August 27, 2015

Pacifica Instant Karma Facial Cleansing Oil Review

Affiliate / Purchased
I purchased this item and I receive a small commission if you shop using the links in this post.

Pacifica Instant Karma Facial Cleansing Oil1

So yeah, as a Lennon fan, I was all happy like about the new Pacifica Instant Karma Facial Cleansing Oil ($16)! Pacifica Instant Karma Facial Cleansing Oil is one of several new Pacifica Skincare Fall 2015 launches that’s on sale now at Ulta. I mentioned sale because please, if you’re interested in this or any of the other new products like perhaps the Jasmine Iris Oil Control Primer I featured grab it now. I thought some of these products were vastly overpriced so I was very happy Ulta had them on sale!

Take a look at my thoughts on the Pacifica Instant Karma Facial Cleansing Oil below!

Pacifica Instant Karma Facial Cleansing Oil

Pacifica Instant Karma Facial Cleansing Oil is a mineral oil-free cleansing oil that was created using a blend of sunflower, avocado, argan, and jojoba oil. This is choke full of beneficial oils that’s for sure but that’s about the extent of the good. Some of that is ruined though as this does contain fragrance. I don’t mind fragrance in my skincare but it can be irritating to certain skin types.

First off this comes housed in a glass 1.6 oz bottle with a dropper. Ummmm wow…cute packaging, very pretty, but totally not a good idea. I don’t want glass anything, anywhere in my bathroom. I’ve been known to drop my cleansers on my bathroom floor and they survive the fall. Because hey, when your hands are wet sometimes accidents happen yes? But I have a feeling this won’t survive a drop! Also the dropper is messy to use! Every time I used the oily it ended up on the rim of the bottle and made a mess. So yeah, although quite cute and even vanity worthy this particular packaging isn’t meant for cleansing oil. Needless to say the $16 price tag for a mere 1.6 oz is absurd to the limits. That’s quite a small amount for nearly $20 bucks.

Pacifica Instant Karma Facial Cleansing Oil4

Now, Pacifica Instant Karma Facial Cleansing Oil would make a FINE facial oil but a cleansing oil not so much. They recommend using two to three drops on your face and massage it in and proceed to rinse with warm water after. Unfortunately, it basically feels like applying a face oil and washing your face after. So you have this really thick, slick film of oil on your face that proves impossible to rinse off as it doesn’t emulsify or break down the way a normal cleansing oil would. As I worked it in and finally rinsed it off I felt more like I was pushing my makeup around my face versus actually cleaning my face. As I rinse the water simply beaded off my face so it kinda sealed my foundation on versus breaking it down and washing it away. After I rinsed I had to wet a wash cloth and rub quite harshly to break down the oily film left behind. Needless to say this is NOT FOR OILY SKIN!

I mean, if they created this as a face oil it would probably feel nice. After I used it my face felt nicely hydrated. Clean? No! But hydrated? Yes. Unfortunately, I ended up having to rewash my face with my normal cleanser as this removed about 2% of my makeup.

The idea is nice and the formula quite lovely and hydrating but without any way to emulsify it’s just pushing the makeup around on your face versus cleansing it!

No like!

Pacifica Instant Karma Facial Cleansing Oil is available now at Ulta and Ulta.com but buyer beware this is a costly cleansing oil that doesn’t really cleanse all that well!

Pacifica Instant Karma Facial Cleansing Oil2

Affiliate / Purchased
I purchased this item and I receive a small commission if you shop using the links in this post.

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • kimkats

    WOW – that is expensive! And 1.6 ounces for a cleansing oil? C’mon Pacifica… who you think you’re kidding?! I suppose a person could add a little polysorbate 80 to it to get it to emulsify, but for the sheckels, I know a person can do better, and get more.

    This is gonna be a big ol’ pass for me – thanks for saving me the $$ Muse!

  • Christina D.

    They really need to re-think naming the product “Instant Karma” when they’re going to overcharge for a small amount of product that does a lousy job.

    And maybe Yoko used it and that’s why she’s blindfolded.

  • Ashlynn

    Christina D. ^ yes!!

    No, water will not rinse oil off your face. Oil and water repel one another. Cleansing oil is meant to break down the makeup and use a warm/hot cloth to remove. Also called oil cleansing, it is a makeup remover and requires a “double cleanse” to first remove makeup then cleanse skin, like we do with a makeup remover cloth or bottle of product, then our cleanser. Oils are wonderful for removing makeup, although I use a mix of grape seed an jojoba which is much more cost effective than Pacifica’s… this is just an absurd price indeed. What I do is put some oil in my hand, massage around a couple minutes then take my microfiber cloth and wet with warm water and use it to wipe everything off, rinsing and repeating a few times. Feels lovely! Then I repeat and apply more oil to cleanse my pores and use my facial cleanser to remove that oil. My face is left moisturized, cleansed not striped! =)

  • Jeanine McAuliffe

    I have noticed you review a lot of Pacifica products and I have NEVER tried the first one. what of there’s do you recommend for me to try?

  • Jay

    It’s deluxe sample sized lol…as always, thanks for the review!! Definately helpful! I was thisclose to picking up a Pacifica face wash a couple days ago and then I remembered the unused stack of products I already have at home…ah well, money probably saved.

  • Andrea Kazmierczak

    I saw this at Ulta the other day and debated trying it and am now glad I didn’t! Too bad as I love oil cleansers and trying different ones. Thanks for the helpful review:)

  • Katherine T.

    It looks like 95% of the ingredients are oils, so I’m not surprised this didn’t rinse off at all. You’re right, will make a nice facial oil

  • Nancy

    I’m using this product atm and your review is right on the money. All the pros and cons you listed I would totally agree with. I use a water based cleanser afterwards (Andalou atm) and that gets it off. I can’t say anything about the makeup being swished around ’cause I rarely wear any 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

    • Isabella Muse

      my pleasure Nancy 🙂 thanks for reading! A water base cleanser after is an excellent idea!

  • Rachael

    I just found it for $3.99 at marshall’s. Lol. I’m just using my makeup remover cleansing cloths, then using the oil. You’re right, it does make your skin feel hydrated.