Aug 06 2009
Oil Cleansing - the new old fad
Oil cleansing? Sounds awful doesn’t it. Yet oil cleansing is taking the underground net by storm. I discovered it on my favourite frugalista site after seeking natural ways to improve my awful acned skin and I have to say, i’m very impressed.
The theory of oil cleansing is that oil breaks down oil (having to do with the chemical bonds - but this is not a science lesson). Soap has a different action altogether, stripping the skin of its natural oils and encouraging overproduction of sebum, the skins natural oil, resulting in spots and blackheads. I can vouch for this. In one of my attempts to rid my skin of its impurities, I purchased Simple soap for sensitive skin. Back to basics, I thought. Clean, without harsh chemicals. One month later and I have blackheads in places I never previously knew you could get them. Soap has ruined my already ruined skin.
So in desperation, I come across this Oil Cleansing Method (OCM). Now Oilve Oil has been used as a cleanser for millenia, for hair, for the body, for the soul even. I have even read stories of 80 year old grannies who still look 50 having used oils all of their lives. So I gave it a bash, using the advice on the forum.
Here’s how I did it (slighlty different from the conventional method but it works for my deeply congested skin).
Boil kettle and steam face for 5 minutes with towel over head
Dry off steam droplets from face and apply oil mix ( a mixture of Castor oil @30% and Olive oil @ 70%)
Massage oil into skin for five minutes whilst soaking muslin cloth in steaming water.
Apply hot muslin cloth to face (wring out first) and press onto face, in particular nose and cheeks, until cooled down.
Massage face again.
Repeat five times, then rinse muslin cloth and gently wipe oil from face.
I gave my blackheads a squeeze afterwards and many just popped out.
Splash face in cold water to close pores.
Face should be smooth and silky afterwards. If it’s a bit dry, from the Castor oil, pat some of your mixture onto damp skin. Now i’ve been doing this for three days now and my skin is beautifully soft and starting to clear up. I don’t steam every night but I do oil cleanse every night. I just use the Muslin cloth to steam my face after massaging the oil in.
I’ll update over the long term to let you all know how it’s going, but up until now, i am impressed.
