Oil Cleansing Method
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Tue Jan 21, 2014 6:42 pm

I've used OCM on and off. It doesn't seem to work well for me if I use it every day, and when I've worn heavy makeup its best followed by a traditional cleanser to actually leave my face clean. Oddly enough, it works a lot better when I switch up the oils. I'd been using olive oil for a long time (never bothered with castor oil, I tried it and hated the texture) and it just wasn't doing it for my skin; I slathered some sunflower oil on my face for a change of pace and the oil plugs popped right out. I continued using the sunflower oil till that stopped working and I had to use a different oil.

Really, the reason I don't use it more often is the whole steaming business. Simply rubbing the oil around does a good job of removing plugs but steaming makes a big difference in texture hours after cleansing. I hated dirtying all those washcloths and getting cloth-drippings all over the floor.

free skin care · Wed Jan 22, 2014 6:41 am

Rokokoquette you say you haven't been using castor oil - well then I would say you haven't been doing OCM. OCM isn't about just using one oil - the mix of the castor oil plus olive oil (or whatever you substitute for it) is what does the magic. Its misleading to say you are doing OCM when you are only using one oil because there is no way the one oil can deliver the same benefits as the two oils mixed.

free skin care · Wed Jan 22, 2014 8:50 am

I have to disagree, TM.

Anecdotally speaking, there are tons of people using a very simple, single oil (most often mineral oil) on other forums with great results. They describe the joy of getting "grit" out and how well their skin has done on whatever oils they use. Castor oil is often not a part of the mix.

I think if you double cleanse (OCM first, then wash with cleanser), mineral oil is a great option. It's readily available, it's cheap, it's thin (easily spreadable), and it's (for most people) non-comedogenic. If you're washing it off anyway, it doesn't really matter that it provides no nutrients to the skin. You can follow up with a "good" oil for those benefits.

Alternatively, find an oil your skin loves (and this can take some guess-work and trial) and use that. You might find, though, that it's too thick or sticky or expensive, etc. And then try mineral oil, Smile

eta: Roko, what do you mean when you say it's stopped working? Are you no longer getting "grit"? because I would imagine once you get that stuff out, it stays out as long as you're still OCM'ing. I wouldn't expect to continue to get stuff on a daily basis Smile

I think the oils that seem best for this (ime, and from other anecdotes) is thin oil - like the sunflower you used and mineral oil, etc. Thicker oils seem less useful - IMO (!!). YMMV!

free skin care · Wed Jan 22, 2014 9:06 am

Don’t worry. I’m not against using one oil for cleansing, hell there are some oils that are great for it. But to say you are doing the “Oil Cleansing Method” isn’t factually correct in my mind because almost all the stuff I've read suggest that mixing castor oil (for particular properties) alongside a standard oil like sesame or olive oil (again for particular properties) is part of what makes OCM unique. Its not simply cleansing with one oil - because whilst that is good its not what people are referring to when they talk specifically about OCM.

bacchus wrote:

I have to disagree, TM.

Anecdotally speaking, there are tons of people using a very simple, single oil (most often mineral oil) on other forums with great results. They describe the joy of getting "grit" out and how well their skin has done on whatever oils they use. Castor oil is often not a part of the mix.

I think if you double cleanse (OCM first, then wash with cleanser), mineral oil is a great option. It's readily available, it's cheap, it's thin (easily spreadable), and it's (for most people) non-comedogenic. If you're washing it off anyway, it doesn't really matter that it provides no nutrients to the skin. You can follow up with a "good" oil for those benefits.

Alternatively, find an oil your skin loves (and this can take some guess-work and trial) and use that. You might find, though, that it's too thick or sticky or expensive, etc. And then try mineral oil, Smile

eta: Roko, what do you mean when you say it's stopped working? Are you no longer getting "grit"? because I would imagine once you get that stuff out, it stays out as long as you're still OCM'ing. I wouldn't expect to continue to get stuff on a daily basis Smile

I think the oils that seem best for this (ime, and from other anecdotes) is thin oil - like the sunflower you used and mineral oil, etc. Thicker oils seem less useful - IMO (!!). YMMV!

free skin care · Wed Jan 22, 2014 9:15 am

To further illustrate the point that one oil is not OCM - look at these links:

http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com/
http://www.crunchybetty.com/nitty-gritty-on-the-oil-cleansing-method
http://www.thankyourbody.com/oil-cleansing-method/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_cleansing_method
http://michellephan.com/skincare-spotlight-the-oil-cleansing-method-clear-skin-pores-face/

Thu Jan 23, 2014 12:10 am

I stopped using the castor oil for two reasons:
1. I didn't enjoy the texture unless I used it in such lopsided ratios as to make its inclusion negligible. It just didn't spread well otherwise.
2. Its used to grow out eyelashes and eyebrows. Which is great if you've got sparse eyebrows, but mine require SO MUCH upkeep, they grow like weeds. The castor oil seemed to be working on my eyebrows and I just wasn't having any of that.

I suppose its exclusion means it isn't OCM but I didn't like the effects of cleansing with castor oil. Straight oil or a mix of lighter oils worked tons better. As to why switching oils worked, the best hypothesis I can offer is rooted in hormonal fluctuations. At different points in my cycle my skin could be producing sebum of differing quality, different ratios of linoic to oleic acids. And this means a different oil might work better, maybe? I'm not on birth control currently so I definitely notice a change in skin quality throughout the month, I definitely get much oilier at least.

free skin care · Thu Jan 23, 2014 3:29 am

I believe the texture can be improved depending on the oil you mix it with, and depending on your skin type there is usually a recommended ratio. So for example some people use 70% olive oil and 30% castor oil and when you pour it into your palms you use your palms to mix them together and then massage it into your face. I believe someone (think it may be Jasmine Rosey) said that castor oil was used by Edgar Cayce and was a skin remedy of some sort but I know when I have used plain oil to get my make up off it does a great job at cleaning but no where near the same as when I mix in a bit of castor oil as for me the oil is sticky but that’s part of the reason its great for removing dirt etc from the face and my skin always looks better. Maybe a placebo after reading about the Edgar Cayce thing but there you go.

With the oils and eyebrows/eyelashes yes you are lucky but you can just not use the oil in those places.

Fri Jan 24, 2014 2:44 pm

I've been doing my own variation of OCM for the past two weeks.

I have been comparing:
1. DHC Deep Cleansing Oil
2. Garnier nourishing Cleansing Oil
3. Dermalogica Precleanse
4. Lancôme Huile Douceur Remove-All Deep Cleansing Oil
5. My own oil OCM mixture of:
- 2 parts castor oil
- 1 part grapeseed oil
- 1 part rice bran oil
- 1 part avocado oil
- 1 part apricot kernel oil
- 1 part jojoba oil
- 1/2 part 10% vanilla extract in jojoba
- 1/2 part vitamin E oil

The branded oils all perform about the same and have similar textures.

The DHC emulsifies really nicely in water--turns milky and rinses clean. But I don't like the olive oils smell. Primary oil is olive oil.

Garnier is the cheapest and has a fruity smell. Primary oils are mineral oil and corn oil.

Dermalogica has an herbal smell. Primary oil is apricot kernel.

My boyfriend loves the smell of my face after using the Lancome oil. To me it smells rosy. The primary oils are mineral oil and corn oil

I love the way all these oils rinse cleanly without the need for hot water or scrubbing.

I love my own blend for facial/lymphatic massage. I've found the best overall results when using my own blend as a 2-5 minute cleansing/lymph drainage massage at night. I then wipe with a disposable Kleenex hand towel (love these things!) followed by one or two pumps of one or more of the commercial oils with cool or lukewarm water. Turns everything milky and is easy to rinse.

I am just about to buy some cromollient SCE and polysorbate 80 to make my own oil emulsify with water. If that works, I think it will be just about perfect. I've toyed with the idea of adding high linoleic safflower, cucumber seed, and oat oil to the mix. We'll see.

I've had no purging, no irritation, no grainy bits (but I Also don't have clogged pores), no increase in oiliness or dryness. I do think my skin is a bit smoother since doing this.

Sun May 04, 2014 11:55 pm

I've been using the oil cleansing method for over a month now and it's time to move on because I am breaking out like crazy on my chin.

Initially I thought it was the purge but it's been almost 2.5 weeks where constant new crops of zits show up on my chin.

I had pretty great skin prior to the OCM, just a few blackheads on my nose, other than that I would get a few hormonal zits during that time of the month.

Now I can't seem to heal these crops of tiny zits (they're not whiteheads yet) just tiny weird bumps all along my jawline and now going up my left cheek.

For those who purged or experienced a massive breakout of zits, how long did it take your skin to recover and what methods did you go about using to get your skin back to its normal state?

I'm worried because nothing I seem to be using is working.

TIA!

Fri May 30, 2014 6:10 am

What blend are you using cubbyluv? Sounds like it needs some tweaking. You can try adding a drop of 2 Tea Tree Oil each time you wash to help disinfect.

I got away from the OCM for awhile during a big move & now want to get back on. Just can't remember the blend I was using?

I have oily, clog-prone over 50 skin. Thinking of using a blend of Castor Oil, Sunflower Oil & Sweet Almond Mint. Not sure if I used Jojoba or not?

Any suggestions for clog-prone, oily over 50 skin? Very Happy

Wed Jun 18, 2014 11:17 am

Did anybody try OCM with Clarisonic (or another sonic brush) instead of a cloth? I don't like steaming and rubbing a cloth on my sensitive skin, I'd rather use a gentle brush, but I'm afraid to try without knowing what to expect.
If you tried it, what results did you see?

free skin care · Wed Jun 18, 2014 1:17 pm

BitterSweet wrote:

What blend are you using cubbyluv? Sounds like it needs some tweaking. You can try adding a drop of 2 Tea Tree Oil each time you wash to help disinfect.

I got away from the OCM for awhile during a big move & now want to get back on. Just can't remember the blend I was using?

I have oily, clog-prone over 50 skin. Thinking of using a blend of Castor Oil, Sunflower Oil & Sweet Almond Mint. Not sure if I used Jojoba or not?

Any suggestions for clog-prone, oily over 50 skin? Very Happy

I would be sure those oils agree with your skin before using on a regular basis. Have you used these oils before either separately or mixed?

I started off with plain mineral oil. (AKA unscented baby oil.) If I use just an oil, I follow with a foamy cleanser after to be sure the residue is removed. Many on the SCB section of makeupalley use just mineral oil or another plain oil.

I prefer mine to be emulsified. I want it to rinse off easily. I tried the oil cleanser from Silk Naturals. I liked the sample and then purchased a full bottle. I realized it would be easy to dupe; so I did.

I also purchased the Clinique Take the Day Off cleansing balm. Many like this; I really don't. I prefer a simple formula.

I did see little bits of something come out of clogged pores;)

Mon Jun 30, 2014 7:27 pm

I would like to use oils for cleansing (I already use them for moisturizing), but I am concerned about the risk of that painful "purging period" that so many people report.

My question is: What is the idea of "purging period" based on? Is there any evidence that what is really happening is impurities deep inside the skin being purged? Or is it simply skin getting irritated and trying to adjust to a very different cleansing routine? And how can we know which is which?

Thank you!

free skin care · Wed Jul 02, 2014 5:22 am

The purging isn’t consistent for everyone, and seems to happen at different times and at different stages for people – and I guess that’s partly because of where you start from, what your issues are etc. Also its not so much that the purging is “painful”, just an annoyance when it shows up.

I believe the idea of purging is about where the oils you use, help the oils that usually get stuck within the skin get removed… as usually if you don’t they become little clogged pores and sebum spots, and the oils you use (it takes an oil to remove an oil) help these leave but don’t think there is much evidence for this other than personal experiences. I have dry skin so my skin loves oils but I had to work up to using 50/50 ratio of the recommended oils as a result.

Now I don’t think its irritation or inflammation – as usually olive oil for example is known for its antiinflamatory properties. However it is possible it can be irritated but to give a one time answer is difficult because there are many factors involved. For one, sometimes people get crazy in their mixes at the start (been there done that got the t-shirt). Other times people don’t do the steaming/cleaning segment long enough. So its open to different experiences and interpretations.

meteor wrote:

I would like to use oils for cleansing (I already use them for moisturizing), but I am concerned about the risk of that painful "purging period" that so many people report.

My question is: What is the idea of "purging period" based on? Is there any evidence that what is really happening is impurities deep inside the skin being purged? Or is it simply skin getting irritated and trying to adjust to a very different cleansing routine? And how can we know which is which?

Thank you!

Wed Jul 02, 2014 7:11 am

TheresaMary wrote:

Now I don’t think its irritation or inflammation – as usually olive oil for example is known for its antiinflamatory properties. However it is possible it can be irritated but to give a one time answer is difficult because there are many factors involved. For one, sometimes people get crazy in their mixes at the start (been there done that got the t-shirt). Other times people don’t do the steaming/cleaning segment long enough. So its open to different experiences and interpretations.

Yes, I think that's what probably happened to me in the past, because it caused bad acne and clogged pores on previously clear skin. I found that it's actually not that easy to remove ALL oils completely without rubbing skin a lot (I'd rather avoid stretching). It took a very long time to normalize my skin after that experiment.

So how can I successfully incorporate OCM? For example, are results better with double cleansing: OCM first, standard cleanser after? Or does anyone use it with a Clarisonic? Maybe OCM only once or twice a week could help avoid that "purging" stage?

Wed Jul 30, 2014 4:27 pm

So, once upon a time I had really bad acne. However, it has been years since I've had more than one pimple at any given time. My problem lately has been oily skin and blocked looking pores, which I attribute to heat/humidity and possibly weaning my toddler.

I decided to try OCM. The first few days my skin looked amazing! So soft and my pores were smaller. Then I started getting irritated, probably from the hot water and wash cloth. So, I stopped a few days ago and went back to my old routine. This morning I woke up with 5 pimples on my face and a bunch of redness and irritation.

I don't know for sure if the problem is OCM, but I am seriously babying my skin right now and only washing with honey. No makeup until I get this cleared up!

free skin care · Wed Jul 15, 2015 1:24 pm

Source: http://www.skinacea.com/diy/diy-recipes.html#pagetop

This is the cleansing oil formula that I use. I purchase my emulsifier (Cromollient) from Garden of Wisdom. You can also purchase oils there.

HOMEMADE CLEANSING OIL

A homemade cleansing oil is extremely flexible. You can use whatever oils you what in whatever concentration depending on your skin's needs. This is great for removing makeup, sunscreen, and other waterproof products.

Ingredients:

~90% oil(s) of your choice
~5-15% emulsifier (Cromollient SCE or Peg-7)
Empty, clean, and dry bottle

Instructions:

Make sure the bottle is completely dry.
Add the oil to the bottle
Add the emulsifier to the bottle
Shake or mix together evenly.

Comments:

For the oil component, you can use 100% grapeseed oil or 1/3 jojoba oil, 1/3 grapeseed oil, and 1/3 sunflower oil. If you want to use different oils, you have to experiment around to see which proportions you like best. I like to use plain jojoba oil with a few drops of tea tree oil because it’s less messy and complicated to make. You can even preserve it by adding a few drops of vitamin E oil.

First start out at a 10% concentration for the emulsifier to see how well the oil rinses clean. If it is too drying for your skin, drop the emulsifier proportion down to 5%. If you feel it doesn't clean enough, up the percentage to 15%.

For which oils to use, any of the below will work:
Mineral oil
Safflower Oil
Sunflower Oil
Jojoba Oil
Grapeseed Oil
Rose Hip Oil
These are generally safe for acne-prones, but everyone's skin is different so it's hard to say. You'll just have to experiment to see what your skin will ultimately like.

Food grade oil is safe or safer than cosmetic grade oil, so if you find cold-pressed versions of some of the above oils in your grocery aisle, it's just as good as an oil you purchase from a cosmetic company.

*************************************
I don't suggest steaming as I believe it increases the risk of broken caps. If you feel there is a residue after using the oil cleanser, I like to use a foamy cleanser as a second cleanse.

Sun Nov 29, 2015 9:54 pm

Hi guys,
I'm about to abandon ship... abort the mission. I am currently at almost 4 weeks, and my acne is just progressively getting worse day by day. I have about 50 zits right now. It has gotten worse at the same rate since I started, after 1 week starting to break out more, and then more and more continuously. I was getting those gritty sebum plugs in the beginning, but not so much any more. I do a mix of about 60% grapeseed 40% castor oil. at the beginning i had a 40 40 of grapeseed and sunflower seed oil, with 20 castor. but since my skin was getting so bad, i have tried just the castor and grapeseed for about a week or so, since i wasnt getting dryness at all, but it didn't make any difference. i am getting all kinds of acne: small white heads, painful large zits that turn into white heads eventually, large cystic under the skin zits, and lots of hard white pimples you can see more clearly when you pull your skin tight... its truly horrendous. My boyfriend thinks im a tad crazy for sticking this out, cause i tell him "it takes time" this might be a purge i have to try for at least a month... but now i am wondering if in 2 more days once its been a full 4 weeks, i'll just feel like i damaged the shit outta my skin for nothing Sad

any hope, support, or advice would be helpful.

some important info -- i do steaming with a very thick washcloth thats great for softly getting off all the oil, i never feel like theres a "residue" after cleaning, and i do gentle massage for 5-10 minutes depending on how much time i have, after opening my pores up with steam heat first. again as I said i was getting lots of grit/sebum plugs out towards the first 2 weeks. also, i think my adult acne (im almost 25) is mostly hormonal, i was on Birth Control pills for 10 years and then was sick of altering my natural hormone balancing mechanisms, and now having been off BC for 8 months, my natural hormone balance is not so great and acne running a muck. I had pretty perfect skin in high school, often not taking off my makeup at night and forgetting to wash my face, cause acne was not really on my mind as a risk of not washing up. so thats some background... Also, I drink tons of water and eat pretty dern healthy compared to the average american diet. help?! Sad

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