I've always struggled with my skin- it's too oily in some parts and too dry in others, it breaks out, it's uneven, it's scarred... ugh and yuck! So years ago, I visited my dermatologist and started taking medication to fix all my skin woes. Now that I'm doing IVF I've had to stop taking it though (you can't be on it while pregnant) so I was faced with a real dilemma about what to do. I knew I couldn't take anything prescription so I started looking for other options and that's when I came across the Oil Cleansing Method.
I know, I know... rubbing oil on my already oily skin seems contradictory but I did a lot of research and it all started making sense:
- Oil dissolves oil.
- Oil itself doesn't create acne. Hormones, bacteria, and dead skin all build up together in our cells and cause acne.
- Your skin naturally tries to moisturize itself with oil and stripping that oil with cleaners causes it to overproduce more oil which then leads to breakouts (see point above again), which we treat with more oil-busting products, which causes more oil production, which makes more acne- you see the evil cycle.
- Easily removes all makeup products.
- Keeps skin soft, supple, and moisturized.
- Helps even out skin tone.
- 100% natural.
- Cheaper than buying facial products!
That's just the basic theory behind the madness. The method requires what's called a carrier oil (aka base oil or vegetable oil), such as Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, Jojoba Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Sesame Oil, or Sunflower Oil. It's crucial that any oil you purchase be cold-pressed! Castor Oil is also great because its cleansing properties are so strong and it's able to get deep into the pores and draw out the bacteria and dead skin cells, however, its strength is also why it needs to be diluted with a carrier oil.
These oils can be mixed in different ratios based on your needs and skin type. Here's a link of some info that can help you know what you might use: Best Carrier Oil for Skin. Of course Google will provide you with much more information on any of these. Here's some sample ratios:
- Oily Skin: 2/3 Castor Oil to 1/3 Carrier Oil
- Normal Skin: equal parts Castor Oil to Carrier Oil
- Dry Skin: 1/3 Castor Oil to 2/3 Carrier Oil
And here's how you use them:
- Prepare. Mix your oils in a small bottle ahead of time and have it ready (I picked my bottle up in the travel bin section of Target for $1). Set a clean washcloth beside the sink and turn the hot water on to warm up.
- Cleanse. No need for makeup remover! Rinse your face lightly with the warm, running water. Pour a small amount of oil (quarter size or less) in your hand and massage all over your face.
- Rinse. By now the water should be really hot (but not hot enough to burn you!) Soak your clean washcloth and apply it to your face until it cools (1 minute or so). This steaming process is critical to open the pores and allows the oil to seep in and draw everything out. Rinse the washcloth again and use it to gently wipe all the oil and makeup off your skin. Rinse your face a final time in cool water to close the pores and pat dry.
It's that simple and you only need to do it once a day! I splash water on my face in the morning and wash my face in the evening (you can do it opposite but I have to take my makeup off at night anyways). You can add Essential Oils based on your skin type, too. After washing my face, I use Tea Tree Oil on a q-tip to spot treat any pimples and they dry up overnight. Essential Oils (such as Lavender, Rosemary, Jasmine, Orange, Mint, or Eucalyptus) can also be used to scent your new face wash.
Any time you change your skin routine it's possible that you may have a small breakout or two, but I hope I've opened your mind to something new, inspired you to learn more, and maybe even give it a try!
Links to the products I use:
Castor Oil
Jojoba Oil
Tea Tree Oil
Love the article Staci! I always enjoy your posts though :) Miss ya!
ReplyDeleteI am getting ready to start this method and saw you linked to your post on HP - had to check it out! I've got EVOO, castor oil, a bottle, and wash clothes. I'm hoping EVOO will work for me b/c we always have it for cooking and will just be easier. Hope this works for me!
ReplyDeleteI hope it works for you! Just keep in mind some oils may not be a good match with your skin type. If you have any problems you may need to switch oils. Let me know how it goes! I love how easy it is- removes all my makeup, washes my face, and is my moisturizer all in one! :)
DeleteI finally started it and I LOVE it! I was lucky to have done the right mixture and the oils work for me on the first try. I had watched a video a girl did where she said to be careful of assuming you have oily skin (she has an opinion that no one has oily skin, it's only oily b/c you're not treating it right) so I actually used the dry skin combo (along with a little tea tree oil mixed in) and it's working great for me! I had a HUGE zit when I started and it's all dried up now. My blackheads are shrinking and my breakouts are gone. This is the BEST reaction my skin has had to any natural treatment and I'm really thrilled since I wanted to find something more economical and preferrably natural. YAY! The craziest thing is I used to have super shiny oily skin all the time and since starting this, it's no longer oily. LOVE!
DeleteOh hey, I wanted to ask you about makeup removal. I mentioned a video I watched and she uses pure EVOO for her eye makeup. Do you use the cleansing oil blend for it? I wasn't a fan of putting the EVOO on my eyes - it didn't work well at all and I ended up using mild soap and water (my usual makeup removal method). I don't generally wear face makeup, only eyeliner and mascara about once a week, but I'd like to know how you do it.
ReplyDeleteI used to have oily skin too and it seems so weird but using the oil has actually helped my skin be a lot less oily! Love it! My combo right now is about 2/3 castor oil and 1/3 jojoba oil and sweet almond oil, with a little vitamin e mixed in. I find this takes off all my eye makeup, even liquid liner. I rub it in little circles all over my face and eyes then steam with the wash cloth for a full minute. Then I wipe off all the oil, which takes off all the makeup, and I keep gently wiping until it's all removed. If for any reason there's still some eye makeup remaining, I use a little bit of jojoba oil on a cotton ball to gently wipe it off. Sometimes my skin can feel a little dry and I have a separate bottle with a mix of 1/2 sweet almond oil and 1/2 jojoba oil, with a little vitamin e mixed in, and just a teeny tiny bit will moisturize my whole face. It also soaks in really fast so my face doesn't feel oily (like if I use coconut oil). If I do have a breakout area, a little tea tree oil on a q-tip pressed on the spot for a few seconds does wonders! So glad this is working for you! I love it!
DeleteI also researched and found that a lot of the typical skin products are not proven to be safe during pregnancy but all of these natural products are! So it works great and you don't have to worry about anything! :)
OK, good to know! I will try it when I have makeup on next. And I wish I'd heard of this when I was first pregnant b/c although my doctor said what I was using was OK (2.5% benzoil peroxide), I would have been much happier using natural products that would for sure be safe. Oh well, at least I have it now! I'm getting my sister started on it too. :) Oh and I have been using tea tree oil on any trouble spots like you mentioned in your blog and I'm surprised how well it works. Thank you for that tip!
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