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I do something most people may think is strange. I clean my face & body with oil. And yes before you ask…..I’m actually clean.
In fact I get lots of comments on how great I smell, how my complexion is so clear & skin feels so soft. After my ego has been adequately lifted, this is usually followed by the question I’m answering today: “What do you use?” When I give my response about oil cleansing, faces usually change from “wide-eyed curious wonder” face to “scrunched up confusion” face. Which, of course I find to be amusing.
So let me clear this up. Oil is one of the best things you can give your skin. Unfortunately most cleansing products strip away your skin’s natural oils and leave it vulnerable to dryness. Dryness leads to unhealthy open skin, which then leads to pathogens bombarding your body with disease! Product marketing has also led us to believe oil is the root of all evil! Oil is an acne causing, pore clogging, greasy, nasty mess that must be stopped! Well this is partly true.
Mineral oil IS the root of all evil. It’s basically a cheaply manufactured by product that is added to many skin care products. Mineral oil does this wonderful thing where it clogs your pores, causes acne and is basically a greasy, nasty mess and must be stopped! Oh so you’ve heard this before? Great, you’re ahead of the curve.
So the same product lines that put mineral oil in their products now sell you “oil-free” products loaded with alcohol. These usually make your skin so dry, it has to over compensate & produce extra oil. You look in the mirror, see that extra oil & think “I have such horrible oily skin! I need to scrub my face off with more oil- free products”. And the buying cycle begins!
So I chose to get off that cycle. I started with the “Oil Cleansing Method” using jojoba oil. I noticed the redness in my cheeks lessened & dry patches went away. The few acne breakouts I would get here and there stayed gone longer and my skin was crazy soft! Removing make up was also easier!Then I had a beautiful thought during a maddening dry winter itch spell. If oil cleansing helped my face- why wouldn’t it help my body? Once I tried it- I was HOOKED! Instantly my dry itchy legs calmed down, my skin was soft and yes, I was clean.
So usually at this point I get questions like:
The most important answer first is type of oil because it can make or break #3.
I personally like oils like Jojoba & Coconut. They are drier to the touch and are absorbed easily into the skin. And no before you ask- they will not clog your pores and cause acne.
The next most important answer is How to cleanse. It can also make or break #3. You won’t need much oil. You aren’t basting yourself to go in the oven like a Thanksgiving turkey, you’re just washing dirt and sweat off. Either before you get in the shower or after you wet yourself in the shower:
A. Squeeze a nickel sized pool of oil into your hand.
B. Rub hands together and apply to your arms. Do the same with legs and then you’re the rest of your body.
C. Using a wash cloth, “wash” yourself off using small circles everywhere working the oil in & rinsing the oil off.
D. For your face, same method applies here. Apply a very small amount to slightly wet face. Rub oil all over face in small circles like you normally do while cleansing. With a wet washcloth, wipe away oil. Done Ta-Da!
The next answer should be summed up by now. But just in case you were in total awe of the awesomeness and didn’t fully take in the side banter, I will clarify. No the shower floor won’t be oily if you stick to the types of oil & the amount of application.
If: you are working outside in hot, sweaty, bacteria ridden, moldy, fungal, viral conditions and or just generally unclean situations. Use an anti-bacterial soap for goodness sake! But then apply oil to re-moisturize your now stripped of all oil skin.
If: you actually have skin that over produces oil for reasons other than you are too dry and don’t realize it. This would involve you seeking out a skincare professional, getting under a mag lamp so they can look at your skin & ask questions. Luckily, I know a bunch of estheticians that can help you out with just that!
Also: keep in mind our skin (especially on the face) changes with the seasons, with our activity levels & hormone levels. You might go through periods when oil is just too much some days and works perfect others. So even if you want to devote yourself to oil every day, please go to those awesome estheticians so they can recommend products to use when oil isn’t enough.
I mean, you still need to exfoliate and re-mineralize…..but that’s a different post!
I hope this information is helpful and at the very least entertaining. But all kidding aside, try it. And tell me what you think!
I have a feeling you’ll be hooked & sharing your “Oil Confessional” as well!
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