As a teen, I had great skin. Hardly ever a blemish. Never any acne. At around 20, I started having breakouts. I went to a dermatologist who prescribed Retin A. It worked for a while, but then it didn’t, and I couldn’t use it if I was out in the sun. I ate better, drank more water, and my skin cleared up somewhat. Then in my 30s it came back. It was mostly bad breakouts on my forehead. I thought it might be the oil from my hair, so I wore my hair off my face. Didn’t work. I tried prescribed creams, and over-the-counter creams. I took different vitamins. I tried different face washes- foams, creams, gels. Nothing worked. Even though my forehead looked greasy and bumpy, I finally decided to try oil cleansing.
It worked!
Honestly, at first I didn’t tell many people about this, because when you first think about it, it doesn’t make sense. You clear up oily skin with oil? Well, it works for me! I no longer have a greasy forehead. Whether my hair touches my face or not, my forehead is clear and dry. The space between my nose and my face used to be really dry and sometimes flaky. No more. I think, but I’m not sure, that it even helps prevent hair bumps I used to get from tweezing/waxing.
I now know that I shouldn’t have been trying to get rid of all the oil on my face. Our skin needs oil to moisturize, protect and heal it. Apparently, trying to wash away the oil with cleansers strips oil away, much of which our skin needs. When we remove the oil, our skin over-compensates for the lack of moisture by creating more oil. Another thing I didn’t know is that oil dissolves oil. So using oil to cleanse takes away the oil our skin doesn’t need, and replenishes the oil it does need.
There’s a lot of information about this online, and because this method has gotten popular, many cosmetic companies have launched cleansing oils. I haven’t tried them. Why should I? I already had natural oils at my house, and I’m not going to spend more money on manufactured products. Also, I use so little oil that my bottles of oils last me a couple of months without buying more, which saves me money. Which I love.
I know that slathering oil on your face just doesn’t seem right. However, I swear by this. I’ve been doing for over a year and my skin has never looked better. It’s also like a spa treatment! Here’s what I do:
What
In terms of which oils to use, I always use two natural plant-based oils. Castor oil is always one of the oils. Castor oil is a cleansing and healing oil. I use castor oil on my skin and hair. You can find castor oil in drug and grocery stores in the laxative section. Castor oil is pretty thick, so it’s good to dilute it with a lighter, carrier oil. I have tried grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, almond oil and olive oil. Right now, my favorite second oil is 100% jojoba oil, which I find online and in health food stores.
How Much
My ratio of oil that I pour into my hand for my combination skin is about 30% castor oil, and 70% of the carrier oil. If you have dry skin, try a little less of the castor oil. Everyone’s skin is different, so experiment with different mixes. You’ll know after a couple of days if your skin feels too oily or too dry.
When
Most people do this at night. It’s good to do it at night because it removes all of the dirt and makeup of the day. I’ve also just wiped my makeup off at night and oil cleansed in the morning, and that has worked for me too. The only thing I wouldn’t do is to do it twice a day. It’s not necessary. When I first started oil cleansing, I would use an actual cleanser every few days, but now I don’t even do that. I do this once a day, while other only do it a few times a week. The oil cleansing method is pretty much all I do to my face, so I have to do it daily.
How
I pour the carrier oil (jojoba for me) in my palm first, about a teaspoon. Then I add the castor oil- about a third the amount of the carrier oil. I rub the oil together with my palm and massage my face. Rubbing the oil in loosens up and removes dirt, impurities, and make-up. There’s no need to use make-up remover, the oils will take it all off. Yes, even mascara and concealer! I massage the oil in for at least 20 seconds. If I’m not rushing, I’ll take a lot longer and really enjoy the massage.
Next, I take a clean washcloth and wet it with hot water- as hot as I can handle it. I squeeze out the water and cover my face with the washcloth. I leave it on until the washcloth cools. I gently wipe the oil off of my face. Many repeat this step by re-wetting the cloth with hot water and steam their face again. I don’t do it twice much, but it’s necessary for some and it feels good. I often get in a little meditation time during this step! The oil dissolves the oil that has hardened with impurities and got stuck in the pores. The steam opens up the pores and lets the oil come off.
That’s it! I saw results in about a week. For the first few days, my face felt a little dry, so I would either rub a drop of the oil on my face, or use my old moisturizer. This is just your skin adapting to the oil cleanse.
I’m sure this doesn’t work everyone’s skin, but this was my last resort product/method and it has really worked for me. And, if you already have the oils, why not try it?
Also, remember that the BEST thing you can do for your skin is to stay hydrated, so make sure you drink lots of WATER, no matter what skin care routine you use.
If you’ve tried the oil cleansing method, please leave a comment about your experience!