Oil Cleansing for Clear Glowing Skin

I have to admit…when I first heard about oil cleansing a number of years ago, I was a little on the fence about it.

1. How can it be that easy to get beautiful skin?
2. Slathering oil on my sensitive, acne-prone skin made me a little weary.

So I pretty much wrote it off for a few months. Until I was fed up with how many products and cleansers it took to get my makeup off.

You think a single face wash would do a good job at removing your makeup right? Wrong.

Most people don’t realize they aren’t fully removing all the makeup from their skin. I was once one of those people too. The downside of not removing every last speck of makeup can result in additional breakouts because the pores are clogged and bacteria thrive.

What is Oil Cleansing

The age old motto “like dissolves like” really shines here. The premise behind oil cleansing is that by massaging oils into the skin it helps to break down hardened impurities and dissolves the oil in your pores.

Why You Should Give It A Try

Many people are afraid to apply oil to their face.

But guess what?

Cold-pressed oils like these do not cause breakouts.

Whether you’re dealing with hormonal acne or cystic breakouts, skin issues are a symptom of a much deeper-rooted issue. Usually, a combination of inflammation with a side of poor gut health, liver toxicity and hormonal imbalance are to blame. This is something I help my clients through in my online program, The Clear Skin Solution.

Pure, cold-pressed oils can have a huge benefit for the skin. Many of the products you use in your skincare routine actually strip the oil from your skin and cause it to produce more oil. The products also contain hormone-disrupting and skin-irritating ingredients which further escalate the breakouts. This starts a vicious cycle.

Oil cleansing, on the other hand, helps to gently remove impurities, while healing and protecting the skin. It also doubles as a moisturizer!

Oil Combination

No matter what you choose, it’s important to buy high quality, cold-pressed, and unrefined oils (preferably organic). Never use vegetable, canola, or corn oils. These are highly-processed, refined oils.

But what about coconut?

Guys. I’m a HUGE lover of coconut oil for everything…but not oil cleansing. Coconut oil can be comedogenic, especially, on your face and is best left out of oil cleansing recipes. It’s best to use castor, extra virgin olive, jojoba, avocado, and/or sunflower.

Remember, choosing the right ratio of oils for your skin can take a few tries. I recommend making a small batch the first time until you find the perfect ratio. I’ve found that the normal skin (20% castor + 80%) is the best for my skin. I store my blend in a glass amber hand pump bottle.

There are many different recipes based on the oils you choose, but here are some standard ones to try.

Dry Skin

• 10% castor oil
• 30% olive oil
• 60% avocado oil

Normal Skin

• 20% castor oil
• 80% olive oil

Oily/Acne-Prone Skin

• 30% castor oil
• 60% olive oil

Essential Oils: Yay or Nay?

I’m obviously a huge fan of essential oils and use them in a ton of different ways around our home and to support our health. So…do I recommend adding them to oil cleansing? In the beginning, no. Focus on finding the best blend of cold-pressed oils. Once you’ve found a good blend, that’s working well for you, then you can try adding in a few drops of skin-soothing essential oils like lavender, tea tree, frankincense, or myrrh.

Oil Cleansing for Clear Glowing Skin

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Author: Katie Stewart Wellness

Ingredients

Dry Skin

• 10 % castor oil
• 30 % olive or sunflower oil
• 60 % avocado oil

Normal Skin

• 20 % castor oil
• 80 % olive or sunflower oil

Oily/Acne Prone Skin

• 30 % castor oil
• 60 % olive or sunflower oil

Instructions

• Blend your chosen oils in a glass bottle or jar.
• Add a quarter size amount of oil to the palm of your hand.
• Massage into your skin in circular motions.
• If you don’t have makeup on, let the oil sit on your face for 5-10 minutes.
• Apply a hot washcloth over your face and allow the steam to penetrate into the pores (about one minute).
• Use the washcloth to remove the oil from your face.
• If you find any oil still on your face, run the washcloth under hot water and repeat steps 5 and 6.
• Moisturizer isn’t required after oil cleansing, but if you feel it’s best for your skin, feel free to do so.