Beauty Tips For Body Care
Mascara. Foundation. Blush. Concealer. Bronzer. Tint. Primer. Liner. Balm. Gloss. Powder. Booster. Stain. Cream. Highlight. Pencil. Gel. Toner. Mask. Sunscreen.There’s only one thing you might need to purge your face of this stuff after a day (or night) out – Oil!This is going to be a basic guide on the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM), building on the already existing useful guide in the wiki. We’ll talk about what the OCM is, what oils to choose (and why), how to do the OCM, and some troubleshooting.But first…the other stuff.There are quite literally hundreds of cleansers out there on drugstore shelves. A lot of them are even advertised specifically for makeup removal, which they can do, but maybe not in ways we want them to. These cleansers usually have surfactants such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) or Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (ALS) that give you the ‘taut and dry’ squeak-clean feel (not a good thing by the way!).Probably the best cleansers out there that don’t have these are something Glycerin-based like Cerave, which for most people is absolutely fine, but there are still a few things worth considering. Most of these cleansers have Cetyl Alcohol or Cetearyl Alcohol which can cause issues for those with sensitive skin.If you’re a stickler on ingredients, then these cleansers also make liberal use of preservatives as well. With oil, what you get is pretty much what comes out of the plant, tree, or rock (mineral oil!) and nothing more or less.I always saw oils as being like a 2-in-1 moisturizer and cleanser. Because oil and water don’t really mix, you never get that pure ‘stripped’ feeling when you wash your face after applying oil, there’s always some residue which I’m think helps maintain the integrity of your skin barrier.Anyways, if you’re familiar with the ‘tight-and-dry’ skin I was talking about and want to try something different then keep on reading!OCM ExplainedWhat it isOCM stands for the oil cleansing method and means exactly what it says – it is a method of cleansing the face of various products such as sunscreens and makeups, using one or more various types of carrier and essential oils.How it worksThe underlying theme here is that oil dissolves oil. Applying new oil to your face will blend in with and break down/dissolve currently existing buildup (mashup of oils, sebum, tryglicerides, makeup products, etc.) on your face, which you can then wash off.What you will needOne or more oils of your choiceA microfiber clothChoosing your OilsThe most important part by far is settling with an oil(s) that works for you. Here’s a quick primer on the types of oils. This other post also helps you with choosing oils.Carrier/Base Oil: These are basic plant and tree based oils, referred to as ‘carrier’ because they are routinely mixed with essential oils before being applied to the skin (hence carrying the essential oil to the skin).Common Carrier Oils are:Almond OilJojoba OilCastor OilArgan Oil ($$)Coconut OilAvocado OilGrapeseed OilSunflower OilSesame Seed OilEvening Primrose OilOlive OilEssential/Add-on Oil: These are oils containing the aroma, fragrance, and overall ‘essence’ of the plant they are extracted from. They are strong compounds on their own, and are diluted with carrier oils before application to the skin, as stated above.Common Essential Oils are:Tea Tree OilRosehip OilNeem OilPeppermint OilLavender OilYou can actually oil cleanse with a single carrier oil like Jojoba or Castor or Almond and not mix. A lot of people do it and it works fine as well.Mixing oils is done for two main reasons:When people find the base oil too overpowering in some aspect (e.g. using Castor Oil alone might be too heavy and thick, despite its astringent properties and so diluting it with something like sunflower oil could help).Wanting to use an essential oil for its purported benefits (e.g. tea tree oil has anti-bacterial properties but must be applied in diluted for to prevent skin damage)Which Oils Are Right for Me?Trick question! Very difficult to answer, maybe none of them are! Maybe the Cerave you were using the whole time was perfect and you went in over your head by trying these oils and have now broken out like El Chapo.Which is why I’ll say this now – patch test. Regardless of how tame the oil is – Jojoba is probably the simplest beginner entry-level oil and you still have to patch test. You just never know what will happen and don’t want to clean up a mess that didn’t exist 24 hours ago.Here are some basic tips in choosing a particular oil:Oily Skin:Try using Castor for its astringent (drying) propertiesJojoba for its sebum-resembling propertiesUse light oils such as Sunflower, Grapeseed, or Sesame Seed OilDry Skin:Try oils that are thicker and heavier such as Coconut or Almond Oil, these have serious moisturizing properties and can be really good to dehydrated skinAcne Prone-Skin:Consider using a small amount of Tea Tree Oil for it’s anti-bacterial propertiesNeem Oil is purported to have strong acne-fighting abilities, try diluting some in a carrier oilEvening Primrose Oil is anecdotally said to be amazing for hormonal acne, it could also be worth a try for those suffering from that classic jaw and chin acne.Combination Skin:Good luck, you’re on your own!But seriously, try medium-rich oils like Avocado, Jojoba, or maybe even Olive OilIf you’re not too concerned with diving into skin-types and just want to get started ASAP, I recommend picking one of Castor or Jojoba and either using it standalone or mixing with a super-light oil like Sunflower or Sesame Seed.Whichever carrier oils you do go with – make sure they are coldpressed and unrefined - they should identify as such. Keep an eye out for the quality (virgin or extra-virgin) as well. It’s best to use an oil that has not been adulterated in anyway, as these oils retain more of their properties (vitamins, fatty acids, etc.).Remember that OCM is more of an art than a science. Let’s say you find an oil (e.g. Castor) that you successfully patch tested and want to use. You could find in a few days or weeks that Castor leaves you excessively dry, even when mixing and so might want to stop and try another oil.Mineral OilGets its own section! Not exactly a traditional carrier or essential oil but still hugely popular in OCM as it is suitable for virtually all skin types. The oil is inert, cheap, easy to find, and anecdotally reported to be non-comedogenic (despite loud claims to the contrary).Mineral Oil, along with Castor and Jojoba is probably the best starter oil for OCM. You can check out my mineral oil post here!How to Mix Your Oils?This is relevant for anyone wanting to blend more than one oil together. Again, OCM is more of an art than science, and the portions below may not work for you, so you will have to experiment a bit to see what ratios of oils are best for your skin.Here’s an example I found on proportions with Castor Oil as the base and Sunflower Oil as the add-onOily Skin: 30% Castor & 70% SunflowerDry Skin: 10% Castor % 90% SunflowerCombination Skin: 20% Castor & 80% SunflowerIf you’re adding in an essential oil, I wouldn’t go past 10% for the amount of concentration within your blend. If you’re mixing a carrier oil with another carrier oil then you can get way more flexible on ratios and proportions.When to CleanseYou really only need to cleanse at night. Twice a day seems excessive in my opinion and would probably cause more problems than it would fix. Cleanse at night right before going to bed.How to CleansePour about a quarter-sized amount of the oil into your palm. You can use more or less depending on what you feel like you will need. Remember, experiment!Massage the oil across your palm and fingers, then use your palm and fingers to massage the oil across your face. Go slow here, take your time. Repetitive, gentle motions across your cheeks, forehead, chin, etc. Make sure you cover every area – there’s no rush.Continue massaging until you feel like you’ve penetrated deeply and evenly enough. You can stop whenever you feel like as there’s no set time limit on oil cleansing.Once you’re satisfied with this, grab your washcloth (ideally a microfiber cloth that you can get at your local drugstore or Amazon) and soak in lukewarm/moderately hot water. You don’t want the water to be too hot as it could contribute to excessively dry skin or damage fragile capillaries.With the wet cloth, gently wipe the oil off your face. Wipe, don’t scrub! Resist the urge to go fast and quick, again use smooth, repetitive and gentle wiping motions.Afterwards, if your skin feels a bit too dry or tight (especially if using Castor), you can take a drop or two of another oil (like Jojoba) or some other moisturizer and pat-apply onto your skin.TroubleshootingOCM is breaking me out!Did you patch test? If yes, well this just sucks! You have to make a call here – is this a ‘purge’ phase or is your face just not meant to deal with the oil? You can try changing up the concentrations if you’re using a DIY mixed blend, or change oils altogether. Switching to a lighter oil like Sunflower and avoiding ones like Almond or Coconut could help here. Adding a bit of Tea Tree or Neem could help control the acne. Or maybe oils just aren’t for you – which is fine too, only do what you’re comfortable with!If you know you’re acne-prone to begin with or want to err on the side of caution then bypass the thicker oils from the start, go light (see my lists above).OCM is making me really dry!OK chances are if you have this issue you’re using Castor Oil. Either you’re using too much Castor, in which case you can lower the proportion if using a mixed blend and increase the amount of the other oil, or you may have to drop Castor period. Castor is the most common base oil for OCM but it doesn’t have to be the only one. Jojoba, Grapeseed, Almond, Sunflower, Avocado are all viable alternatives. Patch test!OCM is giving me a rash/weird skin reaction!Again, did you patch test? Like properly patch test as in apply a small amount and let it sit for a day or so? If this is your issue I recommend stopping altogether. Know your allergies – if your face is red and irritated in a way it’s never been before then you might have some sort of allergy – especially if you’re using a nut oil like Macadamia, Almond, or Hazelnut.
Girls Blog 2015
Submitted by bogdans_eyebrow
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