Curious, I snuck into my bathroom with my bottle of extra virgin olive oil. I felt like I was doing something rebellious or naughty. Like I was breaking all sorts of rules. I poured the olive oil into my hands and began rubbing it onto my face. My skin felt soothed and moisturized. I rinsed a washcloth in hot water and let it sit on my face for 10-15 seconds, then wiped the oil off. It was luxurious!
The next morning, I was afraid I'd wake up and my skin would be a broken out mess. But it looked great! It was dewy. It wasn't as red as it normally was. It didn't feel tight, and I was able to skip my morning moisturizer.
I've been doing the oil cleansing method for about two weeks now, and I don't know if I will ever go back. I am so in love with it! Not only does it make my skin look better, it is all-natural! I always have olive oil around the house, so it cuts back on the amount of different products I have to buy (especially if I'm able to forgo moisturizer with it). And because I'm able to pour the olive oil straight from the bottle into a recycled glass container from another face mask, it will also cut back on the amount of packaging I use and, inevitably, throw away. I'm guessing it is also much cheaper in the long run.
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| Source: BBC Food |
If you feel like trying it --- and you should! -- here is everything you need to know:
How It Works:
The reasons we have so much trouble with mainstream skin care products are numerous, but two reasons, in particular, lead the pack. These products strip the oil out of our skin, leaving our largest organ trying to repair itself by replacing the oil stripped away. This leaves us in a cycle of being tight and dry followed by the inevitable oil slick. Each time we strip the oil away, our skin over-compensates for the lack of moisture by creating more oil. On top of the drying effects, these products are highly-scented. Fragrance is one of the top skin irritants and strangely enough, even the so-called "unscented" products usually contain fragrance. See for yourself and check the labels. Dry, irritated skin replaced by oily skin, inflamed and trapping debris?
Getting right down to basics, when cleansing and moisturizing your skin, it is imperative that you keep in mind that oil dissolves oil. Your skin naturally lubricates itself with oil, and as we are creatures of adaptation, one can believe that if this weren't the appropriate built-in care for ourselves, our bodies would have adapted to suit the need. (Source: The Oil Cleansing Method).
What To Do:
1. Find your moisturizing oil. Olive oil, jojoba, and almond oil are the best. Skip the coconut oil for this one, it can clog pores.
2. If you have oily skin, mix the moisturizing oil with castor oil. Castor oil is supposed to draw out the impurities from your skin. If you have acne prone skin, mix three parts castor oil with one part olive oil. If you have dry skin, mix one part castor oil with three parts olive oil. To be honest, I haven't bothered to go and buy any castor oil because I'm lazy and have been quite pleased with using just olive oil. But many people swear by incorporating castor oil.
3. Massage the oil into your (dry) skin. Enjoy how relaxing it feels!
4. Rinse a clean washcloth with warm water. Put the washcloth on your face and let it "steam" your face for 10 seconds. Then rinse it with more warm water and gently wipe away the oil.
5. Show off your dewy, moisturized, soothed, and cleansed face!
Some Advice:
If you're going to try the oil cleansing method, I would really try it. Go all out! Part of what the oil cleansing method does is balance your skin. If you alternate with another harsher face wash, it might not work or lead to break outs.
Similarly, I would skip the moisturizer. Unless your skin is really dry and flaky, go a few days and see if your skin adjusts to the oil cleansing method.
