Tuesday, July 27, 2010

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.

18 comments:

MommyLovesStilettos said...

I'm doing this as well and my face looks and feels amazing!! I had one or two pimples right after I started and now they are gone and my face is almost completely clear. I've been doing this for two weeks. I'm in love!

Unknown said...

Would you recommend this for someone who doesn't have oily skin? I've never had bad skin/breakouts but I do occasionally have some black heads. My husband's are REALLY bad, so I'm thinking about trying it on him if only for getting rid of all his black/white heads.

The Undomestic Mom said...

Ive never heard of this but it makes so much sense!

Kristin said...

Amber! I was so excited when I read this post, and then went back and read your "Going Granola" post (remember I was "off line" last week - and missed out on lots of great post as a result :-(. I get so happy when I hear somebody is jumping on the natural bandwagon, b/c we need all the support we can get! First, I'm glad you've discovered Vitacost. It really is your best source for all things natural. I just ordered from them this morning, in fact! As for a facial moisturizer, I have found, and love, Burt's Bees Radiance Day Lotion w/ SPF 15. SO much cheaper than the one you mentioned - I think it is under $15. You can find it at Walmart now, but VC has it cheaper. It's very light, has a pleasant scent, and works well under makeup. Speaking of makeup- have you tried mineral make-up yet? Many of the mineral brands (L'Oreal, AVON, etc.) are paraben and talc free. I love them! There is also mineral eyeshadow, concealer, and blush to be had. Let's see, you also asked about body lotion. My favorite far and away is Burt's Bees Naturally Nourishing Milk and Honey Body Lotion. I've been using it for years and years. I love it's feel (not greasy), it's moisturizing properties, and it's scent. - Recently, I've also gotten hooked on Alba's Kukui Nut Body Cream. It's very rich, like a body butter - which is strange for me - I'm usually a light weight girl. But I tried it once b/c it was on clearance, and liked it so much I ordered another tub. - If you're looking to try a natural deodorant, try Alvera Aloe Herbal All Natural Roll-On. We've just recently discovered it (maybe a month ago), and it has stood up to our summer sweat like nothing else ever has! You can get that from VC too for less than $3. Ok, so now I have to go put all my stuff back in my bathroom that I swiped to tell you about :-). Please feel free to ask if you have any questions about certain products or need recommendations from what we've tried! I'm thinking I need to do a post on this now. Oh, and I love the idea of the OCM. I hate my temperamental skin, and this sounds like it might be worth a try! Happy Tuesday! ~K
PS-If you'd like me to send you little bits of any of the lotions so you could try them out, I'd be happy to put some in a little baggie and send it your way!

Lindsay said...

Stopping by from the undomestic momma. Love your blog. Congrats on your big win :)

Unknown said...

I was also inspired to try the OCM as a result of the posts from Same Sweet Girl.

I am pretty much in the same timeline as you, and am very happy with the results so far. I have gotten a few larger bumps, but they are starting to fade away.

I plan to continue this for a while. I am just using lavendar right now, but think I will add lemongrass to the mix.

Luckly I have this amazing grocery store with a huge natural section and was able to get all my supplies for less than $10-take that to the beauty counter!

Brittany Ann said...

I think I'm gonna make the leap. I'm on a hunt for my essential oils!

d.a.r. said...

Crazy!! I can't even imagine cleaning my face with oil...? It sounds so...oxymoronic, haha! It sounds like it is doing awesome though!

J. said...

Great review! I've been looking for some new skincare...I'm just nervous about breaking out temporarily while my skin "purges" all of the bad stuff!

http://jammer10am.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

I actually have a blog award for you to accept on my blog, under the post "My First Award", if you'd like it. :) I love your blog, sooo much, and read it all the time. :)

Lindsey said...

Wow! how cool! So glad you shared this with us!! May have to give it a try!! =)

OneCraftyFox said...

I have been using oil for almost two years now. At one point I switched back as an experiment to see how well it worked... needless to say, I don't need to try that again... the oil is amazing!

Same Sweet Girl: Memoir of a Southern Belle said...

I am SO SO excited that you gave this a try and I'm so glad that it's working so well for you!!! :)

Taylor said...

I follow same sweet girl and I heard about this! I am so surprised, to be honest, but it's a pleasant surprise! I am so glad it worked well for you, maybe I should try it out. I keep hearing good things about it. Your blog is adorable - congrats on your marriage (and getting your ring back -which is a stunner, by the way)!

Aimee of East Avenue said...

I've never heard of this, but I just might have to try it. I've suffered with breakouts as long as I can remember and would try almost anything to help it. I can't wait to hear how it works for you :)

Design Apprentice said...

Wow Amber after reading this post I went ahead and used the OCM method tonight. I can't find the perfect word to describe my results but my skin is so much softer and has a healthy flush along with a slight glistening. I never thought I'd use the word glistening in the same sentence as my skin, ha.

Anonymous said...

[color=#f62885]Awesome post! thank you for sharing this information. fabulousyoungandnewlywed.blogspot.com really got under my
[/color] [url=http://nuscin-online.info]skin,[/url] [color=#f62885]bookmarked... Keep up the good site...[/color]

Anonymous said...

[color=#f62885]Howdy! Nice post. Very useful [url=http://www.wnypoker.com/forums/member.php?u=70740
indeed![/url]



Young, Fabulous, Newlywed





Button Love

My Blogger BFF

Designed By:

Munchkin Land Designs
Elements by Karen Funk