Got pesky blackheads? Slather oil on your face!

Sounds counterintuitive doesn't it? It's called the Oil Cleansing Method. I've been doing it for a week now and I notice a big difference in the look and feel of my skin. I've had blackheads on my nose and chin since I was about 12 years old and I could never get rid of them. I'd wash my face and they'd be right back. I could still see them. Even masks didn't really work. With using this oil stuff they are starting to go away! I keep running to the mirror to check and yeah, it's seriously working. My pores are still big, so I have empty holes in my face but I suspect that will change once all the gunk gets out.

I have acne prone skin that's oily, dry, and normal in some spots. Though I haven't had a problem in awhile, I get cystic ance too. It's only been a week but so far so good, no pimples no nothing execpt glowing skin and empty pores.

I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil (yes, the stuff you cook with) mixed in with a little Castor Oil (yes, the stuff that makes you poop). I also mix in a little tea tree oil because that's always helped with my skin.

So who's going to try this?

http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com/
http://www.thebeautybottle.com/index.php?opti on=com_content&task=view&id=6&Ite mid=2

edited to add the following

Okay, for those of us who are having problems here are some Trouble Shooting tips.  I would add this to the first post but since it's been edited by a mod it won't let me.  Boo.  Maybe I'll add it to my second post. 

Anyway, everyone's skin is different.  You have to find what works for your skin.  Same thing when you use commerical facial cleansers...you have to figure out what works for you.  If you're having breakouts that you believe are related to OCM try these Trouble Shooting Tips:

1.  Your skin doesn't like EVOO (or whatever oil).  Try different oil.

2.  Your skin doesn't like Castor Oil.  Does it work without castor oil?  Some people do a modified version of OCM without castor.  Some people have luck with just EVOO or Jojoba (or whatever). 

3.  Your skin doesn't like the ratio of EVOO (or whatever oil) to Castor.  Change your ratios around.

4.  You're not spending enough time rubbing the oils in.  Give it at least 5 minutes.  Take some you time and enjoy.

5.  You're not getting enough dirty oils off your skin.  Spend more time with the rag on your face and take more care to get the oils off.

6.  Your skin does not like your washing off technique.  Lay a hot rag across your face.  Hold it in place.  Let it sit there until it cools a little.  Gently wipe your face.  Repeat.  Don't scrub.

7.  Your skin doesn't like the hot rag approach.  Try doing OCM in the shower and forgo the hot rag.  Instead, rub your oils in for AT LEAST 5 minutes then wash with water only.

8.  You're not soaking your wash cloths in dish soap and very hot water for a long time before sending them through the washing machine.  Laundry detergent cannot get the dirty oils out of your rags.  Dirty oil rags can cause you to break out.  Only use a rag once. 

9.  Your skin is too dry.  Try using plain EVOO (or whatever oil) as a moisturizer.  Or try bumping down your % of castor oil.

10.  Are you over washing your face?  Are you using your normal harsh cleanser in the morning then doing OCM at night?  Try washing your face with just water in the morning.  It's not gross, trust me.

11.  Are you under washing your face?  Are you washing your face with water only in the morning and doing OCM at night?  If you have time, do OCM in the morning and at night.  If you don’t have time, try using a light cleanser in the morning.  Look for one that's oil based.  You could probably find something good at a health food store.  

12.  Are you doing OCM everyday?  Try doing it only once every other day.  Maybe everyday is too much for your skin.

13.  Are you NOT doing OCM everyday?  Maybe you should try it.

14.  Maybe your skin needs extra pimple busting power.  Try adding a few drops of EO to your mix.  I highly recommend tea tree oil.  Other all around skin helpers include lavender, rosemary, geranium, and rose.  Do some research and see what might help you.

Hello LisaMarie,

Thanks for writing!  My real concern with all of this is that many times the reasons for these outbreaks are precisely because of mixing combinations that are so harsh, no good can be done.  We sometimes think that more is better and harder and harsher will bring better/faster results, which can backfire.

And, yes, of course I totally agree that in the RIGHT DOSES Essential Oils and Castor Oil can be used on your face, but not like this!  Thank you for the correction and helping me to be more clear...my sentence probably should have said "Caster Oil and Essential Oil on open skin?" Putting Castor Oil on a medicated, overworked or raw face or in combination with too much of many Essential Oils is not a pretty site :(  My guess is, that is what is happening so I really wanted to introduce a gentler regimine so the ones that are not having luck might find the benefits. 

Since we had to take chemistry and anatomy/biology/physiology etc, we know that putting more than 1 or 2 drops of EO in an application the size of a dime can be a bad thing - especially on open or acne prone skin. 

Everything you wrote is absolutely correct in my book...when done by an Esthetician/Dermo and even by the informed and researched consumer, but we run into trouble when we are so frustrated with our skin we will try anything, mix anything, apply anything.

Yes, the Carnation Instant Milk is powdered.  It's very soothing and since I was one of those that didn't think my face was clean unless I saw bubbles or felt some sort of exfoliation I needed to find something that would give me this fix and not damage my skin.  This works great!  Very light exfoliating and works with the Olive Oil to lighten pigmented skin and  even out complection.

Sunscreen - plain old zinc oxide - the size of a pea.  I live in SoCal by the beach, sometimes dry, sometimes humid, usually sunny. 

Thanks again for writing and I too am opening a spa in the next 6 months and will be doing only natural (green as possible) treatments.  So, any of your experiences/recipes would be a pleasure to read.

Have a great day!

Lori

Hi i wonder if you can help me, i've been doing ocm twice a day for a few weeks now and it's really helping clear my blackheads but my cheeks have become so dry and flaky to the point they occasionally bleed (i have combination skin), i was using about 25% castor to 75% EVOO, thinking it may have been the castor i added more EVOO but no change so i changed the oil to 10% castor to 75% sweet almond oil hoping that would be more moisturising i also apply just the sweet almond alone to my cheeks but nothing seems to be helping, do you think it could be the hot steam to take the oil off thats causing the dryness or the fact that it is winter here (i live in scotland by the way) or am i just doing something totally wrong? i love using ocm as it's so simple and is getting rid of the unbeatable blackheads but i can't keep walking around with red,flaky,bleeding cheeks, sorry if i've droned on but please HELP

Try keeping the castor oil away from your dry spots.  I'd cut back to doing OCM once per day (maybe just do water only for a day or two just to get your skin back to normal).

Keep applying plain oil you your dry spots.  That should take care of it.

Hi thank you for replying, i'm scared to just use water incase the blackheads get worse but i'll give it a try, thank you

It's doubtful that they'd get worse than they were before in just a day or two.  They *might* go back to where they were when you first started OCM, but I'd rather have some blackheads than bleeding cheeks.  KWIM

Ok  so i washed my face with just water but my cheeks are the same, i bought a soap called olivera to use in the morning and do the ocm at night then i use aloe vera gel but after trying that my cheeks were worse and very sore, i really wanted ocm to work and i don't understand how all these products are drying my skin and making spots actually worse when their all natural, i'll maybe have to give up :(

How are your cheeks Dione?  So no soap, no washing, but instead using water only and moisturizing didn't help any?

Hi Guys-

So I've been using Golden Jojoba oil for a couple months now and I love it but just ran out. Does anyone know what the difference is between clear and golden? Is one better than the other?

Thanks,

Danielle

Gold is unrefined and the clear is refined.  I do not know if one is "better" than the other though.  I'm sure they have very similar properties.

cool, thanks!

It's been a while since the last update.  My skin still rocks!  I even just had my period and not so much as a bump!  Woot!

Glad it's working for you, Jewels. Unfortunately, I had to quit using the method. My skin started breaking out bad again out of no where. I think it's because I quit my birth control pill so my hormones are out of whack. But, my friend turned me on to Dr Bronner's and so far it's really helped. It's all natural, organic and mostly oils. Have you heard of it?

That sucks.  My skin went wacky when I went off the pill too.

Yep I've heard of it.  It's liquid castile soap which just means it plant based oils (traditionally olive oil) and they use potassium hydroxide to saponify instead of sodium hydroxide (like is used in bar soap). The word "natural" is such a misnomer.  There is nothing natural about potassium hydroxide.  It's a man made caustic chemical (it's alkaline and will burn your face off just like sodium hydroxide - lye).  I'm not saying the product is bad or anything.  Just saying that it's advertising itself as "natural" when one of those most important ingredients in the product is anything but.  Damn you advertising laws! Why can't you be more clear!

Soap, unlike detergents, are alkaline.  Our skin is acidic.  So you may see even more benefit by using an acidic toner after using soap on the skin (you could even use diluted vinegar if you don't mind the smell) because it will help the skin's acid mantle return to normal.  I know a lot of people who use the product as shampoo followed by a vinegar rinse.  I hear it works great (for some people of course).  When I run out of the million bottles of hand soap I have I'm planning on using Dr. Bronner's instead of the traditional stuff.

That's good to know! Thanks!

I'll be trying this tonight for the first time! I'm really excited (and nervous), so wish me luck!!

I'll keep you posted on my results if anyone cares. :)

I went to 4 stores over the course of two and a half hours last night, and NONE of them had castor oil.

I seriously can't find the stuff! Help!  :(

I tried a grocery store (Ralphs), a pharmacy (CVS), a health-oriented grocer (Trader Joe's), and a general purpose store (Target).

I checked in the aisles and with the pharmacists behind the counter, and they were all trying to push mineral oil on me instead. There's nothing else within driving range that I know of that could carry it.  :(

Sorry for triple posting, but an update:

Finally found castor oil (not cheap), and I was out of EVOO so I used Grapeseed oil. I used about 30% castor 70% grapeseed

I used it and really liked it. The blackheads on my forehead are just holes where the grime used to be. Im surprised it worked so fast! My nose and chin still have blackheads, but they seem maybe a little better.

I got chicken this morning and washed with my acne wash (I have a date tonight, I can't be oily). But I will keep using the oil and see where it takes me.

At the very least, I'm going to use this a couple times a week, because I really like the effect it had on my skin.

ok, I've never tried this before, but am considering it. I was looking for castor oil and I keep seeing it as a laxitive. Is that what I'm supposed to put on my face? or should I be looking for something different?

Yeah, it's a laxative.  It will not make you "go" by putting in on your skin.

YummyKitty, it's weird you had such a hard time finding it and I'm suprised it was pretty spendy.  Did you get the special organic cold pressed stuff or the regular kind found in the laxative section?  In either case, a small bottle will last quite a long time.  This method is working out cheaper than any other store bought face wash + moisturizer I've used and I'm getting way better results.

Sorry it took awhile to respond.  I don't come in Health and Support often.