Today’s post is from Kellie of Willow Rose Body Care.
The oil cleansing method is based on using a certain ratio of oils, traditionally olive oil and castor oil, to cleanse dirt and grime from the face, while not stripping the skin of protective oils.
Olive oil nourishes, while castor oil does the deep-pore cleansing.
You’ll need a varying ratio of each depending on your skin type.
For example, if you have acne and/or oily prone skin, you’ll need more castor oil in the mix. Many times essential oils are added depending on your skin’s needs to facilitate the cleansing and nourishing process.
The average ratio for normal skin is 1 part castor oil to 5 parts olive oil.
So, you can try:
- 1 Tbsp castor oil
- 5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 15 drops essential oils (try melaleuca, lavender, frankincense, geranium or a mix of any of these oils)
Many people wrongly think that if they have oily, acne prone skin, they must dry out the oil on their face because that is what causes their breakouts.
But doing so can cause your skin to react by producing even more oil and further irritation.
For adults whose main skin issue is premature aging, the gentle, nourishing oils, particularly olive oil, are believed to prevent premature aging, compared to harsh, drying soaps.
The oil cleansing method is also a simple, all-natural way to cleanse without using unsafe ingredients that are absorbed by your pores and into your body.
Research tells us that about 60% of what we put on our skin is absorbed by our body. Unfortunately, government regulation and safety of store-bought products is not sufficient, to say the least.
There are a few important things to remember about the oil cleansing method, especially if you are having major skin issues or switching from a harsh facial soap.
Holistic Skincare
You must heal yourself on the inside first. Diet plays a major role in the health of your skin. Of course, this could be a whole book in itself, but to start with, here are some tips to facilitate with overall health:
Eat Real, nutrient dense food as much as possible, such as 100% grass fed, organic meats and vegetables. Often wheat and processed dairy can be irritants, so you may need to cut those out to feel and look better.
As an added health bonus, you can add fermented cod liver oil/butter oil blend to your diet, homemade bone broth, and fermented foods, such raw sauerkraut.
And remember to get some sunshine each day for Vitamin D. If you need more information or recipes, there are tons of excellent blogs you can follow out there that discuss real food lifestyles.
There may be an adjustment period. Give the oil cleansing method several weeks to adjust to your skin. Many times, skin needs to adjust to this different method and balance out.
Sometimes it doesn’t need any extra time, however. It all depends on your skin. If your skin is still too oily or too dry at the end of this time, you may need an adjustment in your ratios of oils or continue to try new foods or leave certain ones out.
The oil cleansing method should be used only at night. While you’re sleeping, your skin regenerates and re-balances from the previous day, so you actually wake up with clean skin. You can gently wipe around the eye area with a wet cloth in the morning to clean out your eyes, or use a very gentle cleanser, such as Willow Rose’s Honey & Citrus Gentle Cleanser.
How to Use the Oil Cleansing Method
Willow Rose makes two excellent facial cleansers using the oil cleansing method with added oils and essential oils. Their website is Willow Rose Body Care and they can also be found on Facebook.
Here are the directions for their cleanser:
- Pour about 1 tsp of oil into cupped palm.
- Rub oil between hands to warm it.
- Apply oil to face, massaging into skin gently, using small circles. Be patient and breath deeply for stress relief. This should be done from about 30 seconds to 2 minutes, depending on available time.
- Soak washcloth in warm water and wring out so it is damp, not soaking.
- Apply over face and allow it to warm your skin for a few moments, inhaling, enjoying the lovely essential oils.
- Gently wipe the oil from your face using the washcloth, being careful not to pull skin or rub too hard.
- Repeat a 2nd time or simply follow with cleansing grains, toner, serum, and tallow balm for a full facial.
Remember, after cleansing, whether you use Willow Rose products or not, you’ll need an all-natural, gentle toner, and moisturizer and/or serum to finish the balancing and nourishing process.
Willow Rose also makes an excellent grass-fed beef tallow balm, which can be used on the face or other parts of the body for skin health and nourishment.
Whatever you choose, just remember that this method is best when used as part of a holistic lifestyle approach.
Have you tried the oil cleansing method?
Kellie is the creator of Willow Rose Body Care products and also a school teacher of 4 & 5 year olds. In the past she has suffered from chronic eczema, which she has currently healed though a holistic approach of a nutrient-dense diet and simple, organic skin care. She is a newlywed who loves to cook, travel, and question the status quo.
Top photo credit: © naka – Fotolia.com
I would love to try the oil cleansing method. But, am scared to death as I have oily skin.
I have oily, breakout-prone skin (acne at the age of 43) and I have recently started a similar regimen using coconut oil. After about 4 months my acne is gone (except a few pimples when I have PMS), my skin is softer, fine lines around my eyes are less noticeable, and my makeup goes on smoother. I have tried olive oil (without the castor oil), but it didn’t work as well as the coconut oil.
I use the Willow Rose oil cleansing and LOVE IT!! I have very oily/ rosacea skin and have found my oily skin gone! My face did take a few weeks to adjust but once it did, I am so happy I started oil cleansing! The Honey Citrus cleanser and Tea Tree facial cleanser are seriously to die for!! The Deeply Nourishing Serum is a close second 🙂
Yay! I use the Honey Citrus cleaner and Tea Tree facial cleaner, too! I love how soft the honey citrus cleaner makes my skin feel and my skin feels much nicer since I started using the oil cleansing method.
I had a really tumultuous time with the OCM and eventually realised castor oil didn’t agree with my skin. Read my review here: http://sheephishlysimple.blogspot.co.uk/
Ok…I’m on my fourth week trying this method [I made my own blend] and I’m very very happy with the results. My skin is finally blemish free and so soft.
That’s great Fran! So glad to hear it.
So, I started using the oil cleansing method a few days ago and already love it! I have adjusted the oil ratio as my forehead skin started to feel dry and tight – I was using 1 part castor oil, 1 part coconut oil, and 2 parts sunflower oil. Now I’m using 1 part castor oil, 4 parts olive oil, and 1/2 tsp raw honey. This is awesome – I’m 49 and have struggled my whole life with acne, so my skin is scarred and damaged from all the chemicals, but I can feel it slowly getting softer and it is visibly improved. Who knew I was supposed to be wearing my salad dressing all these years 🙂
I am 57 years old and have dry skin. I have major blackheads and some (very few) breakouts. I would like to try the coconut oil as it works wonders for my dry hair. What should I do after the coconut oil? I use Neutrogena facial scrub, is that ok?
I eagerly tried the OCM for about 6 weeks. At first, my skin was soft and almost glowing. Then I started to break out very badly. I ended up with the worst acne since my teens. It took me months to clear up. I am very disappointed as I have been a ProActiv user for about 20 years and hoped for a less expensive skin care routine.
Hey Nina! I’m a health writer for TODAY.com (the site for NBC’s “Today” show) and I’m writing a story about the OCM. Would love to chat with you today (Wed 3/5) via email or phone. Shoot me a note at melissa dot dahl at nbcuni dot com for more details. Thanks!
I’ve been doing OCM for six years now and I LOVE IT!!! My skin used to be an oily mess and always broken out. Now, it’s not oily at all and I rarely have a blemish.
I struggled for years with trying to find the perfect combination of facial products to battle all the skin care issues I was facing, from dry areas to oily areas, acne even eczema; until I finally did the ‘right’ research and discovered OCM. Not only am I happier than ever to rid my skin care regime of various chemicals, but my skin is even happier. I cannot believe how a simple change could have such a drastic effect. This led me to develop Oleum Natural Glow. The method has been used since the era of the Latin langue (Word Oleum translated into Oil from Latin), and should be in everyone’s daily routine. We stand behind the products and offer free samples. It takes just one time to fall in love with the process. Check it out http://www.oleumnaturalglow.com
Is it still beneficial to make oil cleanser without any essential oils, instead using honey or lemon or something of the sort to offset the scent? Sadly I’m not able to afford buying any essential oils at the moment. Thank you!
I believe so, Ana. 🙂
When you oil cleanse should you wipe your face after you steam?