Using Oil to Wash Your FACE?

Using oil to wash your face? Um... sounds counterproductive, right? But yes, you can absolutely use oil to cleanse your face.

"But I have oily skin! Why would I want to put more oil on it?!"

For some people, overproduction of oil is caused by dehydration. If your skin is being thrown off balance by harsh cleansers or other improper care, the natural surface oils may be stripped, so throughout the day your skin tries to overcompensate. Ever notice you get shinier throughout the day? If you get super oily, your skin may be overproducing to try and balance itself out.

And did you know that oil also disintegrates oil? So all those pesky clogged pores and congestion you feel underneath the skin can be dissolved by massaging the areas with oil. It will loosen up and begin to disintegrate the oil and dirt that is trapped in the skin. The oil also leaves your skin soft and helps protect against further water loss. So while you're getting rid of the dirt and clogged sebum (a.k.a. your skin's natural oil), you're still leaving behind the moisturizing effects of the cleansing oil - so your skin won't feel like it has to produce a ton throughout the day.

Mind blown, yet? 

Now, before we get into how to do oil cleansing, I want to make the disclaimer that since not everyone's skin reacts the same, you may find the oil cleansing method doesn't work for you. Or, you might find that your skin hates rosehip oil (like mine does), but loves jojoba oil. And while coconut oil is super comedogenic (which means it very easily clogs pores), it works like a charm for some people. Always patch test to check for reactions.

Anyway, let's get to the good stuff: How the heck do you do it?

To make it easy, I buy pre-mixed cleansing oils. The one I use on my clients is this one. I use this one on myself since I tend to save the luxury items for my freelance kit. 

On totally dry skin (not "dry" as in skin type, but literally dry), rub one or two pumps of oil gently all over your face. Massage and really work it into the skin. If you feel little bumps on or under your skin, pay extra attention to those to allow the oil to work its magic and break up those clogs. They won't all break up in one go, but you might feel little gritty pieces and see specks of grey or black on your fingers. These are hardened, clogged oil that have been released. 

If you use the pre-mixed cleansing oils, they will easily rinse away. And if you wear makeup, cleanse twice (and dry your face in between). The first time, you're getting most of the makeup off, and the second time is for getting a deeper clean. Pat dry.

Note: You can also use plain ol' oils (such as jojoba or mineral oil), but those are more of a pain to rinse. You will really need to take those off with a warm, wet microfiber towel since they don't rinse off easily.

Then continue with the rest of your routine if you have one (such as applying toner and moisturizer). I will do another blog post detailing the various steps that are possible in a skin care routine, but it'll be hella long so for now we're just focusing on the cleansing portion.

So there's the lowdown on oil cleansing! I love it. It's done wonders for my skin and I hope it works for you, too!

I'm always available for lesson, consultations or makeup applications, so email me if you want some hands-on help.