I have struggled with acne since I was 11. That's 16 years, y'all. 16 years of "gentle" cleansers, harsh chemicals, prescription creams and pills. I even took the "miracle" acne pill Accutane (an Rx that has a list of side effects as long as my arm and requires monthly blood tests)
three times in 5 years. Accutane is usually only given to a person once and I was told three times is the absolute max. Even after all that, I was still dealing with acne on my face, neck, chest and back. Note the past tense, "was." I
was dealing with acne. Now, for the first time in my life I have people telling me how great my skin looks. In fact, I went to get a facial yesterday and the aesthetician raved about my even skin tone, small pores and clear skin. (Uh, this is kind of a miracle in my world.) Instead of trying to sell me the spas products, she actually ended up asking me about my skin care regimen.
"You use
what to clean your face?!" Yeah. This is generally the response I get when I explain to people that I use the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM). Here's the idea behind the OCM: When you use traditional soaps and face washes they can strip your skin of its natural oils, causing your body to produce even more oils which can in turn lead to break outs. With OCM you use non-comedogenic (aka non-pore clogging) oils to gently cleanse your face while maintaining and balancing the natural oils of your face. I wasn't getting the results I wanted just using the OCM, so I took things one step further and incorporated my Young Living essential oils into the mix.
Cleanse:
I pre-mix equal parts organic extra-virgin olive oil and organic castor oil. (You can use any oil or combination of oils of your choice, as long as they rate a 2 or below on the
comedogenic scale.) Before bed I take about a nickle size amount of the oil mix and spread it over my face and neck starting around my eyes. (Oh and don't worry about make-up removal, this process takes care of that too!) If I am breaking out I rub the evoo/castor oil mix in around my eyes before adding 1-2 drops of Melaleuca Alfornia (aka tea tree) oil to the remaining evoo mix in my hand and continue working the oils over the rest of my face/neck. Massage for 1-2 minutes.
To remove the oils - along with all the dirt, gunk and make-up that was on your face - take a
clean (this is important! get a new wash cloth
every night) warm wet wash cloth and place it on your face. Allow it to steam for at least 30 seconds before wiping off the oils. Repeat a second time if necessary.
Spot Treatment:
If needed, I spot treat blemishes with
Purification, which is a Young Living essential oil blend. I use this on my face, neck, chest and back.
Moisturize:
Like my cleansing oil, I pre-make my moisturizer. To make the moisturizer, combine 1 ounce organic jojoba oil and 10 drops each of Young Living Lavender and Frankincense essential oils. Lavender and Frankincense both have healing properties and may also help improve the appearance of scars.
Keep in mind a little goes a long way when using this "moisturizer." To use just dip a clean fingertip or two in the oil and spread over your face and neck.
*Note: for day time wear you may choose to use organic argan oil as it is lighter and absorbs into the skin more quickly.
Exfoliation:
I personally only exfoliate 3x a week, usually in the morning. I make a paste with baking soda and water or baking soda and milk and use it as a gentle scrub. Pat dry and follow with moisturizing oils mix.
There are several other natural ways to exfoliate including a raw honey mask, honey and baking soda, brown sugar and oil, etc. I use baking soda and water most of the time because I can keep the baking soda in my bathroom, mix and apply before hopping in the shower to rinse.
Commonly Asked Questions:
Doesn't using all these oils make you ... oily? No. That's really the beauty of the OCM. Your skin finds natural balance when it isn't constantly being dried out by chemicals and soaps.
Do you use the OCM morning and night? No. Personally I only do the OCM at night. In the morning I either exfoliate or just wash my face with warm water. Pat dry, spot treat if needed and apply my moisturizer. If wearing make-up wait 5 minutes after applying moisturizer before starting make-up application.
Does this mean you never get pimples anymore? I wish. The truth is that if I get lazy and am not consistent with using the OCM and my essential oils I break out. Even if I am consistent, sometimes life happens and between hormones and stress I do end up breaking out. However, my break outs have noticeably decreased and, with my essential oil, my break outs heal significantly faster.
Why don't you use coconut oil to cleanse or moisturize? Here is the DL on coconut oil. It is an amazing oil. I go through a big ol' 54 oz container about every other month. I use it in my body lotions, my family eats it, we use it for cooking, oil pulling, etc.
But, coconut oil is comedogenic. It's actually a 5 on the comedogenic scale, which is the highest rating. What does that mean? It's pore clogging and therefore, I keep it far away from any part of my body that is prone to break outs.
How do I get the oils you use? You can find olive oil, castor oil, and jojoba oil either at a health food store or online. Look for organic, cold pressed oils. To order Young Living essential oils check out
this post.
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