Oil Cleansing 101 - Why & How To Use A Cleansing Oil.

What is Oil Cleansing?

 

When people first hear of cleansing their face with oil they can be rather sceptical.

“Wait, you mean putting more oil onto my skin won’t clog my pores and make me breakout?” Nope, not if you’re using the right type of oils for your skin.

The basic idea of oil cleansing is to use natural oils - that are suited to your skin type - to gently cleanse the skin and help regulate the skin’s own oil production.

The whole idea is based on the chemistry principle that “like dissolves like”, or in this case, oil dissolves oil. When you massage oil into your skin, it will dissolve the oil that has already hardened and found itself stuck inside your pores. When removing the oil, the steam from a warm washcloth will open your pores, allowing the oil, dirt & bacteria to be easily removed. Cleansing oils are also highly effective at removing make-up.

Traditional soap or foaming cleansers can irritate the skin, cause dryness or tightness after washing, worsen acne, and lead to the skin overproducing oil (hence oilier skin). Using a cleansing oil instead of these types of cleansers can actually help protect the natural lipid layer of the skin (the acid mantle), and support a skin PH balance that helps to heal acne and nourish your skin. Anyone with oily skin, dry skin, sensitive skin, blackheads, whiteheads and mild to moderate acne can benefit from oil cleansing.

 

So, What Do You Need To Start Oil Cleansing?

  1. A cleansing oil formulated with a blend of oils specifically suited to your skin type. This is very important as different oils work more efficiently with different skin types. Using the wrong types of oil for your skin can result in clogged pores and more breakouts.

  2. A soft washcloth + warm water to remove the oil/dirt/bacteria after cleansing. Microfiber washcloth’s work well.

 

How To Wash Your Face With A Cleansing Oil...

  1. Add 1/4-1/2 a teaspoon of cleansing oil into the palm of your hand and massage into DRY skin (don’t wet your skin first). Using smooth circular strokes, gently massage the oil into your skin for 1 minute. Massaging will help to break up sebum, blackheads, dirt, excess makeup, and any other impurities on the surface of the skin and within the pores.

  2. Hold a clean washcloth under warm water and squeeze out the excess. Open it and place over your face to create steam that will help dissolve the oils within your pores. Leave on for 10-15 seconds, pressing the cloth lightly into your face. Use the other side of the washcloth to gently wipe away and remove any remaining oil (make sure to remove oil from around the hairline and neckline too!).

  3. Liberally spritz your skin with a hydrating facial tonic in order to restore the skin PH (skin thrives at a PH of approx. 5.3).

  4. While you skin is still damp and dewy, apply 1-2 drops of face oil to your fingertips and gently pat into the skin. This helps to further nourish the skin and seal moisture in.

    (Note: if you’re applying other serums/moisturizers do this before your face oil or mix them together and apply).

 

How Often Should You Use Your Cleansing Oil?

We recommend once a day, at night time in order to remove the day’s sweat, pollution, makeup, and other impurities from your skin. In the morning, you can simply splash your face with warm water and use a cotton pad spritzed with facial tonic to gently wipe the skin clean.

(Note: if you have very oily skin, a gentle non-foaming gel cleanser might be better to use in the morning).

If you’re experiencing an increase in breakouts (especially after 2-3 weeks of oil cleansing) you may need to switch to oil cleansing every second day, change the oils you are using, or stop oil cleansing altogether. Everyone’s skin is different!

 

A Quick Last Note On Oil Cleansing...

Contrary to all the DIY blog posts out there, castor oil, olive oil and coconut oil are NOT good for oil cleansing with. These oils can either be too drying for the skin, or are highly comedogenic and will clog your pores.

Regardless of your individual skin (dry, oily, combination, sensitive, aging), there’s an oil cleansing blend that will work with your skin type & condition. That’s what we’re here for!

 

Browse our collection of targeted Cleansing Oils HERE!