What is oil cleansing, does it work? And how to start?
Follow us
Read next
In this blog we will discuss something that has been talked about for quite sometime. The subject is oil cleansing. Some may have heard of it but how does it work? It sounds funny doesn't it, you would think that in order to cleanse the face you would wash it with some type of soap based cleanser to take off the oils, grease, dirt & dead skin cells. So why take oil and lather it up on top of greasy skin oil skin? But ever wonder how people hundreds of years ago before the age of these harsh cleansers filled with chemicals achieved healthy skin?
Well, oil cleansing is a type of therapy if you like for your skin. You see many skin problems such as acne, spots, dry skin, greasy skin start from a layer on the skin known as the skin mantle which naturally build up a protective barrier over time which is made up of oil that your body naturally creates and is excreted from your sebaceous glands. This oily wax like substance is very beneficial, it protects your skin from free radicals, bacteria that can other wise cause inflammation on the skin. So you can see why some people have “really bad skin”. Their skin may not be the actual issue it may just be that this protective layer on their skin has been disturbed in some way or another.
So how does oil cleansing fit in here?
The basic idea of oil cleansing is to allow for the sebaceous glands to rebalance.So our sebaceous glands is what produces this oil that build's this protective barrier. Now once in a while these sebaceous glands don’t work as they should causing them too creating too much sebum which results in greasy skin, or too little sebum. This can be caused by a numerous reasons but one common issue is a disruption of this protective barrier due to applying too much moisturiser, washing your skin with harsh chemicals which stripe this barrier of all it oils this means that the sebaceous glands need to start all over again and if you wash your face & everyday it can cause the sebaceous glands to go into over drive which will cause them to create more and more sebum to replace the sebum lost from washing your skin. Applying too much moisturiser will cause greasy skin as well because on top of the moisturiser you have just applied your skin produces sebum which is like a natural moisturiser for your skin eventually causing an overload of oils which block your skin pours that leads to skin inflammation….we know its a lot to take in.
So how do you do oil cleansing?
Well there are certain types of oil which should be used for oil cleansing as all oils are not the same. We have recommend some further down this blog.
Applying a mixture of essential oils is recommended as all oils have natural properties which help replenish the skin whilst cleaning off dead skin etc. Oil cleansing is done as you would with a normal cleanser, it is recommend not to wash face before starting. Just follow the simple instructions below:
1- Take your mixture of essential oil cleanser and apply to face. Start off with 2-3 drops and add more as needed
2- Rub into skin is a circular motion do this for 1-2 minutes
3 - simply wash off with Lukewarm water until the oil has washed away. Bearing in mind the first time you do this your skin may feel a little greasy so we recommend you do not moisturise.
Oil cleansing is not recommend everyday so this should only be done once or twice a week. Oil cleansing helps the sebaceous glands rebalance the oils so the first few times you do oil cleansing your skin may feel a little greasy, your sebaceous glands will take time to rebalance its self. We recommend you do not use any cleansers after starting this don’t worry we have got you covered take a look at alternative to harsh face & skin cleansers on our, What can I use instead of face wash blog article.
We’ve got a whole range of natural cleansers & oil based cleansers that do not use any parabens or SLS this is a harsh cleansing substance used commonly in face & skin cleansers which is also found is washing detergents yes!!! You heard right. All our products are made from natural plant based ingredients which go hand in hand with our skin without stripping our skins natural barrier of it’s oils to help protect our skin.
Feel free to view our product range
Benefits of doing an oil cleanse?
So there are numerous benefits to oil cleansing such as:
Rebalancing skin ph - we discussed this on why ph matters blog post check it out, but the skin has a ph level which needs to be maintained at a level of 5.5 which is slightly acidic. This level of ph on our skin changes due to what we apply etc. This causes skin problems because the protect layer is effected by the ph change. Essential oils are slightly acidic or ph balanced & some even slightly alkaline this mixture helps create a balanced ph which helps rebalance the skins ph.
No need to moisturise - When you use a good oil cleanser there should be no need to moistures your skin, we know that sounds weird but your skin will do the moisturising for you. And the oil you use to cleanse your skin absorb into the skin keeping the skin well moisturised anyway.
Oil cleansers can versatile - so it can be mixed with charcoal for example for a deeper cleansing effect.
You can do away with harsh cleansers - there is no need to use cleansers which use substances such as sodium lauryl sulfate which can make skin conditions worse. Oils go into the skin pores lifting dead skin and flushing out bacteria.
Helps fight the cause of acne & skin issues - Many skin issues such as acne are cause by bacteria build up due to the skin’s protective barrier not being able to fight off bacteria effectively. Essential oils have anti-bacterial properties, anti-septic and anti-inflammatory properties.
Here are some essential oils we recommend for a oil cleanser
Extra virgin olive oil - olive oil is a very common essential oil as it is used in cooking, applying on our skin etc. We recommend you use extra virgin olive oil because this is the highest quality unrefined version of olive oil. Olive oil goes into the skin pores and flushes out dead skin & bacteria which can otherwise clog up the skin pores.
Extra virgin coconut oil - Again we recommend using extra virgin coconut oil as this is less refined and packs in more of the natural properties of coconut. Coconut oil is very hydrating this helps the sebaceous glands from producing excessive amounts of sebum. Coconut also has many properties such as anti-fungal properties which make it great for fighting acne, anti- inflammatory properties which helps sooth acne scars & bumps.
Rosemary - Rosemary essential oil is great for healthy vibrant skin. It is a natural anti-septic and helps fight bacteria deep within the pores. It also helps with blood flow, good blood flow helps the sebaceous glands receive the proper nutrient needed to produce sebum.
Tea tree - Tea tree also helps with stimulating blood flow. It also has anti-septic & anti-inflammatory properties which help fight the cause of acne.
Jojoba oil - Jojoba oil is very similar to sebum which is naturally created by our skin. Jojoba helps the sebaceous gland rebalance & helps stop greasy skin as well as helping with dry skin.
These are some of the few essential oil there are so many out there so you can mix up the oils you cleanse with.
Why not have a look at our very own skincare line. We have a whole range of essential oils which can be used for oil cleansing and for healthy skin. What makes our’s different, we do not use plastic in any packaging, all oils are 100% cold pressed to help salvage all the natural properties which would otherwise be lost if heat is used. if this blog has helped a like & share will go a long way. We post every Wednesday & Sunday so sign up for our email for email notification we promise we don't spam.