleans efficiently without an oily feel.
  • The next step in the process is toning with DHC Mild Lotionicon. This is an alcohol free toner with cucumber and glycerin. I found it to be a pretty standard toner: Nothing wrong with it, but I found no reason to rave about it either. It worked as it should and tingled appropriately. It didn’t seem particularly drying. In reality, I just am not a big fan of any toners and don’t tend to use them. I don’t find that extra step necessary, nor do I buy arguments that it is required to properly prepare skin for a moisturizer. So, I wouldn’t buy this item, but fans of toners might be perfectly happy with it.
  • Finally, there is DHC Olive Virgin Oilicon. This is pure olive oil that DHC states is in one of the purest forms available. I have read of many people who are happy using pure olive oil on their face, whether it be the DHC product or simply extra virgin olive oil bought at the store. I know that it can be a great skin softener, that it has antioxidants, and it can help lock in moisture. But it just isn’t for me. I love the cleanser because it rinses clean. But the oil sits on the face. Yes, it absorbed after a bit, and to be fair, my skin felt quite soft the mornings after I tried the oil. But I still didn’t care for the oil on my hands, oily feeling on my face, and oil on the towels. Also, I use several specialty products that really need a different kind of moisture over them. DHC suggests that when other products and moisturizers are used, the oil can be put over those to “prevent hydration from evaporating from the skin.” But I don’t want more goop on my face at that point. So, despite the good press and my knowledge that many people are very happy using pure olive oil as a moisturizer, this one just isn’t for me.

The upshot is that I will be buying the cleanser, which I just adore, and passing on the rest. From reading other DHC reviews I suspect that my thoughts about the other products are due to my own proclivities. Plenty of people like the other products.

For those wanting to test some of the products themselves, DHC provides a Catalogicon upon request that includes 4 samples. The literature I was provided states that those are the Deep Cleansing Oil that I reviewed here and the Velvet Skin Coat, Q10 Creme, and Concentrated Eye Creme, all of which I will review in other installments. DHC also allows customers to choose up to four samples with each order.

Update: once on their mailing list, you will continue to get catalogs with different samples each time.

Update: Part II is available here. The review of Velvet Skin Coat is here.


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