Oil Cleansing Method
By Mrs Money on November 25, 2009 – 10:53 am -
It will probably not be a surprise to some of you that I don’t wash my face with soap. After all, I don’t wash my hair with shampoo, so why would I use soap on my face? I have a very frugal and green method of cleansing. I actually use a blend of oils to wash my face. I know- it seems counteractive to use oil on your face, especially if you have oily skin or are acne prone. Hear me out on this one!
Your skin produces oil. When you use oil to cleanse it, you are actually removing some of the oils (sebum) and impurities with it. Oil dissolves oil. When you use traditional skin cleansers, you are removing a lot of the oil and then replacing the moisture with a water based moisturizer because you are scared of putting oil back in the skin because it causes breakouts, right? Well, it could be doing more harm than good because when you remove all the oil, your skin works harder to replace it, making the skin more oily and prone to breakouts. Yikes. The oil cleansing method combats that problem.
Ingredients
You can buy this at the drugstore or grocery store. It is commonly known as a laxative. Castor oil is the main cleansing oil, as it removes impurities from your skin. It also has potent anti-inflammatory and healing properties.
-Olive oil
Chances are that you have olive oil in your cupboards for cooking. Olive oil is the lighter, more moisturizing of the two oils. Have you ever noticed how the Italian and French women have beautiful skin and never seem to age? They’ve discovered the secret of using olive oil on their skin.
What you want to do is make a mixture of the oils. Here’s a general ratio of oils:
Oily Skin: Try a blend of 70% Castor Oil to 30% Olive Oil.
Balanced Skin: Try a blend of 50% Castor Oil to 50% Olive Oil.
Dry Skin: Try a blend of 30% Castor Oil to 70% Olive Oil.
Acne Prone Skin: Add a few drops of tea tree oil to your mixture. It is a natural antibacterial!
Obviously you’ll want to find a balance that works for your skin, but start with a small amount, try it, and go from there!
Method
Get a nice washcloth out and start running your hot water. While waiting for the water get hot, put some of your oil mixture onto your fingers and start massaging it into your skin. When the water is hot, take your washcloth and get it wet, wring it out, and place it on your skin. Leave it on there until it cools down. It’s almost like a mini facial! Repeat until your skin feels soft and clean. Afterwards, if your skin feels a little tight, you can use the oil mixture, or even some coconut oil for moisturizing. Voila! You’ve successfully completed the oil cleansing method.
Have you heard of or tried the oil cleansing method?
This post was included in the Festival of Frugality at Out of Debt Again!
image from cathyse97
Posted in Green Living, Recipes, Simple Living | 19 Comments »
November 25th, 2009 at 11:30 am
I’ve heard of coconut oil as a way to moisturize, but I am scared to try this, because my skin is just.. whacked out.
I am going to buy a tub of coconut oil sooner or later and at least use it on my hair
I don’t like using actual cleansers on my face, but what if I end up causing acne AGAIN?
Gosh I’d cry….
[Reply]
Mrs Money Reply:
November 27th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
I was worried about that too. I have acne prone skin but it’s worked pretty well for me! The coconut oil is so light that it doesn’t cause problems.
[Reply]
November 25th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
I used to use OCM, and my skin never looked better. I got lazy, though, as it takes a little extra time. I also felt awfully wasteful as I had about 4 half-used things of face wash lying around. Maybe when I run out, I’ll go back. I actually prefer the combination of castor and almond oil – it’s just a little bit lighter than the olive.
[Reply]
Mrs Money Reply:
November 27th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
I’ve never tried almond oil but it I’ll bet it smells great!
I know what you mean about it taking a little extra times- sometimes I just use hot water and a washcloth when I’m too lazy!
[Reply]
November 25th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Well I am going to give this a try. I use only a shampoo bar as I have been trying to get rid of our plastic consumption. Up to now I just use baking soda on my face and it works great (my skin is not sensitive) but recently I have been getting blackheads. I have both ingredients here at home so I can’t wait to see how it works.
Thanks for the post.
[Reply]
Mrs Money Reply:
November 27th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
That is great! Let me know how it works and if you have any questions.
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November 25th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
I have never used oil to wash my face. I rarely use soap or anything other than water.
[Reply]
Mrs Money Reply:
November 27th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
I use just hot water and a washcloth when I’m too tired to do the whole method. I think it works just fine!
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November 25th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
I SWEAR by the oil cleansing method! I have serious acne and it helps my dry/oily skin become actually NORMAL and HEALTHY! My mom was completely skeptical, but when she saw the healthy glow my skin developed she took all the bad things she said back. :-) I just need to keep up with it and not get lazy.
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Mrs Money Reply:
November 27th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
That is so awesome! I know- it sounds so weird, but I am so glad it works. That’s the only downfall- that it takes too much time sometimes!
[Reply]
December 1st, 2009 at 7:50 am
[...] Money presents Oil Cleansing Method posted at The Ultimate Money Blog. Inexpensive, good for your face and the [...]
December 1st, 2009 at 11:17 am
I’m interested in learning what is the benefit of using several oils. People recommend this, but no one seems to explain satisfactorily why this would be better than just one oil.
I use plain olive oil. Because I cook with olive oil, too, it’s always at hand and I don’t have to make extra trips to specialty stores or order stuff on the Net.
The stuff is wonderful on your face! It makes my skin feel SO MUCH better.
[Reply]
Mrs Money Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Castor oil is supposed to be more cleansing. I used it because I had some on hand.
I am amazed at how well it works too!
[Reply]
December 2nd, 2009 at 9:04 am
[...] Money presents Oil Cleansing Method posted at The Ultimate Money [...]
December 3rd, 2009 at 12:33 am
Oh neat, I’ll have to try this! I have combination skin: Oily on my forehead and dry on the cheeks and around my nose. In winter it’s somehow dry and oily at the same time. Thoughts on what oil combination to use?
[Reply]
Mrs Money Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 7:01 pm
I would do 50/50 in the winter if I were you. If your skin is still dry after you cleanse it, you can put some oil on as moisturizer. You may want to use the olive oil only to do that though. The castor oil is a little thick!
[Reply]
December 4th, 2009 at 4:59 am
[...] can use these cloths as dishcloths or as washcloths. They are awesome to use with the oil cleansing method. The contest will end on December 13, 2009. I will announce the winner on December 14, 2009! var [...]
December 10th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
[...] can use these cloths as dishcloths or as washcloths. They are awesome to use with the oil cleansing method. The contest will end on December 13, 2009. I will announce the winner on December 14, 2009! [...]
December 12th, 2009 at 10:56 am
[...] Mrs. Accountability hosted the Festival of Frugality on December 1st, where Funny’s report on the new budgeting scheme was included. Mrs. Money at the Ultimate Money Blog contributed a nice discussion of one of my favorites, the oil cleansing method. [...]