OMG I Love OCM!

By Lisa Jones

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To me, a major component of simplifying has always included examining everything that I buy and bring into my home. When I started to look at my beauty products, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of them, not to mention the fact that they were chemical laden, expensive and encased in ridiculous packaging. I wanted to be a little more frugal and at the same time, use products that were healthier for me and the planet.

Who doesn’t love olive oil? It makes the perfect salad dressing, a lovely dip for bread and I’ve been known to toss olive oil and garlic in a pan, even before deciding what I am going to cook.

Enter the Oil Cleansing Method.

Are you crazy? Wash my face with oil? Aren’t I trying to get rid of the oil? I know, but as it turns out, oil dissolves oil and my disappearing blackheads and shrinking pores are proof of that. I love the way my skin feels with the oil cleansing.

The combo I use for my combination skin is 80 percent olive oil and 20 percent castor oil. Castor oil has anti-inflammatory properties and is rich in antioxidants, while olive oil contains vitamins A and E. Those just happen to be the good ingredients that are in traditional beauty products, except these aren’t combined with ugly sounding things like “isodecyl neopentanoate.” You can use various types of oil but I chose olive oil because I had it in the kitchen already. If you want to try other oils, look for vegetable oils that are natural and cold-pressed, such as grape seed, avocado or sunflower.

I like to put my oil concoction in a pump style container, as it means that I don’t get oil on the outside of the vessel while I’m washing my face. I apply the oil to my face with my fingers, massage in, then I place a hot, damp washcloth over my face for a few moments. This steams the pores and gets any gunk out. Then I remove the oil gently with the washcloth. I also wash the cloth frequently, making sure to rinse all excess oil before putting it in the washing machine; the oil can be a fire hazard.

For exfoliating purposes, a sprinkling of baking powder added to the oil makes a perfect scrub.

I use a couple drops of straight jojoba oil to moisturize after washing. It soaks in quickly and has properties similar to skin oil; therefore the skin loves it and doesn’t protest by doing that hormonal-15-year-old-thing that is less than charming past puberty. (A couple drops of tea tree oil does the trick for wiping out those few monsters that do rear their zitty heads.) I buy both of those oils at Rebecca’s Natural Foods. http://www.rebeccasnaturalfood.com

Now I feel good about my face washing routine; I am not spending exorbitant amounts of money nor am I sending nasty chemicals into the water supply. The soft, dewy completion seems like an afterthought.

Well, almost.

Lisa Jones is a freelance writer and a yoga fanatic with a serious travel addiction. You can find more from Lisa at her blog Just here. Just now.