So, yesterday I watched a YouTube vid from one of my fave naturals about the "Oil Cleansing Method" of washing your face. Like most people who first hear about this method of face washing I was like "whatttttttt really". I have always assumed that adding oil to my face would make it oilier or cause more break outs but apparently me and everyone else are wrong. Lately I had been using Alaffia African Black soup face wash from Whole Foods. To me it worked well but it would still strip my face or make it dry even though it was all natural with no harsh chemicals.
After doing some research online I decided I wanted to try this method for a month because two of the main issues I have are dry patches under my lower lip and a oily forehead. I have also been getting break outs and tend to have black heads pretty often.
So, how do this method work exactly?
Basically, with the oil method you are using oil to break down the oil and dirt on your skin. Like in chemistry....like things attract like things...so, it is natural to assume that oil attracts oil right. The problem with typical face washes is that the chemicals strip your face of it natural oils, drys it out, and then your body is having to over compensate for all the oil that was striped from your face. The same for your hair and scalp as well. By using the oil method you are just breaking down the oil and dirt and replacing it with a cleaner oil that way your body is not having to compensate for the oil that was removed from your skin.
What oils should you use?
Based on the research I did the main oil to use is Castor Oil. Castor Oil is important because out of all the oils available it is the most cleansing and it has anti-bacterial properties. Along with Castor Oils you can use other oils for their moisturizing properties. The one oil to stay away from Coconut Oil because it actually clogs pores and causes break outs. Here is a list of blends I found on several sites:
This information was taken from Crunchy Betty Site. Visit her site for more info on this and other natural beauty information.
Good Oil Cleansing Varieties:
Jojoba (all skin types, but very desirable for acne-prone skin)
Sweet almond (all skin types, especially oily)
Grapeseed (all skin types, especially oily)
Avocado (dry and aging skin)
Sunflower Seed (all skin types)
Olive (all skin types)
Apricot Kernel (dry, aging, and normal skin)
Argan (all skin types, especially aging skin … very pricey)
Tamanu (all skin types … very pricey)
*You’ll probably want to stay away from coconut oil for oil cleansing, as it is a known comedogenic and may possibly clog your pores and exacerbate blackheads.
The Oil-Cleansing Ratio
It might be better to use this on a “wash-by-wash” basis before you go mixing a whole bottle of oil together, just in case you want to change up the ratios if you notice your face is becoming too dry or too oily.When you first start out with OCM, It’s best to think in ratios of thirds. You can measure these thirds out ahead of time and prepare a whole bottle full of oil. Or, you can do what I do and just eyeball it each time you use the method.
Here’s the rule of oil-cleansing thirds (remember, castor oil is important here):
Oily skin: Use 2/3 castor oil to 1/3 carrier oil. (Or measure out 2 tsp castor oil and 1 tsp carrier oil.)
Normal skin: Use equal parts castor oil and carrier oil. (Measuring out 1-1/2 tsp castor oil and 1-1/2 tsp carrier oil.)
Dry skin: Use 1/3 castor oil and 2/3 carrier oil. (Again, 2 tsp carrier oil and 1 tsp castor oil.)
These ratios are NOT set in stone, but they’re a great jumping off point. Again, when I do this, I just eyeball it in the palm of my hand and go from there.
What do you do?
After figuring out the oil blend that you feel work best for you skin then you just have to follow these simple steps.
Step 1: Gently rub the oils into your skin in a upward motion for 2-3 mins. While rubbing turn the water on so that it gets to a little hotter than warm temp.
Step 2: you can either wet a towel and place it on your face for a 30 seconds and then gently rub the oil off or you can just rinse your face with water.
It's that simple.
I'm only using Castor Oil right now because I'm worried about adding another oil. I think after a couple of weeks of seeing how my skin reacts I might add another oil but for now I'm ok with just Castor Oil. Be sure to buy the cold pressed Castor Oil because it much better than the regular kind. I'll do an update in a couple of weeks to let ya'll know how its working for me.
Here are some helpful links for info:
Happy Transitioning!!!!
Monique
I need to find a place that sells castor oil in Abu Dhabi!
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