If we told you that washing your face every day with oil would leave you with healthy, radiant skin, you might call us crazy. However, that is exactly the method that thousands of women claim has resulted in the best skin of their lives.
This may come as a surprise to you, as the beauty industry has convinced pretty much all of us that we need special, chemical-filled cleansers to rid our faces of the oil, sweat, dirt, and bacteria that accumulate on our skin throughout the day. Unfortunately, these cleansers take our skin’s beneficial, natural oils along with the bad stuff, leaving our largest organ feeling and appearing dry.
So, what do we do next? We apply moisturizers, also full of synthetic chemicals and toxins, to try to add that moisture back in. Most of us are stuck in this endless cycle of using expensive products to strip our skin of oils, only to try to add moisture back in with another expensive product.
People who practice the ‘oil cleansing’ method claim that it’s possible to break this expensive and harmful cycle—by washing your skin with oil.
How it works:
The basic premise of oil cleansing is that by massaging your skin with a nutritious oil, you can dissolve the unwanted oil and other impurities lodged in your pores. However, unlike with store-bought cleansers, you will be replacing the ‘dirty’ oils in your pores with clean, beneficial ones.
According to the experience of many women, this method has led to fewer breakouts, fewer wrinkles, reduced dryness and inflammation, and more youthful looking skin overall.
The oils:
To practice the oil cleansing method, you’ll need to mix castor oil with another, more gentle, oil.
Castor oil is a natural astringent, and it’s the most powerful oil in terms of cleansing and dissolving the oil and impurities on your skin. It’s also antibacterial. Note: Castor oil is strong, so it should never be used in its pure form on your skin.
Another natural, organic oil needs to be mixed with the castor oil. This is the oil that will be replenishing the moisture of your skin. Popular choices include extra-virgin coconut oil and olive oil, as well as jojoba oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil and apricot oil. Make sure the oil you choose is high-quality, and therapeutic grade.
If you have normal skin, start with equal parts castor oil and mixing oil. For your first time, try one teaspoon of castor oil and one teaspoon of mixing oil. If you have dry skin, you might want to reduce the amount of castor oil, and if you have oily skin, you might want to increase it.
The method:
1. Without washing your face beforehand, splash your face with warm water. This will help to open your pores.
2. Gently apply the oil mixture all over your face. Massage it in an upward direction for about two minutes, and then let it sit on your face for another 30 seconds to one minute.
3. Wet your washcloth with hot water, open it up and let it rest over your face.
4. After about one minute, use the washcloth to wipe all of the oil off your face.
It also takes more time than using a cleanser, and it can take a few tries to figure out the perfect ratio of oils for you. However, if you stick with it, you may find it’s well worth your patience.
So, if you’re looking for an all-natural skin cleansing method that leaves your skin looking youthful and feeling as moist as it did before you washed it—and you’re brave enough to slather your face with oil—this method might be for you! Give it a try and let us know how it goes.
-The Alternative Daily
Sources:
http://wellnessmama.com/7569/skin-oil-cleansing
http://www.crunchybetty.com/nitty-gritty-on-the-oil-cleansing-method
https://www.thealternativedaily.com/rejuvenate-hair-skin-jojoba-oil