It’s been over 3 years since I’ve used soap to wash my face. I threw out more than one product that promised a blemish free face and switched to oil. Selling natural face care products, I get nothing but compliments on my complexion. So many people ask me what I use as a face wash and when I grab a little bottle of oil, I can see by the change in their eyebrows that they’re not sure if I can be trusted. I love using oil as a make-up remover, cleanser and moisturizer. Not all oils are created equal, but all have the ability to trap dirt. In the natural sphere, it’s referred to as the oil cleansing method.

How Does Oil Cleansing Work?

Oil has a strong negative charge which gives it the ability to trap dirt and other toxins. This is the main reason why oil pulling for oral health also works so well. When you massage your face with the oil, you put the oil in contact with bacteria, dirt and even make-up on your face and lift it into the oil. Once it’s trapped, a warm cloth will wipe all the oil and the dirt that’s trapped inside off the face. You can achieve a deeper clean by steaming my face with a supper warm cloth before wiping the oil off.

Why Is It Better Than Soap?

Soap will lift dirt and clean out your pores. It is such a strong lifting agent that when it does this, it strips away some of the natural oils on your skin. After using a soap based face wash, your body then has to guess how much oil to put back onto your face. Sometimes it overshoots, giving you acne and sometimes it undershoots leaving your skin dry and appearing aged. This is a bit of an oversimplification as there are other factors like hormones and food allergies that can play into acne and sun exposure and environmental pollution that can play into aged skin.

Which Oils Are The Best For The Oil Cleansing Method?

Jojoba

Many people with acne problems swear by jojoba oil.  The composition of jojoba is very similar to skin. This means that when you use jojoba, your body recognizes it as being similar and is less likely to attempt to balance it out through oil production. Jojoba is great for healing the skin and has anti-bacterial and antioxidant properties.

Castor

Castor oil has a higher charge than most other oils which is excellent for oil cleansing. When testing individual oils, I found castor oil to be the best at removing heavy make-up. The downside to this oil is that it is thick and a little smelly. It can leave the skin feeling slightly oily and sometimes gets stuck in your eyelashes. You can always use essential oils that are great for the face like rose, frankincense, palmarosa, lavender or tea tree to help with the scent.

Grapeseed

This is one of my favorite oils for it’s versatility. You can cook with it on high heat, it’s great in salad dressings and it’s amazing for skin care. It absorbs readily into the skin and it has a very light scent making it a great carrier oil for essential oils. I also like using it as a base oil for diffuser reeds. When it comes to the face, most people do really well with grapeseed oil as it is hypoallergenic and has antimicrobial properties. Since it does absorb readily, when you use this while oil cleansing, if any is left on the skin it won’t feel greasy.

Try It Out Yourself…

Mix any of these two oils oils together or even try all three. If you want to use it more as a make-up remover, include more castor. If you have acne prone skin, use a higher portion of jojoba. If your a bit apprehensive, just use grapeseed. If you find you don’t like oil cleansing then you can cook with it!  Add in a 1-2 drops of your favorite essential oil per Tbsp of oil for an even deeper clean. If you’re not the type to DIY, we have an awesome oil cleanser all made up for you. We’ve added a perfect balance of jojoba, pumpkin seed, grapeseed and castor to cleanse your face while giving it back the vitamins and minerals it needs to glow. We also have a wicked blend of essential oils that keep your pores cleans. You can order your’s here.

Rave about you skin to all your friends

I know you will absolutely love the way your skin looks and feels once oil cleansing is part of your routine. Pass on the good info to all your fellow ladies so that we can shine the way we were all meant to!

Jayleen