If you haven’t tried cleansing your face with oil yet, you may be very skeptical. It’s probably something you simply cannot imagine would give you clear and glowing skin.
I completely understand that.
I discarded the oil cleansing method myself for a long time simply because I didn’t understand how slathering more oil on my face would:
1. Cleanse my skin
2. Heal my oily and acne-prone skin
3. Help me achieve clear (comedone-free, deep inflamed acne-free!) skin in the long run
But after years (well, over a decade) of the unsuccessful attempts of having clear skin with countless commercial treatments (both over-the-counter and dermatologist recommended), and frustrations with my skin, I finally read more about it.
Luckily for me, I did!
So if you too have been unhappy with how your skin looks for a long time and seem to always struggle to have completely clear skin, your skin might be telling you something.
It might be a time to take an entirely different approach.
In this post, I want to show you how to do the oil cleansing in a simple, yet effective way, which is suitable for sensitive acne-prone skin.
WHY DO I CALL IT SIMPLE OIL CLEANSING?
The oil cleansing method (OCM) has been originally described here. Although great as it is, it recommends using a mixture of one moisturizing oil and castor oil (which has purging properties).
I don’t recommend this, especially not to start with.
Castor oil is a humectant – it attracts water to itself, so it will draw the water out of your skin when used with the oil cleansing method. This means that it can sometimes be very drying to the skin (especially to the dry or sensitive skin).
Just one oil of your choice will do an amazing job at cleansing your skin and leaving it soft and moisturized. This is simplest, to begin with, and more skin-friendly, giving it time to adjust.
So, let’s dive into the actual process…
SIMPLE OIL CLEANSING METHOD INGREDIENTS
- An oil of your choice (read how to choose the right oil for your skin type, very important!)
- A SUPER soft washcloth (cotton cloths like GroVia are usually very soft)
- Warm to lukewarm water
Step 1. CHOOSE AN OIL SUITABLE FOR YOUR SKIN TYPE
It really pains me when I read about the negative experiences from people who have used either olive oil or coconut oil for the OCM, then found that the whole thing only worsened their skin, and discarded the oil cleansing forever.
Related: How To Choose The Right Face Oil (For Acne-Prone Skin)
In short, ditch the coconut, olive oil and other oils that are either comedogenic or high in oleic acid!
Good choices for each skin type:
Oily/acne-prone skin – oils high in linoleic acid (such as hemp seed oil) will help to dissolve the hardened sebum in your pores and get it free-flowing, which is exactly what results in clear pores. Clear pores = clear skin!
Other skin types (that are more on the dryish side) – MCT oil, Jojoba oil
Step 2. MASSAGE THE OIL ONTO DRY SKIN
Pour a small teaspoon of oil into the palm of your (clean!) hands and gently massage in circular motions all over your face for about 30 – 60 seconds.
Note that you do this on a dry face, with enough oil to easily massage your face. Also, you really need to give this at least 30 seconds (1 minute is optimal), because this enables the oils to properly dissolve the excess oils, dead skin cells and everything else that should come off your skin.
Step 3. COVER THE FACE WITH A WARM/LUKEWARM WASHCLOTH
Take the washcloth and soak it in warm water. Squeeze out excess. Put the warm wet washcloth over your face (only warm or lukewarm, not burning hot!) and let it sit for 10-15 seconds or until it cools down.
The warmth of the cloth will help dissolve the oils within your pores. As you lightly press the cloth onto the face, the oil will get transferred onto it.
If you have extra sensitive skin, you don’t have to use warm water at all, only lukewarm. It will still work great.
If you are wearing makeup (works for eye makeup also), follow these steps:
ALTERNATIVE 1 – wipe off most of your makeup with a bit of oil on a cotton ball first, then proceed again from step 2 above.
ALTERNATIVE 2 – massage the oil onto your face for about 15-20 seconds, until the makeup dissolves, and then wipe it away with one side of your wet washcloth, keeping the other side clean. Then you can take more oil and proceed again from step 2 above, using the clean side of the cloth.
Want all these steps in a pdf format, plus what to do before starting with the oil cleansing method? Sign up below and you will receive it instantly to your email!
Step 4. WIPE OFF GENTLY
If you want to get rid of more oil from your face, wipe it off gently with the cloth. No rubbing! There will still be a very thin layer of oil, and this is very beneficial for your skin.
Also, it is very important that you use a VERY soft washcloth. My favorites are soft cotton cloths you can usually find in Zero waste shops or Etsy.
If you don’t like how that feels, it is OK to splash some water on your face (water is drying to the skin, so avoid this if possible). Even better, spray on some rose water and let it absorb. If you do so, make sure you do step 5 afterward to lock in that moisture.
WHAT TO KEEP IN MIND
- If you have had a sensitivity or a reaction to oils in the past, I would suggest rather going for a gentle cleanser
- If you are new to oil cleansing, you can start off by double cleanse: Using oil cleansing for the first cleanse or taking off makeup and then follow up with a super gentle cleanser to wash it all off. In this way, no oil remains on your skin but the double cleanse method still provides a thorough cleanse
- Also, using a high linoleic acid oil (such as hemp seed oil) as a moisturizer on small patches of your skin to test out how you react can be a good idea to do before you actually start to oil cleanse
- High linoleic oils like hemp, rosehip, pumpkin, etc, can be very helpful in healing acne-prone skin, but can also dry out the skin in the long run. If this happens, you need to stop their use and turn to more moisturizing oils like MCT oil (good for oil cleansing) OR squalane oil (good for moisturizing).
Much love,
Sara
Questions! Have you used or are currently using oil cleansing? How has it been working for you?
Are you in your 20s or 30s, and tired of still struggling with acne and breakouts? There is so much misinformation about the right skincare for getting clear skin, and caring for sensitive acne-prone skin. This is why I made a FREE online course where you will find little-known skin healing secrets you won’t usually hear from the skincare industry or dermatologists. And yet, they WORK.
Sign up (and get instant access!) here:
Hi Sara, I’m one of the ones who tried the OCM and failed miserably. My breakouts increased after OCM so i stopped and it sparked my interest for the 2nd time after i came across your website. I have an extremely oily T-zone and sometimes dry patchy areas so i would assume i have combination skin. From your list of oils, i believe Hemp Seed Oil and Rosehip will be suitable however, i wanted to know if can you interchange these oils? Meaning, can i use hemp oil to cleanse and use rosehip as my moisturzer and vice versa? I struggle with white and black heads and at times have the inflamed red breakouts. I have superficial scarring and some minor indents from past breakouts so would rosehip be suitable since you stated if you have red inflamed acne, to avoid until you clear up to prevent irritation, etc.
Lastly, do you use the OCM everyday to wash your face or do you recommend using a foaming cleanser you recommended as an alternative?
Thanks in advance
Hi Keshia! I am so sorry to hear about your bad experience! It is not that uncommon, and there are several reasons to why it might go wrong. One is that the oil wasn’t suitable (most commonly coconut or olive oil), but it could also be that your skin simply wasn’t ready. That means that microbiome (good bacteria) on your skin and your skin’s pH wasn’t balanced, and oils can then sometimes feed off the bad bacteria (which good bacteria normally keeps in check!), which aggravates your skin issues. I would say you need to balance out your skin more before turning to OCM again. Try washing with either a very gentle cleanser, or best – raw (or manuka) honey or ground oats (oat flour) for a while. Let me know if you decide to do that, I can help you in the process:) Just email me to [email protected]! Otherwise, OCM can be used every day, but that depends on how your skin responds. Best wishes,Sara
Hi Sara, thanks for all the great info! I seem to always be confused as to what to do for my nighttime routine. I don’t wear makeup, just sunscreen and I feel like perhaps the oil cleansing may be too much to do every night. But I also wonder if just a cotton ball with oil and water is sufficient to remove the sweat and dirt that accumulate throughout the day, as well as the sundcreen. What are your thoughts on this?
Thanks ! Lezlye
Hi! Good question! You can remove it with an oil on a cotton pad instead, but then I would do the second cleanse with some raw honey, for example,just to get rid of everything:)) Full OCM normally does that, but I totally understand if it is too much for you to do every day!
Thanks a lot! I got a little frustrated and went back to a face wash. Even though it’s organic I think it’s broken me out so I will try once again with the oil cleansing. Thanks for all you do!
Good to hear that, wishing you good luck! and thank you so much, it’s my pleasure :))
Hi Sara! I’ve tried OCM with a few different oils and found my breakouts got worse, but while my foamkng cleanswr works better than the oil, I can definitely tell it dries me out and I’m worried it’ll tire out my skin in the long run. Do you have any recommendations for gentle cleansers that are oil free? All the non-foaming ones I can find have oil in them. Thanks for your help!
Hi Madi! Yes, you should definitely stop OCM if it breaks you out! I find Pai cleansers to be very nice and gentle, but they do contain oils. Try Bioderma Hydrabio skincare line, the mousse cleanser should be gentle and non-irritating.
Hey sara I’m very pleased with all the info you shared. I was wondering how you can incorporate exfoliating in the OCM cleansing method. Would you exfoliate after cleansing with the oil or how does it work? Please let me know. Thanks in advance.
Hi Daniel! Yes, of course you can exfoliate:) Do it after the oil cleansing (make sure you wipe off the oil).
Hi Sara,
Thanks for sharing your research! I have tried OCM in the past, and because I have so many thousands of closed comedones every square inch on my face, the cleansing inevitably causes the dirt and sebum to be expelled in the form of grits. The problem is that these grits keep on coming, so the 30-60 sec massage doesn’t really cut it. I have tried one round of OCM followed by wiping it off with a face tissue, followed my another round of OCM and washing it off with a microfiber cloth, but the grits still keep on coming. One time I got so frustrated that I kept on massaging my face for around 40 mins, and that inevitably led to some serious skin burn from all that abrasion that I have never recovered from. I use a moisturizer with SA in it but the CCs just never go away. I looked up CosDNA for my makeup and sunscreen, and they aren’t really a concern. In fact, my mineral powder foundation from Mineral Fusion actually helps my skin. I really don’t know what to do about my hideous whiteheads and my hormonal cystic acne.
Pos
Hi there! I am sorry to hear about your skin struggles! This sounds like some kind of gentle chemical exfoliation might help,but that depends on your entire skincare routine (you don’t want to overdo exfoliation either). If you would like some more personal guidance from me, just send me an email to [email protected] and I will send you more info on my coaching program!
Hi There,
I’ve found a wealth of knowledge from your blog! I really appreciate you taking the time to share all this information as its definitely helped me and some of my friends that I’ve shared this with. I’ve been doing your OCM method with Hemp oil for about 2 months with amazing results. I am finding it to be a little drying all of a sudden thought. I don’t think its a change in the weather as I live in South Florida and its pretty much humid all the time with weather in the high 70-80’s around now. Just wondering what oil you might recommend that is low on the comedogenic scale, with higher linoleic acid but also has moisturizing properties that I can switch to? I’m not sure that I’m an oily skin type anymore lol
Hi there! Very glad to hear that OCM helped your skin!:) Yes, this is quite common, at that point you need a regular moisturizer or another oil. I recommend organic jojoba, and see if that is enough (pumpkin seed oil can also be good). Make sure to layer lots of moisture under your oil (moisturizer, too). Hyaluronic acid serum is also great under:)
Hi Sara,
I am so happy that I just stumbled on your page! I have been using the OCM method since the start of summer this year. Really kinda of found my way through pinterest because I wanted to cut out chemicals and stop putting stuff on my facet that was unnecessary. I was using coconut oil then switch to sweet almond oil. I have completely stop using any commercial cleansers or moisturisers. I have notice not too much has change, except every now and then I’ll have small break outs around my chin area (just a few spots). I am a little dry on my nose and cheeks. I am still learning! I wanted to ask if I need to change anything? Right now I rinse my face in AM with warm water, and I’ll apply a little oil if I feel dry. In the PM I just use the oil to moisturise after a shower. I use the OCM once a week. Is that enough? Also are there any oils that will help with healing the skin? I have a couple of spots that are red spots now and haven’t quite gone away. Thanks for any advice!
Hi Rowena! You can do OCM every evening if you would like to!:) Please, see here which oils I recommend for your skin type:
https://www.healthyskinglows.com/natural-skincare-acne-prone-skin/
Hope that helps!:)
Hi Sara –
I’m so glad I found your site! My skin used to be perfection before I got pregnant I believe because I was on spironolactone. My daughter is now a year old and it’s still a mess. I’d like to avoid taking a medication just for acne, but now I have red inflamed acne, whiteheads, blackheads, and it seems I can always squeeze something out of my pores. So I’m hoping to give oil cleaning a shot. I have used jojoba esters to moisturize, but not regularly. Mostly right now I use an acne wash that I don’t think has helped at all. I’m not sure what type of oil to start with. My nose is very oily, but the rest of my face isn’t necessarily crazy oily. Should I still go with hempseed? Or would you recommend something else?
Thanks for your help!
Staci
Hi Staci! I’d love to help! If your skin is oily, hemp seed oil can be a good one to try. But to create an entire skincare routine, step-by-step, I highly suggest enrolling into my Skin Rebalancing Protocol, which will be released on January 7th! It will take you step-by-step to transform your routine into something that really helps your skin! Much love,Sara
Hi, Sara
Your blog is fantastic! I’m new to OCM. I have fair sensitive acne prone skin. I tried jojoba oil and rosehip oil. I have a few bumps on my forehead. Both oils made my skin a little red when I applied them and worsened the breakouts. :/ After a few minutes my skin calmed down. Should I give my skin some time to get used to these oils or try something else? If you recommend trying something else what oil do you think would work better? How long should I wait between trying different oils? Thanks so much!
Hi Isabel! This sounds like your skin doesn’t tolerate oils, I am afraid!:(( I suggest picking a very gentle cleanser instead. In my free online course, I walk you through exact steps on how to do that. you can sign up here:
https://healthyskinglows.teachable.com/p/healing-acne-prone-skin-skincare-secrets
Hope this helps!:)
hi Sara! thanks a lot for all the amazing blogs you’ve been making about skin and acnes. I decided to go for OCM with argan oil followed by moisturizing with emulsion and then applying rosehip oil. Do you think I should just do this routine once a day in the evening before i sleep and so in the morning i just do nothing but apply suncreen? i have a dryish sensitive acne prone skin fyi…
You are very welcome, I am glad you find it helpful!:) Yes, that routine sounds good. Note that not everybody can tolerate oils, so if you notice more breakouts, try stopping the oil cleansing and oils.
Hi Sara,
I love your blog! I’ve been cleansing with plain hemp seed oil for the past two weeks; it really seems to be helping my bigger bumps and definitely has helped with my skin dryness. I only get a few big whiteheads now, whereas before I got ~7 on just one side of my chin. However, it looks like there is a bit of congestion in my trouble areas, some very small closed comedones that can’t easily be extracted, and more blackheads.
Did you ever notice a bit of purging like this when you first began the OCM? Should I try an AHA every four days?
Before I was using Avene Cleanance gel, and it didn’t make a huge difference with my bigger bumps. There’s an aspect of the OCM that seems to be working (decreasing the bigger bumps) but I’m not sure why I keep getting all these blackheads!
Hi Jess! Normally, there can be just a bit purging, meaning that the existing pimples can come to a head, but I would be concerned if you are getting bumps! People who respond well normally don’t get these bumps, they should be decreasing. you can try gently exfoliating in the meantime, but if the bumps persist, I would stop the oil, or do a second cleanse with manuka honey to get rid of the oil residue. Send me an email to [email protected] if you will need help!:)
I am so happy I found your blog! For normal skin (I have sun spots and a few blackheads on my nose) would you suggest only using one oil – perhaps Jojoba? The rosehip and aragan are a little pricey for me to use every day to cleanse but I do use very high quality green oils for skin treatment and moisture. I am just looking for an oil or a blend I can create to remove my makeup at the end of the day. I do follow with a cleanser as well. Thanks so much!
Hi dear! So glad to hear that, thank you!:)) Yes, jojoba is totally ok, and it’s one of my staples, too!:)
Jojoba should do the job well!:)) It’s my staple as well! 🙂 So glad you found me, too! <3
Hey Sara,
Thank you so much for this blog post! I was waiting for the caster oil to arrive and I already had jojoba oil and being impatient I wanted to see if I could just use one oil for the OCM and it turns out I can! How long did it take for you to see results in your skin?
Also I’m using ‘The Ordinary’ foundation which has PEG10 – Dimethicone in which isn’t the best thing for the skin and was wondering if the OCM will help with removing all the foundation fully as I think that has been blocking my pores in the past. Also really need to try and find a foundation that’s chemical free!
Many Thanks
Hannah
Hi Hannah! So glad to hear that!:)) It took about a year for me to get clear skin, but I could see pretty quickly that it was helping. Yes, the oils are great at removing makeup and even silicones, although they are a bit more difficult to take off.
Hi Sara,
I’ve heard that you shouldn’t leave oil on the face as oil can clog the pores and lead to acne, but this oil cleansing method uses oils.
Thank you!
The right oils can be very healing for some people when left on the skin, but some people will break out from them and cannot tolerate them. Usually, it is pretty clear within the first 2-3 weeks which group you fall into:)
Hi Sara,
I have use some premade oil cleansing oil to clean my face about half a year, and it worked wonderful. But all the sudden it dries out my skin. And when my skin can’t balance the hydration it breakouts. So this leads me to make my own oil cleansing oil. I breakout mostly my forehead if my skin is too drying. Also what oil will be good for me to use morning and night? My face just doesnt like water, oil cleans is much better for my skin but I just having difficulty to choose one…Thank you for helping!
Hi Sabrina! Try MCT oil! It is light, yet moisturizing and doensn’t dry out the skin like some other oils can. I use it myself!:)
Hi Sara,
I have been using the same products for almost two months now. Initially, my skin felt great, but now red bumps are appearing over my face, and they get itchy sometimes. This happened to me in the past too; I would start a skincare routine, everything works fine, and then a few months later I get red bumps on my face. What should I do?
I would pause the oils! :/
Do you think it could be a particular oil? Would I be able to try another type of oil, or would you not recommend it?
Thank you!
Hi Sara!
I’m so happy I found your blog! I’m a 34 years old and I’ve have suffered acne since I was 15, I tried multiple treatments even accutane and I have clear skin some times but always the acne get back. I used birth control pills for almost 8 years and I did not know all the bad side effects about this until now. I always have a healthy diet and do a lot of sports. 7 months ago I decided to go vegan and quit the birth control pills, I started taking B12 supplement and complex B and now my acne is worst than ever. I quit the vitamin B12 and complex B 3 weeks ago, first week my skin was better and I though that it was about this but now it is getting worst. With my new diet I was expecting a better skin so I think that I am suffering all the effects of quitting the birth control pill and maybe bad reaction to vitamin B. My breakouts are worst in the neck but I have almost in all my face chin, sides of my face and some of them in my forehead.
I am trying to get my skin clear and I got your blog, I started quitting the additional trigger foods as soy that I ate a lot since I started being vegan, now I am trying to quit the gluten also.
Regarding to the oily cleansing I would like to know If I can apply it now that I have breakouts and my skin is so damaged.
I will also appreciate if you can give me some advice to start my journey to clean my skin.
Thanks a lot!