Oil Cleansing Method

Kirsti13

Has anyone got any experience trying the oil cleansing method?

My skin isn't *too* bad at the moment but i have alot of blackheads on my nose and every month my chin flares up really badly with whiteheads and painful cyst like spots under my skin

Do you think this method is worth trying as i really hate the thought of buying yet another expensive product that will only make things worse

pirateyqueen

I use the oil cleansing method and find it very good. I know a lot of other people who have used it and had great results too. The blackheads on your nose are likely to be sebaceous filaments, which is very common, and oil cleansing could likely help with that.

The great thing with OCM is that it is so cheap, and that there are so many different oils you can use that there is bound to be something that works for everyone! Do you know what oil you would like to start off with? What kind of skin do you have? Mineral oil (baby oil is mineral oil with fragrance so you can use that if you're not sensitive to fragrance) can be a good place to start as it is unlikely that people will react to it. I use a mixture of a tiny bit of castor oil (which can be drying) with jojoba and find it works very well.

Kirsti13

Thanks for the reply

I have sent the hubby out to get castor oil and sunflower oil and was going to mix it 20/80 like it says on the oil cleansing method . com

I was thinking of trying jojoba aswell if sunflower doesn't work but i think i would have to order online and don't like waiting for things!

My skin is combination, oily tzone and dry cheeks/eyes

pirateyqueen

I feel exactly the same about waiting for things! Yes sunflower and castor oil sounds like a good combination. Sounds like you're pretty clued up! One thing I would say is to double cleanse, particularly if you wear make up, which just means to cleanse once to get off all of your make up (or as many times as you need to get everything off) and then once again to make sure your skin is extra clean.

terra_ferma

There was a long thread abut it a while back, it may help
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/917733)

Waffle_On

My skin type sounds similar to the OP's. I started using the oil cleansing method about 6 weeks ago. I started out with a 50/50 mix of castor oil and jojoba oil. I was getting dryness so I adjusted to 2/3 jojoba.


I thought my skin was purging, but it's just kept on going. I have the most spots I have ever had in my life. And an impressive mix of all types. I'm also still getting a lot of dryness.


As my oils are meant to both be good for my skin type I don't know where to go from here. I think I'm going to abandon the OCM.

pirateyqueen

You shouldn't purge from OCM. The oils must not be working for you. There is a long list of oils you can try though. Some really helpful information I've found on picking oils. Obviously it's up to you whether you want to continue trying OCM, but with so many oils to choose from, there's probably something that will work for you.

mineral oil - prob the best overall starter oil, because it is noncomedogenic (unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts) and inert (will not react with anything in your skin). it's also very easy to find - you can use baby oil, or if you are sensitive to fragrance you can look for wood oil. i don't recommend using mineral oil sold as a laxative because those are often thickened with tocopherols in a way that irritates or clogs a lot of people's skin.

other noncomedogenic oils - sunflower, safflower, and hemp seed. these are good for acne-prone or easily clogged skin. keep in mind that if you have any contact allergies to plants, you want to be careful with oils from those plants just in case you have a reaction to the oils as well.

lighter oils - grape seed, olive, sesame, jojoba, and apricot kernel. these are all slightly comedogenic, so patch test carefully. most of them tend to feel more moisturizing than noncomedogenic oils, with the exception of grape seed, which is somewhat astringent and can be a little drying.

richer oils - almond and avocado. both of these have a slightly thicker/richer feel and tend to be very nourishing/moisturizing. again, these are slightly comedogenic, so patch test carefully. but these can be great for dry or dehydrated skin. unfortunately, due to their thicker texture, these oils are not as good at breaking up and quickly removing waterproof makeup as lighter oils.

highly comedogenic oils - coconut oil, coconut butter, cocoa butter, mink oil, and soybean oil. these are not, like, guaranteed to break you out, but you need to be cautious if you have very acne-prone skin.

the following oils are used for specific skincare concerns:

castor oil - has antibacterial properties, so it can help with acne. castor oil can be very drying, so you should dilute it to about 1-2 tbsp castor oil in 1 cup carrier oil. you can use that mixture either for ocm or to spot treat. do not use it undiluted to spot treat. i do not recommend using castor oil sold as a laxative for skincare purposes, for the same reasons mentioned in reference to mineral oil.

tea tree oil - very good antibacterial, and can be super good for acne. tea tree oil is extremely drying/irritating, and you should not ever use it undiluted! undiluted tea tree oil can be extremely irritating, and even lead to chemical burns! you should dilute 1/4 tsp of tto in 1 cup of carrier oil, and you can use that mixture either for ocm or for a spot treatment. note that tea tree oil is usually sold as an essential oil, so it will usually be in a tiny bottle.

neem oil - great for acne, and it is not drying, so you can use it undiluted as a spot treatment, or for ocm either alone or mixed with other carrier oils. word of caution - it smells super weird!

evening primrose oil - this is supposedly really good for hormonal acne, but i have never personally tried it, and i can't find many sources to support this. however, there are many, many sources supporting evening primrose oil as a very effective treatment for atopic dermatitis and eczema (although if you have either of those conditions, it would be best for you to be under the supervision of a derm or another medical professional, so talk to them before you start using anything new). as far as i know, it is fine to use this undiluted.

general notes on choosing oils:
be sure whatever you buy is 100% whatever oil and probably at least food grade. buzzwords like "cold pressed," "unrefined," etc, are usually good. for botanical oils, a lot of people think you should look for minimally processed or unrefined oils to ensure you get all the benefits from the oil.

when buying cooking oils (esp. relevant for olive, sunflower, and sesame oil), be very careful about what you buy and always patch test. there has been a lot of controversy lately about cooking oils being impure or diluted with other oils besides the one listed on the label, so be careful. here is the 2010 report about olive oil that has people in a fuss about this.

your safest option, although it may not be the cheapest or the most convenient, is to buy oils that are sold specifically for skincare or cosmetic use.