Washing Your Face with Oil?!

Sounds crazy, doesn't it?  I thought so too when I first heard about it.  It's actually called the "oil cleansing method," although I am not sure that makes it sound any better.  I wrote about it briefly a few months ago, but have been getting soooo many questions about it lately that I thought I would dedicate an entire blog post towards it.....so here it goes.

The basis of this theory is two-fold:
1. Castor oil attaches to and pulls out/off dirt, oil, and makeup.
2. Oil is one of the best anti-aging products out there.

Now, as I read your mind, I know that you are thinking, "This would NEVER work on my skin, it's way too oily!"  But I assure you, you are wrong!  You are exactly the person who needs this!  After years of having extremely oily skin by 2 o'clock each day, and flakey skin in my drier areas due to all the pimple-fighting products that I was using, my skin was in need of some serious help.  I had beautiful skin while I was on birth control, but as soon as I ditched the pill in anticipation of mommy-hood, my skin broke out worse than when I was an awkward 13 year old.  I tried everything - Proactive, Neutrogena, Clinique, Philosophy, and multiple creams from the dermatologist - with drier, more inflammed and angry skin and no improvement in the acne.

I truly wish I would have found this years earlier, and I can guarantee my skin would look younger.  After using this method just once, my skin felt tighter and appeared less red, and my pores were clearer and smaller.  I have noticed that when I do get the occasional pimple, it is smaller, less red, and heals much more quickly.  And I am no longer battling those dry patches.  When you use soaps, ointments, and creams, your skin is stripped of its natural oils, encouraging it to make even more oil.  This is when you find yourself in a vicious cycle of stripping, making more oil, more pimples, more stripping, and more inflammed, irritated skin.  Using oil to cleanse your face pulls out the makeup and dirt from your skin, but leaves it soft and moisturized.

So here is how it works:
You can make your own oil cleanser mixture using a combination of castor oil and a carrier oil.  You should use approximately 20-30% castor oil, depending on how oily or dry your skin is.  Castor oil is drying, so if your skin is oily, use a little more; if it is dry, use a little less.  I use different amounts in the winter and summer depending on the humidity in the air. If you are unsure, just start at 25% and you can adjust from there.  I would warn you not to dry out your skin too much, though.  After you wash your face it should feel taught but not dry, and still feel moisturized. 

Next, you need to add your carrier oil.  You can use olive oil, sunflower oil, or grapeseed oil (or just about any other type of oil, but these are the ones that I know are used most often).  After much researching, I am finally using grapeseed oil because of its anti-aging properties and because it is light weight and doesn't clog pores.  Many people use it as a moisturizer, and I have found myself dabbing it on my face when I need a little extra moisture, too.  Mix these two in a small container, in small amounts.  Oil can grow bacteria (see my next step), so you want to make a new mixture every few weeks. I typically use 0.5 ounces of castor oil plus 1.5 ounces of grapeseed oil.  This will last me 2-3 weeks.

To finish the mixture I typically add a few drops of tea tree oil.  (Don't use too much or you will smell like your grandma's medicine cabinet!)  Tea tree oil fights bacteria, as well as decreases inflammation and redness.  If I get a pimple, I even dab a bit onto a cotton swab, which seems to increase the healing time and decrease the redness.

Now, on to the actual washing part of this process.  First, use hot water to steam open your pores.  I usually do this in the shower, and cover my face with a warm washcloth for a few minutes.  They apply the oil mixture to your face, reapply the warm washcloth, and wipe off.  Easy AND relaxing!  Bonus: you should only do this once a day, any more will dry out your skin too much.  This was difficult for me to get used to at first while my skin adjusted to a once-daily wash, but now I love that I don't have to mess with it in the morning! 

The next question that I am often asked is where to get these oils.  Castor oil and tea tree oil can be found at just about any Target, Wal-Mart, or drugstore.  You may need to ask the pharmacist where they are located, as I have found that my neighborhood Target carries castor oil  behind the pharmacy counter.  The grapeseed oil I found in the beauty section at Whole Foods. 

If you have any other questions, or experience with the oil cleansing method, I would love to hear from you!  Happy cleansing!