Oil cleansing, does it work?

[HeffalumpsnWoozles]

As a teen I had really bad blackheads & hitting 40 have been left with pores that Buzz Aldrin could bounce around in. I've been reading up on oil cleansing & wondered if anyone had tried it & what were the results? I don't expect miracles but will they reduce at all?

Used it for the first time today & my skin does feel amazing but it felt really odd massaging olive oil onto my face.

[Kundry]

For me with oily skin, no and I can't see the logic in it. My skin doesn't need more oil!

If your issue is pores, cleansing while just make them clean - you need glycolic acid and vitamin A to actually do anything to them.

Also I can guarantee you everyone else thinks your pores are normal size

[Scabetty]

I have been using DHC oil to cleanse and despite reservations I thinks it's fabulous. I am mid 40s and had been getting hormone related break outs which have cleared now. DD is 14 yo and gets a lot of white and blackheads around the time of her period. We have tried a whole load of products over the past year but since using oil cleansing her skin is clearing up nicely. I would say give it a go as there is nothing to lose.

[HeffalumpsnWoozles]

Thanks, what is glycolic acid? Assume this isn't something you can buy over the counter? The only solution is micro dermabrasion I guess but that's not going to happen.

My pores are really noticeable, more so when I wear foundation/powder but you're right other people probably don't notice as much as I do. I've always had awful blotchy pale skin, thread veins are now appearing on my nostrils (thanks mum for handing down that gene) So I can't do without make up or I look like something the dog dug up.

[Kundry]

Glycolic acid is totally something you can buy over the counter! It's in a lot of products either labelled as such or as AHA or fruit acid.

Essentially there are a few anti-ageing products that work:
SPF - won't make it better but helps stop it getting worse
AHAs and salicylic acid (use salicylic if your issue is blackheads) - they exfoliate so prevent spots, make pores look smaller and reduce brown spots
Vitamin A or retinol - does the same sort of thing, most effective on prescription but a milder version is in lots of night creams
Vitamin C - helps prevent more damage and can reduce brown spots, but probably need stronger concentrations than are in most products
Peptides, niacinamide and ceramides - all helpful but the top 3 are the most important.

If you want to try acid products, lots of people on here rave about Bravura London which is much cheaper than the posh brands. Not tried it personally (although it's next on my list! - it looks lovely) as I'm a salicylic acid person and use Paula's Choice 2% BHA which I love. Another brand based entirely around glycolic acid is Alpha-H, especially their Liquid Gold product.

To get rid of veins you need laser or electrolysis which really does work.

[HermioneWeasley]

I have very oily skin and have used OCM for a few years. It didn't have amazing results but was no worse than my expensive dermalogica and others.

[JimmyCorkhill]

For me with oily skin, no and I can't see the logic in it. My skin doesn't need more oil!

It does seem completely illogical BUT...the sciency bit is that we strip our faces of natural oils when we use harsh basically most cleansing products, then our skin reacts by producing MORE natural oils to replace the stripped ones. Then we remove the oil/our body produces more and yada yada yada.

The oils you use to cleanse your face are very effective at dealing with dirt/make up. They don't make your body produce more oil as the skin hasn't been stripped.

My skin has never looked better and my skin has been crapola since my teens. It also feels very luxurious when you massage the oils in. I went a bit OTT with the castor oil at first and it actually dried my skin , so now I only use a drop of that and much more of sunflower seed oil.

Look at the Romans, they used oils to cleanse their whole bodies. Oils have a bad press. They don't make our skin oilier. Just like fat doesn't make us fat but sugar/carbs do.

[HeffalumpsnWoozles]

Well, although it's unlikely to improve the pores I already love it. My make up stayed put all day & went on so much better. If nothing else it's worth it just for this!

[Blossum123]

Could someone explain this to me ? Do u just wash ur face with olive oil?

[JimmyCorkhill]

This explains it all.

[MollySolverson]

I have v oily skin and blackheads, prone to spots and visible pores :( tried the ocm and loved it at first, skin wasnt overly oily, make up stayed on etc. After a week or so my skin just went back to normal. I've carried on with the ocm as it hasn't had adverse effects and as a previous poster said, it does as much as the expensive stuff. I feel better about putting this on my skin than some cream or cleanser with tonnes of ingredients.

[HeffalumpsnWoozles]

Will see how it progresses but as you say it does the same as expensive cleansers for a fraction of the cost. And I'm loving the relaxing feeling of the hot flannel.

[margaritasbythesea]

I use it and liked it. Far fewer of the breakouts I had around my period and far less severe. I also like doing a very similar thing with plain old nives, in fact I think I prefer the nivea.