19 March 2013

Oil cleansing

My skin is about 80% better than it was at the beginning of the year.

I was so tired of the cycle of cleanse, mask, toner, moisturize. The zits & resulting scars were so bad that for the first time in my life, I started wearing foundation. Simply covering up the marks with a dot of concealer wouldn't cut it anymore- there were too many.

So I'd cover my face with makeup, and after a few hours it would be sliding off in the oil slick on my face. It was disgusting.

I'd heard about this thing. I think the first place I saw it was Pinterest. I thought, "Oh yeah those hippies with their strange things on their faces that don't work," and dismissed it.

I'd heard of how your skin can over-compensate and produce even more oil after the products strip all of the moisture, but I figured it was a half-baked theory someone put out there to sell more moisturizer.

Then one day I looked it up, and I started to think that this might make sense. Basic chemistry- the concept that like dissolves like. In December after yet another breakout I figured, "What else have I got to lose?"

So I started cleaning my face with oil. Specifically, a 1:3 mixture of castor oil and olive oil. A cheap bottle of castor oil I found at Walmart, and whatever olive oil was in my kitchen. I washed my face with it night and day. I didn't worry about using the exact method described on the website- I just massaged it into my skin towards the end of my shower, and rinsed off. In the morning I would rub a little bit in, then rinse with warm water. During the weekends or evenings when I was just hanging out at home, I'd rub some of it onto any zits and just let it sit there.

At first, I had some breakouts. You know what it was? It was most of the under-the-skin cysts that have been sitting there for months finally coming to the surface. It was a little disappointing but also hopeful being able to feel that the bumps under my skin were slowly going away.

I had a few cluster breakouts, but they healed quicker and didn't leave scars.

That was 3 months ago. My skin is now relatively clear. I get a random zit every so often and still have some lingering texture issues around my chin & jaw. But, it's a huge difference that's lasted for several months now. I've been able to stop wearing foundation and just apply concealer to a random zit and some of the scars. My skin is still a little oily, but it's nothing like the massive oil slick that it used to be. It feels much more normal and the makeup I do wear doesn't slide off.

I don't use the oil as often now. I use either a light cleanser or the oil at night in the shower, depending on how grody my skin feels. Sometimes I just need to clean it with something sudsy.
I apply the oil every night after my shower before bed. In the morning, I just rinse my face with warm water and apply a light moisturizer with SPF. Once a week or so, I exfoliate with a mixture of sugar and oil- it leaves my skin feeling super smooth and soft. Also my hands!

So that's what I've been doing, and I have to say I've been converted. I'll happily join all the crazy earthy hippies who wash their face with oil.

P.S. I'm not the only one- my blogger friend randomly tried it and she just blogged about how it's been working well for her, too.

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