*UPDATE: How my skin is still doing 3/27/2013
*UPDATE – I answered many questions on this post. Please read if you have a questions. 10/23/2012
Words can not explain how excited I am to share my experience with you all. It’s moments like this that make blogging so worth while. After all, the main reason Lisa and I blog is to share what we learn with our readers in hopes of helping others.
This isn’t the first time I’ve done a post about my skin. I mentioned a several months ago how my acne improved after being treated by my naturopathic doctor. Let me back it up some more and state, that both Lisa & I have dealt with cystic acne for the past 10 years. It would usually come and go, but got worse for me this past year.
6 weeks after starting treatment with my Dr. I began to see an improvement in my cystic (hormonal) acne. While, that was a plus, I was still getting annoying clusters of acne. Most of it was on my jaw/chin area, but I also would get some on my forehead from time to time. I’ve never had 100% clear skin, but it had been more than year of not having clear skin pretty much ever! Not only was I dealing with the acne but also the lovely red hyper pigmentation scars they left behind.
I don’t know which one annoyed me more. I was getting really tired of having to cover up my acne and scars and was willing to try about anything.
I began to feel helpless and started to do tons of researching (googling) and asking around to see if there was anything that would help.
About a month ago, I came across a really interesting method called the oil cleansing method. Using oil to wash my face is probably the last thing I would think of since I am so used to seeing oil free facial products and even buying products like oil absorbing sheets to control the oil on our face(I always have those in my purse). After reading about oil-cleansing, it all began to make sense.
Our skin is the largest organ in our body and produces oil in order to function properly. When we use harsh or even mild facial cleaners/lotions/products they strip our face of it’s natural oils. Our skin is then forced to compensate by producing more oil. An over production of oil will clog our pores- causing acne-and leave our skin feeling/looking oily. I normally would wash my face (with Cetaphil) at 6:15am and it would get oily by 8:30am!
There are many reasons why our skin can benefit from oil-cleansing.
- Oil dissolves oil
- It will dissolve the oil that has hardened throughout the day and stuck in your pores
- Naturally keeps your skin supple and moisturized
- Easily removes make up
- Cheaper than buying facial products
- It’s a cleanser, make-up remover and moisturizer all in one!
- Helps even out skin tone
- 100% Natural
You can use several different types of oil, but after some comparing, I went with a combination of 70% Castor Oil (Make sure it’s cold-pressed) and 30% Extra Virgin Olive Oil. My reason is because Castor Oil is great at pulling out all of the dirt/build-up, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil is very nourishing and moisturizing. It also has the same PH as human skin.
Recommendations:
- For those with normal skin use a 1:1ratio of Castor Oil(cold-pressed) and EVOO
- For those with acne-prone or oily skin use a 3:1 ratio of Castor Oil (cold pressed)and EVOO. (This is what I’ve been using)
- For those with drier skin start off with a 1:3 ratio of Castor Oil (cold-pressed) and EVOO
The routine goes like this:
- Let your faucet run, so the water gets pretty hot. (Mine takes a minute)
- Gently rub a quarter size amount on your face for about a minute. Make sure to massage it in and not scrub it.
- Run a washcloth under the faucet. (You want the water to be hot enough, but not too hot where you’ll burn yourself. I usually get it really hot and slowly test it on my face. If it’s to hot I just air it out for a second. This part is important, because it has to be hot enough to cause a steaming effect that helps to remove the dirt form your pores.) Leave the washcloth over your face until it’s cooled down, about a minute.
- Wash your hands
- Gently wipe off the oil using the washcloth.
- Your skin will probably look nice an supple and will probably be a little red from the steam.
You should see even better results the next morning. My skin felt so smooth and my complexion already looked better. I swear that my acne scars lighted up after just a few days.
You only need to do this at night. I simply splash my face with cold water in the morning. If I workout in the morning/afternoon and my skin feels congested I have been wiping it with some Witch Hazel and applying a tiny dab of the oil mixture to keep my skin moisturized and from over-compensating in oil production.
This is what my skin looks like now (on most days).
I have been using the Oil-Cleansing Method for just about a month now. For the past 2 weeks my husband has not stop complimenting me on how great my skin looks. Not only does that make me feel so happy, but I’m glad that I can focus my time on more important things, rather than worry and complaing about my acne and scars. Overall, my acne has improved by 85%-90%. I got one small pimple 2 days ago, but it’s already healed.
Even though my acne was my main concern, I have seen other improvements in my skin. My scars are barely there (don’t need to cover them up, woohoo!), my complexion is even, my skin barely gets oily anymore (that’s huge), and I feel like when I do break out, it heals much faster and doesn’t leave a scar.
I really hope at least a few of you try the oil-cleansing method and it helps you as much as it’s has helped me.
Please let me know if you do try it!
Other tips for healthy looking skin
- Drink lots of water
- Do a mask once a week. This is my absolute FAVORITE mask. So cheap and will last a long time.
- Gently exfoliate once a week. (I want to try and make a homemade one soon)
Do you have any skin tips/routine that you swear by?



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