Oil Cleansing Method - Review

Many of my readers have sent emails or left comments regarding the Oil Cleansing Method that I mentioned in last week’s post I’m Going Granola. I thought it might be a good idea to do a little review of the OCM now that I have used this method for a week.


So let me start from the beginning:
As I said, I learned of the OCM method from Same Sweet Girl and you can read her updates regarding the method here, here and here. I have always struggled with bad skin: acne, uneven skin tone, dry spots, black heads. Before trying the OCM, I used Aczone & Differin gel every single day for six months and my skin still wasn’t completely clear. While the acne medications helped control my breakouts, they made my skin very sensitive. And when I did breakout, it was *painful*.

If you decide that you would like to try the OCM, first you need to determine which oils you will use. The basic oil is castor oil – it acts as the cleansing agent in your mixture. Then you will need to choose an oil such as grape seed oil, sunflower seed oil, extra virgin olive oil or jojoba oil. These oils act as a carrier and dilute the potency of the castor oil. Next choose your essential oils. I would suggest starting with two essential oils in your mixture. I chose lavender and lemongrass. Lavender seems to be a miracle essential oil and is great for everything – acne, dry skin, infections, itching, wrinkles, scars, etc. Lemongrass can be used as a skin toner and helps black heads and large pores.

Once I determined which oils I wanted in my mixture, I ordered online from VitaCost as it seemed to be the least expensive method. Including tax and shipping, I spent $28 and everything. My oils arrived within two days. (Based on the amount of oil needed in the solution, I would estimate these oils will last me about 6 months.)

I used the following amount of each oil in my mixture:
4 ½ ounces grape seed oil
1 ½ ounces castor oil
20 drops lavender
15 drop lemongrass

Sunday – Saturday evening I cleansed my face with the mixture above. It’s very simple. Wash your hands well. Pour a quarter size amount of the mixture into the palm of your hand. Apply the oil to your face and massage the skin in slow circular motions for 5-7 minutes.

I wore full makeup every day and I believe the oil cleansing method acts as a better makeup remover than my standard cleanser. It even removed all eye makeup including mascara and eye liner. (I cleaned the area around my eyes last so that I did not smudge eye makeup all over the rest of my face.)

After about 5-7 minutes of cleansing my face in small, circular motions I rinsed with hot water. I splashed my face about three times to remove as much oil as possible. I gently rubbed a wash cloth over my face to remove excess oil. I repeated these steps twice. After the third time rubbing my face with a warm wash cloth, I was satisfied that all oil had been removed. I then splashed my face with cold water to seal my pores and patted dry.

Like I said, I did the method above every evening Sunday – Saturday. Each morning I would wash my face with my regular gentle cleanser. That was it. No moisturizer, no acne creams, no toner, no nothing. I dabbed a little eye cream around my eyes each morning and night – but other than that, nothing extra.

Now for the results:
I’m in love! Seriously. My skin has never felt so clean. After only a week I can already see a visibly more even skin tone. I can see white gunk being removed from my pores while I cleanse. Each night, I notice white heads and black heads being drawn to the surface of my skin. It’s amazing – I can actually see it working.

My skin is not completely clear yet. To be honest, I have actually had one or two large pimples since starting the OCM that were not originally there. I believe this is what some call “purging” – the OCM is causing all the toxins in my skin to be drawn to the surface and as a result, I am experiencing some breakouts.

The thing I enjoy most about the OCM is that it prepares me for a restful night’s sleep. Something about massaging my face with essential oils for 5-7 minutes and rinsing with warm water tends to calm me. Doing this before bed each night almost mentally prepares me for rest. I feel utterly refreshed. My skin looks refreshed. Even better – I’m not applying harsh, paraben filled chemicals to my face every morning and night anymore.

I fully intend to continue using the OCM as my primary means of skin care. I will keep you updated on occasion with my progress and let you know if I decide to try any different essential oils. If you have any questions, feel free to leave me a comment or send me an email. I really think the OCM is a great choice for anyone who is frustrated with their currently skin care regimen or looking for a more all natural means of cleansing.