Last Updated on December 26, 2025 by Giorgia Guazzarotti
Cocokind’s Oil to Milk Cleanser says it’s going to cleanse your skin while supporting its microbiome with prebiotics, which sounds incredible until you actually think about it for a second. Like, can a cleanser really do that when you’re literally rinsing it off your face after 30 seconds? I keep coming back to this question because supporting your microbiome isn’t some quick hit thing. It takes time – and I’m not sure how much a rinse-off product can actually accomplish here. In this Cocokind Oil To Milk Cleanser review, I’m going to break down what’s actually in this cleanser, dig into whether the science backs up what they’re claiming, and figure out if this is something worth spending your money on or if it’s just another case of skincare brands saying what sounds good without the receipts to back it up.
Key Ingredients in Cocokind Oil To Milk Cleanser: What Makes It Work?
SUNFLOWER AND GRAPE SEED OILS
These two oils are what actually clean your face. They dissolve your makeup, your sunscreen, all the crap that builds up during the day because oil attracts oil, and then when you add water it all emulsifies and washes away without leaving your skin feeling stripped and angry. Both oils are full of fatty acids that latch onto the oil-soluble gunk on your face and break it down so water can rinse it off.
Sunflower seed oil has a ton of linoleic acid in it, like 48-74%, and linoleic acid actually makes your skin’s barrier stronger instead of messing it up. Plus it has vitamin E in it naturally so you’re getting antioxidant protection while you wash your face. Grape seed oil does similar things because it’s also loaded with linoleic acid, around 58-78%, and it has polyphenols that work as antioxidants, so it cleans your skin without irritation
Related: How The Oil Cleansing Method Works
AVENA SATIVA (OAT) KERNEL OIL
Oat kernel oil is where this gets good if your sensitive skin gets irritated easily. It’s packed with ceramides, fatty acids, and these things called avenanthramides that are crazy anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. Oat’s been used forever to calm down angry skin and now we actually know why it works. There’s a study in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology that proved colloidal oatmeal, which has the same stuff as oat kernel oil, seriously helped with itching, scaling, and dryness in people who have eczema and atopic dermatitis. What’s cool about having oat kernel oil in a cleanser is it’s doing two jobs at once. It’s getting rid of the dirt and oil on your face while also calming down any irritation the cleansing might cause, so you don’t end up with that tight, angry feeling some face washes give you.
The Rest Of The Formula & Ingredients
NOTE: The colours indicate the effectiveness of an ingredient. It is ILLEGAL to put toxic and harmful ingredients in skincare products.
- Green: It’s effective, proven to work, and helps the product do the best possible job for your skin.
- Yellow: There’s not much proof it works (at least, yet).
- Red: What is this doing here?!
- Water/Eau: Water is what turns this from an oil into a milk when you wet your face. It makes everything emulsify so the cleanser actually rinses off.
- Glycerin: Glycerin’s a humectant so it pulls water into your skin and keeps it hydrated even though you’re washing your face.
- Sucrose Laurate, Sucrose Stearate, Sucrose Palmitate: These are all sugar-based emulsifiers that make the oil turn milky when water touches it. They’re way gentler than sulfates, they’re made from sugar and fatty acids from plants, and they do the job without irritating your skin.
- Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil (Baobab Oil): Baobab oil is full of omega fatty acids and vitamins A, D, E, and F. It’s in here to add more nourishment and help protect your skin barrier while you’re cleansing. Plus it has antioxidants.
- Tocopherol (Vitamin E): Vitamin E is an antioxidant that does two things here. It keeps the oils in the formula from going rancid so the product lasts longer, and it also protects your skin from free radical damage.
- Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil (Geranium Oil): This gives the cleanser a light floral smell and it has some antibacterial properties. It’s an essential oil though so it can irritate skin.
- Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil (Roman Chamomile Oil): Another essential oil that adds a calming smell and has anti-inflammatory benefits. Same deal as the geranium oil, if essential oils bother you, watch out for this.
- Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract: More oat to soothe your skin and calm irritation. It works together with the oat kernel oil to boost all the anti-inflammatory stuff.
- Lactobacillus Ferment: This is the prebiotic thing they talk about. It’s supposed to feed the good bacteria on your skin and support your microbiome. But you wash this off in like 30 seconds so how much is it really doing? Plus, it’s at the end of the ingredient list, so no, it doesn’t do anything for you.
Texture
This milky wash is thick and balmy when it comes out of the tube, kind of like a treatment oil more than what you’d expect from a face wash. It’s got some weight to it so it doesn’t run all over the place when you’re trying to use it. You massage it onto dry skin and it stays where you put it, then you add a bit of water and the whole thing transforms into this milky texture that rinses off without leaving any greasy crap behind.
Fragrance
You can smell the geranium and chamomile essential oils in this. It’s got this light floral scent that’s not super strong but it’s definitely there. Some people don’t mind it, other people hate it. If essential oils cause specific issues for you like irritation or allergy, this is going to be a problem for you.
How To Use It
Apply it to dry skin, don’t wet your face first. You need about a dime-sized amount on slightly damp hands (the gentle cleanser transforms into a milky lightweight texture on damp skin). Then, massage cleanser all over your face to dissolve your makeup, sunscreen, whatever’s been sitting on your skin all day. It’s an oil-based cleanser so you can use it on its own (what I do) or as the second step in a double cleanse routine.
Packaging
It’s in a squeeze recyclable tube that’s made from sugarcane instead of plastic, which is better for the planet and also way less gross than those jar cleansing balms where you’re jamming your fingers in there every single time. The one annoying thing is the formula’s pretty thick so sometimes you’re sitting there squeezing the hell out of the tube trying to get product out, especially at night when you just want to get it over with.
Performance & Personal Opinion
Look, this cleanser does the job it says it’s going to do. It gets makeup and all the daily buildup off your face without making your skin feel tight and miserable afterward. The oil-to-milk transformation isn’t BS. It actually happens and it rinses clean instead of leaving that gross film some oil cleansers give you.
But here’s where I have a problem with this whole thing. They’re selling it on this microbiome support angle with the lactobacillus ferment and the fermented oat, and I just don’t see how that’s supposed to work when 1) There’s barely any of it here and 2) you’re literally washing it down the drain 30 seconds later. Supporting your microbiome isn’t some instant thing, it takes contact time, and you don’t have that with a cleanser. So yeah, it’s a good gentle cleanser but I wouldn’t buy it thinking I’m doing something special for my microbiome because that’s probably not happening. The only thing is does is not compromise the balance your skin already has.
My skin does feel softer and more hydrated after I use this compared to most cleansers, and it doesn’t wreck my skin barrier which is always a good sign. If your skin is dry or gets irritated easily this will probably work really well for you. If you’re oily it might be fine because once you emulsify it with water it’s pretty lightweight, but some oily skin types say it leaves them feeling like there’s still something on their face.
What I Like About Cocokind Oil To Milk Cleanser
- It doesn’t leave that greasy residue some oil cleansers are notorious for (so no need for double cleansing, really – unless you want to).
- Your skin feels hydrated and soft afterwards.
- Tube is way more sanitary than a jar and it’s made from sugarcane not plastic.
- Even though the texture starts thick, it turns into something that’s easy to rinse once you add water.
What I DON’T Like About Cocokind Oil To Milk Cleanser
- Essential oils can irritate sensitive skin or anyone who reacts to fragrance.
- The microbiome thing is oversold. You’re rinsing it off way too fast for prebiotics to actually do anything meaningful.
- The thick texture means you’re fighting with the tube to get every drop out.
- Cleanses skin and removes even stubborn makeup.
Who Should Use This?
- Dry or sensitive skin that hates most cleansers? This will probably work for you because it’s not going to strip your face and leave you feeling too dry.
- You’re into non-foaming cleansers and want something between a traditional cleanser (the face wash kind) and straight cleansing oils/cleansing balm? This could be your thing.
- Oily skin? This is probably too rich for you.
- And if essential oils mess with your skin, don’t bother.
Does Cocokind Oil To Milk Cleanser Live Up To Its Claims?
| CLAIM | TRUE? |
|---|---|
| Prebiotic fermented oat and oils cleanse while supporting the skin’s microbiome. | The oils cleanse. The prebiotics don’t really do much. |
| The unique texture starts as an oil balm to loosen makeup and impurities. | True. |
| After adding water, it transforms into a milk that easily rinses everything off and leaves skin feeling soft – never dry or stripped. | True. |
Price & Availability
$18.00 at Cocokind, Free People, and Ulta
The Verdict: Should You Buy It?
If you’ve got dry or sensitive skin and you’re looking for a gentle cleanser that actually hydrates instead of stripping your face, this is a great choice for you. If you’re buying it specifically for the microbiome benefits, save your money. The prebiotics and fermented oat sound good on paper, but you’re rinsing this off too fast for them to do much. You’d be better off using a leave-on product if microbiome support is what you’re after.
helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, glycerin, vitis vinifera (grape) seed oil, water/eau, sucrose laurate, avena sativa (oat) kernel oil, adansonia digitata seed oil, sucrose stearate, tocopherol, pelargonium graveolens flower oil, sucrose palmitate, anthemis nobilis flower oil, avena sativa (oat) kernel extract, lactobacillus ferment.
