🇦🇺Australia

Votary Cleansing Oil - Rose Geranium & Apricot for sensitive skin

High

  • HighNormal Skin Fit
  • HighEffectiveness
  • ExcellentSafety

A great choice for sensitive skin; a few pre-cleansers fit it even better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with sensitive skin: redness, stinging, and reactions to new products. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.

Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works

Lovi Assistant explains

  • Offers excellent makeup removal for your normal skin, as sunflower seed oil and apricot kernel oil effectively dissolve impurities while maintaining skin hydration. Geranium oil and chamomile oil provide moderate benefits for your redness and irritation by soothing and calming the skin.
  • The formula is highly suitable for normal skin due to the emollient action of sunflower seed oil and apricot kernel oil, which support skin hydration and barrier function.
  • The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your sensitive skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing chamomile oil.

How to apply

  • Use this makeup remover PM as the first step of your evening routine. Start 3x/week before building up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
  • Apply this makeup remover before your regular cleanser and toner. Follow with your usual moisturizer to keep your skin hydrated.
  • Gently press a small amount of the makeup remover onto your face using a soft cotton pad. Avoid any harsh rubbing to protect your sensitive skin.
  • Apply the makeup remover on dry skin to ensure better tolerance for sensitive areas. This helps reduce any potential irritation or redness.
  • Do a patch test before your first use and avoid the direct eye area to ensure safe application.

People Say

★4.8Overall rating based on 300+ reviews

Users frequently describe this cleanser as a luxurious, spa-like experience that effectively removes makeup and grime without stripping the skin. It is highly praised for leaving dry, dull, or sensitive skin feeling plump, hydrated, and soft, with many users noting the calming benefits of the hot cloth method.

Highlights

  • Hydrating and soft Mostly Mentioned
    • “skin feels clean and fresh without any tightness”
    • “leaves my skin glowing and hydrated”
    • “nourished feeling”
    • “my dry skin feels so good”
  • Effective makeup removal Often Mentioned
    • “whisks away every trace of the day”
    • “takes everything off in one cleanse”
    • “lifts off even the most stubborn mascara”
    • “melted away the day”
  • Pleasant scent Often Mentioned
    • “smells incredible”
    • “treat for the senses”
    • “heavenly cleanser”
    • “light herbal scent helps ease tension”
  • Calming ritual Sometimes Noted
    • “moment of calm”
    • “enjoyable and relaxing experience”
    • “spa-like cleansing”
    • “beauty ritual”
  • Nice texture Sometimes Noted
    • “beautifully light”
    • “lovely easy slip”
    • “silky texture”
    • “sinks effortlessly into complexion”
  • Expensive product Sometimes Noted
    • “luxurious price tag”
    • “investment purchase”
    • “ain't cheap”
    • “purchase it as a treat when I can afford it”
  • Cloth maintenance Rarely Noted
    • “need to wash cloths frequently”
    • “using a cloth twice a day is too much”
    • “prefer rinse-off cleansers”
  • Glass packaging Rarely Noted
    • “heavy glass bottle”
    • “worried about dropping it”
    • “not travel friendly”
  • Scent not preferred Rarely Noted
    • “not crazy about the smell”
    • “slightly earthy smell”
    • “scent is not for everyone”

Sources: lovi.care, spacenk.com, cultbeauty.com, votary.co.uk, thegroomingclinic.com, amazingy.com, and more

Questions and answers

What makes Votary Cleansing Oil - Rose Geranium & Apricot a great fit for sensitive skin?

This cleansing oil is a great fit because it gently removes makeup while helping to keep sensitive skin calm and soft. It is very unlikely to cause irritation since it avoids harsh ingredients and includes soothing chamomile oil and sunflower seed oil.

Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for sensitive skin?

Sunflower seed oil and apricot kernel oil make this cleanser a great fit because they dissolve makeup while keeping your skin hydrated and protecting its barrier. Chamomile oil and geranium oil also help calm and soothe any redness or irritation.

What does Geranium do for sensitive skin?

Geranium helps calm sensitive skin by reducing redness and soothing irritation. This ingredient has a good safety profile when used properly, though it may occasionally cause sensitivity in some individuals.

The Libyan Journal of Medicine, 2013Current Drug Delivery, 2023

What does Apricot Kernel Oil do for sensitive skin?

Apricot kernel oil helps calm sensitive skin by soothing irritation and supporting the natural skin barrier. It is unlikely to cause irritation and works well to keep dry skin soft and smooth.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2017

Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?

This makeup remover goes in the evening routine before your cleanser, and also as a weekly step before your cleanser. It is a great fit for sensitive skin because it gently washes away makeup while keeping the skin calm.

Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?

You can use this makeup remover in your evening routine before cleansing and applying your retinol, as it is very gentle on sensitive skin. The oils in the formula help dissolve makeup without stripping moisture, which may lower the dryness and irritation often caused by retinol.

Cutis, 2006

How often should I use this cleanser?

You can use this makeup remover in the evening as the first step of your PM routine to melt away makeup. It is safe for daily use because it has no harsh ingredients and includes soothing chamomile oil that helps keep your sensitive skin calm and comfortable.

Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?

This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for sensitive skin. Its gentle oils and soothing chamomile oil help calm redness while keeping skin soft and clean.

Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (limonene, citronellol, geraniol, and linalool).

What the research says

  • Topical treatment with Geranium thunbergii extract lotion improved skin elasticity and reduced skin wrinkling scores compared to placebo in healthy Japanese women by inhibiting HYBID-mediated hyaluronan degradation and down-regulating HYBID expression.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019
  • Geranium and Calendula essential oil-loaded ethanolic lipid vesicular creams exhibited notable antioxidant capacity, sun protection factor values of 10.26 and 18.54, and collagenase and elastase inhibition capacity compared to nonvesicular creams.

    BioMed Research International, 2021
  • Clay jojoba oil facial masks reduced total skin lesions by a mean of 54% after 6 weeks in 133 participants with acne-prone, lesioned skin and mild acne compared to baseline.

    Forschende Komplementarmedizin, 2012
  • Topical application of jojoba wax reduced LPS-induced secretion of IL-6, IL-8, and TNFα by approximately 30% and increased the synthesis of pro-collagen III and hyaluronic acid compared to untreated skin in an ex-vivo human skin organ culture model.

    Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2024
  • Topical jojoba oil application in male mice decreased exercise-induced pro-inflammatory gene expression (Il-1b and Il-6 in soleus, Il-1b in gastrocnemius) compared to untreated exercised mice.

    Biomolecules, 2025
  • Daily application of 3% German chamomile oil for 4 weeks significantly reduced serum IgE levels, serum histamine levels, and scratching frequency in DNCB-sensitized mice compared with control groups.

    Journal of Veterinary Science, 2010
  • The combination of allantoin, bisabolol, D-panthenol and dipotassium glycyrrhizinate reduces UVB-induced PGE2, inflammatory cytokines, and mitochondrial superoxide in human epidermal keratinocytes.

    International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024

Ingredients

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Sunflower Seed Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil Apricot Kernel Oil, Jojoba Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil Grape Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil Flower Geranium Oil Flower, Anthemis Nobilis Oil Flower Chamomile Oil Flower, Limonene, Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool

Behind this fit score

Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.

How does it fit your skin?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.