Do you struggle with acne, dry skin, an oily t-zone? If so, the answer to your skin woes could be as easy as tossing aside your expensive store-bought face washes and lotions and instead treating yourself to a natural oil mini-facial each evening. Read on to discover how the Oil Cleansing Method can revitalize your skin in a healthy, safe, affordable way.
What Is The Oil Cleansing Method?
The Oil Cleansing Method (OCM) is a way of cleansing your face with a specific mixture of natural oils once each day. It works with the concept that “like dissolves like,” meaning oil dissolves oil. You may be asking yourself, “Won’t slathering my face in oil cause it to be greasier or to break out?”.
The answer is, NO.
We are inundated with skin care packaging boasting “Oil Free” formulas, giving us the perception that oil is bad for our skin. Traditional face washes work to strip the oil away from our skin which leads our skin to a battle – fighting to replace the lost oil. This often results in extra oily skin or combination skin that is dry with an oily t-zone. The fact is that not all oil is bad. Think about it: your skin naturally produces oil because it needs it.
The Oil Cleansing Method Process
The great thing about OCM is that you only need to wash your face once each day (most commonly at night) and you don’t need to use any makeup removers or apply any moisturizer afterwards because the oil mixture does it all! Here’s the basic rundown of the OCM process:
1. Oil Massage
Pour a quarter size amount of oil in your palm and gently massage it in circular motions in to your skin for a couple of minutes. Apply right on top of makeup without wetting your skin or anything beforehand. The oil works to break down the “dirty oil” and any makeup that is trapped in your pores.
2. Hot Towel Steam
Run a washcloth or small towel under the hottest water you can handle, quickly wring it out, and cover your face with it. The moist, hot towel works to open up your pores so the oil can remove the impurities. Leave the towel on your face until it cools completely and repeat once or twice more.
3. Wipe It Away
After your face has steamed, use your wash cloth to gently wipe away any excess oil sitting on your skin.
There is no need to apply a moisturizer after completing this process, but you can rub in a tiny bit more of your oil cleansing mixture if your skin is feeling dry. And when you wake up the next morning, there is no need to wash your face again! Check out more information and tips on exfoliation and cleansing tips.
Making Your Custom Oil Mixture
Types of Oils To Use
OCM has a lot of flexibility in terms of the oils you can use. However, the key ingredient recommended is castor oil. Castor oil (which comes from the castor bean) has natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, making it great for removing impurities from your skin. However, castor oil is also very drying, so it needs to be mixed with one or more secondary, conditioning oils. Here are a list of common oils used to mix with castor oil in OCM:
You can experiment with different oils until you find a combination that works well for your skin. Feel free to research the properties of each oil to get an idea of what may work best for you. To get started, we recommend trying out sunflower seed oil, which is suitable for all skin types and is high in vitamins A, C, and D.
The Ratio of Oils to Use
So you have your castor oil and your secondary conditioning oil, but what proportion of each do you use? Well, this depends on your skin type. Here’s a general guide:
- Oily Skin
- 30% castor oil, 70% conditioning oil(s) of choice
- Normal Skin
- 20% castor oil, 80% conditioning oil(s) of choice
- Dry Skin
- 10% castor oil, 90% conditioning oil(s) of choice
You don’t have to measure quantities out perfectly – just eye it and adjust based on how your skin seems to react. If your skin is drying out after using a blend for a while, cut back on the amount of castor oil. You can also add in one or two drops of essential oil, like lavendar or lemon, to add a bit of fragrance to your cleanser.
Have you ever tried OCM? Let us know your favorite oils to use in the comments below!
This post is meant for educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace medical advice from your physician, doctor or health care professional. Please read our terms of use for more information.
Source: TheOilCleansingMethod.com
Photo Credit: Dreams To Do
