Remember that song? Evokes memories from my childhood….good times, good times!
A reader, Lily Johnson, asked me how she could deal with her oily, acne prone skin using natural products and while I left her a long response explaining a method I had heard about, I thought I should dedicate a post to it in case others that could benefit from the information do not happen upon her comment. Rather than stop there, I THEN thought that that wasn’t enough and that I should actually try out said method on myself for at least 3 months and report back on what my personal experience has been.( I am such a guinea pig for you guys, lol!).
A bit about my skin: I have dry to normal skin and have no pimples. I also have no blackheads on my face (thanks to infrequent facials).
Before I launch into what this post is about, I think I should state that I am NOT a nutritionist, a dietitian, a dermatologist or a subject matter expert (SME) on all things natural. I am merely sharing my personal experience with you all and also sharing information that I have gleaned from many books I have read on the subject and conversations with some SMEs. What works for me may not work for you. Always be in tune with any changes in your body, hair or skin when you change any regimen associated with them. As with most things, this is not a one-size-fits-all. (I am going to have put this information up on the site permanently).
Okay, moving on to the advice I gave Lily.
Her question was:
Can you give me some natural mix to combat pimples and spots? I have an oily skin. Thanks
My answer to her was to try the Oil Cleanse Method (OCM). That is, cleansing the face with oil, rather than using any soap based products. Yes, you read right. Bear with me and I will explain this.
To make your oil cleanser, you will need a some Castor Oil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil/Grapeseed Oil (I use the latter as I find it lighter).
The guideline for use is:
Oily Skin: Use a ratio of 6 parts Castor oil to 4 parts Grapeseed oil.
Dry Skin: Use a ratio of 4 parts Castor oil to 6 parts Grapeseed oil.
This is a guideline. It can be tweaked. I have dry skin so I used the dry skin formula. I made just a small batch in case my skin did not take to it as I hoped it would.
Here’s what I did.
I gathered my tools:
From L-R: Measuring Spoons, Castor Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Glass bowl for mixing
Using my measuring spoons, I put 6 parts castor oil and 4 parts of grapeseed oil into the glass bowl and mixed them together properly.
C’est tout! My cleanser was ready. I did not use any essential oils in this mix, but I definitely will next time. Tea tree oil will be my choice because of its antibacterial, antiseptic and antifungal properties.
To use, you will need:
- Your oil mix
- A clean face towel
- Hot Water
- Your hands
Here are the steps
- Pour a coin size amount of oil into the palm of one hand.
- Put oil on face and using slow upward, circular motions, massage the oil into the face. Work it in well. This should take about 1-2 minutes. Don’t rub, especially if you have acne on your face – that will just irritate your skin. Focus on massaging only.
- Place your face towel under hot running water. The water shouldn’t be hot enough to hurt your hands but should definitely be hot enough to produce steam. You can also put your hot water in a bowl and dip your face towel into it.
- Wring out the hot water and place the hot (not scalding) face towel on your face until you feel the steam open the pores on your face. You may need to repeat this step until you feel the steam do its work.
- Using the face cloth, wipe the oil off your face. Take will also take off dead skin cells, dirt and other impurities from the skin.
When you are done, your face should feel soft and supple, not stripped and dried like when you use soap. At least that has been my experience. If your face does feel dry, you can work a light oil (like grapeseed oil) into your face.
Things to note:
- Keep your face towel/cloth clean. Wash it out with soap and water every time you use it.
- Wipe all the oil from your face.
- Splash cold water on your face afterwards to close your pores.
- The more castor oil you add to your mix, the more drying it will be. Make this cleanser in small batches until you hit upon a formula that is right for your skin.
Why it works:
Oil dissolves oil. Think about it, water cannot dissolve oil. Not unless you introduce a surfactant based cleanser or soap.
Castor Oil is the main oil in this cleanser recipe because it is a drying oil. It is very viscous but it is a drying oil. Interestingly, it is also a humectant (which means that it draws moisture from the air and into your skin).
Like I said earlier, I was going to use this for 3 months and then let you all in on it. However, I have been using this method for just a week and half and the results are soooo good that I couldn’t possibly keep it to myself.
I am typing this in a bit of a hurry so forgive me if it is not as detailed as it should be. I will try and update it at some point. You can put any questions that you have in the comment section and I will respond as best I can.
That is different, I never thought of using oil to combat my oily skin. Great tips as always.
so I also have a question, I started growing out my natural hair last summer ( chopped everything off and started from scratch). My hair has grown a bit but it keeps falling out, I braid and weave it often, but every-time I was my hair, it fall out… like A LOT
. what can I do to prevent this?
Wow! First off, what do you wash it with currently? Can you explain your regimen to me? You can also e-mail me here: naturalnigerian@gmail.com if you would prefer.
*Covering my face* OMG… I just read back what I wrote, soo many errors, I am sorry I was in such a rush.
I currently use Doo-gro line of products for my hair.(shampoo, conditioner, growth oil n cream).
I also use Dr-miracle Temple & Nape and I just got a jar of Virgin coconut oil last week ( someone recommended it for deep conditioning)
Sorry, hadn’t forgotten you…had been travelling. You seem to be doing the right things. I have plenty of questions, e.g Did you by any chance have a baby recently? are you pregnant? Are your weaves/braids too tight (that should not lead to hair falling out), are you getting adequate nutrition (Seems silly to be asking you that question). I will send you a mail so that we can get into it a bit more.
I will look forward to your mail
. Thanks much!
Hey NN,
Abeg, if you can find the email you sent to 9jaFOODie on this, please forward to me also… I had to battle alopecia last year after I stopped nursing and it wasn’t fun; wish I had discovered your blog then… It’s gotten much better and hair has actually grown and I’ve totally switched my hair routines which I’m sure is what helped but mehn, you don’t even want to know… I’d like to see what additional tips your email has that I don;t know about (cos I’m sure there’ll be some)…I will ping you when I finally put up my blog post about it now that I’m less traumatized, lol!
i’ve been seeing posts about using oil to treat oily face but i avnt tried it…i like your method..so easy..would be trying it
Interesting. I have combination/oily skin so this might just be the thing for me. It also looks simple and easy to use. I no like stress, lol…
Just like me, lol!
I started the OCM this weekend, I am excited to see amazing result. I gave you an award, you can check out my blog for more details.
Thanks for this. Very informative, and i didn’t know you could do that
great job. sorry, have no time! But I havent forgotten ya – will be back to read all this juicy stuff soonest!
okay…will def have to try this
[...] said in this post that “ I am NOT a nutritionist, a dietitian, a dermatologist or a subject matter [...]
I’m so glad I’ve found this website!
I currently use Shu Uemura’s oil mix and they are quite expensive. I can’t think of where to find grapeseed oil in Nigeria. Can you suggest any other alternative that is not EVOO?
I am glad you are here!
The other alternatives are Jojoba oil, Sunflower Seed oil, Evening Primrose oil and Avocado oil. Apricot Kernel oil also works. These are light oils which will not clog your pores. Actually, I believe that Jojoba oil is completely non-comedogonic while the others may be very slightly comedegonic.
You’ll need to make small batches until you can work out what your skin likes. I tried Hemp seed oil once….big mistake. It was so heavy that my face felt like it was melting away.
Yay! I’ve got Jojoba oil, now I’ve got something to fall back on when my Shu Uemura runs out.
Btw, when you say ‘parts’ what to do you mean? As in what spoon measure size makes 1 part?
To make it easier for you, take any size spoon (depending on how large you want your batch to be – I would advice teaspoons for a start) and make that your part. So if you want 3 parts castor oil to 2 parts jojoba oil, you add 3 spoons of castor oil to 2 spoons of Jojoba oil and so on. That way your ratios are proportionate.
I tried this last night by mixing equal proportions of castor oil and jojoba oil because my skin is not exactly oily or dry. It worked out find and my skin felt supple till this morning.
I am really glad it worked for you. I finally had to settle for a 30 – 70 castor and grapeseed oil mix.
Please where did u get the jojoba oil.
I bought it while on holiday in the US a few months ago. I know there are a few places to buy oils in Abuja but it seems you live in Lagos.
[...] comes with a facial attachment so I can steam my face as well. Works well with my OCM [...]
[...] my Sothy’s facial cream and I now use a light oil (Grapeseed or jojoba) on my face after my OCM. Due to the dearth of natural products in Nigeria, I have actually taken to making my own Whipped [...]
Men this is so educative. I just got a supply of Grapeseed oil and castor oil so will try this tonight! Wait when is the best time to do this wash? Morning or night? I think I will try eccentricYoruba’s method.
Also I don’t have tea tree oil. I have Rosemary and lavender oil. Can I add either to the mix?
Pls Is it ok if I email you as well. I think u are my new best friend on blogville o! Lol. I have a daughter as well and need hair education.
Thanks!
I would typically do this at night so that I don’t put make-up on my specially cleansed face but you can do it anytime you like at all. It comes down to personal preference.
I am guessing by the sort of oils you mentioned, that they are essential oils – EOs (I can’t assume as I have seen some blended oils). While they are really a good addition to most products, you do not really need to add any EOs to the mix. If you do, just add a teeny weeny bit or use what you want and ensure that when you use your mix, it doesn’t get near your eyes. The reason for this is that even when diluted with carrier oils, EOs may sting the eyes.
Yes, please feel free to email me. I am usually good about responding. I do prefer for the questions to go up on the blog as a comment so that other readers can learn/input. However, I recognize that some questions need to be asked directly.
Lol @ the bestie statement!
Hi Natural Nigerian.
Thanks for your prompt reply. I tried the OCM yesterday night. My face felt clean afterwards but not sure the equal parts of grapeseed oil and castor oil is the right mix for my skin cuz it felt a bit tight afterwards so I will keep experimenting with the parts. Not sure what skin type I have jare.lol. i sha know it is not oily neither is it dry..inbetween. i generally have sensitive skin. i dont have pimples or blackheads on my face.
how often do you do OCM? i read somewhere you should do it often but not everyday so as not to overclean your face and it end up generating more oil than needed?
Also can you please share what you morning facial routine is in the morning since you do OCM at night.
Thanks.. please what is your email addy? expect my email soon
I travel quite a bit so I am not always set up to do the OCM. When I am at home, I try to do it everyday. The other thing I use in washing my face is black soap. On special days, I use a scrub, steam my face and use french green clay to draw out toxins and oils.
I hadn’t read anywhere about not using the OCM everyday but I will do some research.
I have sent you an email so you should have my address now.
I want to cry! I now have rashes on my forehead! I think it is the OCM causing it. I think I’ll have to abandon it now.
I dont know again!
Sob sob!!
I am sorry to hear that. Just proves that not all methods work for everyone. May I suggest that while you discontinue for now, you keep an open mind and try it as some point later? Something else may have caused the rashes. If you try later and you get the same reaction then you can definitely knock OCM off your list.
Tanx for the info. However, i m having difficulty finding such oils arnd me. Any idea where i can get the oils from here in Naija? Can t wair 2 try this out…
@eccentricyoruba where in abuja do u get ur oils form?
just to help out twenty85 sells grapeseed oil, castor oil you can find in a good pharmacy. if you want coconut oil i can hook you up with that.i also have the locally processed evoo. I love ocm…makes a huge difference
http://chiomamom.blogspot.com
Sorry this was in my Spam folder
I think i’m in love with your measuring spoons where did you get them from???
Just forwarded this link to a friend with Acne problems hope it helps !!!
A friend got me the spoons – I think he just walked into his neighborhood store and bought it. I hope this helps your friend.
I’m illetrate in facial treatment but what can i use to wash my face cos i use bathing soap,i live in Ogun state
Pls am in Niger state. I don’t know where get the oil(castor oil and grapeseed oil). I wish to try this out but to get oil is the issue here.