Help.. I am starting Oil Cleansing Method, I need help with
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Tue Jul 07, 2009 5:02 pm

I need help with my carrier oil.... I am 44 and I have acne prone skin and have had it with all the prescriptions for anti-biotics and Retin A. I am going to begin OCM tonight. I live in a town aways from the nearest health food store so I purchased my items at a store over 50 miles away. I have cold-pressed Castor Oil and Sweet Almond Oil. They are manufactured by NOW. I did my research and the company seems great. The reviews are tops. Problem- I bought the wrong carrier oil for acne-prone skin. I should have bought jojoba or grapeseed oil, not Sweet Almond. My research today is saying that almond is good for normal/dry. I have some Tea Tree Oil here, if I add it to the mix will it boost the acne fighting mojo??? I bought the 16 oz. bottle and my 18 y/o daughter opened it.

Is there any hope for my poor face???? Or did I just blow $13.00

free skin care · Tue Jul 07, 2009 5:20 pm

What proportion of castor oil to carrier oil did you intend to use? I ask because I find castor oil to be a little drying. If you want to try OCM with the almond oil, you could try adding more castor if you think the almond would be too moisturizing.

I've never tried almond oil and I'm not acne prone, but honestly the main thing about using this method is to wash the oil/oils off THOROUGHLY. Go over and over your face with a washcloth dipped and rinsed in warm if not hot water until you can no longer feel oil on the surface.

If you get it all off I wouldn't think the type of oil would make a difference. You aren't just letting it sit there after all - you're just using it as a cleanser - like soap. I'm not an expert though, so it's up to you whether you want to experiment or not. Me? I would. Oil is oil.

Tue Jul 07, 2009 5:50 pm

Thank you.. I intended to a 50/50 mix with a few drops of Tea Tree mixed in. It is the first time I have ever done this, so I am shooting in the dark..

free skin care · Tue Jul 07, 2009 6:01 pm

Every time we put anything on our face we're shooting in the dark don'cha think Michelle? Very Happy

Go for it and report back girlfriend. Cool

free skin care · Wed Jul 08, 2009 5:50 am

Actually sweet almond can be ok for acne prone. I've used it part of my mix in the past. I would not use use 50% castor, it should be more like 10-20%. Grapeseed can be really drying for all skin types so I wouldnt suggest it as your base. I think some good options are: safflower, sunflower, hazelnut.
I would leave out the TTO, at for your first batch. I'm not a fan of adding EO's to cleansing oil.

free skin care · Thu Jul 09, 2009 7:07 pm

The original recipe for OCM is 50/50 Castor Oil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The Castor Oil is there to "suck" the impurities out of the skin, apparently it has a purging effect. If you're worried about it being too drying (something I have never found) just alter the amount. However, you can substitute the EVOO with any oil of your choice - Jojoba is good because it's properties are very similar to our skin's natural oil.

Here is a good site on OCM with lots of useful info:

http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com/

As LLucy pointed out, it is extremely important to thoroughly wash all the oil off your skin. I also use a toner made from 4 Aspirin dissolved in 100ml of water and equal amount of Apple Cider Vinegar. The Aspirin is essentially Salicylic Acid which is great for acne. This toner removes every trace of oil which might be left on the skin.

free skin care · Sat Jul 11, 2009 3:52 pm

coldtoesinmi wrote:

Thank you.. I intended to a 50/50 mix with a few drops of Tea Tree mixed in. It is the first time I have ever done this, so I am shooting in the dark..

Perhaps you should test it on a small part of your face or forehead first.

I put too much Tea Tree Oil in mine. I'm sure that only a few drops are needed. That is some powerful stuff! But, after I adjusted it, it seemed to pull gunk out better.

I have been using a Q-tip and spot treating my blackheads, rubbing out the gunk, with the aid of a magnifying mirror. Sometimes a clean Q-tip works well when the gunk is really flowing, and then a Qtip with the solution on it when I'm trying to get it to come out. This is working really well for me. My husband said my skin is looking really good and he wants me to do the same thing to him!

free skin care · Sun Jul 12, 2009 6:47 pm

I used 40% Caster, 50% Jojoba and less than 10% Chamomile on my husbands nose and it worked awesome! I just did it tonight and there still isn't any bad reactions or anything wrong yet, but I will keep an eye on him.

The Chamomile is suppose to sooth and be an anti-inflammatory. That is why I decided that it would be a great combo with the Jojoba and Caster.

free skin care · Sun Jul 12, 2009 7:18 pm

Miss Tina wrote:

I used 40% Caster, 50% Jojoba and less than 10% Chamomile on my husbands nose and it worked awesome! I just did it tonight and there still isn't any bad reactions or anything wrong yet, but I will keep an eye on him.

The Chamomile is suppose to sooth and be an anti-inflammatory. That is why I decided that it would be a great combo with the Jojoba and Caster.

That's a lot of castor oil if your skin is dry already. If it is oily it might be OK. You might want to experiment on small patches of skin, say around the edges of your forehead.

free skin care · Sun Jul 12, 2009 8:10 pm

Yeah, I was thinking for my skin I was going to use 20% Caster, however, my husband's nose is no joke. That thing is a beast of it's own!

free skin care · Fri Jul 17, 2009 11:29 am

Miss Tina, your comments about OCM on your husband's nose crack me up! The poor man... If only he knew.

Are you going to try it on your own skin? It's wonderful if you're prone to excema or sensitivities. Clearly it'a great for blackheads, but it's a great way to clean the skin, full stop.

Be sure to post the results on your own skin! I'll look forward to it. Smile

free skin care · Fri Jul 17, 2009 11:32 am

BTW, I use the clarisonic too, usually at night in the bath. I do OCM in the morning as part of my lymphatic drainage/massage/cleanse routine. I love both, but if I had to choose now, I'd go for the OCM, and use microfibre cloths for the exfoliation effects of the clarisonic.

free skin care · Fri Jul 17, 2009 8:31 pm

trigger wrote:

BTW, I use the clarisonic too, usually at night in the bath. I do OCM in the morning as part of my lymphatic drainage/massage/cleanse routine. I love both, but if I had to choose now, I'd go for the OCM, and use microfibre cloths for the exfoliation effects of the clarisonic.

I know I feel horrible that I use him as a test dummy, but for some reason, I think that he likes it. When I try to tell the story to his buddies, they all laugh, however, privately they want me to do their faces too! haha. All in the name of beauty.

As for the Clarisonic. I would have to be opposite of you. I chose the Clarisonic over the OCM. I enjoy the daily dancing of the bristles on my skin. It is truly my HG. Amazing little device that is. I am so glad I sprung for the money on that sucker. I can't imagine great daily skin care without it. The OCM is quite nice weekly. I have just heard too many horror stories about people doing it too much. I don't like to think about the manipulation of my skin like that. Massaging it that much. It makes me hesitant.

I used the OCM on myself and used a 20% Caster oil mix with Jojoba and Chamomile mix. I really enjoyed it and will be making it part of my regimen weekly. I like it for it's cleansing and for softening of my lines.

Now, i love my newly found at home peel the TCA. I plan to do it every 4 weeks! My skin has been looking great so far, I just don't wanna push it.

I actually gave myself a TCA Peel which I am going to post up here soon. It is amazing but definitely heeling time has to go into it. I just can't wait till I am 100% healed!

free skin care · Sat Jul 18, 2009 12:20 am

Miss Tina wrote:

The OCM is quite nice weekly. I have just heard too many horror stories about people doing it too much. I don't like to think about the manipulation of my skin like that. Massaging it that much. It makes me hesitant.

I actually use OCM every day to remove my makeup without any complications and I don't think there's any reason for not using it with the Carisonic. I intend to do so when I eventually buy one. If you use it everyday, there's no need for all the massaging all the time - just use it as you would any other cleanser. I believe all the horror stories come from people not removing the oil properly. One Forum member who ran into trouble admitted that she only wiped the oil off with a tissue and used no hot water at all.

IMHO OCM should be regarded like any other cleanser and used accordingly. And as for the massage - I think the Clarisonic would be giving your face a far more intense massage than just using your hands. Also, devices like the Vaculifter can be used to massage the face everyday without any adverse effects.

free skin care · Sat Jul 18, 2009 6:22 am

I agree with Kelieu in that I'm convinced most of the "horror stories" related to OCM are because people didn't take the time and hot water to get all the oil off their face. Castor oil is THICK, and it can be a bit drying for some folks. It's not something you want sitting on your face the way you might use a light oil as a moisturizer.

I also use OCM most nights and have never had a problem with that frequency. OCM may be the gentlest cleanser available: doesn't contain any detergents, or chemicals. You can exfoliate by rubbing a washcloth or microcloth over your face with it, or you can remove the oil by repeatedly soaking a washcloth, laying it over your face and gently wiping the oil off. Either way, repetition is the key.

When my skin is very dry and sensitive from Retin A, I sometimes just use plain soybean oil, no Castor. This works okay, but doesn't seem to leave as much of the "clean" feeling as using the castor combo. Just an alternative for anyone who has sensitive skin, or thinks regular OCM may be too potent to do every night. Use whatever oil you prefer.

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