Have you been told from a young age to never use oily products on your face because it will make you break out? SAME HERE.
I would always use a cleanser that striped my skin of its natural oils & left me with that squeaky clean feeling. I figured removing every ounce of oil from my skin would lead to clear, healthy acne free skin. But sure enough, mid day I would always get ridiculously oily therefore leading to massive breakouts. I won’t bore you with the details- you can read more about my skin story HERE.
Imagine my surprise when I found out that this theory is actually bullshit.
Because you are depriving your skin of its natural oils (moisturizing oils that your skin’s moisture barrier needs in order to be healthy) it then becomes dry. In order to fight the dryness, you are forcing your skin to overproduce oil. Super oily skin then leads to breakouts. You are basically sabotaging your own skin.
I was SO hesitant to try this method at first. I was very against it since I just got my skin issues under control. Thank god Rachel (@greenhousebeautyct) convinced me to try some of her oil facial cleansers & I haven’t looked back since. Natural plant based oil cleansers contain lots of healing properties & cleansing abilities. Oil cleansers effectively dissolve any grime that has built up on your skin throughout the day. I also love that I can remove my eye makeup & face makeup in one cleanse. No need to use a makeup remover wipe first & then wash your face.
How to Properly Oil Cleanse:
- Rub a dime size dollop of oil cleanser into your hands (make sure to wash your hands first) & apply to DRY skin. Massage all over (I rub my eye area as well to remove any mascara or eye makeup). Do this for at least a minute to dissolve any dirt, makeup & other build up from your skin.
- Rinse hands, then massage skin again with wet hands. Some oil cleansers will get sudsy at this stage, others will remain a true oil.
- Wet a clean washcloth with warm water & wipe excess oil from your face. I use these washcloths, they are great for quickly removing any makeup or dirt buildup.
- Pat face dry. If needed do a second round of oil cleansing.
Also, I love oil cleansers are plant based, non-toxic & free of harmful harsh chemicals.
Now, I’m not saying go into your pantry & use your vegetable oil to wash your face. There are tons of healthy options out there that are effective. Plus a little goes a long way. My bottles usually last me about 6 months. I would also only oil cleanse at night. There’s really no need to do a heavy deep clean in the mornings if you are thoroughly washing your face at night. Sometimes I skip washing my face altogether in the mornings.
My absolute favorite oil cleanser is from Kahina Giving Beauty. I’ve tried others but keep going back to this one. My skin feels super hydrated & clean after cleansing with this oil. The key ingredients are:
- Calendula- antimicrobial properties
- Turmeric- soothes redness & acne (also anti-bacterial)
- Blue Tansy- Reduces redness & irritation, very calming & soothing for the skin
- John’s Wort- heals & repairs damaged skin
Give oil cleansing a try! It will take a week or two for your skin to get used to it. You will get some minor breakouts or irritations possibly in the beginning. This is just your skin purging the toxins from your body & really cleaning itself out.
