Oil Cleansing Method with Young Living Essential Oils What do you use to cleanse your face? If you are like most women, your answer will range somewhere between expensive, department store or all natural cleansers to good old soap and water. This is all fine and well except for the problems of commercial skin care products. For the most part, retail skin care products are: ineffective: most retail facial cleansers strip your skin of it’s protective mantle. This causes your skin to produce more oil. This causes you to buy stronger products to eliminate the oil, which causes your skin to….. You get the picture. A vicious cycle. toxic: most commercial skin care produces are laden with petroleum-based and other toxic chemicals that have been proven to be carcinogenic or toxic to your liver, kidneys, heart, lungs and brain. Why do we do this to ourselves? expensive: face it, $64 for 3 ounces of lotion that is ineffective and/or toxic is, well, expensive! A few months ago I read about the Oil Cleansing Method, or OCM. The Oil Cleansing Method is a system for cleaning your face using oil. Yes, you read that right! Oil! The basic method uses a mixture of castor oil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Last month I finally gathered the supplies and began to experiment. After four weeks, I can wholeheartedly proclaim that not only is the Oil Cleansing Method easy, it is EFFECTIVE. Blemishes, as in whiteheads and blackheads, are fading and my skin is feeling soft and smooth. Not bad for inexpensive, organic ingredients that are easy to obtain. Plus, you can easily customize the mixture for your skin type with therapeutic grade essential oils from Young Living. Oo-la-la! GETTING STARTED The basic OCM (Oil Cleansing Method) blend is of castor oil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Castor oil is fantastic at drawing out dirt, bacteria and other nasty stuff trapped in your pores, while healing your skin. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) works as a moisturizer and is fortified with antioxidants. Some OCM users cut out the EVOO all together–especially those with oily or acne-prone skin, since it is a heavier oil and in rare cases has even caused people to break out. You could replace the EVOO with other oils such as almond, grapeseed, jojoba, apricot kernel or safflower oil. Experiment to find out which works best for you. OCM works for all ages, men or women. The typical starting ratio is 1:1 castor oil to EVOO. If your skin is oily or acne-prone, use more castor oil or a 3:1 ratio castor oil to EVOO. For dry or flaky skin, a 1:3 ratio castor oil to EVOO is good. Again, experiment to find what works best for your skin type. I found that when I first began using the OCM, my complexion became slightly worse before it got better. I attributed this to the fact that the oils were drawing out impurities. Stick with it and you will come out the other side with clear, radiant, glowing skin. PROCEDURE Begin by mixing a small amount of the oils, according to the above ratios, in a small bottle, preferably glass. I began with 2 teaspoons each of castor oil and EVOO. I then added one drop each of geranium, rose and sandalwood therapeutic grade essential oil from Young Living. When you have established the optimum ratio for your skin, you can then make a larger batch. Before bedtime, pour about a quarter size amount of oil in the palm of your hand, rub your hands together to warm the oil and apply over your entire face and neck. No need to remove make-up or wet your face first. Gently massage the oil into your skin for about 3-5 minutes, massaging your entire face and neck, even including your eyelids. Steam your face. This can be accomplished in one of two ways. You can fill a bowl or the sink with hot water, cover our head with a towel and hold your head over the steaming water. The easy way is to soak a face cloth with hot water, wring it out, then place the hot cloth directly over your face and neck until the cloth becomes cool. This process opens your pores so the oils can begin to give you a deep cleanse. Gently massage your face again. Wet the face cloth again with hot water and gently wipe the oil off of your face. You might need to rinse the cloth and wipe your face 2-3 times. If your skin feels dry or tight, lightly pat a few drops of your oil blend over your face with your fingertips. Admire your beautiful face in the mirror! NOTES In the morning, I just rinse my face with cool water and I am ready to go. Some individuals might want to use the OCM in the morning as well. Again, experiment and let your body tell you what to do. I must also emphasize the importance of eating a healthy diet and drinking plenty of water. Our skin is the outer reflection of our inner condition. Stress also has a negative effect on our skin. Essential Oils Beneficial for Skin When choosing essential oils for personal use or health care, it is imperative that you use therapeutic grade essential oils. Essential oils that are not therapeutic grade could contain harmful additives that would do your skin more harm than good. Chamomile–calming to irritated skin, soothes dry, sensitive skin Clary Sage–promotes regeneration of skin cells, improves acne, helps ward off wrinkles Frankincense–smothes lines and wrinkles, balances oily skin, accelerates healing of blemishes, inflammations Geranium–regenerates skin cells and speeds healing, marts a healthy glow, giving skin a radiant and youthful appearance, Helichrysum–Restorative properties to mature skin, effective sunscreen Jasmine–regulates oil production, helps to moisturize dry, dehydrated or mature skin Lavender–good for all skin types, calms and soothes skin, Lemon–astringent skin toner, helps to clear acne, brightens pale, dull complexion Melaleuca–rivals benzoyl peroxide for effectiveness in fighting acne with no side-effects, oil controlling agent Myrrh–prevents premature agin of the skin, wards off wrinkles, regenerates skin cells Rose Oil–helps to restore the moisture balance, benefits all skin types, soothing treatment for dry or inflamed skin Rosewood–stimulates new cell growth, minimizes lines and wrinkles, balances dry or oily skin, clears blemishes, improves acne Sandalwood–nourishes dry, dehydrated and mature skin, smoothes and softens lines and wrinkles, clears acne Recommended products: Any of the above listed therapeutic grade essential oils from Young Living.
Posted on: Tue, 06 Aug 2013 14:11:28 +0000