Women are swearing by olive oil for perfect skin. Yes, COOKING OIL.

The secret to good skin could very well be sitting in your pantry, right next to the mixed herbs.

Yep, turns out olive oil can do wonders for your skin, according to a growing number of women.

Chloe Grace Moretz swears by it and Margot Robbie and Kim Kardashian frequent celebrity dermatologist Dr. Harold Lancer’s clinic in Beverly Hills, whose facialists teach all their clients the practice.

After a visit, Coveteur writer Katie Becker put the hack of using the supermarket oil to wash her face to the test for two weeks. She was so impressed with the results, she's sticking with it full time.

At the end of each day, Becker rubbed a coin sized amount of oil into her face, before washing it off with a wet white microfibre cloth. This allows gentle exfoliation and also clearly shows if there's still makeup on your face.

The process is repeated (with a fresh towel, mind you) until all your makeup is gone.

Facialist Ram-Prakash Khalsa warned Becker that the olive oil would "bring things to the surface" before things got better.

"I’m also glad I did this for two weeks. I’m super breakout prone and the first week was not great. Of course, an inner voice says, 'No duh, you’re putting heavy olive oil on your face, you crazy person'," she wrote.

"But I think RPK was right about raising things to the surface. Once I was into week two my skin was feeling super supple in the mornings and my blackheads were fewer and smaller."

So does washing your face with olive oil really improve it?

"The use of oils for cleansing is based on the scientific principle that like dissolves like, so oil will dissolve the sebum that clogs up our pores and cause acne, and without irritation," Dermatologist Dr. Jessie Cheung, Director of the Jessie Cheung MD Dermatology & Laser Center, told Teen Vogue last year.

"Cleansing oils have the added benefit of moisturising the skin, and many oils have anti-inflammatory properties. Olive oil is an effective cleanser, though it may be too heavy, and thus comedogenic, for some people."

While it might seem counter productive applying oil to your face, it's actually nothing new. According to Trilogy Global in-house beauty expert Corinne Morley, pure plant oils have been used to care for skin for thousands of years for good reason.

"Many oils extracted from nuts, seeds and fruit are beneficial and are completely compatible with the skin, sinking in quickly to perfectly cleanse the skin, leaving it hydrated, supple and protective with an invisible barrier which helps prevent loss of moisture and guards against the drying effects of the environment," she tells Mamamia. (Post continues after gallery.)

Mamamia's favourite cleansing oils.

"Pure plant oils have a finer molecular structure than mineral oils and many are similar in design to our own natural skin oil (sebum). They are readily accepted and absorbed by the skin, are not shown to clog or irritate pores, and help to promote normal, healthy skin cell function."

Yes, that even applies to those with oily skin.

"The right balance and blend of natural oils in your skincare is not only beneficial, but essential for a healthy, beautiful complexion – even if you have oily to combination skin," she says.

"Trilogy skincare works on the principle that natural oils work in harmony with your skin, mimicking the skin’s natural process of oil production and helping to balance the skin."

Listen: Zoe Foster Blake shares her best beauty tips. Post continues after audio.

Olive oil is safe for using on your face (just take care around your eye area!) and is a great basic and budget-friendly option for effective cleansing.

"If you'd like to give olive oil a try, reach for cold-pressed olive oil, as it is more rich in antioxidants than regular olive oil," Dr Cheung told Teen Vogue.

If that's not your thing - or you need said oil for your chips for dinner - Morley recommends choosing pure plant oils cleansers over mineral oil cleansers. Also, made-for skincare cleansers will often combine other ingredients that can address multiple problems.

"Your choice will also depend on the consistency you prefer – what you like the feeling of on your skin," she says.

"Rosehip and rice bran oils are superfine, which means they feel lighter and drier and sink into the skin rapidly. Others, like coconut for example, will feel richer, more ‘oily’ and take longer to absorb."

For a non-greasy feeling, try the Trilogy Makeup Be Gone Cleansing Balm, $38.95, which combines rosehip and coconut oil.

Do you swear by oils in your skincare routine? Why/why not? Tell us below.