There are facial cleansers – foamy, gel, soapy, dry. There are exfoliants and scrubs. Toners and splashes.
And then there’s oil.
The superhero of facial cleaning.
You heard me right. Oil.
Regardless of your particular skin situation (dry, oily, normal, reptilian), there’s an oil-cleansing method that will work with your type.
“Oil cleansing method,” is one of the most popular in-site search term on Crunchy Betty. You want to know more about this oddly effective way to wash your face. I don’t blame you. It’s disco awesome.
My one post on it, however, was written at nearly the absolute beginning of my blogging career. I had no idea how to craft a readable, coherent post. (Translation: It’s confusing and not very helpful.)
We’re going to try this again. The right way.
Everything you want to know about the oil cleansing method. Why it works. How to do it. The pros and cons.
Your mind = blown. Your face = gorgeous. Your undying love + candy = mine.
How Does the Oil Cleansing Method Work?
Turn off the faucet for a minute. Put your facial cleanser away. Instead, today, grab some oils and slather them on your face. Massage them around. Let them lounge luxuriously. Now, turn the faucet back on – very warm water. Dunk a washcloth in it and then slowly wipe the oil off your face.
Guess what? Your face is now as clean as it needs to be. It’s radiant. Gorgeous, dahling. You’ve just used the oil cleansing method.
But how does it work?
You know how your skin – all of it – secretes oil? Even if your face feels dry, it still has oil on it.
Well, according to chemistry know-how, like dissolves like. So, effectively what you’re doing is dissolving and wiping away all the icky dirty oil from your face and replenishing it with clean, nourishing oil.
There’s no harsh chemicals involved. No suds. Nothing to actually strip your skin of its oil.
And this is good, because when you strip your skin of its sebum, it goes into overdrive, trying to create more. Which leads to clogged pores. Blackheads. Whiteheads. Just plain old irritation.
(We learned this well with the no ‘poo experiment, right? How shampoos make your scalp flip out and produce more oil?)
And that, in a very brief and succinct nutshell, is how the oil cleansing method works.
What Oils Are Best for Oil Cleansing?
Regardless of your skin type, there’s one oil you’ll probably want, and that is:
Castor oil.
Castor oil is gives you the most cleansing, dissolving bang for your buck. It’s also highly antibacterial in nature.
It can also be drying. So depending on your skin type, you’ll either use more or less castor oil proportionally to the other oils.
Good Oil Cleansing Varieties
- Jojoba (all skin types, but very desirable for acne-prone skin)
- Sweet almond (all skin types, especially oily)
- Grapeseed (all skin types, especially oily)
- Avocado (dry and aging skin)
- Sunflower Seed (all skin types)
- Olive (all skin types)*
- Apricot Kernel (dry, aging, and normal skin)
- Argan (all skin types, especially aging skin … very pricey)
- Tamanu (all skin types … very pricey)
*You’ll probably want to stay away from coconut oil for oil cleansing, as it is a known comedogenic and may possibly clog your pores and exacerbate blackheads.
The Oil-Cleansing Ratio
When you first start out with OCM, It’s best to think in ratios of thirds. You can measure these thirds out ahead of time and prepare a whole bottle full of oil. Or, you can do what I do and just eyeball it each time you use the method.
It might be better to use this on a “wash-by-wash” basis before you go mixing a whole bottle of oil together, just in case you want to change up the ratios if you notice your face is becoming too dry or too oily.
Here’s the rule of oil-cleansing thirds (remember, castor oil is important here):
- Oily skin: Use 2/3 castor oil to 1/3 carrier oil. (Or measure out 2 tsp castor oil and 1 tsp carrier oil.)
- Normal skin: Use equal parts castor oil and carrier oil. (Measuring out 1-1/2 tsp castor oil and 1-1/2 tsp carrier oil.)
- Dry skin: Use 1/3 castor oil and 2/3 carrier oil. (Again, 2 tsp carrier oil and 1 tsp castor oil.)
These ratios are NOT set in stone, but they’re a great jumping off point. Again, when I do this, I just eyeball it in the palm of my hand and go from there.
My favorite mix thus far: 1 tsp castor oil, 1 tsp avocado oil, and 1 tsp jojoba oil.
Oil Cleansing in 3 Easy Steps
- Prepare. Either mix your oils together ahead of time, or have the bottles ready. Set a clean washcloth beside the sink. Turn the hot water on to warm up.
- Cleanse. Starting with a dirty face (no need to pre-clean here, even if you’re wearing makeup), rinse your face lightly with the warm, running water. Pour the oil in the palm of your hand and then apply gently all over your face. Massage firmly, but gently, always moving upwards. Massage for 2 minutes, and then let the oil sit on your face for 30 more seconds or more.
- Rinse. By now, you should have very hot water coming out of your faucet. Adjust the heat until it’s cool enough to apply to your skin, but warm enough to soften the oil (it’s probably going to be hotter than the water you usually rinse your face with). Dunk the washcloth under the hot/warm water until it’s completely soaked. Apply the washcloth to your face and hold it there for 10-15 seconds. Slowly begin to wipe off. Rinse your washcloth and repeat until you’ve wiped all the oil off your skin.
That’s it!
Your skin is now cleansed.
Pros and Cons of Oil Cleansing
For as easy as it sounds – and as beneficial as it is – there are some pros and cons to oil cleansing, though.
Pros:
- It’s fantastic for your skin, and works for many people to clear up acne, combat dryness, and maintain a radiant glow.
- It’s super natural (be sure to buy cold-pressed or expeller-pressed organic oils, as well as castor oil that’s consciously extracted).
- It whisks away makeup in a flash. (It’s the only way I clean my face when I wear makeup now.)
- It doesn’t strip the skin of its natural oils.
- If you use this nightly, you may not need to spring for pricey moisturizers anymore.
Cons:
- It may take a week or two for your skin to adjust to this new regimen.
- It’s more time-consuming than just washing your face with a cleanser.
- It’s a little more costly than using a cleanser, depending on the oils you choose.
- It may mean more laundry, due to the numerous washcloths you’ll go through if you do this every night.
Notes on the Oil Cleansing Method
Now that you know why you should do it, how to do it, and whether or not you’re up to the challenge, you may have a couple of questions. If I don’t cover them here, feel free to ask down below.
The frequency at which you use the OCM is up to you. Some people do it every night. I don’t have that kind of hardcore dedication (nor do I feel like my face gets dirty enough most of the time to warrant it). The one thing I would probably steer clear of – completely – is switching up the OCM with a store-bought facial cleanser that contains sulfates or sulfides. You’ll just confuse the heck out of your skin and it won’t know what to do with its own oil.
You might not need to moisturize after you use the oil cleansing method. This is where I heartily encourage you to get to know your own skin, so you can tell if it’s feeling dry enough to use a moisturizer. Every time I’ve OCM’ed before bedtime, I’ve never felt the need to moisturize (save a little vitamin E oil around my eyes).
You CAN jazz it up with things like tea tree oil or lavender essential oil (if your face is oily or acne-prone) or carrot seed oil or rose hip oil for normal/dry skin or even some rose essential oil or myrrh essential oil if your skin is aging. In all cases, just use 2-3 drops of each oil in your mixture.
Don’t sweat it if you don’t enjoy the oil cleansing method. It does take some time, and it does take some time to get used to. Eventually, you may feel like you’re pampering your face in a whole new and incredible way. Or you may feel like you never want to go to bed, because. Only do it if you enjoy it – if you see and feel a difference you’re happy with.
Last but not least, here are some of the websites that turned me on to the oil-cleansing method last year. Thanks, ladies!
–Sorta Crunchy
–Keeper of the Home
–Wellness Mama
*See THIS Crunchy Betty post for updated tips and recommendations for starting the oil cleansing method, in addition to why you shouldn’t use olive oil and other good stuffs to know.
Don’t want to make it yourself? I’ve created two splendific OCM oils that you can purchase through my shop! My Tamanu Thyme oil is for normal, oily, and acne skin types, and my Exquisite Stuff oil is for dry or aging skins. Check it out and let me know how you like it!
Have you tried the oil cleansing method? Speak up in the comments! Let everyone know what you thought and what your favorite part about it was!
I am a OCM devotee! It took two weeks for my skin to adjust and it was some serious break outs during that two weeks, but after that? Gorgeous. Fine lines disappeared. Yes, disappeared. My skin looks at least five years younger and I only break out around that time of the month now, instead of perpetually. And, it’s not very bad. I use it almost every night. When I don’t, I just rinse my face with water. No more soap/cleansers for me. Love it!
Thanks Jessica Anne! I started 2 weeks ago, and absolutely loved it, but now my face is breaking out 🙁 I’m a little scared to keep trying it, but knowing it has happend to others, I will. Thanks again!
Make sure you are getting the oils off completely.
But there is usually a period were the impurities are
pulled to the surface of the skin usually whiteheads.
would the ocm help with rosacea?
I would love to find something that would help with this problem and with my fine lines
Yes it does! I have rosacea, combination, and acne prone skin. It has done wonders for my flare ups and getting the red out of my face. I use this method every night or every other night and I haven’t even flared since. I use half olive oil and half castor oil.
Just a forewarning though if you do have acne….There could be a mass explosion all over your face when you first start using OCM! My forehead broke out terribly with white heads. Make sure you get the oil off thoroughly.
Thanks for such a great post! As providence would have it I just went out over the weekend and bought some grapeseed oil and castor oil to try this method out. My teenage son has some acne problems and I hope (fingers crossed!) that I can get him to try this method. I guess I’ll have to pull out the big guns and tell him all the girls will love him if he tries this. Thanks for such wonderful tips and such engaging writing! You are wonderful!
Okay this was awesome. I, um, don’t actually wash my face at night or in the morning. I don’t wear makeup so the most I do is rinse my face with water a few times a day. But lately I’ve been feeling like I need more and I’ve been hearing about OCM for awhile but was too lazy to figure out how to really do it. And here you come! Serendipity!
Poppy, I’m with you–my face doesn’t really feel like it wants or needs more than just that warm water rinse thing. (except that I honestly DON’T feel like it needs more…I just thought I was the only person who didn’t actually wash her face with ANYTHING.)
Odd that after years of acne and breakouts and beginnings of wrinkles, a year ago I cut almost all activity on my face, just light rinsing and a little clear oil moisturizer, and not only do I not get breakouts but I swear I have fewer wrinkles than I did on my 40th birthday!
Hi Jenn,
I have acne prone oily skin and also melasma. I’m starting to get wrinkles too! I’ve got big blackheads. I’ve tried so many different kinds of things to try to have nice healthy skin and get rid of the problems for years and years. Seems the just keep getting worse.
Think of doing the same and cutting out stuff and replacing it with oils. What clear oil moisturizer did you use?
I love the idea of being able to do this and skip moisturizing. Maybe it’ll actually be more cost effective if I can work that out. I’ve got more shopping to do, I’m thinking I need the apricot kernel!
I tried it for about a week. …Don’t throw things at me just yet, I know I didn’t try it long enough to get over the transition period. But when every inch of my forehead erupted in tiny little bumps, my vanity won out and I went back to drying and chemical laden soap. I really really WANT this to work, but I’m scared to try again, especially with my very acne-prone skin. I have been using the conditioner-only hair cleansing method (which I love), so I know that the like-dissolves-like method works. And I am so sick of my face being dried out, which I know can create acne too. So I will be watching for further comments of success stories and maybe I will be brave enough to try it again. Anyone want to share how they got over their vanity and stuck it out during the transition period?
I’m right with you there- my vanity has made me too afriad to try this method! However, I will be trying it over my spring break. My college’s spring break falls at a really awkward time in february/march and I wont be traveling anywhere- I’ll just be at home and at the barn (and my horse has yet to care how many pimples are on my chin). I would say try it during an “empty” period in you life. I know no ones live are truly empty- but try and pick a two week period where you know you wont have any weddings/birthdays/reuinions/holidays/etc where cameras will be present! People will get over seeing you with a breakout once it passes. Just avoid the kodak moments.
(And have a good concealer: no one said you had to go makeup-free! It washes away makeup spectacularly from everything I’ve read.)
Try mixing in a few drops of Tea Tree Oil. It’s a natural astringent/antibacterial and it really helped me.
Kyli, what maybe happening with your skins is a sensitivity reaction causing your acne. I’m in my mid 40’s and this is what I’ve dealt with and finally figured out by way of an esthetician informing me I have sensitive skin. Certain products will cause me breakouts even with being dry. One of the Dermalogical products that I’ve used is an “oil base” precleanse.
Here are the ingrediants:
Caprylic/capric Triglyceride, Prunus Armeniaca (apricot) Kernel Oil, PEG-40 Sorbitan Peroleate, Helianthus Annuus (sunflower) Seed Oil, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Oils Of: Borago Officinalis Seed, Aleurites Moluccana Seed, Oryza Sativa (rice) Bran, Carthamus Tinctorius (safflower) Seed, Citrus Grandis (grapefruit) Peel, Lavandula Hybrida, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (orange), Lavandula Angustifolia (lavender), Citrus Nobilis (mandarin Orange) Peel; Solanum Lycopersicum (tomato) Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Decyl Olive Esters, Tocopherol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Isopropylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Butylparaben, Citral, Limonene, Linalool.
Here’s more info:
What it is:
The professional’s deep cleansing weapon.
What it’s used for:
Achieve ultra-clean and healthy skin with a double cleansing regimen that begins with PreCleanse. This plant-based cleansing oil, fortified with olive and kukui oils, thoroughly melts layers of excess sebum, sunscreen, waterproof makeup, environmental pollutants and residual skin products that build up during the day.
When water is added, it transforms this hyrophilic formula into a milky emulsion, easily rinsing away oil-based debris from the skin’s surface, and allowing your cleanser to penetrate even further for professional cleansing results.
Formulated with conditioning Rice Bran and vitamin E oils, this gentle blend can be used around the eye area to remove even waterproof mascara. Offers a deep cleansing ideal even for the most oily skin conditions. Contains no artificial fragrance or color.
Now I’m not advocating this products, but wanted to point out that maybe a couple of these above mentioned “OILS” might work in the same OCM combination and help you. I’m looking too for an alternative to purchasing OTC products such as this, even though I LOVE it! I need a way to reduce out of pocket expenses, so hopefully this information may help you!
Good luck!
Where do you buy the oil base precleanser?
ok, this takes a while.
at least 2 weeks.
so do this when no one will see u or take pics, either.
but if u keep with it your skin will glow.
GLOW.
so keep trying! ^^
This is great! I have been trying the oil cleansing method for almost two weeks, and so far I like it! BUT what I found even more interesting is your momentary mention of coconut oil. In reading online, I kept seeing people mentioning coconut oil as a face moisturizer and it helping clear up their acne. Well! I had used OCM for all of a week when I started using coconut oil to moisturize…and all of a sudden I had all these zits! I thought “WHAT is going on here?!” I wasn’t sure if it was the OCM, or if it was the coconut oil. Now I have learned coconut oil is comedogenic and was perhaps not the way to go with acne prone skin! I’ll eliminate it and see if that helps. Thanks for this great post!
I’ve also read that Argan oil is extremely comedogenic as well! I used “Moroccan Oil” which contains Argan oil and I got crazy breakouts on my face (my hair flops all in my face, so hair products are never really exclusive to my hair). I had the same issue with using Coconut Oil on my hair/body too! My skin isnt acne prone and before the oil incidents, i would only get occasional breakouts during “that time”.
I use this website to check on the “clog-ability” of the oils in any natural products I make. http://www.soapnuts.com/noncomo.html
That’s an excellent resource, thank you! I’ll have to bookmark that for future skin care experiments!
I’ve stopped using coconut oil to moisturize my face, and besides “that time” things are looking MUCH better! 🙂
I love OCM…its amazingly super effective…..but I have heard that it shouldn’t be done too regularly…about twice a week is enough…
I am very excited. I’ll be trying it out! My avocado oil and my jojoba have some EO’s added b/c I use them as a body moisturizer after the shower. Do you think they are still ok for face use? I think it’s palmarosa.
Okay, I think I’m ready to try this. I just need the jojoba. Why does it take some getting used to? Is it because you’re slapping oil all over your face and we’re so not used to this? Or is it because your face adjusts and gets zitty or something? Know what I mean? Thanks!
Ladies, it may seem like the transition is tough at first, but stick with it-it pays off. If used regularly, this produces the most amazing baby soft skin and as Jessica Anne mentioned, fine lines just seem to melt away.
Hydrate that skin!
I LOVED – loved, loved, LOVED – the OCM…for about a month. And then my chin decided it hated olive oil and broke out in really awful cystic acne. Just my chin…everything else continued to respond perfectly. I’m really curious if anyone else has seen the same thing happen, and if they were able to figure it out. What’s the logic behind the jojoba oil, out of curiosity? And maybe what other carriers have worked well for acne-prone areas? I’d love to go back to OCM, if I can find something that’ll work for me, but I also don’t want to deal with as much trial and error (and acne) as I’m expecting…
I love the OCM… have been using it for about 2-3 months now. I love the way my skin feels after and I don’t moisturize morning or evening now – don’t need to. Acne prone skin with an odd combination of oily and flakiness (or maybe odd scaliness?) no longer happens here!! Yea. I also use the oatmeal/almond scrub in the am. I got my mom started on this (OCM and almond/oatmeal) who is also dry, acne prone with rosacea (and aging) – 2 weeks into this and I mistook her for wearing makeup when she had a bare face!!! . My current combination is castor oil, jojoba and sunflower oil with lavendar EO Never had that weird transition thing… or my skin was so awkward as it was I just didn’t notice.
I’ve been using the OCM for a while weeks now with okay results. So far I’ve just done a combination of castor and olive oil but I am excited to try it out with jojoba and avocado oils. Thanks for the tips!
I switched to Ocm about 2 months ago. I was very skeptical to even try it out to begin with but I love it. I use olive oil, cleanse most nights, and its changed my skin for the better. I had started with some awful dry facial patches this winter. I’m 32 and always has combo/oily skin so dry was new to me. In just under 2 weeks the patches are gone and my skin looks so much better. If I do break out its not often and usually hormonal so I know not to blame Ocm.
I’ve Bern using this method for months and I love it! When I feel stressed, it really helps be to relax and it cleans my face. 😀
I have been using the OCM for three months now and I LOVE IT! I do a half and half mixture with olive oil and castor oil. I have acne-prone skin so I add tea tree oil, also. I do it every night but never before putting on make up…it tends to make my eye make up fade below my eyes, then just rinse my face with cold water each morning. My oil cleanser is kept in the bathroom in an old ‘honey bear’ bottle. I sometimes use straight olive oil for moisturizer.
ok Renae I’m curious how things are going for you with the olive and castor oils along with the tea tree oil added? I have all three, so I’m eager to try. Needing to wait until Sunday since we have a wedding reception Saturday.
I too have acne-prone (sensitive) skin….
I am so intrigued by the oil cleansing method, but have not had the guts to try it. I hesitate because I am still battling acne (esp. the cystic kind) and do not wish to make my skin worse. I am hopeful that it would help though, so I may get brave enough to try it. Just need some Castor oil. And some guts. Would love to hear about others with acne who have used this method with success!
ok, it may seem scary the first 1-2 weeks, but after?
You will never ever ever use aything else again.
ever. ever. and this is from a person who loved her proactive for ugly, ugly acne.
my face feels so perfect that i cant use to use toner or moisturizer or anything!!! my skin is just that perfect.
and while ur waiting for that castor oil, you could just use plain olive oil.
but the castor oil helps a lot.
and this will clear up ur acne after the transition period. A LOT.
How often do you use ocm? If you’re not using it everynight/day, what do you use to wash your face?
Holy Moses! This is like the BEST OCM post I’ve read. NICELY DONE.
I have been using OCM for four years now. Cannot fathom doing anything else to my skin. Huge HUGE fan.
Thanks so much for sharing all of this in an INCREDIBLY helpful post. Yay!
I love OCM! Been doing it for about 6 months now. I have a wonderful combination of super sensitive, dry skin that also likes to break out with acne. I do the OCM every night and it’s cleared up the acne, but my skin is especially dry in the winter, so after I wash away the icky, dirty oil I put more oil on as a moisturizer. Since reading your post about Vitamin E, I’ve been adding it to my usual Grape Seed Oil as moisturizer. I think my acne scars are actually fading now.
Tried this last night it was great. I also tried washing my hair with baking soda and water that I had steeped a little rosemary in. I splashed some of the hair wash on my face while showering and it seemed to clear the oil off better and made my face super smooth. Thanks for the great tips!!
I tried this last night and I’m sold. I’ve had black heads that plagued my nose and chin since I hit puberty, and they are noticeably diminished today. My skin feels dewy soft, and I was shocked that I did actually need my regular camellia oil moisturizer when I was done. I don’t think I’m up for it every night – it’s a lot of work. I will do it a couple times a week, though, I think, barring any undesired long-term side effects.
Michelle – I have blackheads too which is what’s drawing me to the idea of OCM. what oil(s) do you use?
Thanks!
Castor, obvs, jojoba and sweet almond. The sweet almond is a little thinner, so it helps the castor and jojoba move around my face better. I did somewhere between 1/3 each and 50% castor, 25% each of the others. I wasn’t exact. In the time since this comment, I’ve noticed that I do like a little more castor in the mix – it feels cleaner. I also drop in a couple drops of tea tree to get the benefits from that, as well as the “clean” smell.
Thanks!
I started the OCM a couple of weeks ago, and I love it! Mostly I think I love the pampered feeling I get when I lay the warm washcloth over my face, and inhale the sweet scent of the lavender EO I use.
I’m using 2 to 1 grapeseed oil to castor right now, with just one drop of lavender for a small bottle. I don’t get that hot/dry feeling after I wash, and I’ve cut way back on moisturizer. I don’t wash my face in the morning, and it looks great all day.
I made the switch after lots of research, and after changing birth control methods–which suddenly brought back all the break outs I’d been missing. OCM hasn’t cleared me up 100% yet, but I’m well on my way. Thanks for the updated post!
hello!
thank you so much for this article, i have FINALLY tried OCM!
a quick question though…
how little is too little for the oil amount to use? i tried the amount (3tsp) you suggested but it seemed like A LOT of oil to put on my face.
maybe it is because i am used to putting only a few drops of oil on my face for moisturizing but it seems like i am going to go through this bottle really quick 🙁
thanks for the help,
binya
I’ve tried this before with just olive oil, and liked the results I got on my aging (ugh, I hate admitting that!) skin. But I can’t find castor oil any where– can you give me some ideas where to look? I’d really like to try this again; my skin gets so dry, and is sensitive, too, and this method seems to be a solution.
Look at your natural food stores in the medicinal/face cream sections. Make sure it is cold pressed as expeller pressed is done at higher temperatures and can ruin the important factors of castor oil. Also, it can contain hexane which is not good! I found some at Whole Foods and also Choices. Hope that helps.
Trader Joes carries jojoba oil (Dessert Essence brand), and it’s very reasonably priced.
Hello there
I have been using the OCM for about a year now. Before I had the typical t zone problems along with premature wrinkles. I spent too many dollars to count on cleaners and lotions. I had pretty much tried everything. When I first started the OCM I used the castor oil/olive oil mix. This dried out my skin terribly so I did a little research. I found a site that suggested coconut oil. I started using it and fell in love. I have converted about 5 people and they all love the results. Recently I switched to jojoba oil and have had the same wonderful results. I apply the oil to a dry face and massage for 2 min. Then put the hot cloth over my face until it cools. I love it and would recommend you take the risk and make the change: )
do you use castor oil with it or just the jojoba?
Hi;
I love this website. I having been using the OCM and really liking the results, but noticed that I was getting conjuctivitis and a worsening lesion on my lower eyelid. I finally figured out that it was the castor oil (I have using an organic hexane-free one) and found that there are a number of cases of castor oil-related allergic reactions on the skin. I think it is more likely to happen on mucous membranes like the conjunctiva. (This irritating effect on mucous membranes is why castor oil can temporarily help with constipation.)
The lesion on my eyelid has gotten much better since I stopped using the castor oil mixture, but I would like to find a way to use the OCM. I figure I can try to use the same mixture but avoid the eye area, or find a good oil mixture using no castor oil. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Thank you for posting this – I think I may have a similar issue! That doesn’t answer your question though. 🙁
I’m actually writing a book on natural parenting, and we talk about ways to reduce plastics and yucky ingredients in personal care products. OCM is at the top of our list for “greening your routine.” Thanks for helping get the word out there!!
PONDS COLD CREME. The old-school version of the OCM. My grandmother, who has the most immaculate skin, has been using Ponds practically her whole life. I use ponds at the sink at night before I go to bed and I use a mixture of olive oil, castor oil, tea tree oil, and vitamin E oil as my cleanser in the shower. These two products work amazing to remove waterproof mascara. I also found that the Kleenex hand towels work great for removing either cleanser if you are in a rush, although some people may find them a bit too rough for facial use.
My other secret weapon is to use preparation H hemorrhoid creme under your eyes to reduce swelling.
Also, in regards to another of your posts, beer works great to restore shine and luster to hair.
Cheers!
Actually, I’d stay away from Ponds. I mean, I know our grandparents used it and everything, but it’s got mineral oil (potentially pore-clogging and toxin-introducing, AND a petroleum byproduct that’s just yuck) and fragrance (which disrupts hormones). Your olive/castor/tea tree/vitamin E, though, sounds perfect!
And, I, too, used to use Preparation H under my eyes, but not anymore! An ice cube made with green tea and coffee works just as well, and it doesn’t stink to high heaven. Hehe.
Thanks for the beer tip, too!
Big love!
been doing this for years! luv it!
Do the oil cleansers you make clog up sinks? That is a fear of mine…any problems with it?
You mention not alternating this method with using drugstore cleansers. Can you (or someone else) suggest some brands that might be acceptable to alternate with the OCM?
So what should i use to wash my face on the other days?
Personally, I use a modified version of the “no-nonsense daily facial scrub” whenever I’m not wearing makeup. When I do wear makeup, the only thing I cleanse with is the OCM.
Here’s the recipe for the facial scrub: https://crunchybetty.com/no-nonsense-daily-scrub-for-any-skin-type
I tried the OCM for the first time last night, and it felt fabulous! I’m just starting into making my own cleansers, etc, so this was one of the first things I’ve tried (I’ve been making my own household cleaners for a while already). So excited to start following your blog and slowly work some new things into my ‘homemade’ routine!
(As a side note, I also used a bit of the olive oil as a moisturizer on my super dry hands an elbows, and while I was sitting in bead waiting for it all to absorb in, my cat jumped up onto my stomach and started licking my arms – apparently she likes it too!)
ok, so i’ve tried this before and gave up after a week because it made me break out, but when i stumbled upon your article i decided to try it again. it’s been three weeks now and i still have some serious breakouts on my forehead, my mix is 2/3 castor + 1/3 jojoba + a bit of tee tree oil, im really determined to make this work, any suggestions?
Keep at it is about the only suggestion I can give. And unless you have really oily skin, you need to use less castor and more of the jojoba because the castor oil could be drying your skin out/stripping it instead of just pulling out all the nasties.
Just curious if using this method increases your pore size? I have spent a rediculous amount of money on skin care, natural and not. But I’m willing to try one more thing! Also curious if this method does anything for people with uneven skin tone or scarring? What would be the nest oils for these concerns? Thanks!
Thanks Crunchy Betty! After reading this article I started the OCM and I am already noticing a massive improvement after only a week. I’ve had clear skin for 23 years but suddenly developed an outbreak of continual blemishes on my chin that have not cleared up for over four months. They have now started going away and I couldn’t be feeling crunchier!
I can safely say that I’ve been trying this for a few weeks, only I made the mistake of trying it with EVCO (extra virgin coconut oil) + Castor oil and for the first two weeks, my face LOVED it. It was after that transitional period that my face erupted in the T-zone with some of the worst breakouts I’ve ever had, and after some research, I found out that I’m not the only one who has a skin ‘allergy’ to coconut oil (I use the term allergy loosely). Guess the coconut oil will just be for my hair and not my face.
I don’t want to give up on OCM just quite yet, so I’m going to switch it out for a mixture oil by Jason naturals that contains Sunflower, Safflower, Rice Bran, Sweet Almond, Apricot, Avocado, and Wheat Germ oil along with my Castor oil for an all over clean (and hopefully the beautiful skin I’ve been chasing after for a while now).
I have been using this method for a little over a month; other than the zit that showed up on my nose that I HAD to squeeze (you’ve been there – you understand), my face, which has been oily all my life, has felt and looked wonderful. I have actually felt that it might be slightly dry (first.time.ever.), so I am thinking I need to pull back on how many nights I do this (it feels so nice that I want to do it every night – a mini-spa after a long day of working and being a mom). I also use straight olive oil to moisturize if I feel extra dry in the mornings. Personally, I am thinking that this will be a major savings – the amount I spent on one bottle of castor oil, which will get me through a loooooooong time, is the same as one bottle of cleanser/soap/face wash/whatever you want to call it that I used to buy, and that never lasted me all that long. Haven’t experimented with EOs yet – I want to see what kind of skin I actually DO have once all the guck is gone.
When you first start the OCM when should the breakouts stop and the amazing skin begin? I’ve been doing it with castor, jajoba and avocado ( equal thirds) about every two or three days at night. I got the most monstrous zit ever on my cheek and I’m scared to continue. I’ve always had combo skin but I don’t get giant zits like this. Bummin big time…suggestions?
I’ve always had combination skin, but I think at 45 my skin has become extra sensitive.So it was with much enthusiasm that I embarked on using the OCM a few months ago. At first it seemed to work well, but after about 6 weeks I actually had to stop because my skin was reacting adversely to it. I kept dropping the castor oil (my final ratio was 20% castor/80% EVOO), but even so, after a treatment my skin would get a temporary red inflammation. After the inflammation subsided, I had little dry itchy patches in certain areas of my face. I am not sure if the problem is with the castor oil… I am actually leaning toward the EVOO being a problem. I have a bottle of ridiculously expensive “Virgin Olive Oil” from DHC and when I use that as a moisturizer, I get some of the same inflammation. Has anybody else experienced this? Is there a “gentler” carrier oil anyone would recommend?
I really wish I could go back to OCM, because it really shrunk the pores on my nose!
Thanks!
I’m actually NOT using EVOO, and instead I use Jason naturals Vitamin E 5000 UI which my skin seems to love (which is worth a shot to try)
so how are you supposed to know if you’re breaking out because your pores are clogged or because you’re using too much castor oil? i have skin that is oily but seems to be dry on top of that oiliness. i tried a 20/80 castor/evoo combo for about a week and a half, broke out like crazy, read this article, and switched to a 1/1 grapeseed/castor combo. i also splash some acv on my face afterwards on the blemished parts of my face–mostly my chin. still breaking out. i really want to make this work but i don’t know how to tell which oil to change.
I am the one who wrote a month or so earlier on the problems I was having with getting small lesions on my lower eyelid margins from the castor oil. I started back using OCM (equal parts castor oil, jojoba oil, and avacado oil) , just being careful to not get it too close to my eyes, and I have had no further problems. I love it and my skin loves it.
I remember how when hearing about how the ancient Greeks and Romans would rub themselves with oil and have it scraped off before taking their baths, I thought it was so gross, but now I wonder….
Also, I notice that most of the people who are writing about being frustrated from break outs from OCM are using EVO in their oil mixture. Maybe they should try eliminating the EVO and trying other oils. I am using jojoba, castor, and avacado, and have had no breakouts at all, even before my period.
I love this site!
Ive just learned about the OCM and I am very interested in it. I tried it last night with castor oil and EVOO and my face felt very oily after I was done. Is this normal and if not any suggestions? Also what should my face feel like when I am done. Other than clean. Thanks for your input.
Hello I am new to this site and am very interested in trying the OCM. I figure I have nothing to lose since I’ve tried everything over the counter & medically prescribed. I think I am going to begin with the Jojoba/castor/tea tree oil mixture to see how it works. I have oily acne prone skin. I hear people saying you don’t need a moisturizer after but currently I use a mositurizer with sunscreen. What kind of sunscreen is safe to use with OCM? Also if you do moisturize what kind of oil is a good one?
Hi Moe,
Be very careful with the type of moisturizer with sunscreen you use. I have sensitive oily skin and will “break out” if I don’t use the proper moisturizer. An oil free one works best. Now, I can use oil as a cleanser, but not the moisturizer. For many—many years I thought I had acne, but then found out I don’t have acne; it’s breakouts from my sensitive skin.
Right now I’m dealing with shoulder and chest breakout from using “Oil of Olay” body wash! The two I bought were almost FREE with coupons, but having the breakout isn’t worth it! I haven’t had body breakouts for ages and now this. It drives me crazy. An old time pharmacist once told me, “This is what you get to look forward to as you get older.” Lucky me. 🙂
I use a stand along sunscreen – Coopertone Oil Free and have NO breakouts! Neutrogena also has a few face sunblocks that work well too with no breakouts. Good luck!
Here’s a link I found that maybe helpful and goes along great with this thread. The OP on the thread indicates when using olive oil to use the EXTRA VIRGIN olive oil.
http://www.acne.org/messageboard/OIL-CLEANSING-METHOD-Hi-t141871.html
I’ll be trying OCM starting next week! Can’t wait to get started!!!
While using the OCM, is there anything we should stay away from (masks, moisturizers, toners etc)? I love making and using lots of skin products on this site, but I’m just wondering if I should continue using, say, the Parsley and Cocoa mask while doing OCM.
I’m one day into this and I already love it. My skin feels healthier and softer after just one use. I’m using Jojoba and Castor oil (1/3, 2/3 respectively) because I have oily and acne prone skin. After one night of work (where I’m running around all night and usually shiny and gross feeling afterwards), my skin still felt soft and clean! Will keep updated! 🙂 Thanks so much!
I started trying the OCM mixed with a few drops of essential oils because I was scared of using the oils alone and everything worked amazing. I have a mixture of castor oil, jojoba oil and sweet almond oil with some purifying essential oils like rose geranium, neroli, lavender and sandalwood and I didn’t have major blemishes problems. I always had a few breakouts per month, and when I started with the OCM nothing changed, now I don’t have breakouts anymore. Adding a few drops of essential oils (not more than 8-10, or depending on the amount of carrier oils you used) it’s always the best option to help control the skin when starting with this method. I had combination skin but treating it only with oils has changed a lot its appearance. I also did research about carrier and essential oils suited for my skin problems and the antioxidant protection my skin needs and I created like a “serum” only with carrier and essential oils and I’m using only those oils the cleansing ones and the “serum” and my skin is better than ever. May sound weird, but with oils, you can cure sun damage, hyperpigmentation and even, scars. This is so amazing.
Can I ask where you searched for suitable carrier oils for your skin type? Very interested in looking this up for myself 🙂
I am SO GLAD I found the oil cleansing method! I started about a week ago with 1/3 Castor Oil, 2/3 EVOO, and a few drops of Tea Tree oil. It felt great, but after a couple of days, I got some minor break outs. I did some research and decided that castor oil from the pharmacy wasn’t the best choice. So, I went to my local health food store and picked up some cold-pressed, cold-processed castor oil and some jojoba oil as well (I wish I could have found some organic oils, but these will do for now). But now, I seriously LOVE this. I am glad I got the jojoba oil too, because I think the EVOO was a bit heavy. The few break outs I did get are now gone, and my skin looks beter every time I cleanse. This has made me want to go all natural in other aspects of my beauty regimen and overall lifestyle. I am doing the ‘poo free hair cleansing, and that is going extremely well too. When I tell people that I have transitioned to these natural methods, they sort of turn their nose up, but WHO HAS THE GLOWING SKIN HERE?! Me, that’s who 😉 I try to explain the method, but it just doesn’t click with them… their loss.
I was once a “philosophy girl,” but with tough economic times and a starving college student’s lifestyle, I have little money to maintain high end products from places like Sephora. I don’t even know what is in that junk anyway. If you can’t pronounce it, or EAT IT, don’t put it on your skin!
Love you blog, love love love!
This is the first time I’ve ever commented on your website. I found it a couple of months ago via Stumbleupon and I love what you have to offer.
So since I was about 13 I’ve had horrible (and I mean HORRIBLE) acne. I am the typical “I have tried everything out there and nothing works!” kind of girl. So I saw the oil cleansing method here and I decided to try it. The first two nights were amazing! My skin felt so smooth and the bumps were going away. However, after the third night of doing this I’ve begun to get really bad red bumps that hurt like heck on the bottom sides of my face. I have really oily skin and it’s a bit sensitive so I went with 2/3 jojoba oil and 1/3 castor oil with 3 drops of tea tree oil to kick it up a notch.
I guess my question is…should I tough it out? I truly believe in this and I really think this could be my acne eliminator. I just hate being 20 years old and being the only person in my circle of co-workers and friends who has such bad skin. Any advice at all would be wonderful. Thank you!
Cut out the tea tree oil. It can be a skin irritant and the bumps might be a reaction.
I read somewhere else to make certain you get the oil off your face, because after steaming it contains all of the “gunk” from your pores…so if it stays on your skin, it will just cause breakouts. She said she makes sure to get her hairline and around her jaw
Use a toner afterwards such as Witch Hazel or raw honey mixed with Apple Cider Vinegar (Braggs is best, it has the Mother in it).
Stop using the oil cleansing method all the time. Find a pH balanced, mild foaming cleanser with soothing ingredients. When you do want to oil cleanse, make sure there is no castor oil or fragrant oils in it at all. DONT STEAM OR SCRUB YOUR FACE!! To remove the oils, rinse face with warm water a few times and then use a water-based cleanser. This is called double cleansing and can be done 3 times a week or less.
I started commenting on this on another section. I tried it, and decided to take it to the next level by using oil in place of body wash. Loved it, but it it terribly time intensive, and the shower felt oily. Not even Alvin Corn could handle the shower door, but I scrubbed it with baking soda & vinegar first, and followed with Alvin Corn, and the shower doorls look great!
Just not sure I can manage the entire oil cleansing process, followed by the scrubbing-the-shower process, but here’s hoping!!!
Is there a better body wash soloution?
I’ve been experimenting with the OCM for about a week now. Had the same problem with using it all over and came up with this solution: Mix 1/2 cup of sugar (white or brown) with enough olive oil to make a peanut-butter-like consistency. Use this as a body scrub and your skin will feel AMAZING. I don’t have to use any lotion after and my skin is glowing. For a morning perk, add 1/2 cup coffee grounds to the mix!
Can you use this method on your entire body for cleansing?
Absolutely. In fact I don’t recommend it for your face, it may be too harsh. I use this an an all-over body scrub every two or three days. If you want more of a latherish feel and a more gentle exfoliation, use oat flour instead of sugar. Then you can use it on your face, too.
Your post on Face Massage and Accupressure the other day (plus that video) finally got me started on OCM and as of today (day: 10) I am hooked on it 100%. (Actually I totally loved it from day 1 but that makes me sound fickle.)
I started with EV Olive Oil alone ‘cuz that’s all I had. At day 5, I bought some Sweet Almond Oil ‘cuz I only remembered that the one I wanted started with an “A”. Two days ago I finally got hold of some Avocado Oil and Castor Oil and have started blending the two 75/25.
My face is soft, clean, and *glowing* (as opposed to patchy, flaky, and clogged). If anything changes, I’ll let you know!
stephanie, have you been using this everyday?
I’ve been using the method for about a month (75/25 castor/evoo) & have seen a big difference in my skin. However, I have noticed a bump or two showing up. What do I do to minimize them? Also, I still have scarring from previous bumps, acne, etc., & have been thinking about using something over-the-counter. By the way, I am African American & the spots are really dark, although I have noticed that they are a little bit lighter since I’ve been using the OCM.
I’ve heard of OCM a while back ago and did it every day. I stopped in the winter cuz my skin ‘likes the cold’ now that its summer, my forehead has become a warzone. I started back up last night and I instantly, and I mean instantly! saw that my pores were smaller. Mr. Pimple is still here but hey its one day.
I use:
1/2 Castor
1/2 EVOO (and when I can afford some jojoba I’ll throw that in there too)
**I let the hot cloth lay on my face for a bit to create a steaming effect
Oh to Crystal, I forgot.. I still use the Ambi fade cream 2x a day. And my sis says that Vitamin E oil works well for fading dark marks.
Crystal, I to am African American. When I first started using the OCM I used 75/25 castor/Jojoba. Once the acne cleared up I went to castor oil 25/ Jojoba oil 75 because my skin got very dry. Once I made the change I rarely get a pimple but when I do I just dab a little lemon juice on the spot. I also stopped using fade creams for the dark spots and started using a high SPF sunblock. Since I’ve gotten the breakouts under control the old spots are fading.
I hope this helps.
I just ordered some oils online & I cant wait to get started using this cleansing method. How often do you do it? I am an african american 30 year old woman. I plan on using 75 castor oil 25 jojoba with a few drops of tea tree oil. Also what type of sunscreen do you guys use? I was thinking of using cetaphil moisturizer with spf 15.
Castor oil should only be used at a max of 10% as it will literally attack the moisture in your skin. It’s a very powerful humectant like glycerine and can cause big time irritation when used at high levels or on its own.
I had never heard of the OCM…Crunchy Betty is quickly becoming my favorite website!
I am new to all of this and want to know if the OCM is to take off eyemake up, too?
…a little confused and don’t want to slather oil on my eyes if I’m not supposed to!
Thanks,
Roxie
Well I’ve heard of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) as an excellent eye (and everywhere else) makeup remover so i’d try it. Be warned the more castor oil the dryer your delicate eye area will be so i’d try to make a special eye makeup remover. Olive oil is a really good choice for this. Another quirky thing I’ve found to take off makeup (and it DOESN’T burn my sensitive skin) is…. conditioner. That’s right, straight up hair conditioner 🙂 weird right? lol my friend taught me it. I like using suave but any kind will do, I’ve found Aussie a little too moisturizing to my eye area… But really any cheap conditioner will do 😀
With love, Nona 🙂
Not strange at all, if you compare a basic hair conditioners ingredients with Cetaphil you’ll notice they are almost identical.
Castor oil can be drying, but it really just depends on your personal skin issues. It’s also recommended for growing hair, especially eyelashes & eyebrows. Personally I would use the OCM as usual, and adjust if you have any adverse reactions. I’ve heard of others who use it to remove their makeup as well.
Or like Nona said, you can continue your OCM but use a different oil on the eyes such as olive or jojoba. 🙂 Good luck!
Will castor oil encourage/increase the growth of (unwanted) facial hair? I’m soon to start laser hair removal treatments, and I definitely don’t want the hair coming back!
I have a question…I just started the OCM and it does feel great…but you said people do it at night and that you shouldn’t use OTC cleansers it can confuse your skin…what should you use when not using OCM in the morning to wash?
Honey. 😉 https://crunchybetty.com/honey-challenge
I have read on a few different discussion boards that most people just use warm water on a washcloth in the morning, that’s what I’ve been doing and it’s been working well for me.
I’ve just discovered this site, and I adore it and everything it stands for! Anyway I just had to say that before making my inquiry 🙂 I was wondering if, as a teenage girl with very oily skin (as in, I will wash my face at 8 and it’ll be oily by 11) I could just use EVOO and maybe the grapeseed oil? I don’t know where to find castor oil and my monetary resources are limited… I do have peppermint essential oil that I could add but I’ve got no clue how that will work! Thank you for this!
Castor oil is super cheap (1.25 for a bottle). You can find it anywhere, including the local grocery store. It is tricky to find, though, because it is usually with the anti-diarrhea and laxatives.
I have heard that peppermint oil may irritate your skin if used in the cleanser. Castor oil is in the pharmacy section of your grocery store or walgreens if you want to use organic check your local health food store, close to laxatives and mineral oil, and it is very inexpensive. The most I have seen it for is $1.75. I Have been using 10% castor oil and the rest an equal mix of extra virgin olive oil and grape seed oil. I have very dry and sensitive skin so I find that less castor oil is better for me
I’ve been using the OCM for about two weeks now & I don’t really see a difference in my skin. Although I’m not giving up on it yet I was a little disappointed that I didn’t see the instant glow everyone else raved about. I’m using 50/50 jojoba & castor oil with a few drops of tea tree oil. I think I’ll try 75/ 25 castor/jojoba to see if that works. I’m also going to try washing with honey in the morning & adding some honey to the oil at night. My dermatalogist told me to continue using epiduo well doing OCM-which she never heard of. Any ideas/suggestions on if I should start back using epiduo? I stopped once I started doing OCM at night.
Keeping it real–epiduo is a prescription which means the doc is making more money! Go online and research the ingredients in epiduo and decide for yourself. That’s why ocm is so great, it’s doing naturally what chemicals are trying to mimic.
I’ve done my research on it when I first started using it a while back. I like OCM but my face doesn’t look any better. I’ve only been using it for about a month now so maybe I will give it some more time before I go back to prescriptions.
If you’re not happy with your results yet you should try cutting back on your castor oil not increasing it, and make sure you’re really massaging the oil into your skin well to clean out your pores and moisturize at the same time.
I’ve done my research on it when I first started using it a while back. I like OCM but my face doesn’t look any better. I’ve only been using it for about a month now so maybe I will give it some more time before I go back to prescriptions.
Hello, I am not good with math here as you can see. What do you mean by the ratio of 75/25…how much is that? Does 75 means 3/4 of a cup and 25 means 1/4 of a cup?
Please advise, thanks!
Yes. Or, in different increments, just use 3x as much of one as the other (3 tablespoons/1 tablespoon, etc.)
Hi,
I’ve been reading about the oil cleansing method on numerous sites/blogs and I am kind of confused. After I do this, I don’t have to wash my face anymore? Not with Cetaphil or anything? Hehe I am so used to washing my face, so it seems quite strange… 🙂
Thanks.
After I steam and wipe my face of most of the oil, I do apply a thin layer of cetaphil liquid cleanser (Walgreens knock-off), steam and wipe a final time. I use aloe Vera juice as my toner. My moisturizer is 3 drops of grapeseed oil and a tiny amt of cetaphil moisturizer (Walgreens knock-off). Hope this helps!
I haven’t been washing my face with any type of cleanser since I’ve been doing the ocm just oil cleansing at night and using a wet washcloth on the morning
My friend and I have just started trying the oil cleansing method. Its been about a week now, and we absolutely LOVE IT! We have both suffered form adult onset acne (hormonal). We have tried EVERYTHING there is out there for acne and nothing has ever helped the way this has. In just a week our faces are starting to clear up and our old red acne scars are beginning to fade! We are both using castor oil with organic jojoba oil. I use the 2/3 caster oil and 1/3 jojoba because i have oily skin. It has even helped my oily shine though out the day. I so happy I decided to try it! Thanks to all the people who wrote comments, if it weren’t for you I may have never tried the OCM.
p.s. We have been using raw organic honey to cleanse in the AM…LOVE IT!
Ok you totally just convinced me to try the OCM! I am excited and hope that it works for me like it has for all of you!!
It was your commetn that made me try it you know 🙂 I am also so happy with the results ♥
I LOVE your site!! I’ve been using 3/4 caster oil to 1/4 E.V. Olive Oil since the end of June 2011 – – my skin looks great. I have very oily skin, but this cleans and is not to harsh. Best of all, at 40 something, my skin looks very well hydrated and I just need to splash with water in the a.m. to be ready to go.
So sorry if this has already been addressed, but can you still use the ACV along with the OCM???? I recently started doing the once a week nutmeg/cream treatment and have been using the ACV after daily face washers for about a week and LOVE it!!!! I mean LOVE IT so much that I am willing to try any of the recs here! I am so loving this site! Anyway…if I start OCM once per day, can I still ACV post oil cleanse or does it counteract the moisturizing aspect? I have fairly dry skin…thanks for any info!
Deanna
I’d also like to know this as I just started using ACV on my face 3 nights ago and I’m already loving it. I’ve just been adding a little water to the ACV and applying it with a cotton ball, rinse and then I use a regular moisturizer. I’d love to know how to properly combine the ACV and OCM!
Thanks!!
I found a recipe on acne.org for an ACV toner. I think it contains ACV, green tea, chamomille tea & aspirin. I normally do OCM at night and use the ACV toner and then go to bed with no moisturizer. In the morn, I wash with honey & use ACV toner & then jojoba oil as my moisturizer.
I’m only about a week into the ‘OCM’ obsession and I’m hooked! I’ve had acne, dry patches and troublesome pores all my life and, while it will take time to see my skin normalize, I can already see and feel a difference. My skin is tighter and softer. I’m using just EVOO with about 10 drops of eucalyptus oil for cleansing until I can find castor oil. I don’t see any reason to put all that commercial junk on my face (or my budget) ever again.
Castor oil is found in the pharmacy section in any grocery store or drug store usually near laxitives
I am 40 yrs old with combo, acne-prone skin. After suffering for years with mild to moderate acne, I tried the ocm in April 2011. It’s now august, and there is not a day that passes that a stranger doesn’t ask me what type of makeup I use!!! I only use a little undereye concealer. There are no blemishes or old scars! My skin is clear and re-textured and no longer super-sensitive to everything. My mix is 2/3 castor, 1/3 jojoba and grapeseed oil (mixed) with a capsule of vitamin e in a 4oz bottle.. I shout to the hills that ocm works! Experiment with ratios and do it diligently at least once a day, you’ll be shouting too!
This gives me hope!!! Thanks for sharing! I know you posted quite a while ago, but if you happen to read this, I’m wondering….Did your acne get worse before it got better? I’ve seen in other posts that some experienced this…
Hi….I can’t WAIT to try this! I might be a little dense but what do you mean by “carrier oil” in the section about the oil cleansing ratios?
Thanks!
The carrier oil is whatever oil you choose based on your skintype/preference to mix with the castor oil.
I’ve been using OCM for the past two years. I love it. I used to have problems with the skin around my eyes being very dry, red and irritated from normal store bought cleansers. I also had really bad acne. Now my face is mosturized and clean with no irritation and doing OCM every night has helped tremendously!
I’ve been doing OCM for about a month now (combo skin) and my hubster mentioned a couple of days ago that my face is looking younger (I’m 49). THe dark circles are going away as well. LOVE OCM!
I just started doing this; it’s only been twice but i love it so far. My skin feels so soft and no need for moisturizer afterwards, but it also doesn’t become greasy later. I tried just filling my sink up with hot steaming water and putting a towel over my head to steam my face instead of using the washcloth. I think I like the sink method better, feels like its doing more. I also am combining this with the honey wash in the morning, but I’ve only done it once for far. I did like it a lot though; again, no need for moisturizer and no greasiness later. I am looking forward to seeing the long term results of both these methods!
Hey CrunchyBetty! First let me say that I love your site! I love reading what you’ve put on here and can’t wait to try your recipes. But I have a confession to make… sometimes I need a shortcut because I’m so busy I just can’t make everything I want to make. I hate to admit it, but there it is. So, my shortcut is a little company called Foam on the Range. I’m also from Kansas which makes this little gem even more important to me. They use all natural ingredients and even have a bar of soap that would make all OCM-lovers proud. I wanted to tell you about them because they have fabulous products, they could use a little PR, but also because ya’ll are like kindred spirits with the whole “food on your face” thing so I thought you should know about them. They also make amazing perfumes out of ingredients like lychee, red tea, sage, blackberry, almond, etc… So, check ’em out – they’re on Facebook or just online! I think everyone who is going “back to nature” to find their beauty products deserves a little PR and networking with others who are trying the same thing. Anyway, that’s all.
Much love!
This cleaning method has SOLVED my adult acne problem. It’s pretty much a miricle if you ask me. I love it. I did 1/2 castor and 1/2 jajoba and I use it when I take a bath…..spash on warm water, run in oil for a few minutes, splash water on my face again and when I get out of the tub and towel off I just wipe my face off too. My skin looks better than it ever did before and I could tell a difference after only 2-3 OCM washings. THANK YOU! I am just so excited to have a clear face, no joke, I think my acne was worse as an adult than as a teenager. (almost all my zits were around my chin…..) This is by far the best natural remedy I have found.
I’ve been doing OCM for a whopping 4 days now, but I think I’m going to be doing it for life. My skin has already made such an improvement, I can’t even begin to tell you.
Day 1 I used about 2/3 EVOO and 1/3 castor. That was good, but my skin did feel a little over moisturized. Day 2-4 I’ve been using about 2/3 jojoba and 1/3 castor (I’m mixing in my hand as I go, so not totally sure on that ratio). My skin doesn’t feel greasy, and in fact feels a little dry. I’ve ended up moisturizing around my eyes, nose, and mouth (my most sensitive spots) with a few drops of jojoba afterwards. So far this has been great, no new breakouts and my skin looks fantastic. I can’t wait for the acne scars to fade so I can quit wearing makeup altogether (that’ll be a first…been wearing it for 20 years!). I have been able to stop wearing the oil-absorbing powder (yay!) already. 🙂
So my question is: Since I’m having some dry spots, should I be using a different oil? Or should I mix a little avocado in it and see if that fixes it? Or should I just keep doing what I’m doing?
I’m also washing with honey in the morning, and still having to do the jojoba oil on the sensitive spots after.
Oh, and one more question…what kind of bottles do y’all use to keep your oil(s) in? The bottles from the store (the ones the oil are sold in) are messy, and I need something that can travel w/o leaking…
You can use your you caan mix avocado oil in there or even a little extra virgin olive oil. I usually keep my oils in travel size bottles like the ones for shampoo or a bottle for color application with a cover, you can usually find them at sally’s
Love the site- so many useful tips and recipes!! I never post on sites but I have to share my OCM experience (thus far). I’ve been on a make-it-myself kick for a few months and, of course, came across this site and eventually the OCM. So I mixed together (eyeballed it) some hemp seed oil, avocado oil, and a lesser amount of extra virgin olive oil in a 3oz travel shampoo container. Let me first say I have pretty oily skin and hair and for years I had been using the St Ives apricot scrub, feeling that the only way to clean my face was to sand it off. I would still have oily skin literally within 20 or 30 mins of taking a shower, but havent had a big problem with breakouts, mainly around that time of the month and every now and then a renegade monster, but nothing compared to what some people have to deal with so I wasnt complaining. So reading about this oil business at first made my skin crawl- but the science behind it is sound, and I remember my Dad (history buff) years ago had told me how the Romans and Greeks way back in the day would take oil baths and do oil scrapings… which is essentially what your doing with the washcloth…anywho, so I gave it a whirl. It’s been a little over two weeks and I can definitly see a positive difference! Heres my routine- Im only pointing out because its somewhat abnormal but makes it quick and easy- Im a dog groomer so I take a shower after work in the mid afternoon. I start the water and get it nice and hot, get my face wet, put a nickel sized amount of oil in the palm of one hand, rub hands together then massage all over face in upward strokes for two mins, while that sits for 30 secs or so get the wash cloth soaked and hot, lay it on my face for several seconds, let it steam up the face and melt the oil, then i “scrape” oil off with the cloth, rinse it and wring it out (i guess i think im getting the initial dirt off but i dont really know) then I put it back on my face and put face under the running hot water, let it soak through the washcloth again then “scrape” the rest of the oil off the face, then shower as normal.It sounds like a long process but it really takes only a couple extra minutes. I do it every day and after the shower my skin actually feels tighter, and although my face still gets shiny, the amount of oil is dramatically less. Weird right? On top of that is seems to leave the right amount of moisturizer on my face. I’m still coping with the fact that I am not scrubbing my face anymore, but when I feel that tightness and cleanliness afterwards, I’m a believer. Also, no breakouts and much fewer blackheads. This 3 oz bottle seems to be lasting forever (a little over 2 weeks and have barely used a quarter of it) but when it does run out I’m going to try castor oil, sunflower oil, and hemp seed oil. I am also going to start doing acvinegar as an astringint in the morning- right now i just rinse with water and pat dry, which does ok. Whew, sorry so long winded but I hope that helps some of those who are terrified of oil (as i used to be 😀 )Thanks to all!
I’m just starting OCM and got all the ingredients so I hope it works! I also have acne prone skin and although never did OCM I have put tea tree oil in other cleansers I have bought and it works wonders cleaning out blemishes. Also try sea salt/sea kelp. I found a great website Mountain Rose Herbs that tells you about all the different oils and their value. You can order online from them or just go to a health food store and find the oils without paying for shipping.
update – it’s been 3 weeks from starting OCM and finally got a great mix going for my skin! Hope this info helps for anyone having issues trying to find out something that works for them – I have more normal/oily skin and acne prone. I started with Castor about 30% and Jojoba 70% plus lemongrass, orange and tea tree essential oils – found out I was using too much tea tree and it was drying my skin so I decreased it. Then reading other posts I decided to increase the mix to 50/50 and just using a few drops each of the essential oils. I started OCM during that time of the month (probably not the best idea in hindsight as my skin had already started breaking out and more oily) the ratio seemed pretty good and was clearing my acne but then after this stopped in about a week my skin was drying out and getting irritated. I got little bumps all over the sides of my face and jawline – very frustrating 🙁 This article says for oily skin to use 2/3 and I can tell you I have oily skin and even 50% was drying me out too much – plus since my skin was drying the oils didn’t seem to be clearing out of my pores well causing all these little bumps. I cut down the castor oil to 30% again and exfoliated a couple times and some of the bumps started going away but a little stubborn. Then, I decided to add grapeseed and hazelnut oils to my mix as I read both are slightly astringent so they dry up any excess oil, the grapeseed oil helps with inflammation and hazelnut oil is a natural sunscreen and wow did this work! The oils are a lot lighter on my skin and soak up so well without leaving an oily feeling. My mix is 25% castor, 25% jojoba, 25% grapeseed and 25% hazelnut along with my essential oils. After cleansing my skin it does feel a little tightened and slightly dry on the surface but then after about 20 min. it relaxes and my natural oils come up to the surface of my skin leaving it so soft and relaxed. All my bumps went away in just a couple days leaving my skin so clear! I really suggest using a mix of a few different carrier oils for a better balance. I read that some oils should not be used at full strenth and work better if diluted with other oils. If you find that too much oil is being left in your skin even with wiping off then definately use the grapeseed or hazelnut oil and the hazelnut smells pretty good like toasted nuts 🙂
One of the key elements that isn’t mentioned is that you need to apply the oil to a dry face. Oil and water don’t mix, so you need to apply to oil to a dry face in order to not create a water barrier that the oil can’t penetrate. I have been using this method for months and love it. My face has never been better.
I tried the oil cleansing method for a month. My combination was jojoba oil and castor oil and occasionally olive oil or tea tree oil. I loved the routine and seeing how clean my pores looked. However,try as I might I kept getting acne from it. I’ve never had problem skin so I was extremely surprised. I figured my face needed time to adjust but it never did. The acne was also a bit scarring. Be careful as this method is unfortunately not for everyone. I wish it had worked.
You have to be careful with the oils you choose, you have to make sure your oils are virgin and cold pressed. An oil that says pure is usually refined, make sure you are reading the labels before you purchase anything. Refined oils loose their antioxidants and a lot of their benificial properties.
I had the same problem. I tried the OCM and the dermatologist I went to said I had the worst case of acne he had seen in at least a year. I broke out like crazy, and now almost a year later, am still dealing with major scarring. It was so bad that I would have people walk up to me, point to me and say “what’s wrong with your face?” I really wish it had worked for me, but alas, not so much. HOWEVER… HONEY is my savior! I love washing/masking with honey and I think it’s also helped the scarring fade faster, so my suggestion is to check out Crunchy Betty’s honey challenge post. I think you’ll be happy with the results 🙂
Hi Rachel, I have had few blemishes in the first 2 days I use ocm, then I realized that I didn’t steam and wipe away the oil enough so I make sure I steam a few times more and wipe in more details so now it’s doing very well for me too. Also you may need more castor oil in your mixture.
OCM won’t be for everyone (nothing ever is, right?), but there are a couple things in the post that hint you might just have been using the wrong oils for you.
You mention you’ve never really been prone to problem skin, but Castor & especially Tea Tree Oil are highly recommended for acne prone skin precisely because they’re effective cleansers, to the point they can & will irritate if used when they’re not needed. I DO have acne & even still Tea Tree is usually too strong for me.
It’s also a good idea to look up how clog prone the oil you’re considering is. For example, many people will swear by Coconut Oil, but it’s highly comedogenic (a 4 I believe). Jojoba, Olive Oil, and IIRC Avocado are all scored a 2, similarly to our own natural sebum. Emu Oil usually rates a 1. I think Argan is 0.
I’ve been trying this method for about 2 weeks. Love it. I don’t have to use lotion and my skin is clearing up. I have a question. My 8 year old daughter just got her very first pimples! Yikes! It seems young to me, but then again she is very tall for her age and I expect her to hit puberty on the early side. I want her to start washing her face more regularly. Would this method work for an 8 year old child? She also has very sensitive skin. She gets lots of dry patches on her body and we have to be careful about what she puts on her skin.
This method works for all skin types from what I’ve heard about it. I’ve done a bit of research before trying it. Just try different oils and see what works. I have very dry and sensitive skin amd I like a combo of grapeseed oil and extra virgin olive oil. I do plan to try avocado oil since I am so dry. I don’t think any age is too young to train your kids to take care of their skin. It’s difficult just to get them to wash their face at all.
Is it possible to use this method without castor oil? I’m wondering if that’s why my skin is still so dry. I’m only using 10% castor oil and I actually cut that down a little more because I added more olive oil to my mixture. I’m thinking about switching to avocado oil though, I just need to find it.
Yep – it sure is, especially if you’re using that little castor oil already and still have dry skin. I’ve heard from several women who don’t use any at all, and they’re doing just fine with it. iHerb has a few pure avocado oil options here: http://www.iherb.com/Search?kw=avocado+oil <- AND, if you use my coupon code of OZE706 at checkout, you get $5 off your first purchase. So almost all you'd end up paying for one of the smaller bottles is shipping. A great way to "try" it on the cheap to see if it works. (PS – I like the Nature's Alchemy better than the NOW brand for this purpose.)
Tonight when I cleansed I left out the castor oil, just used grapeseed oil and extra virgin olive oil and my face is not red at all. I still felt my skin clearing out too. (When you unclog pores you can actually feel it on your fingertips, little gritty things). So I’m guessing that I’m sensitive to the castor oil. But I’m going to keep trying without it since it seems to work just the same.
Since in the article you mentioned nit using coconut oil, I was doing some research on that because I have heard otherwise. Pure coconut oil which is actually refined is comedogenic but virgin or extra virgin coconut oil is noncomedogenic. The same with olive oil, if your olive oil says pure olive oil on the front of the bottle when you look at the ingredients on the back it says refined olive oils. A refined oil loses it’s antioxidant qualities as well as making it comedogenic.
Thank you Diane, for your research. I was confused by that info as well, as I have been using it as my moisturizer for a long time, and loving it.
It actually has helped my skin immensely (I’m 52), without clogging it.
I am speaking of the coconut oil, BTW.
Coconut oil causes painful cystic-like acne on my face. I used unrefined cold pressed extra virgin coconut oil. The unrefined coconut oil was definitely comedogenic for me. It depends on the person’s skin. Some people can use coconut oil with no problem while others, like me, suffer horribly from it. It does make for a great hair treatment though.
Question for all your Crunchy Bettys (Betties? Bettys? Ah well!)! How do you know when all the oil’s off? How do you judge that “okay, I’m done” feeling? I tried the OCM out last night (eyeballed half and half castor/jojoba) and while I know you are supposed to leave the washcloth on your face for a bit (which I did), after I finished wiping my face off, I still felt super oily. So I did the same thing again… four times later, I suppose I got all the oil off? I wasn’t sure, and my skin JUST got all nice and clear with the honey wash (AMAZING btw), so out of paranoia of breaking out again, I washed once with cetaphil to get rid of anything left over since I’m not used to how my skin is supposed to feel after using OCM. Is there still supposed to be a slight film of oil left over? Or should I use my ACV toner afterwards to cut the remaining oil? Thanks a bunch!
I have the same problem – I am never quite sure when it is off “enough.” However, while my skin is sometimes a little dry a few hours later, it is never unusually oily. I would say just stop after you have given a few good wipes and see how it ends up. If you want to know more about my experiences with it, you can read my blog entry on the topic: http://spinnergal.blogspot.com/2011/09/oil-cleansing-method.html
I think we are just so used to our skin feeling dry after cleansing that we don’t know how it’s actually supposed to feel. I usually wipe the oil off with a washcloth until it doesn’t feel greasy but it shouldn’t feel like you just used a facial cleanser because you are getting out of the habit or drying out your skin
Hello from Germany! 🙂
So… I need to leave a comment, because I still can’t believe it… it is SO easy, but SO effective.
I started a few weeks ago right after reading this article, tried some different oils and found myself very comfortable with combining honey and oil.
So I start with rubbing honey on my dry face, I prefer the more “solid” honey (I’m sorry, I don’t know the right word) because it scrubs very gently and is sticky enough to remove the blackheads. Then I rinse it, apply some grapeseed oil, massage for about 1 minute, and take it (and the make-up) off with a microfibre make-up-remover-towel.
My skin is soft, smooth, shiny, and all the pimples and stuff is gone. I have never been able not to use any make up for years – now I can, I’m without make-up for about 4 weeks now and need to look in every mirror, admiring my skin 🙂
Thank you sooooooooooooooo much,
Christina
Hello Christina- Do you mind giving me an update on your experience. I suffer from ALOT of clogged pores. Oh my, I’m embarassed to even look into a mirror my ENTIRE face looks clogged, but no red blemished. Just a bunch of bumps. I started the OCM (castor and EVOO) two nights ago and I don’t really see a difference. Still have clogged pores, and the big ones. I massage for a long time, prior to putting on the hot cloth, but it doesn’t seem to take the blackheads out. I’m loooking into Manuka honey, but from what I’ve been reading, seems like a lot of people breakout after 3-4 weeks of honey. Did you ever experience any breakouts from the honey? Thanks for any help you can provide.
I tried using solely organic, raw honey instead of face wash, morning and night, with a diluted apple cider vinegar toner after, and I broke out pretty badly after about 2 or 3 weeks, so I stopped and went back to Cetaphil for oily skin, so doing JUST honey didn’t work for me. But this last week I dried out my face with prescription acne medication and salicylic acid face wash and it was horribly dry, flaky, red and irritated but still really oily, so I used the honey last night and it is so much better this morning. I am now going to try the OCM and maybe use the honey once every few days if my skin is feeling dry or irritated.
My dermotologist told me I have rosacea (its only on one side of my face so he was confused). Anyway I really don’t want to apply the stuff that he prescribed as it is expensive. I’ve been washing with the castor oil and jojoba oil and the honey in the morning for about two weeks but I think there may be something else I need to add? My skin is still red (though a little less so) and have some bumps still but I do believe it looks a little better. Any help would be appreciated!!!!
I’ve done some researching on rosacea (and just did a little more now for you), and here are some ideas from the sites I like (especially EarthClinic, where people who’ve found remedies that work post):
It sounds like apple cider vinegar directly to your rosacea areas might be extremely helpful. Of all the researching I’ve done, that sounds like it’s one of the best bets. Many people use it undiluted to the area after they wash their face. Another option is emu oil (if you’re not vegan/vegetarian). Emu oil is kind of expensive, but you wouldn’t need to use much each time. A teeny tiny bit goes a long way. Lastly, it sounds like oil of oregano (not topically, but internally) is also helpful. If you’ve never used OOO before, be careful! It is POWERFUL, POTENT stuff. Makes your eyes water, and if you get it on your skin, you smell like pizza for hours afterwards. They do sell OOO capsules now, so you can take it internally without dripping it all over the place. I love the stuff, just for general antibacterial/antibiotic purposes. I used to take it years ago (not sure why I quit) and didn’t get sick for an entire winter. So if you take it internally, you might not just see improvement in your rosacea, but in other things too. Who knows? Good luck!
From what I’ve read about oils, grapeseed oil is supposed to be good for rosacea. Grapeseed oil has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It helps minimize redness and inflammation. If the castor oil bothers your rosacea I would use the grapeseed as your cleansing oil. My skin is very sensitive and I can’t use castor oil so I have been mixing grapeseed oil and cold pressed extra virgin olive oil.
I also have rosacea, and have tried the oil cleaning method. I absolutely loved the way it made my skin feel, but after a week or so I had the WORST rosacea outbreak in my life. I really think it was from using the hot water to steam and remove the oils. (Heat can substantially inflame rosacea) Now that my skin has finally calmed down I’m trying to decide what to do. If there is a way to do it, I’d like to use oil cleaning again. Can the oil be removed genitally without hot water?
Any responses would be appreciated. 🙂
Hello!
Brand new here – found you through the Jezebel column Worth It. Money is tight for me so I started with just EVOO. My skin has been in full-on freak out mode for while now – I’m turning 34 in a few months so it’s “in transition”. Blech. Currently, I have a few cystic acne bumps, and major clogging on my nose but also gnarly dry skin on top. A hot mess, in other words. I know that skin likes to purge but how long does this usually last? My face looks the worst it’s ever been right now!
Try adding some castor oil, that’s the one that’s more cleansing. You van find it in tbe pharmacy section by laxatives usually on the bottom shelf and it’s only $1.50-$1.75. If your skin is dry use less and u can try different amounts until you find what works best fir your skin. Make sure the oils you are using are virgin and cold-pressed. Those are the most natural and beneficial for your skin since they don’t lose their moisturizing and antioxidant abilities
Why did a tiny bottle of castor oil cost me almost $7 at Walgreens?? I thought it was a crazy price…
I paid $4.99 for a 4-ounce bottle of castor oil at Walgreens here in the Atlanta area. Not $7, but not as inexpensive as I thought it was going to be.
I have 40-something skin that’s prone to clogged pores and the occasional pimple; in younger years it was very oily and I broke out a lot more. In recent years I’ve gotten dry and flaky in the winter. Things have improved with regard to both oiliness and flakiness as I quit using harsher cleansing and exfoliation.
Was trying it with just EVOO because that’s what I had on hand and couldn’t seem to find the castor oil anywhere. I did develop a few tiny pimples, but overall my skin looked and felt better. I finally bought the aforementioned bottle of castor oil last night and mixed it with equal parts of EVOO. Everything felt pretty much the same. I’ll try it for a week or so before I make any adjustments to the mix. Hopefully some combo of castor oil/EVOO works because they’re the easiest for me to buy.
I rid myself of my terrible cystic acne in my T-zone area by taking Turmeric capsules, Garlic capsules, and Olive Leaf capsules. Gone, and never came back. Expensive but worth it. I continue to use all 3 because excellent for overall health.
I need to exfoliate like crazy- on my body, scalp and face- i have been using a topical prescription retinoid at night and really like the way it’s working, can i use the OCM and continue use of the prescription? My skin can really handle alot of exfoliation- i still use an organuc scrub 3 times a week with no irritation, but i still do get alot of blackheads and deep, painful cysts.
You may be getting blackheads and cysts because you’re over-working your skin; OCM might be really great for your skin. I’d see what happens if you move to a more gentle exfoliation method as well, like baking soda or oats in honey. It’s amazing how much these gently go deeper to do the real work where abrasives don’t.
I just started the OCM method a week ago, using an equal parts mixture of castor, EVOO an jojoba oil. I had mild to moderade acne but was having a lot of trouble with being dry and oily at the same time (ie greasy with flakes peeling off – awful)! My esthetician told me I was washing my face too much and to try a gentler face wash, which is how I found OCM. I’ve been doing it once a day, using Cetaphil gentle cleanser in the morning and OCM at night. I can definitely tell the tone of my skin is improving, but I’ve started to get these red clusters of tiny whiteheads (I think) in the area between my upper lip and nose and a few on my chin. I’ve seen some of the “horror stories” about the OCM working beautifully for a few weeks and then suddenly causing even worse acne and I’m almost afraid to keep going, for fear my skin will end up worse than I started.
Do you have any suggestions about what these tiny red bumps are, and if I should stop OCM?
i’m having this exact same thing. OCM was working perfectly for about 2 weeks – my dry skin cleared up, my pores were shrinking, my skin was softer, and i had no new breakouts even though i stopped using my prescription acne med’s when i started OCM.
then just yesterday i noticed these small red and white bumps exactly where you have them – chin, sides of nostrils, and upper lip. i also have a few on my forehead. did you have any luck clearing them up?
you shouldn’t use cleansers. Even in the morning. Just rinse with water and a face cloth. Your skin will get confused.
I have very acne prone skin for which I use a prescription topical cream. This in turn makes my face peel very badly and look awful! I also have very oily skin by the middle of the day with the awful peeling skin…lovely! What ration of oils would you suggest I begin with to solve these problems? I would love to get rid of the prescriptions. Thanks!
Usually it’s recommended to start with 75% castor oil and 25% of whatever other oil you choose; for oily or acne prone skin. If your skin seems to be getting dry then cut back on the castor oil. You should start out by mixing your oil in your hand each time you cleanse until you figure out what ratio works best for you.
I think you have the ratios backwards….Castor oil is great stuff but very drying. I’d start small on the Castor and build up.
Less castor oil is for dry or sensitive skin. I don’t use castor oil at all. I use grapeseed and olive oils half and half
Ive been doing alot of research into this OCM method and i think ill try it out
but i heard castor oil can make your hair grow faster
and also if u put it on ur eyelashes and eyebrows it can make it grow thicker and more full ect
so if ur putting castor oil on ur face or body wont it make unwanted hairs grow?
or because ur washing ur face off after does it not apply?
whats the best carrior oil for combination skin?
i was thinking of mixing abunch of oils together
1/2 castor, alil argan, coconut &jojoba as well, is tht too many oils for my face?
Be careful using coconut oil on your face. It makes a lot of people break out. Should be fine aside from that, as long as you get it off properly afterwards
I have been doing this for about 4 weeks now and i absolutely LOVE it. I was very hesitant at first because I have very VERY OILY skin, and I do get breakouts. Since using the OCM I have seen drastic improvements in my skin clarity and in the oiliness. My skin looks clearer, its softer and flake free, my make up goes on smoother, and my skin glows. My breakouts clear alot faster, and I absolutely recommend the OCM to everyone!!!
Yours sounds JUST like mine, what regime are you using, like the types of oils and how much and when etc. 🙂 thanks!
I see now that the OCM is not just for oily/acne skin. I don’t see sweet almond oil listed or used by anyone. Is it not a good one to use as a carrier oil? It’s one I use on my skin and to mix with essential oils. FYI, I have dry, aging skin. I’m 60 and my skin is pretty good for my age, but I want to slow down the aging as much as possible.
i just started the OCM a few days ago and am having a SERIOUS breakout. before OCM i was breaking out all along my chin and now it’s worsened. could this just be everything coming to the surface?
i am doing 3/4 castor, 1/4 evoo, a few drop of tea tree every night. I drying out on cheeks and breaking out on chin. i am going to use less castor oil and do jojoba instead of evoo, any thoughts??
Update: I switched to 1/2 jojoba, 1/2 castor oil, with a few drops of tea tree. I am already noticing a big difference, hopefully it will continue to improve!
I just started OCM. I just wanted to comment on the point that it is more costly. It may not be. I bought all the ingredients plus a little plastic bottle to mix it in for $13. I can make a total of 6 oz of oil blend, plus have a nearly full bottle of evoo for the kitchen. Cleansing this way also eliminates the need for a moisturizer (at least for me). If it clears up my acne, it will be eliminating cleanser, moisturizer, and acne cream. $13 for 6 oz of something that replaces 3 products is a pretty good deal in my book!
can anyone weigh in on using the OCM with a tool like the clarisonic?
I use my clairsonic after about a minute of rubbing the oil into my face with my hands, I do a minute with my hands, then jump in the shower and use the clairsonic for a minute, let the steam do it’s thing for a bit, then wipe my face with a warm washcloth in the shower… I am sure to clean the clairsonic brush thoroughly after using it with the oils…I always start out with a dry brush, and never wet it til I am done cleaning my face. I haven’t seen a major appreciative difference since using the clairsonic, I think it just makes me at least think I’m reaching deeper into my pores..but there’s definitely no ill effects from using it.
I hear ya. I’m unsure of how to use my clarisonic with my OCM + honey wash routine. I was using it up to 2 times a day before I started OCM (I think contributing to the general over worked quality of my face). Now I’ve barely touched the clarisonic. I’m going to try it on a low setting with the baking soda for exfoliating. I’ve tried it with the oil but was still messing with my oil mix and I think it was too thick for the clarisonic to do anything. Or maybe I’m still used to the feeling of my face after stripping it with the clarisonic and regular soap.
Currently, I’ve added drops tea tree oil and more jojoba to my mix which has made it thinner. I might try using it every other day after using just my fingers. My worry is that the brush head may absorb the oil not allowing my face to fully utilize the benefits. Do you think that is a legitimate concern?
I’m also looking for suggestions on the best way to clean the brush head after using it with oil. Ideas?
I like the clarisonic, it’s a great machine and I’d like to figure out a way to continue using it in my new routine without over stressing my skin. Suggestions are appreciated!
I have been washing my face with jojoba oil for years. I don’t mix it with anything else.
How do you wash your face with jojoba oil? Do you get whiteheads from using it?
I really want to try this method but am too afraid to do so because I’ve read the stories of it ruining not that bad skin =..!
I have congested skin with some pigmentation due to skin peeling 🙁 always had clear skin & so this has put a eal downer on me decreasing my self confidence further :(!
I’ve tried everything from natural to medical and still no luck!
I am Asian but with light skin so I need advice as to whether OCM will rid me of my scarring and congested skin and not give me any nasty side effects??
Thanksss! R.
Rosehip oil & emu oil are both supposed to be good for clearing scars or redness. Olive oil has a reputation for being heavy but is a good moisturiser. I’m acne prone & was able to cleanse with regular kitchen extra virgin olive oil this week with minimal pimpling compared to other skin care routines I’ve played with. (My face will pimple at any new routine)
I’m going to go against the grain here and be one of the few people to suggest starting with a single oil so that you know how it interacts with your face without any complicating factors. Since you haven’t had a history of acne, don’t go for Tea Tree Oil, and I wouldn’t use Castor until or unless I felt like a regular oil wasn’t doing the trick.
I think a lot of people think they have to have the scrubbiest most astringent oil they can find because we’re used to soaps & sulfates, but the truth is that oil will break up the other oils (and dirts) and remove them from your face.
You do mention that you’re Asian, so as far as certain skin tones or ethnic groups might better benefit from one oil over another, it did seem when I lived in Japan that there were a lot more products for dry skin than oily skin, and usually an emphasis on anti-aging end-goals as well. Lots of rosehip, olive oil, jojoba, etc… So again I think something like Rosehip might be safe for you to try.
I’m interested in trying this, but since you don’t recommend switch it up with a store-bought facial cleanser that contains sulfates or sulfides, what cleanser do you recommend I use when I’m not Oil Cleansing? I have combination skin, dry some areas, slightly oily in others and after many many many years of adult cystic acne am experiencing some kind of repreive- I don’t know if it will last, but it’s heaven. I still get a few pimples here or there, and def monthly ones but nothing close to what it was. I have no idea what brands to buy because for years I used only prescription cleansers. I’m off those now and using Aveeno for sensitive skin.
Hey, Amanda!
I have combination skin as well, though not the history of cystic acne. Once I made the switch two weeks ago to the OCM, I started mixing it up with other recommendations from this site, since they all sounded so rad. Here’s how I roll:
a.m.: honey wash
p.m. ocm
I am training for a half-marathon, which means I often need to wash my face in the middle of the day after running. When this happens, I do the Non-Nonsense Daily Scrub in the morning (which makes my skin feel AMAZING!), the honey wash when I get home from working out (since it’s antibacterial/antimicrobial, it seems like the right thing to use after getting all sweaty and gross), and the OCM at night before bed.
My skin’s looking excellent. I know it’s probably too soon to tell yet how well my skin will react to this regimen, but I’m very optimistic at this point. My cycle starts later this week and — hope I’m not jinxing myself here — I haven’t seen any hormonal blemishes creep up.
Hope this helps!
I have suffered with mild to moderate acne since I was 15. I have spent thousands of dollars on cleansers, toners, moisturizers, spot treatments…blah blah blah. I came across this website about 10 days ago and it has changed my life. I now use a combination of castor oil and jojoba oil to clean my face at night. It works amazingly well to remove makeup. The BEST part is that it is my only step! No more 3 step time sucking “programs”. Then in the morning I use a combination of honey and oil. Guess what? 1 step!! My skin feels great. I have not had a breakout since starting, and I am anxious to try adding baking soda (occasionally – for exfoliation),ACV, and tamanu oil. I am pregnant so the idea that I am not using any crazy chemicals makes me feel wonderful. Thank you so so so much. I am a crunchy betty 🙂
OK, update time. 4 weeks into my routine and my chin completely broke out. Like, has never looked worse broke out. I tried for 3 weeks to naturally combat the breakout. Nothing worked. I had to go back to my old routine :(. I will still certainly use natural products in addition to my routine, but it looks like the oil cleansing method didn’t work for me in the long run. Bummer.
microfiche – Don’t completely rule it out! Pregnancy hormones can do some crazy things. 🙂 I’m five months in and have always had oily skin, until a couple of weeks ago. Now my face is so dry that I have scaly, flaky patches where my worst oil spots used to be. I’m hoping that everything will go back to “normal” after the boy gets here, but who knows? Later on, it may go back to working, if you’re still willing. Good luck!
If your skin is drying out, change the balance of castor oil to ‘secondary oil’…castor oil is drying so add more of the other oil.
My skin is way to dry to use any castor oil so i cleanse with grapeseed oil and moisturize with a tiny bit of avocado oil or organic pure extra virgin coconut oil. I also disagree about being more costly that using regular cleansers especially because my skin is very sensitive and I have to be careful with what I use
Could be the combination of honey and oil you’re using that caused the breakout.
I’m on my second pregnancy, and no matter what I’ve tried, my skin just ends up looking like it did in junior high for most of the time 😉 Maybe try OCM again after the baby is born and your hormones have balanced out (don’t rule it out entirely just because you tried it at a time when your skin might have gone nuts anyhow!)
I’m in the same boat. I gave it a go and liked it for the first week, then it all went downhill after 2 weeks. I’m now battling with the aftermath of the worst skin of my life! So disappointing :^(
I’ve just started using the OCM and so far am having ok results… I was wondering if anyone knows if there is an alternative to castor oil? i think i might be having a reaction to it. I’m curantly using around 10%castor oil and the rest jojoba. Thanks for the help!
mineral oil would work. my dr said it would work great on my eczema as well, which it does for the most part 🙂
So, being new to this site I must say Oh My GOODNESS. I am going to get myself some castor oil and jojoba ASAP! Right now I am taking accutane a second time, it cleared me up for about 6 months but then it came back… and now I am on low dose, but I don’t want this POO in my body anymore. I am defenitely willing to try this, if you had any idea the expense I have spent on my skin, some oils and apple cider vinegar isn’t going to hurt me! The worst thing that could happen is it doesn’t work, like all the other things… the best would be me commenting like all these others saying how their scars are healing so fast and their skin is so nice!! I may have to hit my natural store up tomorrow I feel so compelled, if I time…
Renata,
Have you noticed any difference in your skin since using this method? I have also taken accutane (just one time) but my acne is starting to come back. I was thinking about going back on it but I want to try the OCM first. I would love to know how it works for someone else who has had moderate to severe acne like myself.
I DO notice a difference using this, also combined with honey washing in mornings. I still get a bit of cystic acne,(there were moments I thought it was going to get worse at first with OCM, got some bumps all over one evening, but they were gone in the morning ) but I am no longer afraid to look in the mirror in the morning. I think part of my acne was dehydrated skin now, from cleansers and accutane drying it out! I had the between the eyebrow wrinkle as well as forehead wrinkles (I am just 30!) and those have gone down SO MUCH! I am actually starting to like my skin! I need to make completely sure it is the cleansing, I can promise the radiance is from the oil cleanse at night, and honey in morning. But I am on low dose accutane right now, so twice a week I take it, sundays and wednesdays. I didn’t take it this week, I want to test this out thoroughly. But oil cleansing did not make things worse, it made things better!
I am glad I am not the only one here who has (and is) in the accutane poo. I am hoping to get out of this… I think this may be it finally 🙂
PS- I still
3 months and still wonderful skin! I can always tell when I haven’t been doing it (falling asleep in makeup) because if I do this every night my skin is so clear and lovely! Everyone I know notices!
I, too, went on Accutane twice but the acne came back both times (my sister went on Accutane twice as well, but her skin stayed clear after the second time). My acne, it turns out, is caused by food allergies (for me, they’re gluten, dairy, and soy). I went to a naturopathic doctor to figure this out. If I avoid my allergens, my skin clears up completely. If you’re still unhappy with the results from Accutane, it’s worth exploring other approaches. The other thing the naturopathic doctor figured out was that my intestines were in bad shape. The gluten allergy (which I’ve known about for a long time) and the years of antibiotics left my intestines pretty wrecked and less able to absorb nutrients. Probiotics and some short-term supplements are helping a lot (I’ve found I don’t even need a multivitamin anymore). I haven’t specifically tried the oil cleansing method, but it’s on my list for things to try in the winter when everything gets so dry. I use oils on my face all the time and I love them!! Good luck!!
my dermatologist put me on low dose accutane for the second time(first time was heavy duty lab every 2 weeks taking that stuff everyday, and that sucked). I think a naturopathic doctor is a great idea, I need to look in to doing that. People have always had so much advice about acne and it’s overwhelming I find. I have heard to quit drinking milk, eating cheese, basically give up dairy, you don’t wash your face enough, stand upside down while peeing in a cup.. well yeah, you probably know all the crazy remedies. And, yes I am a bit shallow in the way I bought arbonne because my friend with perfect skin said it would help me, when all it was, was a more expensive version of proactive, I got that drying cream the doctor prescribed… twice… I got tired of it all, and never did check in to the allergies. But I probably tried everything else and probably ruined my skin more doing all that!!!
I will now. I am more open to natural ideas. I have tried oil cleansing and I do love it. I love honey cleansing. I am finally open to the idea of natural living. I am not ready to give up my makeup (maybe I never will be) but everything else I am now open to.
I have been doing this for two days along with a honey wash in the morning and I am SOOOOOO happy!!!!! I have had adult acne since I was pregnant with my son 10 11 years ago. Nothing has helped, somethings have kept it at bay.. well sort of… but nothing has left my skin looking and feeling like this. I know it has only been two days, but I am sold. I do not think I will ever go back, and I will have my teen start using it, and my preteen will soon as well.
Next I will try the nutmeg and milk, and baking soda scrub… more to come….
I’m 46 and though my skin is not oily, I have a problem with clogged pores. In the winter months my skin actually goes toward the dry side. What are the best oils to use for clogged pores? Thanks! Beth
Castor. It gets the dirt out, I mix with olive oil as its inexpensive and convenient to grab when doing the groceries.
Castor. It gets the dirt out, I mix with olive oil as its inexpensive and convenient to grab when doing the groceries.
Castor. It gets the dirt out, I mix with olive oil as its inexpensive and convenient to grab when doing the groceries.
This post was so helpful! I started the OCM tonight and decided to keep a Blog about my experience. http://oilcleansingmethod.blogspot.com/ is the blog if anyone is wanting to hear a personal account of how it’s going!
I really do like this method! I learned that taking shortcuts in the process will cause breakouts even worse. So, do it right!
Funny expereince: this morning, I didn’t get all the oil off my hair. When I straightened my hair, it made me crave pasta! Yummy olive oil.
So I just made my mixture and I’ll be using it tomorrow – about 25% castor oil and 75% sweet almond oil with a few drops of tea tree oil. I can’t wait to try it! I’m worried that the castor oil will cause some problems though, so I’ll be keeping a very strict eye on it.
My face still feels a little dry on the normally oily part of my face (forehead). can I put more olive oil on my face after I cleanse?
Absolutely, after I finish cleansing my face I always add a couple drops of olive oil back to moisturize. Just make sure your skin is still damp when you do this.
Maybe try NOT wetting your face before applying the oil and then steam and rinse only twice. Dropping the 3rd steam and rinse made all the differemce for me. Oh and I use 4:1 ratio of olive oil to castor oil. I believe that if you dampen your skin first, the oil isn’t really “touching” your skin as the water repells the oil.
So, I have been trying the oil cleansing method now for about 3 weeks, and am wondering if it is for me or not. I am trying not to get frustrated, and know there is an adjustment period when you change the formulation, but I am thinking that I need some advice before I buy even more oils that might not be right for me. So, my skin is quite sensitive and combination, though it very easily looses moisture and becomes flaky. I am also hyper prone to getting bumpy cheeks- I have not been diagnosed with rosacea (has never been so bad as to make me seek out a dermatologist), but I am very pale and redheaded, so I flush easily. But, the bumps and flakiness are both common with rosacea, so I tend to treat my skin very delicately (as though I do have rosacea).
As I said, I began the OCM regime about three weeks ago with 1/3 castor oil, 1/3 avocado oil, and 1/3 jojoba oil. I wear makeup to work, so I feel the need to do the OCM every evening, and in the morning have just been rinsing with water. Everything was good for about 3 days, then my skin got SUPER dry. So, I cut back the castor oil and started moisturizing with a few drops of jojoba oil. No dice, skin was still so dry it itched and felt crazy tight. So, I cut out the castor oil altogether and replaced it with grape seed oil (which I have been mixing in equal parts with jojoba oil), and still my skin is tight and itchy and super flaky even though I am smothering my face with jojoba oil in the evening. I am afraid not to use a dryer oil (like castor or grape seed) for fear that my mix won’t have enough cleansing power, which will lead to clogged pores.
I am loving the softness of my skin, the oiliness I used to experience in the middle of the day has subsided, and after an initial couple of blemishes the clarity has improved (redness in cheeks is also reduced). So, there are plenty of reasons to keep on trying OCM, but the excessive dryness is really uncomfortable. I have already purchased like 5 oils trying to get the balance right, and don’t want to keep buying more just to experiment only to end up with a cabinet full of mostly full bottles of oil and a dent in my wallet. ANY SUGGESTIONS ARE WELCOME!!! Again, I am seeing enough benefits that I don’t want to abandon the process, but the flakiness is getting so noticeable as to be embarrassing, so if I can’t strike a good balance I might have no choice but to stop. Thanks for any insight!!
I feel your pain, I just started doing the OCM a few weeks ago and I’m still in a transition period. If you’re worried about different oils clogging your pores, check out the list on this site. Both sunflower and safflower oils do not clog pores at all.
http://www.dermaxime.com/acne-comedogenic-ingredients.htm
I think you should try using 10-20% castor oil and 80% carrier oil. I have used Extra Virgin Olive Oil from the start and it has not failed me. Its nice and cheap and easy to get hold of. Maybe try using the castor olive and avocado? Avo is great for moisturising. also use a dab of olive oil on dry spots after the steam cloth bit when your face is still damp and massage it it well.
Also only do this at night. if its still dry in the morning you can moisturize with a regular lotion or a tiny bit of oil?
I think you should try using 10-20% castor oil and 80% carrier oil. I have used Extra Virgin Olive Oil from the start and it has not failed me. Its nice and cheap and easy to get hold of. Maybe try using the castor olive and avocado? Avo is great for moisturising. also use a dab of olive oil on dry spots after the steam cloth bit when your face is still damp and massage it it well.
Also only do this at night. if its still dry in the morning you can moisturize with a regular lotion or a tiny bit of oil?
I think you should try using 10-20% castor oil and 80% carrier oil. I have used Extra Virgin Olive Oil from the start and it has not failed me. Its nice and cheap and easy to get hold of. Maybe try using the castor olive and avocado? Avo is great for moisturising. also use a dab of olive oil on dry spots after the steam cloth bit when your face is still damp and massage it it well.
Also only do this at night. if its still dry in the morning you can moisturize with a regular lotion or a tiny bit of oil?
This is the only way I wash my face. I discovered that the oil cleaning method actually clears up my acne. Many think that only oily skin breaks out – a lot of those irritants in traditional cleansers/moisturizers/etc. make my skin freak out. Adding that extra bit of moisture helps my skin to calm down. I find that less is more. The simpler my skincare routine, the better my skin looks. Awesome post!
I have mine mixed in a bottle in the shower. When I get in the shower I allow a few minutes for the steam to do it’s work, then apply, massage and then continue to let the steam do it’s work. Then I wipe it off with a wash cloth. Easy peasy and works great. I wish I knew about this method when I was a teenager.
I also use OCM in the shower every night followed by a Turkish bath mitt (brand name Baiden, though there are cheaper ones out there that I imagine are nearly identical) for exfoliating purposes and my skin glows! I think the shower steam helps the oil work and you can leave it on while you wash up the rest of your body then massage it in and scrub it off. It was enough to convert me to a night showerer. I will also add that as a woman I notice that the dryness-oiliness of my skin changes throughout my cycle so I also use a dab homemade oil moisturizer (CB inspired) on a cottonball that I just swipe across my face when it feels a little tight after the shower. So easy peasy once you get in to a routine!
I’ve tried it and it works. I’ve had bad skin and visible blackheads all my life and this was the only thing that ever helped me. One good tip I learned is to microwave a towel soaked in cold h20 instead of running the tap. The towel gets hotter, the microwave kills germs, and you don’t have to run and waste water.
Of course I change the towel every several days– but the removal process itself is much easier using the microwave.
Ooh, that’s a great tip! I just started using OCM — just past day 3 and already huge plugs are coming out! — and the only annoying part is getting the water hot enough. So I will totally try that.
I highly recommend using a Microfibre cloth, there are many versions out there so find the one that’s best like a gentle face-wash cloth. Why Microfibre cloth? The Oil doesn’t stick around on it like it does with Cotton etc. After OCM at night, I wash the Microfibre cloth with a bar of soap, dry overnight and it’s perfect for the next day.. never have to change the towel.
What brand of Microfibre cloth do you use? So far the ones I’ve found are advertised as being for household cleaning.
Be careful, you can start the towel on fire. I’ve seen it done, even with the towel soaked, and in the Microwave for a very short time. :S
I’ve seen that too. lol… However, every other day I put my kitchen sponges in the microwave for 1 (one sponge) to 1 1/2 (two or more sponges) minutes to clean them. So I would think a minute should/could be sufficient to heat up the rag?
Actually I used the method for oily skin for a few months didnt work quite as well as i would have liked saw alot of oil buildup by morning for some reason, so i stopped. Then i heard on Doc Oz about how Cleansing your make up covered face with things that have coconut oil in them is ten time better than anything else u could use. That worked for me, and for moisturizing thru out the day because my face hates winter summer spring and fall. I rub a finger of Grapseed oil and some drops of tea tree/lavender oil, it made an amazing difference. Love the effects and less pimple some how big plus!
thanks for the tips! I’ve been using OCM for a few months now and I feel like my pores on the skin right next to my nose look larger. after using the oils when I wash my face, I can see that the gunk in my pores is loosened and easier to get out but then I’m left with these nasty open pores. what am I doing wrong? I’m only 21 and I feel like my skin looks so much older because of these huge pores. what do you think?
After rinsing your face with warm water, splash very cold water over your face several times. You can also wrap an ice-cube in a cloth and pat it on your face for spot treatments. Warm water opens your pores, cold water closes them. Hope this helps you!
thanks, Morrigan! I’ve tried the cold water thing before which helps somewhat but hasn’t seemed to make too big of a difference. a year ago I didn’t have this problem so I’m not sure how it got this bad so quickly!
Are you doing this at night before bed? It sounds like you need to. That way your pores should close up overnight and look normal in the morning. Also just rinse your face with cold water in the mornings instead of cleansing it.
You can also try green tea ice cubes, that’ll close up your pores and give them another acne-fighting kick.
I am SO grateful for your site. Thank you for introducing me to the OCM. I have to tell you, I tried it about 2 months back, with grapeseed oil, almond oil, and jojoba oil. I have naturally oily skin that is so dry after using my old neutrogena cleansing bar,(oily and dry- go figure- I realize now how out of wack it was….) that I would have to moisturize immediately. I break out (I am in my mid-30’s) and have visible pores and struggle with blackheads even though I have a clean diet- no sugar, white flour, gluten, dairy…the list goes on. Anyhow, the comdo of those three oils did NOT work for me….I turned into a broken out mess, and was super unhappy, and decided the OCM was not for me. THEN, around Christmas, my skin got really bad again, this on my old cleanser/moisturizer/ visting the facialist regimine, so I revisitied your site and the OCM specifially. I then read that the key to this method is castor oil. I went out the day after Christmas and bought a giant bottle of NOW brand castor oil, and started OCM that night with 1/3 jojoba to 2/3 castor oil. Within TWO days, my skin was claming down….within FIVE days, all of my breakouts were gone entirely, and now, close to two weeks out, I am noticing how my skin gets less oily during the day (I wear makeup every day and it is staying nie and fresh looking much longer than it used to), my fine lines and dryness around my eyes is diminishing, and I have started using this method down my neck and onto my chest in the morning before my shower, while I leave my raw honey mask on! I am a sticky funny oil slick before a shower in the morning, and my kids think I am silly, but I tell you. I am THRILLED. Castor oil is key, you were ever so right- at least for sensitive, confused, break-out prone, hormonal skin like mine. Also, at night, the first few nights I felt like I needed a moisturizer after OCM, but did not, cause I didn’t want to mess up the process, and now, lo and behold, the tightness is gone and I don’t feel like that anymore- just so balanced! I love this process! I have spend so much money since my teen years- seen dermatologists, tried all sorts of natural remedies- nothing comes close to this. NOTHING. Thank you for making a huge difference in my life. I cannot wait to share this with my kids when they are old enough, and hopefully save then from some of the struggle that I went through with my skin as a teen. And, I hope to get to a point with this where I can feel comfortable without makeup everyday. How awesome would that be?
Can I ask you, do you do this every night? And what is your honey mask? I have very similar skin and am in the same boat as far as time of life, etc. I wear Everyday Minerals makeup every day. In the morning after I work out, during my shower, I use a homemade raw honey/clove/lemon juice mask. Is that what you are doing? Sorry…it’s just that I really, really want OCM to work for me (I just started two nights ago) and your comment was SO encouraging! Thanks!
Hi Stephanie!
I haven’t started OCM yet (starting tonight!), but I wanted to comment to tell you that my dermatologist in New York said that powder makeup is really bad for acne. She told me that I should switch to liquid foundation. Hope this helps!
Wow! Really??? I have acne due to hormones and I use the MINERAL powder make-up. Why did your Dr. say this is bad for acne? I thought liquid would be worse.
actually, i switched to mineral make up a few years ago…my acne didn’t really change, but i kept getting tons of small bumps on my face. (i have oily/normal skin, acne-prone). i didn’t really notice them until my cousin pointed them out to me, so i switched to liquid foundation right after to see if the powder foundation was the case…and my face is so much better. i steered away from my MAC foundation though, i went for Neutrogena’s Healthy Skin with Salicylic Acid. i use it everyday, it’s fantastic!
It might be the brand of mineral makeup. I use Afterglow which is completely natural and it has improved my skin a lot. And it last longer (liquid foundation would disappear after about an hour of wear).
Thanks for the make up recommendation! I got some and really like it. I do use some Physicians Formula foundation (talc free) on top of the spots that need more coverage but I like how light the Neutrogena foundation is. Physicians Formula covers well but it can be on the heavy side.
I have mineral powder foundation (very popular brand) and I get a huge cystic zit anytime I use it. It took me several times to realize what was causing it.
I see you are wanting to be nice and not say what brand… but I am super phobic about new products and want to avoid whatever it is you used! Does it rhyme with ‘hare binerals’? haha
Any mineral makeup with bismuth in it causes cystic acne if you’re acne prone. I stopped using it and my cystic acne went away
Very true! Avoid any mineral makeup with Bizmuth Oxychloride,in it. It is very irritating to the skin and can cause all sorts of reactions, like rashes and/or acne. A pure mineral powder foundation (with out B.O.), like Everyday Minerals (which I have used for years, on my sensitive, oily, acne prone skin), is MUCH better for your skin than any liquid foundation.
I was told by my Dermatologist that using Bare minerals was better for my Cystic acne. She stated that any make up with Talc clogs pore and to stay away from it. I’ve used it in the past then switched to liquid only because I ran out and had liquid on hand. I have since broken out. And I have bought more Bare Minerals to return to my regimen. I am eager to try the OCM and see if it will completely settle down. Fingers crossed!
I was told by my Dermatologist that using Bare minerals was better for my Cystic acne. She stated that any make up with Talc clogs pore and to stay away from it. I’ve used it in the past then switched to liquid only because I ran out and had liquid on hand. I have since broken out. And I have bought more Bare Minerals to return to my regimen. I am eager to try the OCM and see if it will completely settle down. Fingers crossed!
I used bare minerals for a bit but I got TERRIBLE cystic acne. I stopped using it and it cleared up. Every now and then I would use one of the powders when I really wanted the coverage and I would always pay the price for that with terrible breakouts. I Have to steer clear of make ups with bismuth oxychloride..it really messes up my skin.
I have very acne-prone skin, and only my t-zone is oily. I am a Jojoba oil fanatic (it is the closest to your skin’s natural oils, after all), any advice on how often I should do this? After all the products I have tried, I figured this can’t do any more to my skin than they have!
I do it every night and it’s fantastic
I do it every night and it’s fantastic
Help, I need help! I started using OCM two weeks ago. I am 33 and have normal skin, just wanted to start using it b/c it’s natural, to clear persistent blackheads on my nose, and work on old scars and fine lines. I’ve been using 1/3 castor, 1/3 jojoba, and 1/3 apricot kernal. So far my chin has had at least 3 huge zits at a time- large, red, and painful. Also got some dry, itchy spots in other areas of my face. I want this to work and I don’t want to give up but I don’t know what to do. I got all of my ingredients at Whole Body so it’s not the quality of them. Is this normal?
Try adding more castor oil. Castor makes your skin LESS oily. You can dab a drop of oil onto the dry spots when your face is wet after using the hot cloth, just massage it in well. If I were you, I’d try 50% castor and 50% carrier and go from there. if it gets too dry add more carrier oils.
Try adding more castor oil. Castor makes your skin LESS oily. You can dab a drop of oil onto the dry spots when your face is wet after using the hot cloth, just massage it in well. If I were you, I’d try 50% castor and 50% carrier and go from there. if it gets too dry add more carrier oils.
Try adding more castor oil. Castor makes your skin LESS oily. You can dab a drop of oil onto the dry spots when your face is wet after using the hot cloth, just massage it in well. If I were you, I’d try 50% castor and 50% carrier and go from there. if it gets too dry add more carrier oils.
I’ve been using OCM for about two months now: coconut or almond oil at night. I have to say it’s the best thing I’ve done for my skin in a long time. I’m 45 and basically have normal skin, but I also unfortunately suffer from eczema. Also, I live in Eastern Ontario, which basically means I have wind burn for about 3-4 months every year 😮 Right now, smack in the middle of January, I need little to no extra moisturizer on my face, I don’t have any itchy eczema patches, and I don’t look like I’ve just gone through the drying section of a auto car wash. I have to add, I also use RMS Beauty products so I’m not drying my skin out further with heavy makeup. I’m definitely going to have to try the honey face wash and the coconut milk recipe.
Strangely, I’m feeling really hungry reading all these posts!!!
Why do you have to combine oils? Why can’t you just use olive oil, or grapeseed or avacado on its own? I’m just curious.
castor oil is the cleanser and the other oils are called carriers, they are used to lubricate and moisturize the actual skin cells. Castor oils will draw oils and impurities out of your pores, and also dry it out, the carrier oils have different properties than castor oil
The different oils help people find a balance for their own skin. If you find that straight grapeseed for example does the trick that’s fine. But castor oil really is the kicker here.
I use castor for cleaning, some coconut for its antibacterial qualities, and grapeseed because otherwise the oil feels too thick. It’s just something you have to figure out on your own.
I have been washing with 3 parts olive oil to 1 part castor oil for about a month now and I love it! My method is a little different than yours: I massage the oils onto my DRY face first and then steam for 30 seconds and wipe 2 times. I’ve found that steaming and wiping 3 times dries out my face. I don’t even need to moisturize afterwards, which is new to me. And 3 days ago I started the soap/poo free adventure! My fine chin length hair feels a little weird but my skin is already less dry and itchy feeling. I still take a shower every morning, but skip the body wash in leu of a nice washcloth exfoliation and I massage with scalp with just warm water. If I didn’t wear makeup I wouldn’t do the ocm facial thing either. Just like nopoo, nosoap is a process of skin pH and oiliness adjustment plus good bacteria vs. bad/stinky bacteria. Once it gets back to it’s natural “homeostasis” nosoap believers can’t imagine ever using soap on their body again. Yes, soap use is necessary to wash hands post bathroom, but not everyday to strip your skin of it’s natural defenses and healthy pH. So, so far I’m liking nosoap and nopoo.
I am 43 and I have had a lifelong problem with blackheads on my nose. I have tried EVERYTHING to get rid of them, cleansers, strips, creams, astringents, etc… I have spent so much money on products, it makes me ill. This method is working. I started by removing all my face products from the bathroom. I have two oil bottles. One is 30% castor and 70% mix of olive, grapeseed and avocado and the other is 100% jojoba.
The first time I cleansed I moistened with a warm wash cloth; applied the mixed oil and massaged for 5 minutes; reapplied the warm cloth; massaged again then wiped the oil off with warm water and cloth. Since, I don’t see so well up close, so I asked my husband to look at my pores. He said “you have big gaping holes in your nose.” I was shocked so I got my reading glasses and checked myself. Sure enough, every pore was empty and standing open. The plugs were gone.
In the following days my face did seem more oily than usual and I had to blot several times a day for about a week. From what I read, I expected this. Now, two weeks later, the blackheads are totally gone. The pores are still enlarged but are reduced by about 50% and not nearly as noticeable. I expect them to shrink further. I have added a cold water splash at the end to close them.
The only issue I am experiencing is, strangely enough, not oiliness but dryness. I have been switching the cleanse from the mixed oil to jojoba now and then and dabbing jojoba afterwards but my skin is still drying and I am searching for something to do to remedy this without returning to skin products that I am now convinced are no good. My skin is clean and clear has a nice and soft texture, the pores are shrinking and the redness is gone. I am going to try a mix of jojoba and aloe but I don’t know how that will work.
I wonder if maybe you are wiping off too much with the wash cloth and maybe that’s why you feel dry?
Less castor oil, more other oils in the mix.
maybe after oil cleansing, try an apple cider vinegar rinse or spray
I just started washing my face with oil this week and the improvement in such a short time is phenomenal.
I moved down to FL last year, unfortunately the house that I am renting does not have a water softener and FL tap water is full of nasty sediments. As a result, I have been dealing with moderate acne. At first I was at a loss as to what was causing my acne, I’m 27 and had beautiful clear complexion my whole life and had always only had to use Cetaphil facial cleanser. I thought it had more to do with the high humidity, which I’m sure is also a culprit, though once I started noticing all the buildup in the sink and on pots & pans, I imagined it must have been leaving the same buildup on my skin. I omitted the water from my cleansing routine and when necessary I used purified filtered water. I had a combination of oily and dry, scaly skin, starting to have fine lines and was growing more and more self-conscious everyday.
Initially, I was just cleaning my face with cold cream, though this was not helping rid the acne that was already developed and also seemed to make it spread. My first reaction was to start slathering my face with over the counter facial products and harsh chemical peels & microdermabrasions. This just made it even worse! My skin was red, inflamed, and full of pimples, blackheads and large pores. This caused me to cake my face with a ton of makeup to try to hide it, which obviously made it even MORE worse! I realized I had to find another solution. I did a process of elimination and deduced what was different between the products I was using just recently and the Cetaphil. I realized that it must have had a lot to do with the pH balance of my skin and that I most likely have a sensitivity to salicylic acid.
I chose to go the natural route so I did some online investigation and found this post. I started out the first night mixing it with pure honey instead of castor oil, as I did not have it readily available. The immediate results were astounding! I had improved skin tone, the redness and inflammation went down, and my skin was so soft. The next morning I noticed some of my large pimples were starting to go away. I went out and bought the castor oil right away, I started out 25% castor oil & 75% EVOO at night & the honey wash in the morning & the mix is working wonders for me!
I was wondering if anybody had a suggestion for an SPF moisturizer, I can’t seem to find a topic about this…I definitely want to keep my new skin protected!
After doing the OCM & Honey Cleanse for 3 weeks, I have since stopped. It worked for me at first, but now I’m starting to have worse acne than I’ve ever had. I had signs of what appeared to be Rosacea & a couple very large, painful pimples, I have never had to deal with before. I have now been using a cleanser & creme for Redness Relief. The cleanser has Castor Oil in it as well as Licorice Extract. Luckily, the acne that was present after doing the OCM & Honey Cleanse has since been clearing up.
I’ve noticed that there’s a trend here w/horrible breakouts after using this method for a few weeks? Perhaps it should be used as a type of skin detox at 2-3 week intervals? Unfortunately, I have to say now that I would not recommend using this as a way to completely omit your normal cleanser. I still plan on using it, though not on a regular basis as this method suggests.
Your skin is detoxing. Getting all the crap out of the pores that has been buried. Keep it up and your skin will clear up.
or are you using EVOO?
I had similar problems. I thought I loved using just oils for cleansing and moisutizing but after a month, I started breaking out horribly! I had been telling everyone how awesome it was with no breakouts and then bam! I’m not sure if I just was using too much oil – I was using OCM and also moisturizing with different oils. I’m not sure what to do now. regular cleanser and oils for moisturizing? or OCM and a regular moisturizer? serums? go back to Arbonne or PCA skin? I wish God or someone could just tell me what to use! I don’t want to break out but I want to fight aging and I would love to use natural products.
Hello! I am planning to start using the OCM… I have oily/combination skin and am planning to use a mixture of castor, grapeseed and little rosemary oil. I have done as much research as I can and have read a couple of horror stories along the way (lots of people saying it’s been great for 2 weeks and then they’ve had terrible breakouts!). I just want to know a few things from people who have been using this method for a while… if you’re not using the method every night, what do you use/do to clean your face & remove make up in between? I am really excited about trying OCM out but could do with a few tips/ words of encouragement!! Thnaks 🙂
I have been doing the OC method for a couple of days. I haven’t seen much of a difference yet, but I am just wondering about a few things and I was hoping someone could advise: What kind of moistuisers are people using if any? And also, I have been reading through the Crunchy Betty site and would like to try some of the scrub/ honey mask recipes… can anyone tell me how I could incorporate these into my oil cleansing regime?? I am using a mix of 50:50 castor and grapeseed with a few drops of rosemary & clove bud essential oils… If anyone has any other extra tips, tricks or advice I’d love to hear them!! Thank 🙂 x
A lot of people do the scrubs in the morning 🙂
So, I started OCM about two weeks ago. And I have to say that so far I really like it…no more tight, dry skin after washing and no more oil slicks when I wake up in the morning. I suffer from cystic acne, and while I am still having some break-outs, my cysts have been healing in mere days (instead of 2-3 weeks or longer!). I don’t need a moisturizer anymore (had stopped using them because of chemicals anyway), and only dab a tiny bit of jojoba oil on if I have any dryness at all. I mixed up a bottle using 2/3 castor oil, 1/3 jojoba oil and several (I lost count) drops of tea tree oil, which I’d read is good for acne. I feel like my skin tone is evening out and my old acne scars are lightening up, too. And I’m not having to blot my face with paper towels all day long! It’s ridiculous what I just used to go through to get clear skin…chemicals, prescriptions, all the towels I accidentally bleached with my acne products. I really feel this is helping me and can’t wait to see if all my break-outs completely (or mostly) stop. If so, this will have been my God-send. Thank you, Crunchy Betty!! (I’m sure my local natural-food store owner appreciates you, too, since I will be spending more time and money in his shop!)
So two months later and I am still having a lot of breakouts. Now, that may be because I am about 15 weeks pregnant (yay, hormones!) but I am still not a bit oily during the day. I have started using Bragg’s diluted with distilled water (1:1 ratio)…put a little on a cotton ball, then add 2 drops of tea tree oil, and the acne is getting better. I follow up with a bit of tamanu oil. I do the Bragg’s and the tamanu in the morning as well after my shower, but I’m not washing my face in the morning.
I was wondering if I should be using grapeseed oil instead of jojoba…has anyone else noticed that jojoba is breaking them out? Again, it could be the pregnancy hormones. Any advice from other Crunchistas?
I just started, using just EVOO and castor, but my pregnancy acne is horrible too… I’ll be curious to see if others reply here.
I’ve been doing this for months (before reading this) and have only been using grapeseed oil. i liked it because it’s not as thick as olive oil and isn’t as hard to get out of my white washcloths. I haven’t ever tried jojoba, but I recommend the grapeseed oil. good luck!
I’m pretty sure jojoba is contributing to my breakouts too, I’m still trying to find the right carrier oil for me, the next ones on my list to try are sweet almond and grapeseed, based on how they’ve worked for others who have commented on this blog post with acne prone skin, so I say go for it! Good luck!
What kind of jojoba oil do you use? I wonder if there is an issue with using lower quality jojoba oil (similar to the problems with EVOO). Just a thought. I’m curious myself.
Another update: 6 months in and while I’m still having a few pimples they are extremely reduced (like, currently I have 1 real pimple). I have stayed with the castor oil, jojoba oil, and tea tree oil mixture that I first started with. I dab a tiny bit of tea tree or lavender oil on any developing pimples and apply some tamanu oil afterwards. What seems to have made the biggest difference though is using organic, raw honey on my face in the morning. I started that about 4 months ago and it’s been amazing!!! The combination of OCM and HFW has given me the best skin I’ve ever had. After a lifetime of struggling with cystic acne and oil-slick skin, I finally feel pretty. Thank you, Betty!!!!
I appreciate your updates. I have been doing OCM with a castor oil and extra virgin olive oil mix for 3-4 weeks now and my face is the worst it has been? My husband actually asked me yesterday what was wrong with my forehead and thought I was having an allergic reaction to something. I’m super disappointed (especially since it is Christmas and I don’t want to look nasty!) Anyway, I am scouring the comments to find out if the olive oil is a bad choice and it’s nice to see that you have given updates. I think I might switch my oil and see if that helps
Yes, olive oil is NOT recommended for most people (and if you do choose to use it, the brand you use is super important). There’s a Crunchy Better article about choosing an olive oil, but more importantly, if you read the comments you’ll see a lot of people don’t have luck with that oi. Try another oil and hopefully it’ll get better! 🙂
I’ve found that Tamanu oil makes me break out with blackheads and acne. Maybe that’s the problem with yours?
Wow, your site makes me feel normal about my desire to have the least amount of fake product in my beauty routine and still look good!! I have been using the OCM for the past month and a half and I have NEVER been happier with my skin. I’m 25 years old, and I developed perioral dermatitis 6 months ago and suffered greatly with a horrible red rash on my face around my mouth (quite common for women who are in their mid-20s actually!)… it was itchy, burned and the more coverup I put on the worse it got… my doctor prescribed an antibiotic cream which did NOTHING to combat it so I decided to look elsewhere… I finally discovered the OCM online and could not believe it could work, since I was a long time sufferer of acne, oily and very sensitive skin (allergies to fragrance and SLS). I didn’t have anything to lose and decided to try it. I use castor oil/almond oil to cleanse, and apply tea tree oil/almond oil to moisturize afterwards. IT HAS BEEN AMAZING… I cannot rave enough about how much better I feel… no more painful zits, no more perioral dermatitis, no tight, dry spots… I recommend it to any girl who has had skin issues like mine, or to anyone who wants a beautiful glow to their skin!! I have never had compliments on my skin, but now only after 2 months people are saying nice things 🙂
I just wanted to comment on your perioral dermatitis…I kept breaking out with that a few years ago and had to use oral AND topical antibiotics to clear it up, until I discovered it was fluoride causing it! I stopped using fluoride toothpaste and stopped getting fluoride treatments at the dentist and haven’t had it since then. Just an FYI in case the same thing caused yours 🙂 After reading all of these comments, I can’t wait to start using the OCM!
I had painful, awful-looking perioral dermatitis too, which started after I changed birth control pills (this was about 15 years ago). My derm at the time told me to try switching to toothpaste and cleaners products without sodium laurel sulfates and voila! Try it if your dermatitis is still acting up.
I get that rash too, have on and off for 20+ years. In the event someone reading this has a bad breakout…Garlic (raw, you can get it in capsules at the health food store) cleared the infection faster than the oral prescription antibiotics I’ve used. Now, off to try this oil cleaning method, I’m already a believer. Thanks for the info!
did you use it on your skin or take it orally?
If you mean the garlic, I’m pretty sure it’s an addition to the oil. People do recommend rubbing garlic on pimples.
I can’t wait to try this! Starting tonight and hope this will be the end of spending thousands every year at the dermatologist’s office on skincare that doesn’t even work. I got a Hydrafacial a few weeks ago and paid $150 and, yes, my skin was soft as a baby’s bootie afterwards but I kept thinking….didn’t they just use fancy pricey machine to just infuse oil into my face? So I can’t wait try OCM and see if it’s just as good or even better than the Hydrafacial. Thanks for the very specific and easy to follow instructions!
Just started OCM 2 nights ago, after thinking about it for several months. I have extremely oily skin and was very prone to breakouts in my teens/early 20’s. Now at 30, I might have a mild breakout every now & again, but I’m still very oily and have lots of discoloration and some scarring from the bad years. I wasn’t sure OCM would work for me. After 2 nights, I think I like it. I have used the only castor oil I could find at Walgreens and the EVOO I had on hand. Probably 80% castor, 20% EVOO. I am sure my skin needs time to adjust…I am having a bit of a breakout right now (some small pimples near my mouth, a few medium red bumps/areas under my chin, and a very large cystic-type in the middle of my forehead). And I know some people have had trouble with EVOO. I’m waiting for a better castor and sweet almond and some EOs to come in the mail. So far, I’ve had some oiliness first thing in the morning, but then just nice, dewy skin the rest of the day! That is totally new for me! I’m usually getting oily 15-20 minutes after a washing, and by midday my face looks like an oil slick. If I’m wearing makeup, it looks like it could literally drip off, and I wear bareMinerals! I’m so excited, and I really hope it continues to work! Any suggestions on a blemish treatment while I’m adjusting? The only thing I have is EradiKate by Kate Somerville, but I don’t know if it’s too chemically…it’s mostly sulfur.
For tough blemishes, I add a couple drops of tea tree oil to a cotton swab dipped in Witch Hazel and gently apply that. Those can be drying and you may need to apply a tiny bit of oil back on those areas.
Thanks! I’ve also heard of some using witch hazel as a toner/astringent in the mornings…anyone have experience with that?
BTW, so far it’s going well! I started using a few drops of argan oil instead of the EVOO because I definitely did not want to cause a major breakout. I’m excited to see where this goes!
I started OCM about 3 weeks ago and my skin is drier than ever in my life! I don’t like to moisturize at night because I’ve read that your skin needs time to create its own moisture and this has always made sense to me. I haven’t moisturized at night for many years and while using a gentle, natural soap, my skin was plump and well moisturized when I woke in the morning after cleansing at night. I had a bad breakout ( I think from chemicals in products?) and thought the OCM would help detoxify my skin, plus I looked forward to using just pure oils. My breakout has cleared up, but my skin now makes none of its own moisture. Do I need a heavy cream? Should I go back to using soap?
What mixture did you use? There are no “chemicals” in these products, per se. Depending on what your skin type is, oily, normal, dry, you will need to use the proper ratio of castor oil to carrier oil. Castor oil is essential for the cleansing process, in this method..BUT it will also draw moisture from your skin… so if you already have dryer skin and you are using too much castor oil… your skin, will grow dryer. More oily = more castor oil, More dry = Less castor oil… I have oily skin, but I found that the general oily skin ratio of 2/3 castor oil to 1/3 carrier oil was too much, My skin was more dry than I liked… it still felt dewy, but it was slightly flaky…could be the dry winter too, but I cut it down to about 1:1.
I hope that helps a …
You don’t have to moisturize exactly, but rubbing a dot of your carrier oil onto your damp face will help your skin from getting so dry it can’t rebalance itself.
Question: I don’t use a washcloth. Are there any other ways to remove the oil off my face? Also, can I keep a jar of the mixture in the shower? It won’t spoil, right?
if you use it within a reasonable amount of time, it will be fine..don’t store it for more than, say, 6 months, tops. It probably won’t go bad as in rancid, but it is probably better if you use it up more quickly.
As for the washcloth, you COULD use Papertowel or an old clean t-shirt or any kind of cloth or cloth-like material, that’s clean.
Well I do not know how many guys use this method but I am one and I wanted to let you know about my experience in case there are any other guys out there that want to try it.
First of all let me tell you that I have always had acne my whole life and while it has not been extreme it has always been persistent even when using Proactive.
I have gone back and forth with the OCM method at first I thought it was a waste of time until I found the right mix for my sensitive skin. I am also rather pale (I can’t tan). My best mix for a 3oz travel size bottle is 1/4 Castor oil, and then the rest of the bottle with an even mix of Grapeseed Oil & Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
I put oil in my palm and then massage it on my skin dry for about 3 minutes until I feel the dirt come loose then take a hot rag and let it soak on my face until it goes cold. Wipe off the oil and repeat the hot rag process 2 more times.
If you have a beard or stubble it works well to go ahead and rub the oil around (it will soften your beard and keep you from getting ingrown hairs). I can say that if I skip more than a day and try some other product I will break out all over again. If you stick with it and get the oil mix right for your skin it really does work to keep you clean and clear
I found your site about 3 weeks ago ( I am on a no chemicals in the house DIY kick ). I have always struggled with acne and oily skin. I have also had large pores on my nose that I felt could be seen a mile away. I started the OCM method using castor oil, olive oil, and tea tree oil. I have never been so happy!! My acne, for the first time in years, is practically gone (I’m going on 30, didn’t need that acne crap). The pores on my nose are no longer noticeable and my skin feels like it can breath. My skin doesn’t feel gross at the end of the day and my makeup doesn’t get shiny either! I love it!!
Thank you! I have acne-prone skin with large pores but it is constantly dehydrated by cleanser. I’m ready to try anything.
What should I pay attention at when buying oil? Should it be extra-bio-natural-something?
Just make sure the oils are ONLY the oils they say they are. Be careful with EVOO if you’re going to use that, it’s not checked very well for purity. There’s a list of good ones on this site somewhere.
A good rule of thumb is to look at the source: if it says the oils come from like 5 different countries, that’s sketchy. Look for ones that all come from one place.
I started using the oil cleansing method on Tuesday. . . It’s now Thursday of the same week, and I’ve broken out ALL over my chin. It’s been a long while since I’ve broken out this badly, and while it may be a purge, I can’t handle having acne like this (even for only a couple weeks, while my skin is getting used to the oil). So, I’ve begun washing with honey (with ground oats for a gentle scrub). Let’s hope this one won’t break me out as well.
Has anyone that has switched to the OCM found it to be effective in areas of high humidity, high temperatures, and very hard water? I live in The Bahamas, and we have all three, plus the ever-present UV rays which make a daily sunscreen necessary. This method of cleansing intrigues me, but as I’m finally getting over hormonal cystic acne (I am refusing to have more than 3 periods a year to get it under control), I’m more than a little worried about starting something that will be terrible in this environment.
You might try using filtered water (wet the rinsing cloth, the microwave it as earlier poster does). Coconut oil is a natural sunscreen. Can you find any elders in your area (natives) who might know something about using coconut oil?
can you add the 60%castor oil,20% jojoba oil and 20%grapeseed oil for oily acne prone skin or skip the grapeseed and use if need to moisturize??? I am new to this.
I think that seems like a good combination. I’ve been using less castor oil and more of the others, but the same three oils, and it’s helped my acne but it’s been drying (I have dry skin normally anyhow), so I think it would do really well on oily skin.
my skin in freaking out and i have this huge pimple that hurts and i just want good results soo just going to give my skin time to adjust and be positive. Are you still using the OCM? any suggestions anyone??????
If you’re dry maybe bump down the castor and bump up the jojoba, just a bit. Jojoba is a moisturizing powerhouse.
I don’t know how kosher this is, but every couple days I do this. After I’ve massaged the oil in, before I wipe it off, I splash just a bit of lemon juice into my oily hands and kind of dab it all over, then massage one more time through. It’s done beautiful, beautiful things! Then I steam/wipe it all off (I don’t do much of the steaming part) and dab a bit of grapeseed on my wet face.
This is great. I’m totally going to give this a try!!!! Love and hugs from the ocean shores of CAlifornia, Heather 🙂
Found you through Pinterest, and love the blog!!! I started the OCM last week and so far so good. I have pale, sensitive, little over 40 skin with minor rosacea and a few hormonal breakouts. I started out the first night using Coconut oil (and yes I know I shouldn’t be using it) and it was….interesting. But my skin dried out so bad! So two nights ago (I’ve OCM’d everyday) I finished out by moisturizing with EEOV (had on hand). I also don’t get the water too hot. My skin is SO much better! My forehead is bump-free for the first time in years. The bumps on my cheeks and jawline are even feeling better. I’ve heard the horror stories with people having a problem after a week or two, so I’m committed to stick with this for at least a month. Thank you so much for an alternate to chemicals and dermatologists!
I’ve been using the OCM for about a month now, and I am a total convert! It’s so amazing and I would never dream of going back any other drying cleansing system. It is totally worth a try, and another blog I read encourages readers to do a two week challenge to see how they like it. I was a complete skeptic, but I didn’t even need the two weeks to become an enthusiast!
I have been using this method for about 6 months now – and my normally troubled skin has been thrilled! I have always struggled with acne and lackluster skin – Finally have found the solution!
I have a quick question. What do you all you OCM users do in the morning? I have been using OCM for about a week now, but I don’t know what to do in the morning. My face doesn’t still feel clean from the night before and I feel like I am dumping makeup upon dirty oils…even though they are probably okay. Does anyone use OCM morning and night? If you do not, what do you do in the morning?
I take a hot washcloth either while in the shower or out, and just steam my face and then wipe it off, a couple times. Haven’t had any issues..and I only do the OCM every other day. IF I wear makeup on the off days, I use Almay remover pads to clean off the makeup… but I usually don’t wear any.
Depending how my skin feels, in the morning I either just use hot water and a washcloth, or honey on damp skin then wipe off with a washcloth.
I do OCM every night, and then in the mornings I rinse my face with warm water, use a little ACV toner, a little almond oil to moisturize around my eyes/cheeks, and then do my makeup as normal! So far, so good!
I use several different face masks from LUSH… I absolutely love LUSH face masks, and they do help, just not to the extent that I have always hoped for them to. And I’ve never really given their clenasers a chance. (However, I love their Breath of Fresh Air toner.)
Anyway, I used to use Proactiv and it honestly worked pretty well for me. I have always used a liquid foundation with a little bit of powder to hold it all in. Even with Proactiv, my face has always gotten slighty greasy throughout the day and makes me feel like I need to re-apply my make-up.My t-zone seems to hate me and wants to make itself present halfway through the day and I just need to teach it a lesson.
Will the OCM help to prevent my t-zone from taking over during the workdays and long nights out?
Also, will it reduce the appearance of the size of my pores?
I’ve been using OCM for a couple weeks now but before I started I had used Lush’s Angels on Bare Skin for years and it did loads more for my problem skin than proactive ever did. Try it! You’ll love it.
that link is not working 🙁
I’ve been using OCM for 4 days now and is loving the result! However, I am still finding little bumps on my forehead. They’ve reduced in numbers but still not completley gone. Should I just be more patient?
I am doing 3 drops of castor and 7 drops of grapeseed oil… any suggestion will be appreciated!
here’s what I have been doing…
http://simplifiedlivingla.blogspot.com/2012/03/oil-cleansing-method.html
I’m in my late 50s and have been using the OCM for about a month now, and my skin has never looked better. It feels so amazing that I actually look forward to cleaning my face every night. Blackheads that I’ve had most of my life are gone, and my skin glows when I’m finished. I’m still experimenting to find the right ratio and carrier oil that works best for me. So far I’ve tried sunflower 1:3 and olive oil 1:1 and liked them both but still felt like I needed a moisturizer, so now I’m going to try avocado oil 3:1 with the castor oil. I get my castor oil at Walmart, and found the avocado oil at Whole Foods. They also have apricot kernel oil, almond oil, and many others – found them right next to the olive oils and balsamic vinegars. I cannot recommend this method enough!
Hi! Thanks so much for all of this information, it is so helpful! I have been doing the OCM for the past week (1/3 jojoba and 2/3 castor), and it does make my skin feel so great, but as hopeful as I was, my face looks really red and is even more broken out. I’m just wondering if it’s one of those things I just need to give some time or how should I change it up? I’ve been reading of almost instant results and that’s definitely not my case! I have taken pills and put nasty creams on my face for a very long time and I’m just so sick of it! I really want this to work, but I’m not sure what to do?! Thanks so much!
Give it a few more weeks and see how your skin reacts to it then.. I hope it works for you ! I’ve had a somewhat similar experience with breaking out but I think its just the impurities coming out of the skin.. hopefully. let me know how it works for you
People who have instant results seem to be people with cystic acne or deep plugs, both of which oil can work out on day 1. If your face is really red you may be using too hot of water. I think the massaging is more important than the heat so cut back on how much and how hot of water you use.
I just started doing the OCM starting Thursday night with 50/50 Castor Oil and EVOO… Since then I’ve had a cystic pimple (which is probably just from my monthly gift.. or its because I also used the mixture on over night for an experiment) Anywho… I continued to use this method, some days I used it in the morning, which I don’t know if its a good or bad thing, but I’m going to cut that out because I GOT TWO MORE PIMPLES ON MY LEFT CHEEK, but my other cheek is clear, ALSO I got a few pimples on my chin .. ALTHOUGH! I did notice some pimples on my forehead that have cleared up slightly) I’m thinking maybe its just getting all the impurities out of my skin, since pimples form under the skin days before they actually show up.. So I will continue to use this and maybe cut out my Aveeno Clear Complexion moisturizer… I really hope this OCM sh*t works for me, since I have relatively normal just a tad bit dry, acne prone skin thats extremely sensitive. No facial cleanser or any type of skin products have worked for me so I’m really wanting this to work for me since I’m S.O.L.
I also use a little travel container with water in it and a drop of tea tree oil and i use it on my face with a cotton ball.. Tea tree oil is supposed to be good for acne, but I dunno man… Im gonna stop using it and see how the OCM works…..
If anyone is around my age (17) Is this working for you?
Hey, I’m 20 (nice to see another teen face).
Definitely cut out the moisturizer, mixing OTC and OCM seems to make skin go haywire. 50/50’s probably good if your skin’s not super-dry, but check that your EVOO isn’t on the list of impure ones (It’s on this site somewhere . . .) I like grapeseed better, and it’s not as expensive as jojoba.
Your skin probably is detoxing. My skin broke out pretty badly for a month after I started OCM and I just had to keep experimenting with oils, etc. till it all balanced out beautifully. I use OCM and then Betty’s ACV/Hazel toner, then I wipe that off and put a drop of grapeseed back on (I live in a desert so my face needs the help).
I have been using it for about a year now, I have had oily skin for as long as I can remember and attacked it with proactive for a number of years. I then switched to Dr. Hauschka and found my skin was not nearly as oily as I thought once I stopped the stopped the constant drying out. My skin was still not quite right though so I thought I would give the OCM a whirl. I use castor and jojoba oil in a 1:7 ratio, and I use unrefined cocoanut oil as a moisturizer after. I use the OCM at night only and just rinse in the morning. I am thinking of dropping down to every other night with the OCM but I am not sure what to do on alternate nights… I have pimple prone skin and I am really happy with the results, my skin is mostly clear, healthy feeling and most store bought products made my skin burn. Good Luck!
Does the coconut oil clog up your pores? I’m thinking of trying the BalmBalm fractionated coconut oil as a cleanser, but I’ve heard that coconut oil is supposed to be highly comedogenic so a bit scared….
I’ve heard bad things about coconut oil, but so many good things as well! Here’s my takehome message: avoid it if you’re very prone to clogged pores, and make sure it’s warm.
My acne seems to be more caused by irritation and bacteria than by clogging, so very warm coconut oil has been doing wonders (it’s antibacterial). It’s a solid so I put the closed bottle underneath hot water until it melts, then add castor oil and some drops of grapeseed. I add grapeseed because I feel that coconut is a bit thick, and grapeseed thins it out. It feels great because the oil is already warm when it goes on my face!If you put oil on your damp face to moisturize, don’t use coconut. I use grapeseed for that, again because it’s thinner.
Thanks:) I sounds like it could work for me too, guess you just have to try and see since it works differently for everybody.
I have moley moley skin, always have, always will- I wanted to know what kind of sunscreen or product with spf to use on my skin afterwards? I don’t want to ruin all the natural awesomeness of the OCM by putting moisturizers with spf or sunscreen(both of which abound in all sorts of harsh chemicals) all over my face- but I need to have some kind of sun protection aside from a big ol’ hat.
You could try the Kimberly Sayer Moisturisers. They have sunscreen and are 100% natural. There’s one for oily and one for dry skin. I’ve never tried them, but I’ve checked out the ingredients and they seem ok.
http://www.kimberlysayer.com/moisturizers.html
I had this site recommended to me by a friend and I was curious. I have fairly normal skin with dryness in the winter. I don’t get lots of pimples but have redness and get occasional minor breakouts I like using natural products and have always sworn by my arbonne fc5 for normal/dry. I was interested after reading the article and gave the OCM a go. I used an equal portion of EVOO and castor oil. The first thing I noticedf was my skin feels tight after. I think I might be wiping it too many times. I just want to get all the makeup off! It doesn’t feel too dry but my cheeks feel tight and my redness has worsened. I also have begun to break out in my thiird week. I’ve tried playing with the ratio and added tea tree oiil tonight to see if it helps. Is it possible I’m wiping it too much after? I’mused to having to apply mosturizer immediately after I wash my face or else my skin feels tight…any suggestions to combat my redness?
Alert I have broken out like crazy! I have gotten scared. I am now trying the honey wash but am worried that my skin will be too dry. Its always red and tight after…..so frustrating. Very tempted to switch back to the fc5…..
It sounds like you might be using too much castor oil, and maybe a different carrier oil would be better for your skin 🙂 (And skip the tea tree oil if you’re feeling dry, that will probably only make things worse, too!)
How do you remove the oily residue from the washcloths when laundering?
I’d imagine if you wash with hot water and soap, that it should be fine . . .
I’ve just had my first go ad the oil cleansing method this evening and I must say wow, I’m really pleasantly surprised! I expected my skin to feel really oily after cleansing, but it just feels soft, moist and really, really clean!! I just the jojoba oil alone since I have to wait for the castor oil to arrive with the post.. Can’t wait to see if it will clear up my skin!
Probably patience will help. 🙂 Just stick with it and remember to massage that oil in deep!
I love love love this method/process… my husband and I have been using the oil cleansing method for over a week and it is AHmayzing! He and I have very different skin – his is prone to being dry/flaky and generally sensetive, mine is more prone to breaking out and I have more oily and dry areas. For both of us this method of cleansing the face absolutely works. We use a mix of castor, jojoba, and avocado oils (more castor for me, a little less for him). We are converts… now I just need some advice/a good website or place to get bottles/products to store in. I’ve also purchased some essential oils and I am wondering if there are eyedropper type lids available for 2 oz bottles… or does anyone have any suggestions on how I can easily store these products to use quickly and easily? Thank you SO much! Your book is awesome too and I cannot wait to try some of the steams… 😉
Thank you for writing this! I referenced your site when deciding whether to try OCM or not. I have decided to try OCM and am blogging about my results. If anyone is interested in seeing day by day results (or non-results I’m not sure if I’ll get anywhere with this method!) please visit my blog:http://ocmexperiment.blogspot.com/ I have included pictures everyday to show how my skin started out and how it is adjusting and reacting to OCM. So far I am a week in and my skin is adjusting to this new method. I’m excited to see if I get any spectacular results! 🙂
I’m 45 years old and although I had flawless skin as a teen, I began getting cystic acne as soon as I turned 20…25 years later here I am. I have never once had a whitehead, cyst or blackhead anywhere but my chin or nose. Two months after turning 33 I had to have a total hysterectomy and was prescribed an HRT that included testosterone. Holy cow the cysts were off the charts! I eliminated the testosterone but the damage was done and my face wasn’t clearing up. I began using Proactive (12 years ago now) and had immediate, GLORIOUS results! My skin began aging in the last couple of years and I became weary of how much my prolonged use of Proactive may be contributing to that. So, about 2 months ago I began the OCM and my results are so-so. I began with a mixture of castor oil and evoo. I’ve played with it a little here and there and it seems that no matter what ratio I use (right now I’m @ approx. 50/50), I’m developing blackheads on my nose and have had 2 cysts on my chin that are really hanging on way too long.Doing deeper research on the OCM has me convinced evoo is the worst for my type of skin and Jojoba oil is what I should have tried first. I bought some Jojoba oil as well as Tea Tree oil and I also have some Lavender oil on hand. I’ve read in one place or another that all of these oils aid acne sufferers. Is there anyone out there with a situation similar to mine? I really want this to work, and not fall back on Proactive. If anyone can recommend a mixture that might be good for me to begin with, please share!My regimen is to steam my face for a few minutes then massage the oil mixture on my face (eyes too – they look the best they have in years) for a couple of minutes. I take a wash cloth that’s been soaking in hot water (as hot as I can stand it) and lay it on my face until it becomes room temp. After that I wipe off the excess and don’t repeat until the next night.Thanks in advance for your advice!
I’m 45 years old and although I had flawless skin as a teen, I began getting cystic acne as soon as I turned 20…25 years later here I am. I have never once had a whitehead, cyst or blackhead anywhere but my chin or nose.
Two months after turning 33 I had to have a total hysterectomy and was prescribed an HRT that included testosterone. Holy cow the cysts were off the charts! I eliminated the testosterone but the damage was done and my face wasn’t clearing up. I began using Proactive (12 years ago now) and had immediate, GLORIOUS results!
My skin began aging in the last couple of years and I became weary of how much my prolonged use of Proactive may be contributing to that. So, about 2 months ago I began the OCM and my results are so-so. I began with a mixture of castor oil and evoo. I’ve played with it a little here and there and it seems that no matter what ratio I use (right now I’m @ approx. 50/50), I’m developing blackheads on my nose and have had 2 cysts on my chin that are really hanging on way too long.
Doing deeper research on the OCM has me convinced evoo is the worst for my type of skin and Jojoba oil is what I should have tried first. I bought some Jojoba oil as well as Tea Tree oil and I also have some Lavender oil on hand. I’ve read in one place or another that all of these oils aid acne sufferers.
Is there anyone out there with a situation similar to mine? I really want this to work, and not fall back on Proactive. If anyone can recommend a mixture that might be good for me to begin with, please share!
My regimen is to steam my face for a few minutes then massage the oil mixture on my face (eyes too – they look the best they have in years) for a couple of minutes. I take a wash cloth that’s been soaking in hot water (as hot as I can stand it) and lay it on my face until it becomes room temp. After that I wipe off the excess and don’t repeat until the next night.
Thanks in advance for your advice!
Oops…must have hit paste more than once!
I am just starting this now but I have similar acne prone skin – thought by now, almost 30, it would be decreasing. I’ll let you know how it goes but just wanted to add I’ve done some other reading about OCM and I am too trying castor oil with jojoba oil which is closest to the skin’s natural sebum. I am adding small amounts of tea tree oil (I’ve used before and is great for killing bacteria) plus Lemongrass and Orange. Acidic essential oils are better for oily skin as they pull out the oil. Also lavender, chamomile, evening primrose, sandalwood and grapefruit. For the carrier oil I read you can use Flaxseed or Hazelnut Oil in place of Jojoba. Hazelnut has a natural astringent in it. Hope this helps!
Yes. I started this method with straight olive oil. I did that for a little over a week until my castor oil arrived. I mixed these up almost half. My face began to break out in a way I’ve never experienced before. I went back to using cleansers, and washing my face twice a day<–also not what I ever did before. Tonight I used coconut oil, before reading your post. Then I applied tee tree oil to the painful pimples. As someone who rarely, if ever wears make-up this has become super frustrating. I can't cover my face and I don't know how to fix the problem. I've tried straight castor too. It seems to me that I was having the least problems with just olive oil, but I have oily skin. I'm tempted to buy proactive now, or go see a dermatologist. If you think you can help, please do!
Elena – I just started using the OCM three days ago and already my pores are smaller and I’m not breaking out. I use 3 parts castor oil, 1 part extra virgin olive oil, and 3 drops tea tree essential oil. I would not recommend Proactive or a dermatologist. I tried Proactive regular and extra strength. Both worked for a few weeks and then I started breaking out again. The dermatologist was the same story. She gave me something, I used it, it worked for a while then quit working. She wanted to put me on an oral drug to get rid of it but I didn’t want to deal with the side effects so I started looking into natural things and out of everything I’ve tried this has worked the best in a short amount of time. Hope this helps you!
This is a late comment, but neither of the oils you’re using are recommended for use on the face 🙂 I’m guessing that is the problem!
after reading about OCM i am really interested but have need a few clarification:
– i would not be able to do it everyday, how would you recommend i take off my makeup other days when I am not using OCM
– do you all use you normal sunscreens and moisturisers in the morning before makeup?
any suggestions will be gratgefully received.
Why can’t you do it everyday? If you have the time/warm water to wash your face with something else I don’t understand why you couldn’t do it everyday.
Personally I don’t wear sunscreen or believe in it.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/26/the-toxic-truth-of-sunscr_n_590516.html#s93626&title=Increased_Risk_Of
What should I use as a cleanser on the days I’m not using the the oil cleansing method? For morning and night
I have the same question! I’ve seen a number of sites where they recommend NOT doing it every day, but then . . . what do I do on those days?
I am also wondering….someone give us an answer lol please 🙂
I had this question plus others and have found every answer in the comment section of this post. Yes, there are many many many comments but if you take the time to dredge through them (plus exploring crunchy betty’s site more) you WILL find solutions.
I cannot do OCM exclusively. I have only been doing it for a little under 2 months but maybe I can do it exclusively after my skin finishes expelling the junk. Currently, the honey wash/mask is crucial to keep my skin clear.
I saw another blog that stated to just cleanse with water if you don’t have makeup on, and/or steam with a washcloth. It works for me!
I saw to use water in the morning, but if I’ve worn makeup, I don’t want to just use water at night, too. Somewhere in the comments on one of her posts in the archive, I saw that she links to either a facial scrub she makes, or a honey mask. So, I might try one of those 🙂
Alright, here are the details.
I’m 19 years old, and I started the oil cleansing method
almost three weeks ago (March 3) because Proactiv isn’t working too well and it’s
expensive. I started off with equal parts castor and extra virgin olive oil
(1/2 tsp. to ½ tsp. and I used Kirkland signature organic extra virgin olive
oil. It was on the list of good olive oils on this site and it’s cold pressed,
so I suppose it’s okay) and three drops of tea tree oil.
For two weeks it was fine, and my skin has really improved
in texture, but perhaps around last Saturday my forehead (especially near my temples) broke out very badly.
I think it’s just my skin purging and getting used to the new regime? I’m
hoping that is the case. I don’t know if it’s my monthly gift either, since it’s
been nonexistent since January… a doctor’s visit is required here, I believe.
I began wiping off the oil in the shower on Sunday because I
read that the steam helps, and I started using the ACV toner morning and night,
and yesterday I began doing the honey wash in the morning with raw honey in hopes of clearing
up my skin (I’m not allergic to honey, thank goodness)–tonight I’m going to try
adding a more castor oil to the regime as well, because I’m starting to think I have oily skin. For the past two days I’ve
increased the tea tree oil to ten drops too.
Is anyone willing to share how long it took for their skin
to grow used to the OCM? And if anyone has any helpful tips or advice, I’d be
very grateful.
Hello,
I’m excited to try this OCM thing I’ve heard so much about, but I have a question about castor oil… I’m worried that it will dry out my skin and also worried about how natural it is. Does anyone know of a substitute? Or have any information regarding castor oil for me?
Thanks for the help!
I started the OCM about 8 weeks ago, when the dry Northern California winter was wreaking havoc on my fair skin (white scaly flaky specs around the nose and cheeks, no amount of expensive moisturizer could fix). I never had the purge episode that others have mentioned, though I don’t include Castor Oil in my mix since others noted that it caused more dryness. My results have been fantastic. One or two cystic zits that cleared up quickly after a few days of applying straight tea tree oil, nothing since then. Here is my routine:
– Combine EVOO, grape seed oil, a few drops of tea tree, lavender, and vitamin E oil in an old bottle with an eye dropper
– Massage a few drops of this concoction on my dry, unwashed face for a few minutes every morning
– Normal shower routine, lastly steaming off the oil with a warm washcloth 2 or 3 times (scraping the oil after the washcloth has started to cool). Use a white cloth to see all the gory goop that it gathers. Strangely gratifying.
– Splash a handful of Apple Cider Vinegar to tone (stings a little in a good way)
– Rinse with warm water
If my face feels dry after the shower I’ll use a few drops of vitamin E or Argon oil in the dry areas. This routine happens every morning. I don’t do anything at night (bad girl!). My complexion is clear and bright for the first time in adult life (I’m in my mid 30’s and have always struggled with frequent breakouts and rosacea-ish spots). This week I even stopped wearing foundation – just a little mineral powder to even out my ruddy Irish skin tone.
I think it has been successful for me because I omitted the Castor Oil and have not used soap or a commercial moisturizer this entire time. In reading the comments it seems like those who are having issues with OCM did not trust the process and continued to use soap, which I think would really confuse your skin.
My only concern is that while this is working great during the winter it may not fair well in the summer months. I bike to/from work and really need to use sunscreen in the sunnier months. What are other OCM devotees using for sun block?
i’ve been trying this method, but my face is still really dry. what do you recommend for a natural facial moisturizer?
For the first week-10 days I was super dry as well. I reduced castor oil (to maybe 1/4) and the other 3/4 is grapeseed and evoo. After I tone w/ a mixture of acv and water w/ 2-3 of tea tree oil (my mix is less than some, I use 1/8 acv with 7/8 distilled water), I moisturize with a couple drops of evoo that has a drop or two of lavender eo. My dryness has completely subsided (and I live in Colorado, extremely dry conditions!).
I’ve been using some of the cleansing oil at night, and a little bit of almond oil during the day. I was worried it would make my makeup smear and be slimy, but I find it actually goes on smoother and stays on throughout the day just fine!
I decided to try out OCM after coming back to your site over and over again, and I am not sure if it is working or what it is I am doing wrong. I’ve been doing it for 9 days now and only at night. I have always had quite oily skin especially on the T-zone plus I also have rosacea. I started off with a mixture of 2 parts castor oil to 1 part sunflower oil. I would massage it in really well for 2 minutes and then with a warm cloth I would clean it off. The first day was great but as the days went on I noticed that while my t-zone wasn’t as oily as usual the rest of my face was really really dry. I looked like I had suddenly aged 10 years (I’m 40 by the way). I replaced the sunflower oil for jojoba oil and used less castor oil. I’m currently using about 15% castor oil and 85% jojoba oil plus 1-2 drops of tea tree oil which is supposed to be good for rosacea. After I clean it off with a warm cloth, I close my pores with diluted ACV and moisturize with some jojoba oil. My skin doesn’t feel as tight and the dryness has improved a little. However, my skin still feels somewhat dry and I still look like I’ve suddenly aged 10 years. The redeness I get from the rosacea has improved since I started OCM so I don’t want to throw in the towel just yet. While I haven’t been breaking out as I’ve read in some other comments here, I do find that my pores don’t seem to be getting any smaller and I am getting a lot of blackheads on my nose. Too many for my liking. No matter how many times I wipe off the oil with a warm cloth after massaging it in, the blackheads are still there. Is anyone else having the same problem with blackheads and dryness? Am I using the wrong oil perhaps and instead of jojoba I should be using something else? Should I use less castor oil??? I just don’t know and I am hoping that someone may be able to help me out.
maybe you are defeating your purpose by using an astringent every day. i’d say try cutting out the vinegar.
I have been doing the Oil Cleansing Method before bedtime for about a month now and my skin is not breaking out like it once did and it looks so much better (less redness), I have combination skin and it is very sensitive. I have been using 1 part castor oil and 2 parts extra virgin olive oil, and I love the way my skin feels after i cleanse, it feels so soft and clean. It removes all my makeup and I use alot. I have noticed I still have some flakiness around my nose and may use sunflower seed oil with castor oil next…Iam going to try different mixes to see what my skin likes the most. I find that it isn’t any more expensive than buying cleansers, plus the oils last forever and you dont need to use that much. The reason I decided to try this type of cleansing is because I had used samples of DHC’s cleansing oil and really liked it but found the price to be a little steep for me so I decided to make my own, so far so good and will continue doing this because I can tell it is making a difference in my skin……
This is the worst thing I’ve ever tried! I did OCM for about 2 months and ended up with really bad results. I used extra virgin olive oil and castor oil and kept them in a little plastic bottle. The first few weeks were fine and I thought that it was working. My face felt fine and I didn’t breakout. But a few weeks later I noticed that my cheeks and forehead were getting very bumpy and red. I never breakout on my cheeks so I was worried. Over the next few days, the bumps just got bigger and bigger and even spread to my neck and jaw. My mom even noticed and told me to stop putting oil on my face because I was just trapping bacteria underneath the skin. It looked like my face was just totally clogged up with oils.
I stopped doing this about a week ago and my face is slowly clearing up from that breakout. I’m using my regular facewash and clindamycin now. I still have some spots but not as bad as when I was on OCM. They are finally drying up instead of looking very fresh and red all the time. I think it’ll be about 1 more month til I clear up from this disaster. If you’re thinking about trying the OCM just be very careful and watch out for any breakout. If you keep continuing with it, your face could keep get worse til it’s too late to stop. Don’t do it! It really is the WORST THING EVER!
I’m sorry you had such a bad result. That’s really unfortunate. Thank goodness not many people have had the same experience you did! Whew!
It seems that the oil in question is the olive oil, as nearly everyone who’s reported negative experiences with OCM have used the olive oil. A few weeks ago, I wrote about how most extra virgin olive oil isn’t really extra virgin (and how MANY of the brands are actually tainted with other really bad oils), so this may very well be the culprit.
Extra virgin olive oil is a bad choice. I attempted to clean my skin with it and after two weeks my skin was left a complete wreck. I have never had more than 10 rather large red pimples and a few red spots, I was left with over 100.
i would also make sure that your little bottle and clothes, etc, have not had any bacteria introduced to them accidentally. (dirty hands, etc). in high school i used olive oil for a while and it eventually
caused problems, it was not the good stuff.
I am very interested in trying this method. Any Europeans or people living in Europe on the threads? I live in the Netherlands now and none of the bio shops I have been to have castor oil. Any ideas on where to find it?
In The Netherlands castor oil is known as ‘wonderolie’. It’s sold in small bottles just like 90% alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, pure acetone etc. You should be able to get it at any ‘apotheek’ and I think I also bought some at the Kruidvat but I’m not sure.
Thanks for the walk through on the oil cleansing method. I did it years ago and then fell out of the habit…my skin has been exploding lately so I’m trying it again and I linked to this post on my blog here:
http://ecb.edesignsfashion.com/2012/04/11/washing-my-face-with-oil-because-im-breaking-out-like-a-teenager.aspx
Wanted to let you know I’m back to oil cleansing and wrote about it on my blog…linked to your post here since you’re more of an expert than I am!
http://ecb.edesignsfashion.com/2012/04/11/washing-my-face-with-oil-because-im-breaking-out-like-a-teenager.aspx
Love The Site!
I just started the OCM tonight (”,)
Could anyone tell me- I rinsed my face but I still feel like there is oil on my skin..is this OK or should I rinse until it is completely gone…?
Hi Crunchies! I started OCM about a week ago, and I have to confess I’m a bit disappointed.
I had awful acne as a teenager, which has let up a little now I’m in my twenties, but I still have mild rosacea on my cheeks and a terrible case of blackheads on my forehead, nose and cheeks. Without wishing to get too… biological, they’re not the squeezable kind that create a bump, but the kind that sit inside the pore and make it look huge and disgusting. I’m using a 1:1 castor oil and jojoba oil mixture morning and evening, following the instructions in the article exactly. So far, I haven’t noticed any difference at all – the blackheads are as stubborn as ever, and there’s no change in the rosacea (although I expected that).
I’ll keep going with the OCM, but I just wanted to check I’m not doing something wrong. After all the miracle stories I expected a little more! I read the article on blackheads and think I’ll try a clay mask to see if that helps.
Anyone else had the same problem? Any other treatments for the blackheads from hell?
I have to second the gratefulness here! I had read a lot about OCM, but this site broke it down for me step by step in a way that wasn’t so intimidating…I’m about three weeks in and am so happy with my skin! I keep waiting for the “backlash” from my skin, but I think that I’ll stick with OCM even if that happens. My face looks the best it has in a long, long time. It isn’t 100% free of pimples, but my skin looks so much better in general – glowing, pretty and clearer overall. Most of my pores are clear with just some stubborn blackheads on the tip of my nose (i’m going to try the other blackhead removal tips on this site soon) and hormonal (monthly) breakouts. I’m so happy I tried this! I had long suspected that the anti-acne products I was using actually made things worse rather than better. I hope OCM keeps working this well – thanks for the tips! I use 2/3 castor oil with the other third a 50/50 mix of jojoba and sweet almond with a few drops of tea tree oil mixed in (i pre-mix in a bottle). This is working so far! I feel a little dry after i wash, so I put tea tree on stubborn spots and then spread argan oil all over my face and neck. Another bonus – the oiliness I was seeing midday is gone! Thanks for saving my mid-30s skin!
I tried the ratio for dry skin (1/3 castor oil and 2/3 carrier oil) and it made my face sooo dry. So I switched to using only olive oil (no castor oil) and lukewarm water. Hot water is really drying. I’ve been doing OCM for two months now and I love it! My face looks and feels great. Thanks Crunchy Betty!
i’m doind the OCM for 4 days now! the first day i used coconut oil…then i read it is comedogenic,so i put it aside! second and third day i used olive oil and i felt great…(i have rosacea and dry skin) so the 4th day i decided to use sweet almond oil and i feel that it is not as moisturising (i don’t want to say dry…but kind of yes) and i don’t want to try castor oil because it has to do with hair thickening and my peach fuzz is enough,also i read it’s drying and i don’t want to use it! so i want to ask,how is it going for you until now? are you still using it? is it wrong to use only olive oil?
Isn’t there any alternative to using a washcloth??? Annnnnnnnyoneeee please help… I don’t like the idea of more laundry as I live in an apartment and don’t have units in my apartment …. Has anyone tried anything that effectively removed oil and gets make up off? Maybe a round cotton swab? Like the ones used for toner?
I use paper towels.
How about generic unscented, etc… baby wipes?
Yeah they’d work, anything that can wipe the oils off.
Or get a couple of facial clothes, then just wash them all at the same time. The cotton flannels work better because they can hold heat so assist in opening your pours as well as the stream in the room.
Yes, that was my concern too. I found on the comments to microwave the washcloth as to kill the germs so you can reuse it. It’s faster than waiting for the water to heat up plus it saves H2O and money. FYI: Some people say to watch it because the cloth can catch fire although I’ve never had the problem (*knocking on wood*). I do sometimes use paper towels to dry my face but then I rinse them out and use the same paper towel to wipe things off like the floor or the walls (I hate to waste).
Ive been doing this lately with just olive oil. Its amazing with makeup, even waterproof mascara, so gentle & doesn’t sting eyes. Then I follow up with the steam. Goodbye makeup! works better than commercial cleansers. My pores are tighter & i’ve been getting less breakouts but my skin is still hydrated. I have dry skin but still break out occasionally around the monthlies. Love this cleansing method!
I’ve been doing the OCM for about 2 months now and is think it does wonder!!!
For more details please visit http://simplifiedlivingla.blogspot.com/ !!
I have contemplated doing this for some time! Last week I ran out of commercial face wash and decided to give it a go! Today is day 2!
I have just started the OCM method and I cant beleive the difference it has made. I have battled Acne for 25 years. Believe me I’ve tried everything. Ive been using ProActive for the last year, and lately my skin has been breaking out, and not just the normal pimples but huge painful lumps under my skin with no heads. Its also dry and flaky all the time too. I have been surfing the internet recently in the hope of a miracle. Then i came across the OCM and I thought why would you want to add more oil to oily skin. Its gonna give you more pimples,surely!. But then I read a bit more into it and thought well maybe My skins just pumping out more oil because its constantly being dried out with Pro active. So I gave it a go 3 days ago and I couldnt beleive how soft it felt. The next morning it even looked clearer and less red. This cant be real!! I was thinking. I have been oil cleansing my face for the last 2 nights as well and even though I still have some pimples, theyre not as red and my face looks clearer, less bumpy and a lot healthier. Is it too good to be true!.I remember when I first used Pro active my face did start clearing up but it didnt last long. So maybe the same things gonna happen with OCM. Suppose time will tell……
I started OCM nearly 2 weeks ago and I am soooooooo happy! My skin had gone totally haywire with 3-5 cystic pimples popping up daily as well as lots of little hard pimples all over my face, blackheads galore and I was OVER IT! Prior to OCM I had been using Priori with a hefty price tag, but think this is what made my skin worse. My husband even commented and said he had never seen my skin this bad, ever! What did I have to lose using the OCM – my skin couldnt get any worse! I made a bottle mix of my oil – 30g Castor seed oil, 20g Jojoba, 10g Vitamin E, 20g Sweet Almond Oil, few drops of tea tree oil and 20g of Polysorbate 80. First wash I could notice a difference, my skin looked ‘calmer’ and felt tighter. Nearly 2 weeks on – NO cystic pimples, blackheads/pores minimized, scarring improving and over all and I feel better about myself. I have noticed that this much castor oil is a bit drying – so have added more Jojoba oil to the mix 🙂 I now only spot treatment any big pimples with tea tree oil, which works wonders. I have also made my own Kinetin Anti Aging and Anti Acne serum as well, which has improved my skin as well 🙂
Can I ask what the polysorbate 80 does?
Polysorbate 80 is an emulsifier, so, instead of using a hot towel and letting it sit and wiping off etc, I just massage the oil in, wet my hands rub my face and the oil turns a milky white then rinse. Voila! Clean skin with no oily residue! I have 4 kids and no time for the hot towel method!
I just use olive oil without any castor oil and it works great!
http://www.ourhomemadehappiness.com/2012/04/all-natural-moisturizing-facewash.html
I stumbled across a website about the OCM about a year ago. I researched the heck out of it, and decided to try it. I had moderate acne from about age 13 on, and I was getting really sick of still dealing with it in my mid-20s. With no signs of it slowing down, I figured I didn’t have anything to lose. I started with a mix of 20% Castor oil with 80% high-quality Grapeseed oil. It was AMAZING! My skin felt super oily for a while (maybe a month), but the difference in clarity was astounding. When I started, I usually had 10-15 small pimples, 3-5 big ones, and huge blackheads at all times. I just counted in the mirror to make sure, and I currently have 1 red spot from an old small pimple and one I can feel might come up in the next few days. My blackheads are still there, but they’re a lot less noticable. I’m currently up to about 40% Castor oil and 60% Grapeseed, but I have to exfoliate a lot or I get flaky. Sorry if this is too much information for you, but I spent over a decade embarrassed by my face, and now I barely remember what it was like to feel like I couldn’t leave the house without makeup. I can wear my hair in a ponytail and not have to worry about people seeing my skin. I never would have done that before. It’s silly, but writing this has made me a little teary-eyed thinking about how much happier my teenagehood would have been had I found out about this earlier. I recommend it to everyone I know.
Wow – I know how you feel. I’m 38 and still struggle with break-outs on my back, chest, arms, neck and face. Even on my scalp because of shampoos! It’s been a constant battle since I was a teenager. I think my lowest point was in my 20s when I broke down crying to my mom not understanding what I could do to make it go away. I even went and got my esthetician license hoping I could figure it out! Even when things worked it was only temporary and it was like my skin would grow immune to it. I learned several years ago that soaps and shampoos were not my friend but I didn’t know what I could do in place of those products. Anyway, fast forward to now – I just started No-poo this past week and am breaking out a bit on my back, chest and jawline but it seems like the purging kind of break-out rather than the reactionary kind that I’m used to. I also started the honey and the honey w/baking soda cleanses with ACV this week. It seems like it does a good job but my skin on my face still feels congested. I feel the constant need to exfoliate! I’m going to order some oils and start doing this as well and see what happens. If these things work it will be an answer to a life-long quest filled with tears and frustration! Not to mention the extra bonuses of spending less money and most importantly – not poisoning Mother Earth with the crap I’m rinsing down the sink.
On a side note, I have one comment about a part of this blog post though. People, please don’t let the water run when you’re not using it directly. Turn it off while you’re massaging/lathering/brushing – whatever. Water is a precious and limited resource. And to many it is considered sacred as the giver of life. There are indigenous grandmothers out there doing walking prayers for the water until their feet are bleeding – the disappearance and polluting of our water is serious. Even if this perspective sounds airy fairy to you, think of it logically. It’s needed for all life and it’s limited. Please conserve!
Completely agree about conserving water. It should not be running if we’re not using it. Plenty of places in the US have water shortages too so it effects us too. Thank you for saying something. It is certainly not airy fairy. It’s reality.
I agree that we need to save water, but I think she just means to allow the water to get hot. My pipes are exposed under my house, and it takes a REALLY long time before the water warms up. If this is the case for you, I would suggest warming it in an electric kettle. Quick and energy efficient.
Im going to start this regimen..everything youve said I am dealing with right now. Even down to the ponytail thing….I hope my story can be like yours someday soon.
Using oil to make my face non-oily made perfect sense, but this one stumped me:
“… as well as castor oil that’s consciously extracted.”
As opposed to unconsciously?
Does this have something to do with being cruel to beans??
I am curious, do you do this every night? have you experience any facial hair growth? i heard castor oil stimulates hair growth.
Someone in the forums pointed out that you’re washing the castor oil off your face (not leaving it on indefinitely) so it’s probably not going to cause hair growth (I mean, if it was THAT powerful at growing hair, we’d have heard about it!)
I read about and started the OCM 5 weeks before my wedding after dealing with increased acne on my chin the last few years. Risky to change up my routine so close to the wedding but I figured it couldn’t make things any worse. I’m so happy I did. My skin was acne free and radiant on my wedding day. I’ll never go back to traditional cleansers.
Would you mind sharing what oils you are using? I’ve been doing the OCM for months and have just recently developed some of the worst acne on my chin I’ve ever had! That’s so great that it worked for you, especially after taking such a risk before your wedding!
leighhughes I’ve heard that some people break out from jojoba oil, perhaps try a different blend? I’m planning to give grape seed oil a try, started OCM last night with Tamanu oil since that’s what I had (have been using it as a moisturizer) and my face feels great already! Prior to this I was just using water and a microfiber washcloth, but found I still have monthly breakouts and a consistent 1-4 spots on my cheeks. Hoping OCM will improve this.
I’m sooo grateful for such websites… I am in my late twenties and I’ve been plagued with acne prone skin since I was 13. I had completely given up on my skin since I’d tried everything. Two weeks ago, I bought castor oil for my very dry ethnic hair and then I decided to search for the benefits of castor oil… I stumbled upon the OCM and decided to give it a shot since I’ve got nothing left to lose when it came to my skin. So far, the progress has been slow but it is AMAZING. My skin feels soft and pampered and the breakouts have gone on vacation. I’m thrilled with the results. I’ve found the answer!
Im also mid-twenties, still suffering from acne!! I started the regime, doing it every other day and broke out like crazy. Did this happen to yourself? Should I carry on? And did you do it every night, every other what? I can’t decide if its worth it!
I’m 27 and have mild acne. I had horrible breakouts the 1st month I started the OCM then I started reading all the feedback in the comments. That encouraged me to incorporate a honey wash/mask in the morning, apple cider vinegar astringent as needed, a few drops of tea tree oil to my oil mix (2/3 castor oil, 1/3 mix of jojoba, olive oil -Bragg’s organic- and sunflower oil). Sometimes I moisturize with a little grape seed oil and blot with a paper towel later on.
If you use olive oil read this first: https://crunchybetty.com/when-your-extra-virgin-olive-oil-isnt-so-wholesome Here are betty’s links to methods of using honey to clean your face. https://crunchybetty.com/removing-your-makeup-the-honey-face-washway
and
https://crunchybetty.com/honey-challenge
I think I’ll try grape seed oil + jojoba next. I also still need to exfoliate semi-regularly. I just tried a user’s (JDLeckie) suggestion to incorporate dried coffee grounds with the oil to make a scrub. It’s a little rough but effective. Baking soda + water has also been a good quick solution to exfoliating for me. To speed things up + save some h20 I used a reader’s (Susy) suggestion to microwave the washcloth in cold water for aprox. 20 sec. These changes made a huge difference for me. I hope this helps.
Thank you for your’e input can’t wait to give it a go …i love using olive oil and table salt as a very cheep yet effective product.
You say don’t use harsh facial washes in between the oil cleaning nights, so what do you suggest to use instead?
honey!
Is there any danger of the oils spoiling or going rancid over time?
Hi Susan,
In your experience, how long must one “keep it up” before our skin is detoxed? Is it possible that it just keeps detoxing like when you use argile?
I am 38 and have had on and off acne break-outs since I was a teenager but I am totally fed up with this at my age (and after 2 kids!). My facial skin was not too bad when I started OCM but my neck and chest were full of pimples (after an emotional time) so I started. My neck has improved but my face had just been awful (mainly jaw and temples but lower cheeks now too). I’ve been doing this for nearly 2 weeks now with castor oil and jojoba + tea tree oil dabbed on the sore parts.
When do you think it would be reasonable to try something else (be it a different dosage or oil)?
thanks!
Sandra
Hi I’ve been doing OCM for 5 years, using unrefined Coconut Oil.. and it’s been the best. I’ve extremely dry skin so I never add Castor Oil to my Coconut Oil, and although I wear heavy makeup (CoverFX) to cover up serious hyperpigmentation, the Coconut Oil OCM gets it all off, with no acne problems 🙂
I’ve been doing the OCM for about 2 weeks now and I don’t think I’ll ever go back to commercial products. My face glows! I still have some blackheads that have been my enemy most of my adult life, but hopefully I’ll find a natural remedy for those as well. I really LOVE this method and most of the Crunchy Betty DIY home products! Thanks!!
I’m about to start OCM. I was thinking on doing it every other day at night, but I was wondering what should I use as a cleanser on the days I don’t use OCM? THANKS!!!!!!!!
Hi! I’ve been using the OCM for more than a year now and I can’t go back to soaps…I break out! I have VERY oily skin and used to be very acne prone – not anymore! It’s a dream come true. My skin looks good – clear and smooth – every day! I’ve just turned 30 this year and everyone tells me that I don’t look my age…perhaps just being nice ;P My mixture is 1 part castor oil, 1 part EVOO and 1 part jojoba oil. REreading this article (I read your original blog way back when!) I think I may increase the castor oil percentage, as I get oily skin in the afternoons and my eye makeup starts to melt off. I also find that I need to exfoliate periodically, since the washcloth can’t scrub quite deep enough. Another OCM site had people recommending to use their used coffee grounds as a scrub…so I put about a tablespoon of USED coffee grounds into my quarter-sized puddle of oil, made it a paste and scrubbed away! I used the warm washcloth as normal and my skin was glowing….I’m praying the caffeine in the coffee will have a tightening effect! ;P Good luck to all of you, STICK WITH IT!! I broke out like crazy when I made the switch to OCM, even developing cystic acne, but instead of taking weeks for the cysts to surface and heal, they never surfaced and were GONE in a few days, just using the OCM and warm washcloth compresses. It really is perfect. 1 year and counting!
I started the OCM about a week ago. I’m now going through a Breaking out period. It’s sort of frustrating. I’ve never had clear skin so I’m really counting on the OCM. My mixture consists of jojoba and castor oils. I want so bad for this to wok. I’m 37 and would finally like to see an end to acne.
I’ve been doing it for almost a week (after 7 years of strict Proactiv use) and I’m very broken out as well. I’m hoping it’s just all the gunk coming to the surface and will go away soon! I’m 33 and have always had breakouts.
Hope you’re sticking with it, proactiv is known to cause mad breakouts when you stop it.. even switching to a higher end cleanser. I was told proactiv helps acne to remain “dormant” but doesnt really remove that gunk that causes the acne, so many breakout when they stop using it. not sure how true that is but i used proactiv for a few years before switching to lancome products. i’m going to start the ocm soon and look forward to the results.
Did it ever start to work for you guys?? Please update
Did this ever sort out for you? I am also a long time proactive user, and had finally gotten down to once a day or every other day when I first started OCM. The first week I went entirely to OCM every night and no proactive and my skin was GREAT. But the second week I started breaking out a little. Nothing horrible, but a few spots including some deep cystic ones. They were easily treated with benzoyl peroxide, but I got nervous and have gone back to proactiv for mornings and OCM evenings. Just curious what happened for you. Thanks!
I think I did it for just over a week and then gave up. My forehead broke out so horribly, in such a weird way- tiny flesh colored bumps EVERYWHERE- so I got freaked and went back to Proactiv. I then tried to quit Proactiv again in the fall and my face broke out horribly. I’ve been using a Clarisonic for about 2 weeks and so far that seems to be working!
Maybe give up the pizza in your profile pic? 🙂
I can’t stand coffee (love the smell of fresh grounds- not the taste…. go figure!) but I use ground oatmeal after I apply the oil as a scrub. Doing this everyday but will probably go to every other because i think it might be a little harsh for my skin
add a little raw sugar to the oil to make an exfoliating scrub!
Hi,
I am 39 years old with on/off mild acne break outs. I was using bioderma’s micellar solution to remove my make-up and clean my skin (it is brilliant, gentle and super efficient) but had a bit of a major break-out due to some emotional times and after reading about the OCM I decided to give it a go. I have been using the OCM for just over a month now and it is only now that my skin is beginning to look clear and soft – before it got better it got MUCH worse , even worse than when I started it. So much so that I almost quit several times but my honey told me to persevere for at least a month. I did get rid of the EVOO and now I am using 1/3 Jojoba + 2/3 castor oil and a few drops of Tee tree oil. I also put some tee tree oil on any spots and grape seed oil if my skin feels dry after cleaning. Also I have started using OCM in the mornings too which has helped I think. So… I guess the take away here is even if it gets worse, keep it up for at least a month before throwing in the towl 😉
i started using this method years ago and then got away from it but now ive been back on for a few months, first just in the morning and then switched to night… i love it! i have combination skin, mostly oily and this makes it clean and glowing. no breakouts at all, actually less than with an acne cleanser. i use just olive oil and pop my wet washcloth in the microwave for 25 seconds and steam my face. works great!
I love the OCM! I used just EVOO last night before reading up on castor oil. Today I mixed the two as suggested for oily skin. WORKED LIKE A CHARM!! I am so happy with this natural alternative. I will never use store bought acne treatments again!
I make a blend of coconut oil, water and veggie glycerin. Wonderful. Add a couple drops of whatever fragrance you love. I live in the desert and it works wel. Sometimes I een use it on dry heels.
Hi , do you you this to cleanse? how do you get the oil to mix with the water? If you use water in a preparation, it is best to make it fresh every day or every few days, so bacteria doesn’t grow in the mixture. Coconut oil is a comedogenic, it’s great for hair and body, but could block the pores on your face. Maybe if you swapped the coconut oil to another oil, you would get even better results. I have been using a mix of grape seed, and jojoba with lavender and rosewood essential oil, for ocm, I have oily nose, normal forehead and dry cheeks, and find this blend is suitable for all those skin types. I also use this blend to moisturise, but add argan oil to the mix.
i just started the ocm a couple days ago and my face feels soooo good after wards, but now i’m breaking out really bad. any suggestions? i use honey as my face wash in the shower for my mornings and the ocm at night because i wear foundation.
Hi Chandelle,
I had the same issue – major break outs after a few days although my skin felt great. I used the 1/3 castor to 2/3 jojoba with some tea tree oil – dabbed on spots afterwards and later just added some in the mix. It took about a month for my skin to cleanse out totally but now it’s glowing and spot free. If you can manage to stick through it, I think it’s worth it. Oh, I also started doing OCM in the shower in the mornings cause it felt so good. 😉
Hope this helps!
Is breaking out part of my skin getting used to the OCM?
I have been using the DHC brand of deep cleansing oil for a few years and I love it. However, it is pretty pricey! I can’t wait to mix up some cleansing oil of my own to try. Thanks!
I was so excited to try this. I did 1 tsp castor oil, 1 tsp avocado oil, and 1 tsp jojoba oil with some drops of tea tree oil and my face FELT wonderful!…..But LOOKS horrible! I did it for 3 months and my acne has never been worse. 🙁
Ok – I stumbled onto OCM from an item I found on pinterest today. I had to go to 3 different stores to find all the oils I wanted. I made my mix of 1/3 castor + 1/3 jojoba + 1/3 sweet almond + 3 drops tea tree oil. I used it tonite insteade of the prescription benzoyl peroxide (I KNOW!) face wash I have to use during the summer to keep my breakouts at bay.
I would LOVE for this to work. As one poster wrote, I’ve spent so much money in the last 10 years on dr visits, expensive prescriptions, over the counter washes, treatments… It makes me ill. I know the thought of rubbing oil onto my face seemed ludicrous when I first read this (oil is the problem, right???) – but then again if you told me a year ago that I would rub oil (OIL!?!?!) onto my hair every time I washed it, I would have said THAT’S crazy!!!
And Yes, I will be washing with honey in the morning. : )
If I have the results some of the other readers have had, I will be a devoted crunchy Betty 4 life!
Eeep! I started this a few days ago, then discovered this site.. that would explain why I’ve broken out so badly!! My prom is in 2 weeks, should I stop using the OCM until after? I really really don’t want bad skin for prom!
I just started OCM last night and I am so excited/hopeful! Just one question- what do you use in the mornings or on nights you don’t use OCM? Just hot water? Thanks!
I’m very interested in trying this method after everything I’ve read. My only issue is that the moisturizer I use has a sunscreen in it. If this method takes away the need to moisturize, how are you all protecting your skin from the sun? Would using a regular sunscreen mess up the process?
Clinique has a facial sunscreen that is not mixed with a moisturizer. It
was a number of years ago that I purchased the product, but they may
still have it. I believe it was called something like Super-City Block
and it was 40 SPF. I have super sensitive skin and I have had luck with
it. In addition, they have a policy that if you don’t like it you can
have your money back no questions asked, even if the bottle is half
empty. Ultimately the best sunscreen is a cute brimmed hat or baseball cap. Hope this helps.
Try looking into Astaxanthin
The method doesn’t take away the need to moisturize… some people still need a little (like me!)
I’ll have to try this! Thanks so much for writing about it! 🙂
One question: I have Macadamia nut oil here, would that be ok to use as well? I have normal facial skin, leaning towards the dry side…
Ok, I just ran across this today on Jillee’s website and on this one (by the way loving both!) I am 32 and have always had problems with acne, especially on my back and chest. Sometimes I am luck enough to clear up on my face for a short period of time but never on my back and chest. I have tried everything, but most often nothing changes or it will get worse. I am going to get my oils and try this method out. Does anyone know whether I can use this on my chest and back? Thanks
I don’t see why you COULDN’T, but it might be hard to do on your own! 🙂
Hi. I’m about 3 weeks into ocm (jojoba/castor/almond + few drops tea tree oil) and my face is going HAYWIRE. major major breakout and I am really freaked out. I’m ready to quit & go back to prescriptions. I would really like some reassurance from Betty, the group, anybody(!) that this WILL GET BETTER. I’m to the point tgat I would prefer not to leave the house if possible… Please help
Do the honey wash in the morning & apple cider vinegar astringent as needed. You might try gently blotting with a paper towel after using oil.
Cannot believe I have just read that coconut oil is known as comedogenic, I have had blackheads on my chin forever and noticed how bad they looked when I wore mineral makeup. well, I checked my all natural cleanser, no preservatives, kept in fridge and the second ingredient is coconut oil. I hope to keep using it on the rest of my face but will try a few methods on this page for my chin and see what happens. I also cleanse with apricot kernel oil of a night, take off with cotten pad, so this might be worth mixing with caster oil. I didnt see an oil which would be best for sensitive skin, I was thinking of trying grapeseed. I’m extremely sensitive to anything astrigent, especially cheeks, but wondered if this would be ok on my chin. using a moisturiser from akin at mo at night and ultraceuticals during day.
I have been using this method for 3 weeks now. I use one part olive oil, one part castor oil, one part jojoba oil and a splash of tea tree oil. my face looks amazing! I have had moderate BUT extremly painful cystic and regular acne. And have had these problems for about 9 years now. the change in my face was almost immediate. I have no pain at all. and while I still do get a few blemishes they are not as large, as red or as painful. They also clear up much quicker than ever before!(1-2 days from start to finish). No cystic acne at all over the last 3 weeks. Even healed up the one that I had been fighting with for over a month. I am so happy to have found this information! I am using the method at night only, but I am doing it everynight. and only use very light moisturizer and a tiny amount. My skin is glowing and Im happy as a clam!
I am new here…so Hi everyone! Just ordered everything i need for the OCM, and daily facial scrub. Super excited to get started! Wish me luck all (:
Should you still use anti aging products? I use an eye cream and light night cream every night with my current routine, but if I switch to the OCM I imagine I won’t need the night cream anymore. However, what about the eye cream to help prevent lines? I also use the night cream on my neck, should I just rub a little oil on it instead?
I’m still newish to OCM and can’t answer that question but I did come across this the other day: https://crunchybetty.com/slip-it-in-for-beautiful-skin-facial-massage-and-acupressure
It recommends incorporating specific movements into your face washing that encourages the skin upwards. I’m going to give it a shot.
I’m also on the hunt for something to use around my eyes (I think she mentions using Vitamin E oil above, and I’m not sure what that would do for wrinkles, per se, but it is good for your skin in general!)
I’m about a month and half into OCM and had little success in the first month but was determined. I found the solution to my problems from the reader feedback in these comments. I was wondering if Crunchy Betty has considered creating a survey for those that have tried OCM. I imagine having the information collected in that manner might encourage more people to try OCM and give them more points of reference to start from. Just a thought. I appreciate this site immensely!
http://www.clutchmagonline.com/2012/01/thicker-than-water-is-the-oil-cleansing-method-beneficial/
Article theft…?
Ho. Lee. Crap. A few things are rewritten, but most is straight from this post. That’s REALLY, REALLY sad. I don’t mind if people share anything – anything at all – from my site, even in my exact words, if there’s a credit back. I’m pretty bummed by this. Nice catch.
I started this method with my 15 year old daughter last week… we are enjoying it… I have a few questions that I can’t seem to find the answers for. I wish there was a FAQ about OCM. Well here are my questions…
1. What do you use for sunblock on your face when using OCM?
2. I got sunburned on my forehead and it is dry and flaky… what can I use to moisturize it and help the flakes come off? I have a sugar scrub that I use on my legs… will that work?
3. If I feel like my face is dry (We live in the desert) is there a moisturizer that I can buy or make that won’t counter the OCM method?
Thanks!
I think I’ve seen her recommend using a little of your oil mixture after you’re done cleansing if your skin feels dry, and in the mornings I use a little almond oil on my dry patches (mostly around my eyes and cheeks) because it is thinner and absorbs quicker than the castor oil blend does.
My skin is so sensitive normally that every (EVERY!) cleanser, even the sensitive skin stuff I’ve tried has caused major flare ups for my skin. That was until I read about the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM). I love it! If dryness is a problem after cleansing, I like to use Frownie’s Immune Shield (vitamin A oil) or Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion in dry spots. I especially recommend the Frownies; it is the best kept secret of the movie stars. The only warning I have is about the first week or two using the OCM while the skin adjusts and expels the black heads and deep acne; my skin got worse before it got better.
I’ve seen various people recommend only using this method once or twice a week (I’m about to try it for the first time tonight, so we’ll see how often I end up doing it!) but what do people use the other nights of the week that they aren’t using OCM?
After reading this post I decided to try the Oil Cleansing Method myself. I followed up with more research on the types of oils and ratios to try to find a good balance for my skin, which has been difficult ever since middle school. The problem with my skin is that I have combination skin, with the oily sections very oily and the dry sections almost flaking off. Over the years I’ve tried proactive, neutrogena, mary kay, and a whole expensive list of other cleansers that either made things worse or did nothing at all. So I figured “whats the worst that could happen” and decided to try OCM. It’s not like my skin could get any worse. It already has acne and rough patches as if I were still in high school, which is not the look you hope for as a young professional (doesn’t really inspire much confidence from your older coworkers if you look like their kid).
I settled on a ration of 1 part caster oil, and 1 part grapeseed oil in an 8oz bottle with a few drops of tea tree oil to help with the acne problem. I only started 3 days ago and already my skin no longer has such extremes. My skin is soft and uniform, and is neither dry nor oily with a significant reduction in blackheads and redness. Now, it should be noted that in the last two or three weeks before starting I did not use any strong soaps or cleansers because my skin was very irritated from the heat, so I was only using sensitive skin soaps about every other day. It is possible that I have not experienced a prolonged adjustment period the others have experienced because my skin was not already accustomed to a strong cleanser, so my experience should be taken with that in mind. However, this is one new convert to the OCM that will never look back.
I am super excited to try this. I usually use LUSH cleansers and moisturizers, but they are so expensive. I steam my face every other day when shaving anyway, so I already have a good supply of hot shave towels by the sink.
BTW, ladies, take it from a guy with sensitive skin who is a recent convert to traditional shaving methods-the steaming is great. Do yourselves a favor and get a supply of towels just for steaming. Most bathroom-sized hand towels are either too big or too small, in my opinion, and the specialty facial towels can be a bit pricey, but I picked up some dish towels from Ikea, The are a bit thin, but I apply one and then just slap another right on top of it. That’s nice because the 2nd towel can be a bit hotter and give you a bit more ‘steam time’.They are the perfect size, they’re cheap, and using two stacked up really holds the heat in well.
Just started trying this method today…I’m 20 years old, and have some pretty severe acne problems. Currently the acne is under control, but I have quite a few blackheads. Doing this method only once so far loosened up a few of the blackheads and made my skin pretty soft and clean. I am worried that it will make my acne breakout badly, but we’ll see.
i have used the ocm for 2years now and my skin is so much better.i would never use soap again
Okay, I *tried* very *hard* to read through *ALL* the posts before asking a question, because I don’t want to be that guy. “Oh. We’ve already answered your question. Like, eight times. You didn’t have five minutes to scroll down and finish reading? Jerk.” …but there are SO MANY! Lots of success stories, which is good.
I really want to try the OCM. It sounds perfect for me; I have really persnickety skin, so something that I can customize might actually be the answer to my problem spots, which are all different problems. …But, I’m looking for a cleansing method that I can use *without water.* See, I’ll be on the road starting here in a few weeks, and I won’t have access to running water nearly as reliably as I’ll need to wash my face as religiously as I do. I would dearly love a crunchy solution to my potentially greasy problem. Anyone with any suggestions? Please?
Good question. I don’t know about starting OCM while you’re on the road. When I don’t use oil I do the honey wash. I love it. The honey comes off pretty easily with water. Maybe you could bring a jug of water, pour some on a paper towel or a cloth, and use that to wipe off the honey. OCM really works best with hot water. Hope this helps.
I really, really wanted this to work. I read tons of pages on the method, and went and bought a few oils. I started mixing in very small amounts, then a few weeks in I felt I had found the right mix and purchased a little 3oz bottle and filled it up according to my formula. For the first 5 weeks, my face felt soft and smooth and was clear. Except the blackheads on my nose and chin. I massaged and massaged, they weren’t coming out!! The black heads were getting larger, and I kept telling myself it’s because they were coming closer to the surface. I REALLY wanted to be like the reviewer below who ended up with giant open, but empty, pores on her nose! I ended up adding more castor oil to my bottle to help cleanse the pores. I think this is where I screwed up. I started to get really dry even though I was using the solution to moisturize after, and about 5 weeks in, I started getting pimples in places where I have NEVER broken out before (on my cheeks), as well as huge, painful deep pimples (cystic, I think?) all over my chin. I read that maybe this is normal, so I kept it up for another week, but it was just getting worse. So I stopped. My new method is I went back to using my Mary Kay bar soap. I still use my bottle full of mix, but now it’s just to remove the make up (eye liner & mascara only for me). Then I use my MK bar soap, use apple cider vinegar solution as a toner, and finish up with grapeseed oil for my moisturizer. In just a week of changing my method to the above, all pimples are gone and blackheads are shrinking daily. So far, I’m happy with this routine. Yep, I still use the soap, but at least my toner and moisturizer and make up remover are natural, and my skin feels NICE. Hopefully this change will work for the long term. Thank you for your article!
I’ve been using this method for about a month now and I get so many compliments on my skin! People say I have a glow and that it looks just plain good. No need for any moisterizers and my make up feels great on my face now. Highly recommend it!
I’m interested in giving this a try – where would I purchase all these lovely sounding oils?? I’m fairly certain my local grocery wouldn’t carry them – are they best found online? Help!
If you live in a medium to large-ish city look for the nearest food co-op. They can be on the expensive side but I chalk it up to supporting a good cause; and essential oils go a looooong way. I haven’t done the math, but this method is probably way cheaper than buying commercial products (that don’t work anyway).
I’m from India and here historically folks really didn’t use soap for skin care or personal hygiene –
– my grandmum never used soap on her skin her entire life (she made a paste of chickpea flour, turmeric, coconut oil and milk to use in the bath). In fact in the past few decades we’ve had massive public service campaigns urging people to use of soap to safeguard against bacterial infections. But even so, as a child I was taught to never use soap on my face – although at some point I made the mistake of switching over to cleansers – though I haven’t for a few years now and have just started OCM. I have a question though for those who have been following the method for a while – I have literally no breakouts on my face but I get terrible hormonal cystic acne on my back and I find it really hard to clean the oil off properly. I don’t use washcloths (too much laundry for someone who does her washing without a washing machine) – I just heat up some water and get in the bath right after – so my question is, how necessary is it to get all the oil off your skin after cleansing? – if there are minuscule traces of oil left behind in hard to reach spots am I just asking for a breakout? .
i usually use Rodan & Fields (makers of proactiv) before i switched to the OCM. i mix 3 parts EVOO, jojoba oil, and grape seed oil. i had really clear skin thanks to the R&F, but wanted to try the OCM. i did it for 3.5 weeks and my skin looked BEAUTIFUL…but then started breaking out like crazy. i looked like a 14 yr old boy going through pizza face puberty. so incredibly embarrassing!!! i tried to stick with it, but nothing was healing, so i switched back to the R&F for the past week. it’s now been 4.5 weeks and i’m slowly healing but still getting little whitehead zits everywhere but i’m trying to get back on the OCM. just don’t think i can handle a break out like this again! i love that it made my skin “glow” and i wasn’t as shiny and greasy looking all the time but don’t know what to do about the breakouts – it was little whiteheads and a few big zits. :/
For the skin drying out after OCM have you tried using a facial oil to moisturize, I use camelina or thistle oil as they are both dry oils and leave no residue on the skin. If I need a little more moisturizing I add a drop or 2 of apricot kernel oil to 1 of the other oils to add a little more moisture at night . Hope this helps.
Thanks so much for this and the honey method, along with the no ‘poo idea, and basically everything on your website! Before learning about the honey face wash idea, I had a ton of acne that kept on coming back. I kept on using drugstore products that promised to be even more powerful against fighting acne than any of the others. I wasted so much time and money on those! Once I found your honey face wash page, my skin immediately began to clear up FAST. I also had a new glow to my face, and any redness I had previously had was gone. Most of the acne was going away, but then I looked at your OCM page. Although the idea seemed strange initially, I decided I had nothing to lose. After only two days, my face looks the best it has since before puberty!!! My acne is basically gone, and it improves drastically every day! I now have gotten all four members of my family to start using this idea, and they all love it too. I have been using honey in the morning, and OCM in the evening. I have gotten SOOO many complements on my skin lately its amazing! So thank you so so so so so so much for writing this article. You’re the best!
I love this article and i think the entire method is great and well explained, however i do have a question. I thought castor oil increases hair growth (btw, great for longer eyelashes) and i happen to have dark hair(strong,grows back fast) and very light skin, facial shows on me. Lucky, not all over my face just eyebrows(obviously) and mustache( the super annoying one). If i begin to use this treatment/method of cleansing with castor oil as the main ingredient will more hair grow :/ ?
I read somewhere in the forums here that since you’re washing the castor oil off (as opposed to leaving it on, as some kind of growth serum) it probably won’t do anything to affect hair growth. But you could try it and see! 🙂
I just started using the OCM about 4 days ago and I love it so far. I use it at night. What should I use during the mornings? My skin feels oily when I wake up. I have Burts Bee’s Natural cleanser with 1% of salicylic acid in it. Is this too drying for every day use? Will it confuse my skin? What type of cleanser do you recommend?
A lot of people use honey or one of the facial scrub recipes on this site in the morning. I didn’t have much luck with that 😉 Instead, I just rinse my face with water and use a little diluted apple cider vinegar as a toner. Then I use a little almond oil on my cheeks and around my eyes where I’m dry, and apply my makeup per usual! If your skin is really feeling super duper oily in the AM, though, maybe you’re not washing the oil off well enough before bed? Or maybe your face is just adjusting 😉 Good luck!
Does it matter which oils you mix? And I just ordered a tea tree oil/clay cold press soap from Etsy. Will that affect the OCM?
I just started using the OCM two weeks ago. I started out every other day because at first I was breaking out a little and noticed more cystic acne. I decided to keep going and use it every day, and the breakouts/cysts are almost gone and I don’t have to use moisturizer anymore. I actually do this in the shower and fan the steam towards my face and wipe the oil off w/ my hands-saves a little time b/c I just do it while my conditioner is in. Thanks for the article-I’ll try to remember to review again after I’ve been doing it longer.
I have tried this for two weeks now and it is making my acne worse. I don’t do the OCM daily though, should I? I want someone’s advice that was in the same boat as me.
My breakouts are random (aka stress induced) and are just bad enough that I am self conscious (I am 25, and don’t want to have acne!).
What are you doing when you aren’t doing OCM?
What do you use to treat a breakout or an individual zit?
I’ve seen a lot of people say that they use tea tree oil and/or witch hazel to dry up individual pimples.
I finally finished reading ALL the comments (I think I deserve a medal!) and noticed that almost everyone talks about using a few of the carrier oil options (usually jojoba or grapeseed) but have many people used sunflower? Also, I’ve been doing this for probably about a month and I really love the results, but there’s still some tweaking that needs to be done. My forehead is looking great, but I noticed I look far more wrinkly around my eyes and mouth than I ever have before (I’m about to turn 30, and while my skin does break out on occasion, it’s NEVER been wrinkly before!) I’d been experimenting with various ratios of castor oil and sunflower oil (everything from 1/3 to 3/4 castor oil), adding a drop or two of tea trea oil, and then last night decided to try EVOO (one of the approved ones, from the other article!) since it’s thicker. I still end up using a few drops of almond oil to moisturize around my eyes and mouth in the AM and PM, where it looks most wrinkly. My current hypothesis is that, while I’d been treating my skin as though it’s acne prone, perhaps it’s drier than I realized, and the wrinkles are really just my skin looking parched. Has anybody had a similar situation? And would I be better off using a different carrier oil, or simply less castor oil?
I need some help and advice! I’ve been using the OCM for 9 months now (jojoba or almond/castor oil). I’m happy with it but I am still getting zits… granted, they are not painful and don’t surface and become awful like they used to, and they go away faster… which is why I am sticking to it. I use it every night but I am debating on what I should switch up with? I tried using Dickinson’s witch hazel on my face after the OCM and woke up with better feeling skin… is this alright to switch up with? Can I use the OCM and witch hazel after? Or should I just rinse my face and use witch hazel after, using the OCM every second/third night? Thanks for all your help….
I have no advice to give, except that if you think it’s helping your skin, then give it a try and see what happens 😉 You could do OCM at night, and then water/witch hazel in the morning (just to give your skin a chance to absorb the leftover oil on it). But I think it’s one of those things where you just have to try it and see what works best for you (as frustrating as that is!)
Hi I wanna try OCM for my acne prone skin, but how do I know when to stop cleaning my face with washcloth? When will the oil get completely cleaned off?
It sounds great but my only worry is that my skin is rosacia prone. Worming it up every night can trigger the irritation and bring more thead veins. Do you know how OCM work for rosacia?
I couldn’t find castor oil at my local Target and because I’m impatient, I grabbed some mineral oil instead. It’s been three nights and there’s no negative signs thus far. Is that alright to use or should I go get myself some castor oil?
if i want to apply for my wholebody do i need to add castor oil?
Query: Could I also use this method on other parts of my body where the pores tend to
clog up? (Would it work with vigorous rinsing, or does it need to be
wiped off that kind of gently? I can’t probably reach to exactly
duplicate the face treatment between my shoulderblades, f’rex.)
What about doing this cleansing method in a sauna? Will it work for better or worse? I’m new on the method, but eager to try it ASAP!
I would love to start ocm it’s just that I’m nervous. I was researching it and a lot of people said that they went through a purging period and I’ll just be starting school soon so I don’t know if I want to try. Does any one have any purging experience here, like how long and bad it was. I just want to know before I start a lot of people say its really good though
I have been using the OCM for the past week. While I have really enjoyed the results of OCM thus far, I do have one question. Is it okay for me to use a sulfur acne mask treatment occasionally? Or will it interfere with the efficacy and the results of OCM? Thanks for the help.
I had recently been looking for new ways to clean my sensitive, acne-prone, easily dried-out in the cheeks-but oily sometimes in the T-zone, exzema-typical skin. I have changed make-up and moisturizers, switched cleansers, spent tons of money trying new masks with all-natural ingredients. I could not seem to find my “thing”. Finally one day I said to myself “Oh Forget It!”; I splashed water on my face, wiped it with a wet cloth, patted it dry and grabbed my avocado oil. I put one or two drops in my hand and massaged it in. I kept doing this for several weeks, mostly because I was tired of trying, and something amazing happened- my skin cleared up! I thought I was just imagining things until my doctor said, “Your skin looks amazing; it’s all even and clear!” I was so excited I tried it for my body also. I take warm baths with avocado oil and use exfoliating gloves. My skin stopped drying out and flaking up. I will never go back!
I keep a pump bottle of safflower oil on my bathroom counter. It has no odor, it works great and it’s very inexpensive ($5 for a big bottle at the grocery store). I wash my face with it just the way you describe … All my make up, including mascara, melts off easily. I massage it in gently, then wipe it off with a warm washcloth. Then I follow it up with a little Argan oil and I’m ready. At night I dab more safflower oil around my eyes. It works great on your lips too. And I use safflower oil on my skin after a bath. Ifmyounwant to scent the safflower oil you can do so easily … I like lavender or sandalwood. Sweet orange is nice in the summer.
I tried OCM and it gave me the worst breakouts I’ve ever had in my life! Not just after the first week, but after several weeks of religiously following the regimen every night. I’ve never had this number or such painful breakouts before. I really wanted this to work, but I’m monumentally disappointed with what this has done to my skin :^(
I have been acne prone since puberty and am still breaking out like a teenager at 33. I came across this post because I heard elsewhere about washing my face with honey. I am extremely surprised that not only are you promoting washing your face with oil, but that (according to previous posts) it actually WORKS. I saw that you said don’t switch OCM up with a facial cleanser that contains sulfates or sulfides. Am I to assume that if those are not in the ingredients of a cleanser, then they are completely okay to use? I am definitely hitting up the store today to get started!
I think she recommends elsewhere to really avoid all store bought cleansers – instead to do OCM if you’re wearing makeup, or just honey or one of her facial scrub recipes. (I do OCM every night, and haven’t had any issues! So I’m not sure why some people would only do it a few times a week or something, other than that it’s not as quick as the other options!) 🙂 Hope that helps!
Where do you buy these oils? I live in a small town, and I’m not sure where I would find oils like sunflower seed oil, grapeseed oil, etc… Please help! I am very interested in trying this oil cleansing method out. I’m a 15 year old girl with combination skin and clogged pores with some hormonal acne occasionally.
I got sunflower oil in the oil section at our local, standard grocery store (I think it was Ralphs, but it was right with the canola oil and such!) I think grapeseed oil might be in the same section in a lot of stores, but perhaps not all of them. I found castor oil in the laxative section of our local Walmart, but none of the grocery stores around here carried it. For the others, you can find them on Amazon or other online stores, so if your town is really tiny, that might be your best bet 🙂
Coconut oil? Where does that fit into the mix?
It’s not recommended because it can be comedogenic (some people use it fine without any problems, though, so if you love coconut oil, I’m sure you could try it as a carrier, though getting it to mix with castor oil might be tough unless your house is warm enough for it to always be a liquid . . . ) 🙂
So I’ve started the OCM – day two here. Using 50/50 castor oil and jojoba oil. Breaking out like I am freaking 15 (UGH). Also going no ‘poo at the same time. I am a walking oil slick. I am doing the OCM in the morning while I shower. What about doing it again at night? Or just gently wash my face with a hot washcloth? If my face feels oily during the day, should I wash it or wait?
Where can u buy jojoba oil and avocado oil?
I’ve seen them both at the natural food stores by my home, and I’m sure there are specialty online boutiques that sell it, but if nothing else, Amazon has them both! 🙂
I didn’t plan to leave a comment, nor did I think I’d do it so soon after I started… but I’m a believer. Official convert.
I started yesterday, and so far I’ve done this twice. I had bumps on my forehead, sort of like whiteheads, and I’ve literally tried everything to get them to go away. I bought a very expensive clarisonic brush, bought all the high end facial cleansers, exfoliated every day… Geez. The only thing that seemed to work in the past was a completely grease-free diet. So, imagine my frustration when the bumps reappeared, despite my healthy diet. They’re not huge, nor are they super noticeable, but I can see them and I can feel them and I wanted them gone.
After doing this method twice, TWICE, they’re gone. After the first time, I noticed a drastic reduction. I honestly cannot freaking believe this. My skin looks great, I haven’t experienced any oiliness through the day, it takes all my makeup off from the day (except a bit of mascara I take off with makeup remover), and even my pores are looking cleaned out and smaller. And I’ve only done this twice! I have one pimple on my cheek, but that’s it. I’ve never suffered from serious cystic acne, but one pimple is about normal.
Now I know it doesn’t work the same for everyone, but I just wanted to add my two cents that it totally worked for me. Try it! Even if it doesn’t work for you like it did for me, it’s worth a shot.
My only complaint is… what am I going to do with my $200 clarisonic?
I still use my Clarisonic with OCM. I just rub the oil on my face with my fingers then use the Clarisonic (dry) through it’s normal cycle (I wash the head with soap afterwards). Then, use the washcloth and very warm water to wipe the excess off. Excellent exfoliation and it’s worked great for me!
Hello, I just found your page as I was looking info about OCM. I have already ordered castor oil and can`t wait to try this method! As lot of people commented before me, I have oily skin with acne.. I am suffering from my early teenage days till now(I`m 25 now) and have tried lots of different treatments, cleansers, etc.. and nothing worked.. Now I been using my own recipe for face cleanser: I take some grounded oats, put some hot water, add a little linseed oil and evoo and make a mix. Then I put a tea spoon of that paste on the cloth, take it upside down and twist it around few times(then it looks like balloon) and with circular motions rub into my face, leave for 10 to 15 seconds and use other warm cloth to clean the mixture. I repeat that rubing 3 times(or till I use all my mix) every two days. When I will start to use OCM I will use it every two days and on the other days I will use just oats with water and see, how my skin will look.
I believe, that one day my face skin will look perfectly :))
Thanks for the detailed post! I’d been doing just EVOO for a few months now with great results, then all of the sudden the sides of my chin broke out. I’ve added some Castor oil and that seems to be helping, although its not completely remedied the problem yet.
I wax my face. The area where I usually break out looks fantastic, but that area where I waxed (first time since starting the OCM) its like every pore developed a pimple. 🙁 Any thoughts on combating this? It obviously makes sense that it would happen but there has got to be a way to counter act this. When I wax again in about 6 weeks I’m going to try just using water for a few days and see if that helps, unless people have any other ideas?
Hi!
Just wanted to say I’ve been using OCM for about 2 weeks now and it seems to be making a difference. I’ve had to change the ratio to suit my skin (2 parts castor 1 part jojoba with some tea tree and lavender oil) as I have very oily skin and I have to say my skin has never felt cleaner or softer. Not too sure if it’s down to OCM or the fact that I’ve been using jojoba oil as a moisturiser (2/3 drops jojoba, 1 drop TTO/lavender and a few drops of water) but my skin is looking a lot better. I’ve not had as many spots/pimples and my blackheads on my nose are clearing up.
I’ve been using a home made toner (witch hazel, water, lemon juice, TTO and lavender oil) to make sure my skin is completely clear of oil before applying the moisturiser.
So just wanted to say thank you for this post and give it a try if you don’t want to keep spending all your money on face washes and cleansers that don’t work!
I’ve also been using jojoba oil with my normal body moisturiser and my skin is soft, smooth and strokable!
I am about to start the ocm – for most evenings and the honey face wash in the morning.
I wanted to ask, do I have to tone after the honey face wash?
Also, after doing ocm – should I moisturise with aloe vera or will that not be helpful?
Also, I do aspirin, honey + green tea mask, turmeric mask and clay mask – all once a week. Is this all necessary?
So far, I’ve been using OCM for over a month now. I started with just olive oil, then about a month ago I moved to a mixture of castor oil and olive oil. The problem was, I wasn’t doing it consistently. I was using a foaming cleanser in the morning, then OCM at night and following up with a Vitamin C toner and spot correcting with Tea Tree oil. Honestly, so far, I haven’t seen any improvement in my acne, but I also only recently stopped the mixture of foaming and oil, and am now using just OCM morning and night. I’m wondering if I’m doing it too much, or something’s wrong? I’ve heard only good reviews but so far I’m just not seeing it…
I just started this this week and im noticing im getting soo many blackheads! Im wondering am i doing something wrong or is this my brekout phase? I use 1-1/2 tsp casyor oil and equal part jojob oil.
Really worried, I don’t know if i should try this or not. While I was extremely excited at first, seeing how it worked for many people, I started to become a skeptic after I stumbled across people whose acne has been made worse by the OCM! I’m embarrased by my acne very much now, I hardly want to hold my head up at school to let people see my face, if it got any worse I would seriously die. Any tips for making this work? What to NOT do? Should I try it? HELP!
I say try it, but wait to do it until you can really give it a good shot (maybe wait until summer vacation or something, when you don’t have school?) It can take a while for your skin to balance out, and you really have to be committed to doing a lot of trial and error (I tried combinations of four different oils before I found the one my skin liked the best and in what percentage to the castor oil. Some of the stuff I tried caused instant breakouts, and some didn’t, but you won’t know until you try it). What has been most interesting for me is to see that, while I always thought I had oily skin, it’s turned out to actually be quite dry! For more specific help with your questions, though, try the Crunchy Betty forums (you’ll get a lot more responses there than you will here!)
I just started today! We’ll see how it goes!
I love the OCM. I’m 39, life-long mild to moderate acne sufferer, my #1 issue is oily skin and clogged pores. Horribly, disgustingly, chronically clogged. The plugs never went away no matter what I did. My skin always looked congested, bumpy and ugly. I figured, why not try one more thing? The science made sense to me. WELL, IT WORKS!!! My skin looks and feels so good! It seems too easy but I’ve been doing it for 2 months now (1-2 times a week is all I do) and I have seen no downside. I still break out occasionally but to have the overall texture of my skin be soooo smooth and radiant is a miracle to me. I look younger too, as the fine lines have lessened from my skin being so nourished. The OCM may not work for everyone but it is definitely worth a try!
What combination of mixture are you using?
BTW I use olive oil with the castor oil. Olive oil has always worked very well for my very dry skin (on my body) and my hair, so I just naturally went that way even though my facial skin is oily. I always have a big jug of it on hand. But I may try other oils in the future. Also I do not add any essential oils because I sometimes use the OCM to remove my eye makeup and I don’t want any irritation. I love the idea though so I may start a 2nd bottle of my blend and add some tea tree oil or lavender, that way I have a choice. Lastly, although I only do this twice a week, I massage for a loooong time. I massage for at least 10 minutes then let it sit for another 5. I also use 2 washcloths because I have doubts how much oil and grime can be rinsed out after the 2nd “pass”, you know? I use each cloth twice for a total of 4 passes. When I’m done, I rub 1, just 1 drop of the oil blend between my palms and pat over my face. Perfectly moisturized! I find that when I do this before bed, my skin looks great immediately of course but looks even better in the morning!
I was like, what the heck is castor oil really made of, so I googled it and read the wikipedia page. Pretty interesting stuff (the whole beaver thing), but how does everyone feel about the ricin toxin that causes harm to the workers who harvest the castor seeds? I’m hoping that a natural foods store may have some that in some way was harvested in a safer way…
Hi Cruncy Betty!
I was super excited to begin using the oil cleansing method! I have dry skin that is prone to sub-surface bumps and blackheads, and because it is dry I already have lines around my eyes and mouth even though I’m in my early 20s! I started the OCM using about 20% castor and 80% evoo. I was very careful in selecting my evoo after reading another post of yours and made sure to buy cold pressed and organic. OCM was working wonderfully for the first two days until my skin began to react poorly. It dried out, became flaky, itchy, and irritated, and then formed thousands of tiny little bumps all over! I stopped using the OCM and switched back to my normal routine. However, I am still a believer in the OCM and want to try it again with a different blend of oils. Is it possible I used too much castor oil for my skin to handle? Are there better types of oils for someone with my skin type? Has anyone else experienced the same reaction my skin had to the OCM? Thanks!
I had to try three or four oils before I found one my skin liked (my chin would instantly break out with a few that I tried, and one was OKAY, but my skin still looked dry …) So it is possible your skin had trouble with the castor oil, but it might just mean you should try a different carrier oil. There’s really no magic formula, it’s almost entirely trial and error to find out both the type of oil and the ratio that works best for you. So just make your mixture in small batches and buy small things of oils at a time until you find what works for you! 😉 (And FYI, after a lot of trial and error, I’ve found that using rose hip seed oil, and during the day a little avocado oil as well, around my eyes helped with the fine lines I was seeing! I highly recommend that!)
Hi Crunchy Betty!
I am such a huge fan of your site! I started the OCM about a week and a half ago. My skin tends to be dry but does experience breakouts as well despite its dryness and can be sensitive. I made a mixture of 25% castor oil and 75% EVOO. After reading another post of yours on EVOO, I made sure to buy a brand that was 100% organic, cold-pressed, and imported from Greece. However I had the worst reaction. My skin became bumpy, incredibly itchy, flaky, and dry. I stopped using the OCM and went back to my normal skin care routine after this. But after stopping the OCM, I proceeded to have the worst breakout I’ve had in years! I don’t know what to do. I want to try OCM again though and am wondering if I should switch to a new blend of oils. Would reducing the proportion of castor oil to EVOO help avoid this reaction or should I avoid castor oil altogether? And have any other crunchy people had a similar experience?
Do you think this would work for sun spots? I do not have skin issues other than sun spots that have popped up this year and I’d love nothing more than to be rid of them.
I want to start doing this method of cleansing. Right now, I have oily and acne prone skin and by the end of the day, my face looks and feels gross. I read that you said you should not use regular face washes with the oil cleansing method, as your face will get all confused and freak out on you. That makes sense. But can you get away with using the OCM only? If you don’t use the OCM everyday to remove makeup at night and cleanse in the morning before makeup (I wear makeup everyday) what do you use? I’ve read on some other blogs that people only use it at night. What about the morning? Will it hurt your face to do it twice a day, or at the least, every night?
You could try it twice a day if you want, and see what happens (almost all of the process is “try it and see!”) or else you could use just water, honey, or the No Nonsense Facial Scrub (that’s what I use in the morning, and then OCM every night. I’m pregnant so my skin has been wacky, but between those two things I’m able to use less makeup than ever before!)
There’s some great info. here. I linked to you today…thanks for this post! http://www.straightfromthepages.com
~R.
*GULP* Well, here we go! After researching the heck out of the Oil Cleansing Method I will be trying it tonight! I am 18 years old and have spent the last 4 years cycling from near-perfect skin where I LOVED going without makeup to having huge breakouts!
I feel as if the never-ending cycle just made everything worse since once I would finally be happy with my skin I would end up always wanting to wear a hat and hide my forehead. I am starting to realize that these breakouts usually correspond with running out of my Proactiv cleanser.
Finally being on my own means paying for everything, so Proactiv is starting to get too expensive for so little product. I am really hoping that this method will work! I have been trying so many different natural remedies, but this one is so different that I feel like it has to work! My acne feels so nasty right now that I’m willing to put up with a few days where my acne is extra bad if I can just get rid of it! This blog and all the posts are so inspiring and are really helping me take this (what seems like at least) huge risk!
Praying with all my might that this works! I am so ready to be proud of my face once again! Currently every time I look in the mirror I think, “If only my face were perfectly clear! Then I wouldn’t be able to find anything else wrong with me!” Well I could probably still find something wrong with myself, but I just want this nasty acne out of my life! Wish me luck everyone! Once I get some results I promise to post them for you! Anyone else considering this method, just do it! I am! Thanks again for the support!
So? how has it been? do you like it?
I really want to like this! I have been doing this for over a month and my acne has gotten worse and just stayed. I use coconut oil with maybe 1/4 to 1/3 castor oil every night and after sometimes my face feels kinda dry so i put a little jojoba oil on. Could my skin still be in the getting worse before it gets better stage? Also the water where I live is not that great so could that be the problem? I know wearing makeup every day doesn’t help but since my acne is worse I feel like I need to cover it up to go to work.
Some people are able to use coconut oil without a problem, but for most people it’s quite comedogenic (i.e., makes your skin break out!) It can take quite a bit of trial and error to find an oil that agrees with your skin, so try something else, and see if it helps!
I’m very excited to try this! My only question is since I suffer from breakouts am I still able to apply blemish treatment to my existing blemishes? Or will that just mess the whole thing up?
I was oil cleansing a while back, but fell out of the habit when uni stresses and the like forced me to grab a bottle of supermarket cleanser. Over the last few months, my chin skin has been AWFUL. Some of the zits so painful it felt like I had toothache.
Yesterday, after discovering this site, I went out and spent my entire weeks play money on the makings for a basic oil cleanser, the oat facial scrub, and honey. I just oil cleansed last night, and ALREADY, after ONE night, my chin is better! The swelling is down and it only hurts if I poke at it.
So glad I didn’t do what I was considering, and buy one of those high-acid acne washes… and with the drop of (cultivated, rainforest friendly) Rosewood I added, my partner was sniffing my face, it smelt so good 🙂
(By the way, if anyone reading this is from Auckland, NZ, a good place to get reasonably priced oils from is the little bin-inn store behind Wendys on Dominion Rd.)
Hi, I stumbled onto your site while researching this method. I’ve tried it for a four days so far, but noticed that castor oil really dries out my face even when I cut it down to a 1:1:1 ratio. Can I replace it with grapeseed or jojoba?
I use all EVO, so one would assume the only ‘rule’ is ‘what works for you’.
I just was wondering, im considering starting it, i use acv after i wash my face and its been helping and i was wondering if using it after the ocm would it just be overkill and reverse the effects of the oil or can you use a toner afterward?
I just started hearing about this method and I’m planning on trying it. I have very acne prone skin and no matter what it always gets worse due to hormones. However, I do have a question about what to do in the mornings. If do the OCM at night what should I do in the morning? I’m afraid that if I just rinse my face with water, it will get dried out. Should I apply a drop or two of oil as a moisturizer? But will that just make my face look oily?
A lot of people use honey or one of Crunchy Betty’s facial scrubs in the morning. I also use a little bit of oil as a moisturizer, and as long as I let it sink in for a bit before putting on any makeup, I haven’t had any problems with my face looking oily. But you just need to try it and see what happens in order to figure out what will work best for your skin!
I don’t know if anyone else has asked this question (500 comments is a LOT to wade through) but what do you do after a workout? I’ve been using OCM nightly for about a week, so far, so good, but when I work out, it is mid-morning, and I get VERY sweaty. Should I wash just with water? Or use the OCM after my workout, before my shower? And if I do that, do I use it again before bed or just limit myself to once per day?
I am reluctant to use castor oil as this is recommended for increasing hair growth… I have read to use it on thin eyebrows… Definitely do not want to contribute to the facial hair!! Any thoughts??
A friend told me about this method when I asked for skin care advice on what to do to clean my face. I googled it and your site came up with the most clear explanation. I started the next day (tonight). I am doing a photo-journal on my journey with the oil cleansing method on fb and sending more to your site to maybe try it as well! Day one feels good… I can’t wait to feel great! Thanks!
I’ve been doing ocm for about a month now and I’m still having skin issues. I tend to have dry skin and that has disappeared because of ocm but I’m still struggling with breakouts under my skin (on my cheeks mostly). I use 1/3 castor oil and 2/3 jojoba oil. If anyone has any insight to what might help out it would be much appreciated!
Hey, I have been using the OCM for about 2 months. I have sensitive combination skin, it gets dry on top and i am covered in blocked pores underneath, i have no other acne just the blocked pores and i hate them, they really knock my confidence! I use 1/3 castor oil and 2/3 olive oil. I really like that this method moisturizes my skin and doesn’t irritate it and is natural however, it doesn’t seem to do anything. I had high hopes but my blocked pores have stayed the same, they didn’t break out but neither have they gotten better, they seem exactly the same! I tried incorporating brown sugar to sort of exfoliate but that didn’t do anything either. Does anybody have any tips or anything at all that would help? much appreciated x
Thank you very much for providing such a wonderful site! With your guidance I have made a beautiful honey, nutmeg, and cinnamon facial scrub which is terrific, and I have been oil cleansing with super results. I like a castor oil, macadamia oil, jojoba, and neem mix so far, but my castor, macadamia, and grape seed mix is really soothing. Thanks for the clear and concise posts which inspired me to try new beauty things! 🙂
When you do the OCM is that all you do for your face? Like just oil cleanse and night and splash with water in the morning?
I tried this for a little more than a month with coconut oil (before reading your post) and it seemed to just be causing me more breakouts, I told myself my skin was purging and adjusting to a new wash regimin. I gave up though when after a month I was still getting huge breakouts all over my face. I now use Lush brand face wash and moisturizer, and use diluted ACV as a toner at night with a light layer or coconut oil (coconut oil as helped my breakouts a lot, especially on my chest and back, I use it as a body moisturizer too) as a night time moisturizer, which works alright but I still get lots of tiny bumps (which sometimes turn into some not so tiny pimples) all over my chin and bigger breakouts of my forehead.
I was thinking of trying this again with grapeseed or jojoba oil (I’ve used both on my skin before and they seem to work pretty well) but I just want to make sure I do it right, so I know if its working for my skin or not. Is it okay to make a bigger batch and keep that in a jar instead of mixing before every wash?
What does your usual skin care routine look like?
Thank you for all your great recipes and tips by the way, I can’t tell you how much I love your blog!
Hi, I’m trying this out! Bad luck with anti-aging products out there. Ironically- they made me look older and dryer. So if I need to moisturize after cleansing- what should I use?
I am going to start using OCM tonight, with Castor and EVOO. However, I recently bought Kiehls Rare Earth Clay Cleanser that I like/want to use up because it was kind of expensive. Would it ruin the OCM process if I used the clay cleanser in the morning and OCM in the evenings?
As far as I can tell, it does not have any sulfates or sulfides.
I am very excited to try OCM because my skin can be oily and dry and flaky on my nose and my t-zone pores have become increasingly clogged lately.
Tonight was only the 2nd time I’ve tried this and only with EVOO. (I plan to buy castor oil tomorrow.) I honestly think the condition of my acne-prone skin is already improving. (Truly acne prone– formerly antibiotics, accutane, etc.) Furthermore, I like this method SOOO much better than splashing water all over me AND the bathroom. It does feel luxurious.
Incidentally, I’m in my early 40’s.
So, after reading you post about the OCM, and reading a few others, and reading all of the comments to decide on which oils I should go with for my skin type, I finally tried it. I only recently discovered all of the amazing benefits of natural healing, especially essential oils that can, literally, be used for anything, and actually… like… work. I stumbled over here while researching essential oils, and while at the store, I grabbed castor and jojoba (along with a few other carrier and essential oils). I’ve generally got a T-zone oil pit (with rather enlarged pores on and around my nose, and skin that bares some marks of a tough battle with acne in childhood– not necessarily craters, just rough, tired skin). After plenty of research, I decided on half castor oil and half jojoba, and I added 3 drops each of Tea Tree and Lavender essential oils. Typically, I only wash my face with the Cetaphil cleanser for all skin types– it’s gentle and rich, and does the job, and doesn’t freak my skin out. But it hasn’t exactly been nourishing my skin, and I have never been able to get into regular moisturizing because every single product I’ve tried becomes far too greasy, clogs my pores, and leaves me uncomfortable and hot for hours afterwards. I used the oil I blended as most of the OCM instructions generally prescribe– spent a good two minutes rubbing it in, and everywhere. My skins sucked it right up. Instead of simply wiping it off, though, I laid the hot towel over my face and left it there until it grew cool. I went to go rub the oil around some more (with the pores now open), but it looked as if all of the oil was already gone. Literally, my skin sucked it RIGHT up. I laid a freshly rinsed warm towel over my face a second time, left it until it cooled, and went to rinse any remaining oil off. But there was none, and my skin was literally full and glowing in a way that puts the post-professional facial glow to shame. I noticed, though, that the baggies under my eyes were untouched, as I had avoided the area entirely because I had put Tea Tree in the oil. The skin that I hadn’t oiled was pale and tired looking, so I did a quick mini-OCM just under my eyes, and I literally watched the bags under my eyes begin to disappear as it absorbed the oil. Absolutely amazing– my face looks toned, fresh, and warm after only one treatment. It’s absolutely smooth, and the bags under my eyes literally retracted and filled themselves in (about 60% of a difference– they didn’t disappear entirely… yet). I thought that perhaps my skin was super dehydrated, so I ended with a bit of jojoba oil as a moisturizer, especially under my eyes, and I literally cannot wait to do this again tomorrow night.
Could I switch off on using this oi cleansing method and the honey wash with baking soda at night? Like on some days I do the oil one on other days i use the honey.
Can I just use olive oil, or do I really need to mix in some caster oil?
Oh, and is this gentle enough to use under your eyes and on your eyelids?
I have only used this for the past two nights, but my skin feels incredible, and looks pretty good too. It gives my 65 year old skin a youthful glow that it had lost.
I’m wanting to start this cleansing method- but the question I have is if you don’t do it everynight, what do you use on off nights?
I’m a licensed aesthetician and I just read this blog. You wrote it very well. And I think this method is amazing!! I’m currently developing my own skin care line. My cleansers are OCM cleansers. I highly recommend this for anyone and any skin type. The skin goes through cycles just like hair. So it could take up to a month for some people’s skin to adjust. But it is very worth it.
Hey everyone! I’ve just ordered the Exquisite Stuff cleansing oil and cannot wait for it to arrive! I have a noob question though – do I need to refrigerate the oil?
I’m 22 and my skin is DRY, DRY, DRY. It flakes, becomes itchy, red, tight, irritated, rough and dull. I was using a very gentle, neutral pH, organic baby cleanser with a cream that was touted as “extremely moisturizing” and my skin still would become tight, itchy and flaky. I was so desperate that one day I decided to slather olive oil all over my skin. The next morning, I had the most amazing glow and soft, supple skin! I was shocked! I had been considering going to a dermatologist and getting prescription moisturizers because it was so bad – thank god I didn’t have to spend all that money! I found out about the oil cleansing method and it is awesome for my skin. I still do need to put more olive oil on after cleansing because my skin is so dry but no more flaky, itchy skin for me 🙂 I also use olive oil on my hair, and it works great!
I just started using this method abou 4 days ago and I still have not seen any results other than not needing moisturizer. How long does it take for it to take effect? Help!
Sorry to be a downer, but this method didn’t work for me. I am 28 and have battled acne since I was a teenager. It got worse in my 20s. Besides acne, I have normal skin–not oily, not dry, just terribly marred by acne sores or scars. When my good friend told me OCM had been working for her (she has acne and oily skin), I went out and got everything I needed to get started right away. I washed with oil at night and raw honey in the morning religiously for four months. I tried different ratios and different oils when the ones I started with didn’t work. I used the aspirin mask, the ACV toner, the whole nine yards. In that four months, my acne got worse than it ever has been. The sores were bigger, the scars darker. I have read many reviews on this site and others about how great OCM is or about how terrible it is. I’ve come to this conclusion: it’s definitely worth a try! But remember, if it doesn’t work, don’t feel like you have to keep carrying that burden of washing your face with oil just because so many people you admire do the same. If you have cystic acne, it’s very hard to cure it with just washing your face with a gentle, natural oil. As much as I hate it using the chemicals, the scarring and straight up pain got to be too much for me. The only thing that seems to work for me is salicylic acid wash, glycolic acid treatment, and benzoyl peroxide cream on my face with ice packs on top. If you have acne and are looking for a cure and aren’t too worried about using some chemicals for a while just to clear it up, read the book The Acne Cure. It is life changing. I hope to not have to use chemicals forever, but I’ve tried natural remedies (really believing they would work- I wasn’t a skeptic!) and they just haven’t worked. So here’s hoping this review helps someone out there!
Love your article! I’ve seen lots about OCM on Pinterest lately and have been slowly transitioning to natural skin care, so this seems to fit perfectly. I especially like your advice on different carrier oils and essential oils to use (I’m more on the anti-aging side of things). One question I have-can I use it more than once a day? I totally see using it at night, but when I workout (working on getting better at that) in the morning, can I use it to clean my face post workout and again at night? If not, what’s the best way to to this? Any ideas?
I’m curious about this so I wonder, does anyone have issues with jojoba oil? I figured out it was causing me bumpy deep red spots. Even tested it on just my chin and spots only appeared there. I have sensitive skin and now only use grapseed, apricot kernel or avocado as I find these to be milder
Did the smell of the EVOO make anyone else nauseous? Or suggestions on a brand that’s not so “robust.” I just started this tonight and I am already thinking of completely nixing the EVOO. I used 2 tablespoons castor oil, 1 tablespoon of jojoba oil and 1 tablespoon of the EVOO. I have acne prone oily skin with blackheads all over my nose and chin. I was an avid proactive user forever but recently give up and learned of a sulfate allergy and have only been able to use Nutregena naturals. So far one night in and my face feels less oily than it usually is shortly after washing.
I am loving this OCM I use olive oil and grapeseed oil and a few drops of pepperment oil it works wonders for my blackheads and oily skin
Holy crap. I wanted to love this cleansing method. But my skin started looking like I was about 20 years older because the castor oil was so drying. I even tried changing the formula to putting a very small amount of the stuff in my concoction–to no avail. I thought about changing carrier oils, but in the mean time, I’m back to using my oatmeal/almond flour combo in the morning, and honey/baking soda/apple cider/jojoba oil cleaning in the evening.
I’ve been using OCM now for about 3 1/2 weeks, and I’m really starting to see alot of clearing. I was very lucky when I was young that I never had acne, but I started getting it in my mid-20s (currently 32). It’s amazing how much it affects your confidence! I’ve noticed not wearing makeup too frequently helps as well. Anywho, it’s helped a ton with cystic acne and pimples, but I am noticing that I’m getting a few blackheads here and there. Immediately after I use the OCM at night, my pores on my nose & chin are almost completely clear; these are usually my problem areas.
Here’s my question; I’m only doing it at night, because I feel like doing it twice a day is too much for my skin. I tried using a rhassoul clay scrub in the AM, but this is too much exfoliating for my super sensitive skin. With that said, I feel like just rinsing with water in the morning makes my skin feel gross later in the day.
Any recommendations for a non-exfoliating method to use in the AM? If I over-exfoliate my skin becomes very red, patchy, scaly, and starts to really breakout. Any guidance much appreciated!
Hey guys! I’m a 14 year old teen who had pretty bad acne once I entered middle school. On top of that I had Keratosis Pilaris (KP) ever since elementary all over my arms, thighs, and cheeks. It really hurt my self- confidence to show my skin out in the open, especially when some kids at my school started poking “fun” at me telling everyone that I had a tropical disease. People actually stayed away from me for some time; I felt like dropping out of school because I was so isolated and lonely.
But that is all behind me now, now in high school I’ve managed to accept my KP. My acne, however, I couldn’t look past. Still ugly with huge blackheads every time I looked into that dreaded mirror. I decided to do something about it and got out my laptop. I surfed the web for hours since my friends who actually did have acne (nevermind those baby smooth friends who never experienced such things) have all turned to a dermatologist. I do not have any money for one or money for any miracle cleanser they like to dish out, so the web was my only hope. Finally, I found a website. I clicked it first from all the other ones because it was called an interesting and cute name “Crunchy Betty”. From looking all around the site, I decided that I like it. Now that it’s winter break I feel it’s time to try this OCM. I’ve read a good enough portion of the comments to make my eyes hurt. There were many successes and a few failures which I am concerned about a little. I’m hoping that the failures were a lack of time for the OCM to fully work. I am going to start my first day tomorrow, wish me luck!
P.S. I’m not sure what to do in the morning. Many of the commentators use honey but aren’t very clear about it. There is also a no- nonsense scrub on this site. Should I use that?
There’s information on the site about honey and the facial scrub, and some people just use water in the morning too. There’s not a set routine to follow, you just have to use trial and error to figure out what works best for you!
Is it okay to use organic skin care Jojoba Oil and cold pressed, cold processed Castor Oil?
I’m wondering because I bought the oils but the Castor Oil isn’t consciously extracted neither is the Carrier Oil cold pressed.
I’ve been using this method for 2-3 months now using 2 parts castor oil to 1 part jojoba oil. My skin has definitely gotten a little better, but not a whole lot. I still break out all the time and have small acne bumps covering my face that have been there pretty much since puberty. I’ve read so much about this and have been really hoping this would work for me and i’m really upset it hasn’t done a whole lot. do you have any suggestions of what I could try doing differently? Different oils or different ratios? I have really oily acne-prone skin and would seriously do anything to clear it up!
Maybe I missed it but I didn’t see what the ‘Carrier oil” is? Is that the castor oil? thank you!
I am really intrigued by this method! I am curious, I have a clarisonic facial cleanser; could I use this to massage the oils into my face?
I’m 21 years old, and it is safe to say that my skin can be hard to handle at times. In the past couple of years, I have tired numerous cleansers and facial treatments to combat my moderate acne, but honestly, nothing really satisfied me . I heard about OCM from a friend of mine who swore by it, so I decided to do some research and gave it a try. I used castor oil along with safflower oil. I accidentally bought it thinking that it was sunflower oil, but as it turns out, safflower can actually be pretty good for your skin as well as your scalp/hair. You can even use it in cooking, apparently it helps to digest fats faster (weight loss!) and helps to lower blood sugar levels.I read somewhere that safflower oil has vitamin E and can help with problematic skin, acne being one of those problems in addition to scars and wrinkles. I added a few drops of tea tree oil which gave the oil cleanser a nice, subtle scent. For the first week or so, my skin was a bit crazy, I broke out more than usual, but I was adamant about seeing through with the process (since most people said that your skin will be crazy for about two weeks). During the second week, however, I noticed that my skin was clearing up, not to mention how awesome it felt. It has probably been two months since I started the OCM, and I couldn’t be happier. I cleanse every night, otherwise i feel that my skin is gross. Sometimes I skip a night if I’m too tired once I get home, but this doesn’t have a negative effect on my skin. If I skip more than two nights, i’ll start to break out again…basically you need to find what works for you. Start out cleansing 3/4 times a week and decide whether you need more. I personally love the feeling of a really warm towelette on my skin; feels like my skin comes back to life each time. My skin is always soft, I don’t need to moisturize even in the cold winter months, and my skin is clear. Whatever scarring (discoloration) I have had from pimples has nearly completely disappeared; I almost never feel the need to wear makeup (a total self esteem booster!). If i do wear makeup, it comes right off once the oils have been rubbed into my skin. It even takes off waterproof mascara! My blackheads haven’t completely disappeared, but they aren’t as noticeable. They’re much smaller and definitely not as oil/dirt packed. I do however have the occasional pimple which I take care of with Neutrogena’s Clean and Clear spot treatment (it usually disappears by the next morning). I absolutely love my skin now, and I don’t plan to stop the OCM any time soon. Its such a money saver; I don’t need to spend as much on makeup, moisturizers, cleansers, etc.; GREAT for college students. I encourage everyone to try this, you really can’t go wrong!
Havinv had AWFUL for the past 12 years, I finally decided to do something about it when I got engaged. I used this method in the run up to my wedding and it honestly made a huge difference to my really oily spotty skin. Since the wedding I have been really lazy in doing it and my skin is back to its horrible oily self…so I can honestly say this is the one and only method I would use from now on. I came across this page to research other oils apart from castor and EVO oil and am going to give sweet almond and jojoba a try!! Good article….believe me this method WORKS!!!
I always feel the need to tone after cleansing. if I use ACV as a toner after oil cleansing, am I defeating the purpose of using OCM in the first place?? I have oily/acne prone skin so I use a mixture of 1/3 castor oil and 2/3 jojoba oil. Its winter so I’m a little dry as well so I may add additional oil or moisturizer after I wipe with the towel.
Hi everybody, I’m a 17 year old girl, who has a mild acne problem – It has been bad, but not wearing foundation or any sort of powder has really cleared it up- and very oily skin. My biggest problem is not my spots, since they are usually small, and I rarely get big ones, my problem is blackheads… I have like a million on my nose, cheeks and chin, and it’s killing me! I have tried a lot of different things, but nothing seems to work. I’ve just recently tried to get rid of them using a lemon and baking soda exfoliation recipe because the comments to it were amazing, but I didn’t see any difference. The thing is, I was wondering if OCM works wonders with blackheads, or if it’s just acne? And if I only do this in the evening before going to bed, what should I do in the morning? I would really appreciate if anyone could help me, because I would love to finally find something that works on my skin!
well, many people refer that OCM helped with their blackhead problem… I can say from my experience, that I can see some improvement.. it is slow, but steady and my skin is getting better every day
I used to use Olive Oil as a facial moisturizer during the day one summer. That summer I also noticed that my vision was going all wonky, things were blurry at random times at random distances but I had no trouble seeing if you know what I mean. I finally realized that the Olive Oil was getting into my eyes and messing with my vision. I stopped and my vision went back to normal…
Has anyone else noticed the oil from the cleanings and using it around the eyes to remove makeup making their vision weird? It not like I pour it on my eyes or anything, I try to wipe most of it off anyway but it still gets in there.
I didn’t know that coconut oil clogs the pores- I just started using this method two weeks ago with coconut oil and have not seen any problems yet. Maybe I will switch to almond oil just to be sure since I have it on hand. Also, every few days I have been adding a little baking soda to the oil which works great for exfoliating 🙂
I’m a guy and it took almost the last 10 years of zits to figure out what caused them and how to quickly rid my face of them. My zits are unusual in that the material within are always hardened nodes. Squeezing them gets them out of my skin but, of course, leaves that wonderful red dot. I’ve tried numerous products to reduce the number but they did squat and contained basically the same chemicals in varying quantities and stripped my face of moisture, which resulted in further breakouts.
What I eventually figured out is that something in my diet was the primary cause of my breakouts. It took some time to narrow it down, but it turns out that I’m allergic to what is in corn – specifically, the genetic modifications that are in corn today. I can no longer eat or consume corn in any form thanks to GMOs. Whenever I eat corn containing GMOs, my face breaks out with zits all over and I get a migraine headache and nausea. Corn oil is the worst – I have zits on my face within an hour of eating anything fried in corn oil followed up with nausea a few hours later and a whopping migraine the following day. I switched to olive oil when I fry food and that worked wonders for my complexion and I don’t get nausea or migraines. Getting 8 to 10 hours of sleep at night contributes some toward my good complexion too, but dropping corn from my diet was much more significantly noticeable. Without doing much of anything (just the occasional splash of water on the face), I now rarely break out but, when I do, I only have to look back over the last 24 hours of food consumed and find that corn (or a corn byproduct) snuck its way into one of my meals.
What I’ve read is that a person’s skin provides the first indicators of something inside going wrong. Skin is an organ that reacts to internal changes as much as any other organ in the body. Applying oils, creams, and moisturizers to the skin may only cover up internal problems, which over the long-term will likely make those problems worse if they aren’t dealt with. Identifying serious problems should be done first before applying topical solutions. Mine is a specific food allergy and I suspect that there are many people who have food allergies but don’t know about it and their skin forming pimples is their body’s natural reaction to let them know something is wrong. The chemicals, cleansers, and even OCM won’t work for those people until the underlying problem is fixed.
I too stumbled onto this site by looking up using nutmeg to get rid of blackheads by way of Pinterst. Anyways after reading all the comments on the OCM I too decided to give it a try since like many commented I too have dealt with acne since I was 14 and now I’m 31. I was using PCA and having good results, but I have been trying to go more natural.
I have been using the OCM for over 2 months. I have not noticed a improvement beyond texture feeling better nor my skin getting majorly worse. I still have break outs usually before and after my period, and I have to take time to squeeze out the junk in my skin. I have used castor, jojoba, grape seed and EVO with tea tree. Then I adjusted it to castor, jojoba, grape seed and tea tree. Then castor, jojoba, argan and tea tree. I have not be able to tell a noticeable difference in the combinations I am trying and I’m not sure how to know what works for me, since I still break out.
I also do the honey wash with and without baking soda and the ACV toner steeped with thyme. Is there anything else I should be trying or adjusting to help with my break outs? Different toner? The oatmeal scrub? I’m starting to think this system isn’t working for me which is bumming me out, because I was hoping finally I found something that could work and be good for me. Any advice?
What is a carrier oil? That term was never explained.
The carrier oil is the oil you choose to mix with the castor oil (jojoba, sweet almond, argan, etc.) From reading the comments, it seems olive oil of any type is a bad idea.
Crunchy Betty, i have a question, i always hear that castor oil make hair grows faster and intensively, so the oil cleansing method could possible lead to this on face, eyebrows and other areas?
A friend of mine told me about this method of cleaning your face this morning- said to go to your web site. I am 68 and have very dry skin from aging and illness- so I just went in and used straight organic olive oil as you indicated. What a lovely feeling! And my hands feel soft as well! Now I need to get some cheap wash cloths and I am all set to see how this goes! Thanks so very much!!!
The oil cleansing method rocks!! I’ve always had skin problems and tried so many products until now. I spend way less money on my skin now because I know what works and it continues to work. I’ve been using olive oil from my kitchen cupboard for a year now and it works great for my combination skin; although my skin has improved so much I would call it normal now.
When I started, my face was really dry for almost 2 months! I brought moisturizer everywhere and reapplied twice a day. I kept at it because it just seemed like a healthy way to cleanse my face. Then, my skin transformed into glorious perfection and its been that way since!
When I go camping, I use the same process with a disposable face wipe instead of a washcloth. It’s not the same as using steam, but its the best option when you don’t have access to hot running water. It gets your face much cleaner than a face wipe alone and it’s less drying. Just make sure you get the purest face wipes possible. Most importantly, they should be paraben/petroleum-free. If you can’t find natural wipes, use a damp washcloth with a little lavender and/or tea-tree oil.
I found your recipe on Pinterest, and I think it’s great. I am a licensed Esthetician and have been using Oil Cleansers as part of professional facials for years. Mainly from European skin care lines. The OCM is big there. I was trained to use it the same way you have recommended, but could I make one suggestion? I was told to apply the Cleansing oil to DRY skin, when first applied. This allows the Oil Cleanser to “attract” to the oil in the pores, and pulls it from the pores.
This adjustment may be more helpful for those with clogged pores and acne.
I am releasing a skin care book in February 2013 if you (Crunchy Betty) would like to contact me, I would love to use some of your recipes in the DIY section of my book, and give you credit of course!
My Twitter handle @NicciRLeigh, and email [email protected]
I have been using OCM now for about 2 months. I’m not sure if I just don’t have the right blend of oils or I’m not steaming my face long enough or well enough to release the impurities…but I am getting almost worse breakouts than I was before. Normally I have pretty clear skin, except for small blackheads on my nose, and then I’ll get the occasional cluster of pimples on my forehead or chin/jawline area every few weeks. Now I feel like I have more pimples and I’ve gotten several really big ones that are very painful. They aren’t going away any faster either. I still continue to oil cleanse, but would love feedback from anyone who might have experienced this and what you did to solve this problem? Thanks!
Soooo…I am not exactly a “crunchy” girl. There is still a little part of me that doesn’t WANT to believe that government-approved chemicals, soaps, cleansers, and even foods are unhealthy for me. Maybe you can call it denial? Okay, I concede. But I say that it’s also the overwhelming community at large of ultra-crunchy, anti-EVERYTHING ladies that make me feel about two inches tall after I enjoyed my morning bowl of Froot Loops…
But…
BUT…
I immediately fell in love with this site! Strangely enough, it was my husband who led me here looking for a solution for our clogged drain (the baking soda-hot water-vinegar trick worked BEAUTIFULLY). I’m really impressed with the lively, no-nonsense, open-minded and delightfully quirky posts on the site. Yes, they are funny, and yes, they expose a number of the purported ills of the beauty and food industries…but I don’t feel BAD when I read them. Instead, I feel inspired to try something new. Like the above oil cleansing method. In fact, last night I read about the thyme-and-witch-hazel idea and quite literally hurried out to Wal*Mart to purchase the ingredients, and this morning my face DID seem smoother and less red. We will see if it works.
But now I have to go out again to buy oil. At 31, I do NOT want my teenage skin anymore. (My teenage figure, well…I’ll take that back, thank you.)
Any way, from a pre-crunchy girl, I’d just like to thank EVERYONE who contributes to this site. Thanks for making “being crunchy” seem very practical and a whole lot less strange! (And I mean that in the best possible way!)
Love from Pittsburgh. 🙂
I started OCM about a month ago. I’d have to say it’s the worst thing to ever happen to my skin. By the third night I knew something was wrong, but I had heard it could get worse before it got better. Now my face is more red blotchy and dry than ever. Before I just had minor acne on my cycle and I thought that OCM would help or make my skin more consistent( it was oilier in the t-zone and dry around my cheeks and temples) Now My face, and I am not sure why is really dry, even in places it used to be oily. I feel awful. This site is great and everything, but I think that you should know this doesn’t work for everyone, I wouldn’t say not to try it, but there is a bit of risk.
Hi! I just want to say that I tried this after a couple weeks of just doing research. This blog and the comments were a great resource btw. 🙂 I don’t have acne but I found (with my normal cleansing regimen) that my skin would be lovely in the morning but become very oily by the afternoon. Also my nose pores were huge and never clean no matter what I did. I just thought I’d be gross forever.
Now I’m about 3 weeks in to the oil cleansing method and OH MY GOD. It works. It has solved all my problems. Seriously. ALL. I use only a quarter castor oil to the other carrier oils because even though my skin felt oily in the afternoon I know it was because my cleanser was stripping my face of natural oils and my face was overcompensating in spite of my moisturizer. I’m still working on my mixture because I’m starting to get pretty dry but I no longer get so oily in the afternoon.
I never had a weird phase with breakouts. The very first night my skin felt like velvet. The following day my skin still felt amazing and was considerably less oily in the afternoon. By the second week the ickyness in my pores was way down AND those pores shrank very noticeably. Now some of them are no longer visible at all. I wish I’d taken before pics.
I do use witch hazel after cleansing at night and dab my face with argan oil where it’s dryest. In the morning I just splash water on my face, witch hazel again, and use a moisturizer with sunscreen. I might want to work on that regimen to address the dryness. It’s worth the experimenting though.
Oh! and this method is the BEST for removing makeup.
One commenter recommended using the microwave to heat the towel for steaming your face and that was a great suggestion. Especially if you have a really small hot water heater like I do.
I will NEVER wash my face again! …..with soap I mean lol.
Am I the only one who’s having trouble with the OCM? Maybe I’m doing it wrong, but I don’t even know I can mess up something so simple. Basically, I’ve been at it for about 3 weeks now and initially my skin felt softer but now, it’s just really bumpy, and I’ve broken out SOOO much (more than I have in years), literally a new pimple pops up at least once a day. So I stopped doing it, and started with a lancome cleanser and I think that made it worse. The blotchyness is still there, so are the blackheads and my skin does not feel cleaner at all. I’ve never had an acne problem, but I’m breaking out now more than ever. Basically I’m using 1 part EVOO and one part castor oil and I keep the face towel on my face for about 30 seconds. Can someone please help me, I don’t know what to do! Thank you!!
1 – Search the sites for info about olive oil. You might need to buy a better brand.
2 – You might need to change the ratio of oils you use. It takes a LOT of trial and error to find what works for you.
3 – You might need to try a different oil. Olive, coconut, and sweet almond all made my chin break out immediately. Avocado has been working great for me (though I still have small bumps on my chin, and they get worse at that time of the month. I’m still working that situation out).
4 – You might need to change how long you hold the towel on and how much you steam versus wipe. I get the best results if I steam twice (hold a warm towel over my face until it gets cold) and then on the third time I finish by wiping off the oil. But again, it’s ALL about trial and error!
What kind of ex folia t should I use with castor/jojoba?
hi I just came across this method and was wondering when you don’t use the oils what other product do you use?
Another great use for castor oil (and make sure you buy a pure variety–not one produced to be ingested, as some are combined with other carriers to help one get it down–it’s a thick oil on its own) is for growing skimpy eyebrows! Overplucked yours, or do the ends of yours look scant (often owing to thyroid conditions–have a blood test to know with certainty)? Try this!
This is best done at night, after one has cleansed their face. Dribble a drop or two on a cotton swab and work the oil back and forth, coating your eyebrows and a little beyond them. Do this faithfully for a couple of weeks, and you’ll find eyebrows growing in where the oil is applied; then dye, shape, and continue to use the oil for consistent results.
My eyebrows were always a bit wimpy, and disappeared at the ends. This has helped me grow lovely, shapeable brows!
Do you HAVE to mix the different oils? What about make-up after – what would I have to apply?
Do you HAVE to mix the different oils? What about make-up after – what would I have to apply?
I just started using OCM and so far it’s going pretty well, though my skin is still adjusting. The problem is this: I am a biologist and I frequently travel to areas (i.e., the jungle) where hot water is simply not available. Can you think of any ways I could adapt OCM for use with cold water and limited towels? If not, do you have any suggestions of an alternate method for washing my face? I really don’t want to go back to cleanser and have to start all over again with OCM when I get back!
I don’t use hot water with my ocm. Try it at home with room temp water and see if it works.
I’ve been using this for three days. My husband loves what is is doing for my skin. I had to make him some. For him (with oily skin) I use Castor, Olive, Avocado, Grapeseed and some YounhLiving Tea Tree Essential Oil. For mine (aging skin) Castor, Olive, Avocado, Apricot and some YounhLiving Rose Essential Oil. for me its so much easier than removing make up, cleansing and then moisterizing. Now it’s done in one step. I will never by cleanser for my face again. I love it. I also made my own toner with Lemon juice, Witch Hazel with Aloe already in it. Add water and to my husbands I added some rubbing alcohol. Thank you much for sharing! Thank you, thank you, thank you,
~ Brenda and Jonathan
Okay, so I admit that, after nearly 20 years of living with acne in some form or another and trying almost every option available to me, I was still petrified about trying this method. My skin seemed to be doing well lately, but then I had to go back on birth control and I’m getting those huge, incredibly painful, ugly, impossible-to-conceal zits – I think that’s cystic acne? Anyway, I had bought castor and grapeseed oil a few weeks ago and finally decided that I was going through with it, especially since the benzoyl peroxide spot treatment I have been using has been causing me some really serious dry skin – on top of my zits, of course. Awful.
After mixing the oils at about a 50/50 ratio, I followed the steps. I don’t think I let my face steam quite long enough, and I think I am going to try more grapeseed oil. My skin feels okay, but still a little dry. Interestingly enough, the pimples already do feel smaller – and less painful. I wonder if that is my imagination! I have used the thyme-witch hazel astringent for the blackheads on my nose and will continue to do so!
So I will be proceeding with cautious optimism. I desperately want this to work! I’ll check back in a few weeks.
I have very very dry skin that throughout the course of the day ends up flaky! I’m planning on using this method but am more curious on the the mositurizing needs? Especially in the mornings pre-make up application?
doesn’t castor oil make hair grow? I really want to do the oil cleansing method, but is there something else i can mix my second oil with, that is not castor oil? I have fine facial hair, and don’t want anymore:)
thanks.
I’m so excited to try this… The condition of my skin seems to vacillate wildly between super dry and flaky to oily and acne-prone. I generally use pretty harsh alcohol cleansers, but this method makes so much more sense (from a scientific, chemistry-based standpoint, which I appreciate!). In the long run I’m pretty sure it will save me money, too… the ingredients for this will last me FOREVER, as opposed to the cleansing pads that only last a month and are $7 per container!!! Unfortunately, the no-poo doesn’t work for me (super straight hair with no volume to cover up a little oil), but I’m wondering if there’s any homemade WEN copycats to try. I’d love a way to make my hair clean without stripping the moisture and spending $$$$ (plus, who doesn’t love the smell of freshly shampooed hair??). If you’ve any ideas, I’d LURVE to hear them!!!
Unless I’m in a real rush to get to bed, i.e. I’m super tired or it’s late, I use the oil cleansing method and it is amazing! It cleared up my minimal amount of acne, diminished the redness in my skin, and is super moisturizing. I can’t remember the exact recipe I used but I did 2/3 of a bottle (yes, I premixed it all together) of castor oil, and filled the rest of the bottle with equal parts of Sweet Almond and Grapeseed Oil. I did add some Olive Oil after using a little bit to thin out the mixture. I cleanse and then put on some argan oil and my skin is super soft when I wake up. I’m naturally very oily and I haven’t found it to help with reducing oil but nothing seems to do that. Overall, I love using this method. My only downside is that I no longer use my pricey Clarisonic cleansing tool.