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Original poster

Oil cleansing method

540 replies

mammya · 12/03/2009 08:56

Thank you to the mumsnetter who mentionned this a few days ago! I looked it up and have done it a couple of times, and it is fantastic! It has made such an amazing difference to my skin in such a short time: it is much clearer, softer, with no dry patches, and some old stubborn blackheads are finally gone. And it is cheap! What's not to like!

For anyone interested more info here

OP posts:
Kewcumber · 07/04/2009 15:34

I do this - I don;t have problem skin though slightly dry. Use about 85% extra virgin OliveOIl and 15% caster oil with a few drops of geranium essential oil.

Am liking the sound of a bit of salt added for a scrub (presumably sugar would work too), though to be honest the way I scrub my face with teh flannel should exfoliate enough.

I use about 2-3 evenings a week and takes make up off well. I do find it makes my eyes feel a bit oil filmy but that clears in the morning.

Currently just use water in the morning but might switch to using Liz earle toner instead just becasue I like the smell!

I sit in the bathroom when DS is having his bath doing it - "what you doing mummy?" he thinks I'm nuts!

Kewcumber · 07/04/2009 15:34

not keen on olive oil smell - might try sunflower oil - thought it might not be thin enough.

Vamonos · 07/04/2009 17:25

I found that the sunflower oil was quite a lot less gloopy than the extra virgin olive oil, and it seems to wipe off a bit more easily. Twas just Tesco sunflower oil.

Also the olive oil left a slightly 'papery' feel afterwards, whereas the sunflower doesn't.

PullMyFinger · 07/04/2009 17:34

Sorry to be a bit slow - can you tell me whether you mix say 10 ml/8 ml at a time, or 1l and 800 ml or whatever.

Am having a dense moment

Have got Holland and Barret sweet almond oil massage base - should I just use this?

Sorry for all the qs

PullMyFinger · 07/04/2009 17:35

grrr I am thick

My bottle of sweet almond oil massage base is only 100 ml anyway

PullMyFinger · 07/04/2009 19:47
Smile
Alibabaandthe40bunnies · 07/04/2009 20:49

I made up only a very small amount to start with to test the ratio - I think it was about 30/40mls in total. That is nearly used up and I'm going to put slightly less castor oil in my next batch so that I can use the method every day and not dry my skin out so much.

Kewcumber · 07/04/2009 22:28

I only make up small batches at a time - I make hem in old advent baby bottles , already has measurements up the size and the sippy cup spout is perfect for controlling flow into your paml and keeping dust and dirt out!

PullMyFinger · 07/04/2009 22:32

oooh good idea Kew

I had a go just with almond massage oil from H and B, skin v soft, got some in my eye, a bit blurry gah

AuntieMaggie · 08/04/2009 20:59

I tried this last night with baby oil. Couldn't quite bring myself to use olive oil and had nothing else.

I'm quite impressed. My skin was a bit dry after but was fine with some moisturiser and felt clean. Really surprised though I don't know why as on Coleen's real women one of the finalists used nothing but baby oil since having her baby.

I will definitely be doing this again.

MrsMcCluskey · 09/04/2009 13:05

CAn I just thank Mammya for posting the link to OCM!
I have had mild but persistent acne for more than 20 yrs.]I have always had to wera foundation.
Have tried every product going and had resigned myself to having 'bad' skin forever.
I sarted OCM about 3 weeks ago and cannot beleieve the difference in my skin.
I didnt even get any spots with my period.
And today i went out with no foundation on.
Sorry for waffling but I am so thrilled!!

georgimama · 09/04/2009 14:16

I have dreadful skin - I have PCOS and whilst the white heads and zits are not as bad as they used to be, I get horrible "blind" spots under the surface which really hurt! I am also not good at doing a cleans/tone/moisturise routine - DH bought me some lovely skincare stuff for Christmas and I never use it . I can do this at the kitchen table before going up to bed.

Will try tonight and report back tomorrow. Am pathetically excited. Could I finally be about to have good skin?

MrsMattie · 09/04/2009 14:49

3 weeks in and my skin looks and feels so good . It feels cleaner and much softer. the best thing is being free of my addiction to £50 face cream. I walked through John Lewis cosmetics hall yesterday - right past Cliniquye, Eve Lom and Clarins - and I didn't even flinch . I've got my olive oil (with a drop of jasmine oil to make to smell nice) and amy flannel. I don't need anything else .

MrsMcCluskey · 09/04/2009 16:20

We're like a skin care cult on this thread!
I am trying to 'convert' all my friends!!

ProfYaffle · 09/04/2009 16:27

Another convert here, just using olive oil atm but waiting for my castor oil from Amazon. Caused much amusement in the chemist trying to buy it there, whole queue of pensioners behind me regaling me with tales of castor oil from their youth

On a slightly random note, isn't this what the romans did all over their bodies? I've watched enough time team to know they oiled up, scraped it off then did the hot bath/cold bath thing.

I've been pondering how to do something similar but can't imagine how to do it without causing a massive mess in the bathroom.

georgimama · 09/04/2009 16:35

Does anyone warm the oil first or is it literally straight out of the (mixed) bottle and onto the face?

PullMyFinger · 09/04/2009 16:38

I pour into my hand, then warm between my palms then start

HTH

zanz1bar · 09/04/2009 18:34

i thought about the roman connection as well, and it worked for thousands of years.
Love the idea of an all over body cleanse, esp as i get spots on my back.

silver73 · 10/04/2009 19:22

Hi

My teenage ds has acne. He had been using a prescription wash and gel for eight weeks. In that time there was a bit of an improvement with the spots but his face was red and skin was flakey and looked dreadful.

Four days ago he stopped using the medication and I've been doing the ocm on him every night. I use 20% castor oil and 80% sunflower oil.

The first couple of days loads of huge spots came to the surface during the day but seemed to pop (sorry if tmi) on their own when the warm face cloth went onto his face.

It is now four days and he has no new spots, a couple of cysts that can be felt under the skin have reduced in size and his face is healing and the skin is looking very soft.

Anyone else found it good for acne? It goes against everything I have believed in skincare but it works for him.

Size6Feet · 10/04/2009 21:29

I live in the West Midlands area and have just managed to find a supply of Castor Oil in an asian supermarket on Stratford Road in the Sparkhill/Hall Green area. Its 250ml, pharmaceutical Grade pure Castor Oil and cost £1.49. They had an amazng range of various other oils too.

I am going to have a go with it tonight!

monkeysmama · 10/04/2009 22:16

I hate to put a downer on such a happy thread but.... For probably 5 of the past 10 evenings I've massaged my e v olive oil & (probably 10%) castor oil into my face then covered it with a hot flannel rinsed said flannel & put it back on my face for minute or so. And it's ok. But not really different from my usual (Biotherm) regime. I also need a night cream after & definitely a day cream next day. Am I doing it wrong? Do I need more time? I want the miracle you all have!

toffeeapple · 12/04/2009 14:45

My god, I started the OCM 2 days ago and I am amazed. I started with EVOO only as it's all I have for the moment and my skin glowed (even DH commented on it the day after).
I did it in the evening with no added moisturisers (I've got oilyish skin especially around the T line) and just splashed my face with water the day after as it didn't look dirty or over shiny, just really pale and neat.
The second day my skin did feel on the dry side but only around the eyes (and looked it).
What do I do about that? I had to put some eye cream on but I want to get away from using it as it's a cheap and nasty one from LOreal (unscented).
What I'm thinking is, if oil dissolves oil, the more I put around my eyes the less oil my skin will produce, so I dare not use Olive oil as a moisturiser around my eyes.
Also, if you don't do it every night, what do you do the other days?

kittywise · 12/04/2009 17:16

I think it very much depends on the type of oil. I find I can only tolerate a tiny bit of castor oil with the mix I use. During the day I regularly rub oil into my skin and don't 'wash' it off that way it keeps it soft

btw anyone tried 'oil pulling'? it's a great thing to do!

KingRolo · 12/04/2009 17:33

toffeapple - I've been doing it for a couple of weeks now and have realised that you really don't need much castor oil at all. In fact, if you have dry skin I'd say you could even leave it out completely.

I started with a 20% castor oil / 80% sunflower oil mix but found it very drying so now I use a 10% Castor, 90% sunflower mix every other night and just sunflower oil in between. I use warm water and a flannel in the morning. I think the lovely glow you're after isn't just from the oil but comes from the steaming process and the lack of other products so maybe try it for a few days without castor oil and see if you can get away without your nightcream.

What is oil pulling kitty? [dim]

kittywise · 12/04/2009 17:40

kingrollo it's swishing some oil around your mouth for 15-20 mins ( no swallowing!) it's supposed to remove toxins from the body etc etc. It makes teeth amazingly white, cleans off brown stains, tartar etc, I know that much!
It's actually not disgusting to do, I know it sounds vile though! I use untoasted sesame and add a couple of drops of peppermint oil so it's like a mouth wash