I am that girl who doesn’t walk out of the house without mascara, for ANY reason, so it is safe to say I wear eye make-up every day. Over the years I have tried many a make-up remover, some much better than others, but usually the better ones ending up costing somewhere in the range of $20-$40, which in my opinion, is WAY too much to be spending on eye make-up remover. Another thing that I struggle with, and I have noticed this more after I jumped over the 25 year hump, is that my eyes have become much more sensitive to these things so most make-up removers, even the ones for sensitive eyes, are super irritating to my everyday make-up wearing tired eyes. As a result, I have completely given up on store-bought eye make-up removers and have reverted to natural oils, which cost far less, work waaaaaay better, and do not irritate my eyes, but actually quite the opposite, serve as excellent moisturizers and soothers for my skin.

I have tried quite a few different oils and have found the following 3 to be my favorite for several reasons. A disclaimer I must insert: everyone is different and has different skin care issues, so what works best for me may not work the best for you. Nevertheless, these are all fairly mild oils that are safe for everyone to try on their eyes and skin.

I personally do not prefer using oil to remove my face make-up, but if you do, these are also great for that.

First and foremost:

Jojoba Oil

This is 100% jojoba oil, which is pretty widely available in any health-oriented store (this particular one is from Trader Joe’s). I find this to be the mildest, least irritating, easiest to wash off oil for removing my eye make-up. A little dab of this on a cotton ball with a little bit of warm water gets everything off, waterproof make-up included. This oil is on the thinner side when it comes to consistency so it is easier to then wipe it off your eyes with a wash cloth so that there’s no residue. At the same time, there will be just enough left to moisturize your eyes. This oil also has practically no fragrance, which I love, because I don’t want anything fragrant near my eyes, as it is actually irritating. This retails for around $7

The next best thing:

Coconut Oil

This is my second favorite for several reasons. This works exactly the same as the jojoba oil, except for two things:

1. It is thicker in consistency, so it takes longer to get this off your eyes once you’re done removing make-up
2. Coconut oil turns solid in cold temperatures, which becomes rather time-consuming when you want to use it as make-up remover because you have to warm it up to get it to be a liquid consistency. And who wants to spend time warming up oil at night? Especially if you’re stumbling in at 3 am after a nice party…

Although this has a prominent coconut scent, I actually don’t mind that at all, but rather enjoy it. This is my only fragrance exception because it is non-irritating.

This is also a great deep conditioner for your hair. Apply this to your hair (in liquid form) and leave it on overnight. Wash your hair in the morning, condition as usual, and you will have soft, amazing-smelling locks.

A large jar of this will cost you around $10 and will last a very long time. I’m close to running out of mine and I’ve had this for at least a year.

Finally, if you can’t get your hands on jojoba or coconut, try:

Olive Oil

I have a 25ml mini bottle of extra virgin here because I love throwing these in my purse for emergency make-up remover. I would say in this case, you are better off with the milder versions, such as olive oil and light olive oil because they won’t be a peppery as extra virgin. This oil, like jojoba and coconut, does a great job of removing everything, but does linger, just like the coconut. It is also great for your skin, eye and face alike and has been used as a natural moisturizer since the times of ancient Greece. The only downside for me with extra virgin olive oil for my eyes is that it actually can sting a little bit, depending on how irritated my eyes are and that’s due to the freshness and peppery quality of the olives. Again, i love lugging this around because it’s such a convenient size, but when I’m at home, I resort to the jojoba.

Depending on the size (I’m estimating based on the smaller sizes), olive oil will cost you anywhere from $7 to $20.

Try these oils for yourself and see what works best for you. These are all great, inexpensive, natural moisturizers that are very good for your skin, regardless of your skin type because all of these oils do not clog pores or cause irritation and are meant to be very soothing and calming.

No chemicals = happier skin! (and eyes, in this case)

Leave me a comment, let me know what your favorite oil is.