I first heard of Oil Cleansing when a girlfriend mentioned it in a list of "crunchy" natural things she does. I thought she must have meant Oil Pulling... what did I know! Then I saw this fantastic post from Mommypotamus detailing all the benefits and the method to Oil Cleansing. It seemed counterintuitive... rubbing oil into your face to clean it? And this is supposed to help with dry, oily, or combination skin? Umm, ok crazy. But I'm telling you, it is amazing!
I started Oil Cleansing every night before bed just before Halloween. I was on the verge of buying some supposedly very good but very expensive face wash and I figured I had nothing to lose by giving Oil Cleansing a try, at least once, before I ordered. After just the first time, I was totally sold. My face felt totally soft and truly clean down to my pores, but without the tight feeling that we are so used to with cleansers. I felt like I had just had a facial! I don't even need to moisturize after cleansing this way, my face just feels so healthy. Not to mention, it cleared up my "I have eaten way too many mini heath bars" break out in no time. I'm not thrilled about sharing makeupless "befores", but the "after" is worth it! Check out these results...
After just 4 days the improvement in my skin was dramatic! Not just the acne, but the redness is significantly reduced and my skin is just more even overall. Keep scrolling for the "after"! :)
This cleansing method is really, really easy to do and there is no fancy equipment or product to purchase. Here's what you'll need.
2 Face Cloths - I prefer thick cushy cloths in 2 separate colors.
1/2 tsp Oil*
Hot Water
That's it! *Different oil blends are recommended for different skin issues. Check out the Mommypotamus post linked above for blend recommendations. I have just been using plain old olive oil and it has been working really well for me!
Method
First, remove any eye makeup. I love coconut oil for this! Next massage warm water into your face, followed by the oil. Take your time massaging in the oil into your face, like a good 30 seconds up to 2 minutes. Take extra care to rub oil into problem areas where you have clogged pores or normally break out.Next, soak one wash cloths in very hot water, like "I can barely touch this wash cloth" hot. If your faucet doesn't run hot enough, it might be better to heat some water on the stove to use here. Ring it out a little so it isn't dripping, and fold up to hold in the heat. Quickly soak your second wash cloth in just slightly less hot water.
Ring out wash cloth #2 and lay across your face. Cover that over with wash cloth #1, so both cloths lay on your face, one on top of the other. Let the cloths hang on your face until the outer cloth cools to room temperature, about 1 minute. Without doubt, this is when your cat will brush against your leg or the water heater will make a noise and scare the poop out of you, because that's just the way things work! Murphy's Law, I tell you. But anyways!
Remove the cloths and use the inner cloth to wipe the oil from your face with gentle circular motions. This little exfoliation is all you need, no harsh scrubs required! Repeat the soaking process and lay the cloths over your face again until they cool. The second (and optional third) time, use the outer cloth to wipe your face. This is why I recommend using different colored cloths... you don't want to accidentally massage all the dirty oil back into your face!
After this final wipe, you are done! If your face feels tight at all, rub a little of the cleansing oil into your face to moisturize. Yes, this takes a little longer than the standard Clean-and-Clear routine, but is so worth it!
My skin is so clear, smooth, and actually feels healthy now! I don't even really need foundation, I feel that confident! I will never going back to conventional face washing. I can't recommend this enough, and I hope you'll give this a shot! Thanks for reading :)
xo Allison
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