Oil Cleansing Method

I haven't washed my face in 2 weeks... which is a really big deal if you know me. I grew up with bad skin - I started with chemical filled creams in middle school, then graduated to taking antibiotics every day in high school. Finally in college I found a dermatologist who would prescribe me Accutane and went through a miserable 5 months with the payoff of tolerable skin. This may sound dramatic, and maybe it is, because when you have acne it is always 100x worse to you than it is to anyone else. But all I am trying to get at is that I have always felt a little uncomfortable with my skin and have always gone to lengths to take care of it in the best way I know how.

After Accutane and as I got further and further away from being a teenager my skin did get better. Much easier I guess. I didn't need pills, or creams, or even Proactiv anymore. Just a mild face wash and Cetaphil moisturizer twice a day, everyday. I was fine with this routine really, but one day my friend Holly (who has the same skin and hair as I do) mentioned using something called the oil cleansing method and I was intrigued. I have also been having a shift toward hippie tendencies in general lately which I hope to write about later, and the combination of the two within one week got me researching.

When I say researching I mean I read two articles, then decided to go for it. The best post that I found on the Oil Cleansing Method was written by Crunchy Betty. Her post on going without shampoo is really good too!! And ALMOST has my convinced :) Anyway, basically the idea behind the oil cleansing method is that by washing your face with chemicals you are stripping it of its natural oils, thus the need for another chemical-filled moisturizer afterwards. But if instead you simply use oils to open your pores, remove any make-up and take the dirt off, the balance of oils that your skin would naturally produce isn't thrown off. The result should be healthier skin, a lower maintenance routine, less expensive skin care stuff and a more "green" way to wash your face.

So, here is what I do and what you could do too! Crunchy Betty's site has more options, but this has worked for me.

What you will need:

A bottle of castor oil. You know, the nasty stuff that when ingested is supposed to help you go into labor. It is super cheap and can be found at a Target or Walmart-type store. I had to ask behind the counter to get mine. This is the part of the mix that will help clean your face.

Some extra virgin olive oil. You can try different types of oil here - this one is meant to make the application process easier.

A clean, empty bottle.

What you do:

I have "combination" skin - so not oily, nor dry, just somewhere in the middle. So I used 1 part castor oil to 3 parts olive oil. I started with 2 Tbs of castor oil and 6 Tbs of olive oil in my bottle. One night I just added them together and shook it up.

As you go forward you can decide what mixture works best for you. If your skin is getting dry add more olive oil to the mix. If it feels greasy or you feel like it isn't getting clean enough, add some castor oil. Just experiment a little!

Once you have the stuff, you will wash your face every other day. Get some hot (as hot as you can stand) water running in the sink and soak a washcloth. At the same time apply a dime to nickle-sized drop of oil onto your face. Rub it in really well and just spread it out to cover your whole face. Squeeze most of the water out of the washcloth and then place it over your face- kind of creating some steam for your skin. This is to allow your pores to open up and for the oil to get into your skin a little. Wipe the oil off with the wash cloth, then do one last rinse with more hot water.

In the beginning I was freaking out about not washing my face everyday. I wear make-up! What do I do! But I soon found out that warm water and a washcloth will remove my make up just fine, and I don't really HAVE TO wash my face in the morning... all I did was sleep, right?

The results - for me:

I was sure I was going to break out. But I didn't... not at all. I currently have around the same amount of breakouts that I did before, but now they seem a little different. More like clogged pores than giant, gross knots on my face. Also, I have had no need whatsoever for a moisturizer and my skin just feels so smooth all the time. The thing that surprised me most though is that this method has drastically the amount of blackheads that I have. My pores have definitely gotten smaller and I think the tone of my skin has improved. I should mention too that I haven't changed anything about my foundation - I use Loreal true blend liquid foundation when I teach and want to look older than 19, and on the weekends I wear Bare Minerals powder foundation.

Maybe I am crazy, but I think this method works way better for me. And it is so easy, and so cheap. After doing this experiment I would say I am definitely more open to trying other things like it. I use so many chemicals every day - on my skin, my clothes, my hair and in my home - without ever thinking about it. Don't get me wrong, there are awesome things about deodorant, mascara and laundry detergent. But if the cheaper, "greener" things work just as well (or better!) then I don't see why I wouldn't make a switch.

I will keep you posted and try to let you in on my experiments as they come :)