If you have acne and aren’t oil cleansing, what are you waiting for? Oil cleansing is probably among the best holistic methods of eliminating acne. Continue reading to discover more about the oil cleansing method such as why it works, and amazing tips on how best to make it work for you to remove acne with no harsh acne treatments.
Using oil to cleanse?
It seems like something a crazy person came up with and they were a little bit mad!
If you’re struggling with acne, you probably feel that any sort of oil is the enemy but it’s important to not forget that the reason that acne develops is complicated and not very well known.
While it appears it is mainly those with oily skin that appear to have acne (even though it can affect people who have dry or normal skin too ), you can believe the reason behind your acne is the excess oil production by the oil glands under your skin.
Acne isn’t only because of excessive sebum (oil) that becomes trapped in your pores. It’s believed to also involve shed skin cells which combine with the oil and become trapped. When coupled with the bacteria which cause acne (called Propionibacterium acnes) which release enzymes that result in the inflammation of the hair follicle, it may result in acne. Other kinds of acne can also be due to hormone imbalance, stress, etc..
So oil isn’t the enemy per se although excessive oil that clogs pores can help set the groundwork that is why doing whatever you can to make sure your pores aren’t clogged is cleansing and key is an important part of this.
Cleansing method
Cleansing is an important part of getting rid of acne but sadly a lot of products on the market fail at this easy task even the ones that are targeted for acne prone skin. Some might even contain acne fighting ingredients such as salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide but nevertheless not only be not able to enhance the skin but actually make your acne worse based on the features of skin and the causes of your acne.
One reason that many of these goods are not the remedy is that many strip the skin of oil. By drying skin out, it actually simplifies the problem because too dry skin causes the oil glands to produce more oil to compensate for this dryness resulting in more clogged pores that provide the ideal atmosphere for acne causing bacteria to flourish and the vicious cycle continues. Many of these products also contain many harsh skin irritants like fragrance which could make your skin and acne worse.
This is the reason the oil cleansing method is among the best means of getting rid of acne naturally and free of harsh chemicals that strip the skin. That’s not to say you won’t have the ability to locate gentle cleansers that won’t strip your skin which contain good ingredients in the marketplace. I am positive that if you look long enough and experiment long enough, you’ll find a cleaner that provides your skin whatever you require.
But why go through all that if there’s something really easy at your fingertips that makes all the sense in the world? It might sound crazy but oil is the best way to eliminate oil. That’s the crux of this oil cleansing method. It gets rid of the excess oil produced by your oil glands which are clogging your pores up and since you’re using an oil, it won’t dry your skin out therefore your oil glands won’t be triggered into action to generate excessive pore clogging oil.
Over time, this functions as one of the best means of getting rid of acne unless your acne is naturally because of hormone imbalance, stress, and so on, and you might need to use other procedures to get rid of the acne such are stress management, balancing your hormones using a variety of procedures, etc..
If your acne is because of clogged pores (excessive oil shed skin cells bacteria), the petroleum cleansing method is among the best means of getting rid of acne. Do remember that excessive oil production may also be tied to the action of the male hormone testosterone which both women and men have (although guys have this hormone in larger amounts than women clearly ).
Oil cleansing basics
- You’ll need hot running water or warm water in a bowl. You can do it in or out of the shower or bathtub. You’ll also want your oil or oil blend and soft clean washcloths.
- You may massage an oil or oil mix rather to the skin for two to three minutes as this will help to loosen the oil and unclog pores. Take your time to make sure every area of your face and issue areas have been deeply massaged with the oil.
- Steam your face or apply a warm washcloth soaked in the warm water to your face for a moment or two to further open up the pores allowing the oils or oil to penetrate the pores deeply to help them. The warmth helps the pores open up. If using a face towel, when the first towel you use cools, replace it with another one and so on.
- Use the warm towel to wipe all of the oils from your face and you’re finished with cleansing your face!
- You may follow up with a moisturizer or a drop or two of the oil to moisturize your face but that is optional because lots of men and women realize that their face doesn’t need an extra moisturizer or oil after the oil cleansing process.
What oils to use?
Castor oil
Castor oil is used as the basis of the oil cleansing method but based upon your skin type (oily, normal, dry or combination) you may use more or less of the oil.
Castor oil is the basis as it’s thought to be the most appropriate for using in this method since it has many healing and cleansing properties in addition to being anti inflammatory that’s why it’s usually utilized in many natural healing methods for a variety of diseases and conditions rather than only acne.
Other oils
Other oils are often added to castor oil since castor oil is a really thick oil and will pull the skin if used alone as it’s hard to spread. Other oils are added to produce the mix easier to use and spread the oil on the skin. Many different oils also contain many anti-inflammatory and healing properties.
Common thinner oils added to castor oil include olive oil, avocado, grapeseed, apricot kernel, sunflower seed, sweet almond, jojoba, hazelnut, etc..
Best oil tips
- For oily skin use 30 percent castor oil to 70 percent additional oil (sunflower seed oil, grapeseed and sweet almond oil are best)
- For normal skin use 20 percent castor oil to 80 percent additional oil (sunflower, grapeseed, jojoba, apricot kernel, sweet almond oil are best)
- For dry skin use 10 percent castor oil to 90 percent additional oil (avocado or apricot kernel oil are best)
- For acne prone skin, the best oils to mix with castor oil are sunflower seed and hazelnut oils.
The aforementioned are just a general guideline. Play with the ratios and with the oils to learn what works best for you. You can even add a drop or two of several different oils to this blend like argan, tamanu, neem or garlic oil (good for acne prone skin), etc..
Important Strategies
- For those who have acne prone skin, you might wish to avoid using olive oil and coconut oil (coconut oil is comedogenic so it clogs pores). Some folks report a worsening of acne when they use both of these oils either alone or in a blend. Jojoba oil might also be a problem for some people.
- Keep a huge supply of face cloths and wash them well.
- Many of these oils are derived from nuts so that you may develop an allergic reaction if you’re allergic to nuts. If this happens, stop and just use oils not derived from nuts (grapeseed, sunflower seed, etc).
- Do keep in mind that this oil can be drying for many people so either decrease the amount used in the oil mix or remove it entirely. It’s your choice but if you remove it, do remember you will need to wash your face nicely.
- Ensure that your wash cloths are extremely clean and avoid using a fabric softener when you wash them to make certain they are free of any residue or synthetics which fabric softener will leave behind.
- For the best results and for skin favorable effects, only use oils that are cold or expeller pressedorganic and unrefined as these comprise the most healing properties with no other additives.
- Additionally, this cleansing method is among the best methods for eliminating makeup in the end of the day including eye makeup.
- You probably only have to use the oil cleaning method once per day in the evening. All you might want to do in the morning is just wash your face with a moist washcloth.
