Why You Should Wash Your Face With Oil

By Denise Prichard

Are you fed up with expensive face care products, layering chemical after chemical on your delicate skin? What if I told you that the secret to perfect skin has been sitting in your house all along?

As a former acne sufferer, I’ve been through tons of prescriptions, ranging from pills to harsh creams. When my skin was finally clear, it was so sensitive from the benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid that I could barely go outside without feeling like my face was on fire. 

I live in Arizona, where it’s pretty much swimming weather nine months out of the year, and due to my high activity level, I knew I needed to find a better solution. I then stumbled upon this magical concoction that not only cleared up my skin, but is inexpensive, easy-to-use and makes your skin glow.

It’s called the "Oil Cleansing Method," and it will replace your current face wash and moisturizer.

Wait a minute. 

Did I just suggest slathering your face in oil? 

Why, yes I did!

It may sound like I’m setting you up for disaster, but hear me out. This solution is simply made up of olive oil and castor oil. Odds are, most you have olive oil in your pantries and I reckon some of you have castor oil in your medicine cabinet. If you don’t have the latter, you can find it in the laxative aisle at the grocery store.

When you think of oil, you think of gunky grease that is difficult to clean off without a ton of soap and water – and castor oil is just that. In fact, it plops out of the bottle when you try to pour it, but don’t let that fool you. 

Castor oil actually seeps into your pores and pulls all the dirt and bad oil out and gets rid of blackheads. Despite how greasy most oils make your skin feel, castor oil will actually dry out your skin if you don’t balance it with a rich, moisturizing oil like olive oil.

The olive oil hydrates your skin and gives it a youthful, dewy glow. I’ve even heard people swear that it softens wrinkles and makes their skin less sensitive and irritated. I can’t tell you how many compliments I've received on my skin since using this solution – even without makeup. 

Here is what you’ll need to make up to four solutions:

• 16-ounce bottle of olive oil ($6.99)
• 16-ounce bottle of castor oil ($6.50)
• Empty bottle with a push-cap or pump ($1 in travel-sized section. I actually recycled an old face wash bottle with a pump and it works great)
• Wash cloth
• Essential oils (optional)

You’ll be spending a whopping $3.37 for each bottle of oil solution that will replace your face wash and moisturizer. (I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I’ve ever spent that little on those products separately.) 

The Method:

• To make the solution, fill half of the empty bottle with olive oil. Now, top off the bottle with the castor oil, screw on dispenser and shake for 1 minute.  If you want to add essential oils such as lavender or tea tree, add those in before you shake.
• Now that the solution is ready, let’s use it! Dispense a quarter-sized dollop on your hand and rub it all over your dry face for 1 minute. And ladies, do not take your makeup off before you do this, it’s the best makeup remover I’ve ever used.
• After your face is completely saturated in oil, dunk the wash cloth in hot water, wring it out and place over you face for 30 seconds. This allows the steam aids the castor oil in pulling dirt out.
• Now rub the wash cloth all over your face to remove the oil. No moisturizer needed, but if you plan on going outside, please remember your SPF if your makeup doesn’t have any.
• Do this twice a day and you will see results within a week.