The Oil Cleansing Method - My Turn!
If you haven't yet heard of the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM), surely you will soon. This method has been around for a long time, and I know even the inhabitants of the Ancient Near East used oil as a body cleanser and beautifier.
So, the premise is that soap and chemicals strip and dry the skin, as well as result in sensitivities over time. The consequences of stripping the skin of its protective skin oils can lead to acne, itchiness, extreme dryness, eczema, premature aging, and more. In my ongoing effort to combat all of these nasties (yes, I do suffer!), I am giving the Oil Cleansing Method a try.
To further research this well-attested method, check out these links:
Alright, are you convinced yet?? Yeah...I was, too!
So, here is what I'm doing. I have been using a Clarisonic tool in an effort to get my irritating breakout under control, and it did that. However, it completely stripped my face of any oil it ever had! My skin kept getting dryer and dryer, but I still had an occasional blemish here and there. Ugh. I tried just about every skin cleanser on the market, from the Clarisonic cleanser, to specialty brands like Mary Kay, to cleansers for sensitive skin with no soap at all...nothing was working. I finally resorted to no cleanser at all, and was more dry and itchy than ever!! That's when I stumbled upon this DIY experiment.
My OCM Recipe
.5 oz. avocado oil
.5 oz. jojoba oil
.5 oz. castor oil
1.5 oz. grapeseed oil
This is my facial cleanser in the shower. Most OCM sources say to hold a hot washcloth on your face after massaging in the oil for a minute, but that it a bit harsh for my hyper-sensitive skin. So, I massage it onto my face in the shower a good bit (relaxing is good!), then rinse in the spray while continuing to massage. It will still be oily-feeling, but that's OK. Go about the rest of your routine, and then blot with your towel when you get out of the shower. In the evening, I dampen my face a bit with warm water, then massage in about a quarter-size amount onto my face with my fingertips. I then splash the warm (hot-but-not-too) on my face a few times, continuing to massage, then blot with a clean washcloth (be careful not to get oil into your eyes...not so good - use the spritz below for removing eye makeup). I follow with the spritz #1 below.
My #1 Facial Spritz-On Moisture
4 Tbsp Aloe Vera Juice (not the gel)
1/4 tsp jojoba oil
1/4 tsp sweet almond oil
1/4 tsp avocado oil
1 tsp vegetable glycerin
This #1 spritz is the BEST makeup remover I have ever used! I spray a few pumps onto a round cotton cosmetic pad and use that to remove eye makeup. Sweet! You could also use this spritz (or either of them, really) on hot days to freshen up.
My #2 Hand 'n Body Spritz-On Moisture
2 Tbsp Aloe Vera Juice (not the gel)
2 Tbsp Rose Water
1/4 tsp jojoba oil
1/4 tsp sweet almond oil
1/4 tsp avocado oil
1 tsp vegetable glycerin
These are great after I get out of the shower...I gently blot my face dry and then spritz! The #2 smells good, too! I carry a small mist bottle of the #2 spritz in my bag in place of hand cream.
I will probably continue to use the Clarisonic, but not every day. Probably 2-3 times a week will most likely be sufficient for deep pore cleansing (which is its specialty). I will use the Clarisonic in the shower with water only, followed by my oil concoction, as usual.
For the occasional breakout, I have mixed up my own blemish-control oil - maybe you would like it, as well.
My Blemish Treatment
.5 oz. Tea Tree Oil
.5 oz of a mix of 20% castor oil and 80% sunflower oil*
I just dab a bit on the problem area with a Q-Tip. Tea Tree Oil is very drying, and so is the castor oil. The sunflower oil is the necessary carrier oil - you don't want to use Tea Tree Oil by itself on your skin!
*I had started this journey with this oil mix of 20% castor oil and 80% sunflower oil. However, I soon discovered that this is way too drying for my skin. I quickly switched to the mix you see above. I thought this mix would be a good base for my Tea Tree Oil blemish treatment.
UPDATE: This blemish treatment is the BEST! It takes away the redness and swelling, as well as drying up the blemish fast. You have got to have some of this on hand!
One other thing I did was invest in washcloths devoted solely to my OCM. They will be washed separately, as well, for obvious reasons (don't want oil all over my clothing in the wash!). Another item of note: I have stayed away from EVOO because of the risk of breakout - don't need more of that! A lot of sources suggest it, and some are warning that it causes a lot of folks to breakout. Use your best judgement.
I have very high hopes that this will be the answer to my sensitive skin woes. It has been for so many I have read online. Let me know if you give it a go...I want to hear of your experience!
UPDATE: This is the best thing since sliced bread! No, really!! After only one week of using the OCM faithfully (morning and evening) my skin looks better than it did when I was 20! OK, maybe 30...but still! The #2 spritz-on moisture is the bomb for my legs and hands - love it, love it, love it!! I am just so pleased. I wish I would have stumbled upon it much, MUCH earlier!
I have had to diminish my makeup use, as the Sheer Cover foundation I was using doesn't do so well for some reason. It began to get real splotchy through the day. So, I ditched it in favor of what I used to do when I was much younger: just a dusting of powder. I like the Sheer Cover finishing powder, personally. No blush or bronzer needed - the natural glow of my skin is more than enough! A little eye shadow, liner and mascara, a swish of lip gloss and I'm done! The best part of all is that my skin doesn't feel dry, prickly or itchy anymore, nor do I have uncontrollable flakiness - what a miracle!
A couple of more recipes you may appreciate:
Sugar Scrub Recipe (for the softest hands EVER)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup part avocado oil (or sweet almond, olive)
4 capsules Vitamin E (squeezed out!)
Stir and store in an airtight container. No refrigeration needed.
To use: take a glob of sugar mixture and massage into hands (for as long as you like!); rinse with warm water and pat dry with paper towels. Aaaahhhhh.
Ultimate Body Oil
1/4 cup avocado oil
1 T jojoba oil
1 T sweet almond oil
1 T castor oil
4 vitamin E oil capsules (or 1/4 tsp)
Use this anywhere you need extra moisturizer...you can even use this as an all over after-shower body oil.
So, the premise is that soap and chemicals strip and dry the skin, as well as result in sensitivities over time. The consequences of stripping the skin of its protective skin oils can lead to acne, itchiness, extreme dryness, eczema, premature aging, and more. In my ongoing effort to combat all of these nasties (yes, I do suffer!), I am giving the Oil Cleansing Method a try.
 |
| my new cleansing routine - no chemicals! |
To further research this well-attested method, check out these links:
Alright, are you convinced yet?? Yeah...I was, too!
So, here is what I'm doing. I have been using a Clarisonic tool in an effort to get my irritating breakout under control, and it did that. However, it completely stripped my face of any oil it ever had! My skin kept getting dryer and dryer, but I still had an occasional blemish here and there. Ugh. I tried just about every skin cleanser on the market, from the Clarisonic cleanser, to specialty brands like Mary Kay, to cleansers for sensitive skin with no soap at all...nothing was working. I finally resorted to no cleanser at all, and was more dry and itchy than ever!! That's when I stumbled upon this DIY experiment.
My OCM Recipe
.5 oz. avocado oil
.5 oz. jojoba oil
.5 oz. castor oil
1.5 oz. grapeseed oil
This is my facial cleanser in the shower. Most OCM sources say to hold a hot washcloth on your face after massaging in the oil for a minute, but that it a bit harsh for my hyper-sensitive skin. So, I massage it onto my face in the shower a good bit (relaxing is good!), then rinse in the spray while continuing to massage. It will still be oily-feeling, but that's OK. Go about the rest of your routine, and then blot with your towel when you get out of the shower. In the evening, I dampen my face a bit with warm water, then massage in about a quarter-size amount onto my face with my fingertips. I then splash the warm (hot-but-not-too) on my face a few times, continuing to massage, then blot with a clean washcloth (be careful not to get oil into your eyes...not so good - use the spritz below for removing eye makeup). I follow with the spritz #1 below.
My #1 Facial Spritz-On Moisture
4 Tbsp Aloe Vera Juice (not the gel)
1/4 tsp jojoba oil
1/4 tsp sweet almond oil
1/4 tsp avocado oil
1 tsp vegetable glycerin
This #1 spritz is the BEST makeup remover I have ever used! I spray a few pumps onto a round cotton cosmetic pad and use that to remove eye makeup. Sweet! You could also use this spritz (or either of them, really) on hot days to freshen up.
My #2 Hand 'n Body Spritz-On Moisture
2 Tbsp Aloe Vera Juice (not the gel)
2 Tbsp Rose Water
1/4 tsp jojoba oil
1/4 tsp sweet almond oil
1/4 tsp avocado oil
1 tsp vegetable glycerin
These are great after I get out of the shower...I gently blot my face dry and then spritz! The #2 smells good, too! I carry a small mist bottle of the #2 spritz in my bag in place of hand cream.
I will probably continue to use the Clarisonic, but not every day. Probably 2-3 times a week will most likely be sufficient for deep pore cleansing (which is its specialty). I will use the Clarisonic in the shower with water only, followed by my oil concoction, as usual.
For the occasional breakout, I have mixed up my own blemish-control oil - maybe you would like it, as well.
My Blemish Treatment
.5 oz. Tea Tree Oil
.5 oz of a mix of 20% castor oil and 80% sunflower oil*
I just dab a bit on the problem area with a Q-Tip. Tea Tree Oil is very drying, and so is the castor oil. The sunflower oil is the necessary carrier oil - you don't want to use Tea Tree Oil by itself on your skin!
*I had started this journey with this oil mix of 20% castor oil and 80% sunflower oil. However, I soon discovered that this is way too drying for my skin. I quickly switched to the mix you see above. I thought this mix would be a good base for my Tea Tree Oil blemish treatment.
UPDATE: This blemish treatment is the BEST! It takes away the redness and swelling, as well as drying up the blemish fast. You have got to have some of this on hand!
One other thing I did was invest in washcloths devoted solely to my OCM. They will be washed separately, as well, for obvious reasons (don't want oil all over my clothing in the wash!). Another item of note: I have stayed away from EVOO because of the risk of breakout - don't need more of that! A lot of sources suggest it, and some are warning that it causes a lot of folks to breakout. Use your best judgement.
I have very high hopes that this will be the answer to my sensitive skin woes. It has been for so many I have read online. Let me know if you give it a go...I want to hear of your experience!
UPDATE: This is the best thing since sliced bread! No, really!! After only one week of using the OCM faithfully (morning and evening) my skin looks better than it did when I was 20! OK, maybe 30...but still! The #2 spritz-on moisture is the bomb for my legs and hands - love it, love it, love it!! I am just so pleased. I wish I would have stumbled upon it much, MUCH earlier!
I have had to diminish my makeup use, as the Sheer Cover foundation I was using doesn't do so well for some reason. It began to get real splotchy through the day. So, I ditched it in favor of what I used to do when I was much younger: just a dusting of powder. I like the Sheer Cover finishing powder, personally. No blush or bronzer needed - the natural glow of my skin is more than enough! A little eye shadow, liner and mascara, a swish of lip gloss and I'm done! The best part of all is that my skin doesn't feel dry, prickly or itchy anymore, nor do I have uncontrollable flakiness - what a miracle!
A couple of more recipes you may appreciate:
Sugar Scrub Recipe (for the softest hands EVER)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup part avocado oil (or sweet almond, olive)
4 capsules Vitamin E (squeezed out!)
Stir and store in an airtight container. No refrigeration needed.
To use: take a glob of sugar mixture and massage into hands (for as long as you like!); rinse with warm water and pat dry with paper towels. Aaaahhhhh.
Ultimate Body Oil
1/4 cup avocado oil
1 T jojoba oil
1 T sweet almond oil
1 T castor oil
4 vitamin E oil capsules (or 1/4 tsp)
Use this anywhere you need extra moisturizer...you can even use this as an all over after-shower body oil.
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