The Method
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| Photo credit: Taras Kalapun / Foter / CC BY |
As I mentioned in my previous post the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM) is very simple -
- Choose an oil blend.
- Massage it very gently all over your face.
- Run the hot tap while you are doing this and wet a clean face towel once the water is hot.
- Lay a hot(ish) face towel over your face for 1 min to let the impurities sweat out (cover this with a hand towel so it doesnt cool too quickly)
- Repeat step 3 until the oily residue on your face is gone
The Oils
There are quite a few different oils that can be used for oil cleansing. For maximum benefit anything you use should be cold-pressed and preferably organic.
Here are the main oil types and their comeogenic ratings (courtesy of beneficial botanicals). Comedogenic ratings show how pore clogging the oils are with 0 being the least and 5 being the most likely to clog pores.
Castor - Normal/Dry skin - Comedogenic Rating 1
Apricot Kernel - Dry/Aging/Normal Skin - Comedogenic Rating 2
Jojoba - All skin types especially Acne - Comedogenic Rating 1
Tamanu - All skin types - Comedogenic Rating 2
Sweet Almond - All skin types especially Oily - Comedogenic Rating 2
Grapeseed - All skin types especially Oily - Comedogenic Rating 2
Avocado - Dry/Aging skin - Comedogenic Rating 2
Olive - All skin types - - All skin types especially Oily - Comedogenic Rating 2
Coconut - All skin types especially dry - Comedogenic Rating 4
Hazelnut - All skin types especially Oily - Comedogenic Rating 2
Sunflower - All skin types - Comedogenic Rating 0
Evening Primrose - Mature/Dry/Sensitive skin - Comedogenic Rating 2
Hemp Seed - All skin types especially Oily - Comedogenic Rating 0
All of the oils can react in different ways with different people so always patch test the oils before blending them.
Blending
There is no magic formula for blending unfortunately, it is all very much trial and error. What oils work for some people might make other people breakout or dry their skin so please bear this in mind when experimenting. It is recommended to let the skin adjust to oil blending for a few weeks before changing the forumlas. Most people to have an initial breakout as their skin gets used to the OCM but this should settle within a few weeks.
For your first few blends its best to stick to just two or three oils. Measure oils accurately and blend small amounts initially so you can adapt it to your skin.
The majority of blends include castor oil as their base. Castor oil helps to draw impurities out of the skin but can also be quite drying. The ratios of castor to other oils is recommended as follows -
- Oily Skin: 1/3 castor oil and 2/3 other oils
- Combination Skin: 1/4 castor oil and 3/4 other oils
- Dry Skin: Choose nourishing oils and a very small amount of castor oil
You don't have to use castor oil however, other good bases for your blends include -
Hazelnut oil
Olive Oil
Sunflower Oil
Choose a further one or two oils depending on your skin type (I currently use Apricot and Jojoba) and mix in a clean glass jar. Make sure you keep a record of your blend ratios so you can tweak where necessary.
Essential oils
I was keen to add essential oils to my blend to add backup to my acne battle. The following essential oils are suggested for acne prone skin -
Tea tree oil
Lavender oil
Rosemary
Patchouli
Geranium
Lavender
Lemongrass
Carrot seed
If using essential oils remember to use the correct dilation in your blend and patch test before use. Start with adding only 1 or 2 so you can gauge any reaction.
