OCM causing spots... should I continue ??

[mumtosp]

Hi all,

I used to have great skin about a year back... never had any spots. A combinations of things (new baby, sleepless nights, stress, bad diet) has left me with dull lookign skin and after reading a number of threads on here about OCM I decided to give it a shot...

Have been using a 50:50 blend of castor oil and sweet almond oil for the past week and now I have pimples on my face :(
I have combination skin with an oily T zone...

Is the oil combination incorrect? Should I ditch the castor oil and only use sweet almond? Should I continue with OCM ??

TIA :)

Also, if you use the OCM method then do you also use other commercial products? I use a Garnier daily face cream...

I got awful cystic acne that took a long time to heal from trying the OCM a few years ago. The other week, I wiped off some makeup with just a drop of sweet almond oil (thinking it would be gentle), rinsing afterwards with warm water - the day after, several new pimples. The OCM is great for many, but if your skin is sensitive to oils and easily clogged, better steer clear! Try other things like upping your water intake, more fruit & veg and perhaps a multivitamin and gentle exfoliation with honey and sugar instead!

I think you are using too much castor oil. I only use about 10%.

My skin didn't get worse before it got better but I know that a lot of people say that this happened to them.

This happened to me too so I gave up with the OCM. I guess it's up to you to decide if you want to wait and see of it gets better, but be prepared for it to get worse in the meantime!

Thanks all .... I think I'm oing to give it another week and see what happens.

Savoy I need to make a new batch so will use lesser castor oil this time...

Frugal I like the sound of honey and sugar... is that a daily exfoliant? Also, do you use any store bought honey or is it a special honey...

I use coconut oil. My face got a lot worse before it got a lot better. Im.really glad I stuck it out.

I sometimes use honey as a face mask. Any honey will do but raw or organic honey is better.

Sorry to hijack but how long does it usually get worse for before it gets better?

Way too much castor oil. I was recommended 10% for dry skin, 20% for combination skin, 30% for oily skin. I only use 10% myself.

Two things to consider: castor oil does draw out impurities and that can cause spots. And/or you may be sensitive to one or both of those oils, so try others.

I use olive oil, avocado oil, coconut, rosehip, jojoba...

I use pure castor oil with a cotton bud if I get a spot and it dries it up in no time.

Sweet almond oil is mildly comedogenic (pore clogging) so if you're even slightly breakout prone you'll have problems (despite it's lovely moisturizing properties). Try jojoba oil with just a bit of castor. It's rich and balancing but will not clog pores...another one that is good for oily skin is grape seed oil; it's a little bit lighter than the jojoba. I use jojoba as a makeup emollient before cleansing with Cetaphil and then I put more jojoba oil on as a moisturizer. All the oils have different applications and are suited for different skin types and remember that castor is your cleansing, astringent agent...it can actually be irritating and drying if you use too much (and it's really hard to get off).

Wow savoy I didn't know that will defo try it!