Welcome to the next adventure on my quest for natural beauty. After my success with olive oil as an eye makeup remover, I did a little more research and found the ‘oil cleansing method’ (or OCM)… and I love it!
The basic idea? Use a combination of oils to cleanse your face at night. Massage the oil in for about 2 minutes, then use a hot washcloth to ‘steam’ your face for a couple of minutes, then rinse the cloth and wipe the oil off your face. It leaves your skin feeling soft and moisturized, but NOT oily! It feels so much better than that tight, dry sensation that is caused by most facial cleansers. Weird, right?
Apparently, oil dissolves oil. The right combination of oils will cleanse your pores of dirt and bacteria while leaving it moisturized. When done consistently and correctly, the oil cleansing method can correct skin conditions ranging from dry skin to moderate acne!
There is a bit of trial and error and personal preference involved in finding the right combination of oils for your skin. You need castor oil, because it is what cleanses the gunk out of your pores. It can be drying, so you add another oil of your choice to moisturize. I use olive oil, but jojoba oil, grape seed oil, sunflower seed oil, and avocado oil are all popular choices. You can even add a drop of essential oil such as lavender to the mix if you want.
Start with a ratio of about 25% castor oil to 75% olive oil. Use a higher ratio of castor oil if your skin is more oily, and a lower ratio if your skin is more dry. It doesn’t have to be exact, I just eyeball it each time.
I noticed a difference in the way my skin felt the very first time I tried this. It is super soft, and not greasy at all. I don’t even need to use moisturizer at night anymore. It does take a little more time than my old routine of never washing my face at night, but the facial massage is very soothing, and I actually look forward to it.
This post is far from comprehensive, so if you are thinking about trying the OCM, there is more information here, here and here. Happy cleansing!