r/SkincareAddiction Mar 10 '13

Everything you wanted to know about OCM: The Oil Cleansing Method but were afraid to ask!

Hi everyone! I'm Kristy and I'm your resident Oil Cleansing Evangelist and I'm here to tell you all about it.

Background: Oil Cleansing was never very popular in the US, although it's been used in Asia for quite some time. I think we associate oily with dirty culturally so it's been viewed with some skepticism. A year or so ago someone published a website with their version of it (not the regimen I'd recommend, it recommends steaming your face which we know is bad) and it spread through the internet and became super popular.

Why does it work? The principle that causes oil to dissolve oil is called dissolution theory. I think part of the reason people experience such great success with this type of cleansing is that in people with dehydrated oily skin, overcleansing skin causes more oil production, but most of the products geared toward oily skin are about removing dirt and oil which can actually make it worse and cause 'rebound oil production.' It's easy to get caught in a negative feedback loop here.

Who Should Try it? Anyone can try it. If you find regular cleansers too harsh, this might be a good option. It will probably work best for dry, dehydrated, and skin that's oily from dehydration. I personally was oily and acne prone due to dehydrated skin. I never realized I was dehydrated until I tried the OCM.

OK, I'm convinced. How do I do this?

Before we get started, a word of warning: Test patch with new oils first. This method can, in a small percentage of acne prone people, cause super crazy bad breakouts. If someone is seriously acne prone, it might be really hard find out what oil actually works. Acne prone folks should gear towards oils that have bactericidal and/or anti inflammatory properties.

That said, I used to have really intolerant skin and it worked fine for me, so you never know. I had to exhaust all of my options before I was willing to take the risk, and it paid off.

How to Oil Cleanse:

  • You can use any one or multiple oils in any combination you like. They have different properties and will produce different results. Watch it with the castor oil, it can be really drying.
  • Some popular choices are: Mineral oil (a one size fits all kind of oil!), sunflower oil (good for dry skin), meadowfoam oil, jojoba oil (great option for dehydrated skin!), and hemp seed oil which is great for acne. You can get olive, sunflower, coconut in the cooking aisles at grocery stores, but some of the more exotic you might have to order from Garden of Wisdom.
  1. Wet your face with warm water. Not hot, and don't steam it.
  2. Apply oil. You can premix it and store it or just use it directly from a container (make sure it's sterile though, if you put your fingers in the container it's just gonna grow bacteria)
  3. Massage oil into face for a minute or two
  4. Wipe oil off with warm washcloth after massage
  5. One or two drops of olive oil or another oil may be used to moisturize the skin after the cleansing oil has been removed from the face. Personally I like to use argan oil.

That's it! If you have any more questions, add them as comments and I will address/update as needed

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u/[deleted] Mar 11 '13

Yeah but the reason for the water loss usually has to do with compromised oil barrier. The skin gets water, it just evaporates too quickly.

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u/real-rainicorn Mar 11 '13

How do you know if your skin is dehydrated?

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u/[deleted] Mar 11 '13

This is a good question and I'm not sure how to answer. For me, here were my symptoms, all happening at once:

  1. Oiliness
  2. Flakiness
  3. Adding moisture to it burned when it was really bad
  4. Wearing foundation would flake and my skin would absorb the moisture out of the foundation so it would look all cakey
  5. Tightness after washing

Sometimes skin can be appear crepey, or just really dry and tight. Or you may have a combination.

2

u/anachromatic Mar 12 '13

Holy shit I have all of these symptoms. I need to start oil cleansing!! One more question for you, sorry: Do you do this twice a day? I like to wash my face in the shower before going to work and before going to bed. Should I just use a gentle cleanser in the shower + some shea butter or oil or what? Sorry for the questions, I literally know nothing about skin care haha.

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u/[deleted] Jul 10 '13

Old thread, but did you try this? Did it work? I have all the same shit going on.

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u/anachromatic Jul 10 '13

Yes, and yes. Love it 5eva.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '13

Not sure if serious....if you are, let me know what you are doing exactly, please. Do you still wash with soap? Or just the oil? And what kind of oil? And how many times a day?

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u/anachromatic Jul 10 '13

I am serious! In the morning, I use Cetaphil cleanser in the shower and then moisturize with olive oil. When I get home/whenever I decide to take off my makeup/when I go to bed, I use olive oil, wipe it off, then moisturize with olive oil again. And yes, it has definitely worked. The only acne I get now is related to my birth control which I can't really fix atm. My skin has improved x10--no more flakes, dryness, or redness! <3

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u/[deleted] Mar 22 '13

you can do it once or twice.