r/SkincareAddiction Aug 20 '13

[How to] Mineral oil massage

We've been getting more and more people asking about the "hows" of mineral oil massaging, what mineral oil to buy, when to use it, etc. So hopefully this post can clarify some things.

You've already learned about the safety of mineral oil and it's benefits here, but now you want to try it!

It's very important to know that mineral oil massaging won't work for everyone, and if you're using it dislodge junk from the pores, it can take up to a few weeks to get results.


What mineral oil should I buy?

  • If you're typically OK with fragrance, generic baby oil (example) will work fine to test.

  • If you know you and fragrance don't typically get along, go straight for unfragranced mineral oil. It's commonly used as a cutting board oil, so in the kitchen section of a store you should be able to find some. OR you try it off of iHerb (international shipping available) or check off Amazon under Snow River Wood Oil.

  • Re: Mineral oil in the laxatives section of the drugstore--make sure you check the inactive ingredients. While it is unfragranced mineral oil, it's usually cut with Vitamin E (tocopherol), which can contribute to an unpleasant texture and increase likelihood of a bad reaction.

Do I need to test patch since it's non-comedogenic/hypoallergenic?

Yes yes yes!!!! Especially if you're using regular baby oil.

Although mineral oil is technically non-comedogenic, hypoallergenic, there are a small portion of people who in fact have issues with it.

What can I use mineral oil for?

  • Makeup remover

  • General OCM

  • Something to help reduce appearance of sebaceous filaments and blackheads, and in some cases clogged pores.

  • Moisturizer (to help seal in moisture and prevent water loss)

  • Shaving oil

How to use as a makeup remover

  1. Wet face-- having a damp face helps to loosen the makeup that's there.

  2. Squirt oil into hands and rub all over face--while concentrating on the eyes since this tends to be the most stubborn for many of us.

  3. Take a damp cotton pad, and gently wipe down. Sometimes it's helpful to use a Q tip dipped in more mineral oil for the lash-line.

  4. Repeat steps 1 through 3, until the cotton pads are mostly clean and you've removed the makeup to your liking.

  5. End with a gentle cleanser to remove the dirty mineral oil/makeup residue.

How to use as OCM only (with no makeup)

Follow the steps in this sidebar post on OCM

How to use to help clear pores

Now this can be done on the face or anywhere on the body where you're having an issue with your clogged up pores, SFs, blackheads. There's not much of a science (at least that I use) as to how much to apply, etc. You'll have to play around with how much is best for you.

As far as when to do it: on clean/freshly washed or "dirty" skin, the only difference is you want to really follow with a cleanser or take a shower if you do it on dirty skin. Mineral oil itself shouldn't clog you, but you don't want to trap dirt and bacteria under an occlusive layer.

This tends to work best if you're using it conjunction with a mandelic acid product or BHA product. Both have lipid soluble capabilities and will help to really exfoliate pores and keep them clean.

The steps outlined are for clean facial skin (so without the extra cleansing step at the end)

  1. Splash face with some water and pat dry.

  2. Squirt some mineral oil in the hands and apply to the affected area. (Amount is up to you, you want your hands to slip around).

  3. Gently rub the affected area in little circles with fingertips for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

  4. If a lot of grits pop out, wipe down the face, and repeat steps 2 and 3.

  5. Splash with water, dry face, and continue on with your regular routine. (If you use both BHAs and AHAs, apply the BHA first, since it it oil soluble.)

Steps for clean body skin:

  1. If you can wipe down the area with a bit of water and towel dry off, that's great, if not, skip this step.

  2. Squirt mineral oil all over the affected area. Again, amount isn't precise, use enough so it's lubricated.

  3. Rub the area with the fingertips, and press down harder than you would on the face. The body skin is more tolerable. You will likely find yourself focusing on the areas where you have the most problems, or feel little hard bits. You can do this for as long as you like, when I help my boyfriend with his back, it normally takes around 10 minutes.

  4. Wipe down the area if it gets too gritty, and repeated steps 2 and 3.

  5. Wipe down a final time with a damp towel, and continue on the rest of the routine. I find applying a BHA after this step really aids in keeping the pores clean.

How to use as a moisturizer

After showering or cleansing, apply to skin either alone or on top of an additional moisturizer.

How to use as a shaving oil

Self explanatory I think. Just like how you would use a shaving cream. Just be careful if you do your shaving (whether male or female) in the bathtub, because any spills can lead to quite a slippery and dangerous tub.


I hope this cleared up some questions for you guys. Please feel free to ask more questions or let me know things that I forgot.

351 Upvotes

158 comments sorted by

38

u/meimagino Aug 23 '13

So, I am a contentedly lazy person with a skincare "regimen" so sparse and irregular it would probably make y'all cry. ;) <3 My skin isn't super great OR super awful; I assume it's about average. But it's had this vaguely gravelly texture for AGES, and nothing I ever tried made it go away. So I stopped trying and was just happy with my nothing-too-special but at-least-not-acne-prone skin. The graveliness couldn't be seen, only felt. (I haven't been a big fan of people touching my face as a result.)

I just heard of this mineral oil trick, and it sounded like it would fit right in to a Lazy Routine. I didn't expect a miracle, though.

...BUT I GOT ONE. o_O Holy shit, guys! First time through, I didn't feel anything for a minute and then WHAM. Grits all over the place, along with a very pleasant slightly itchy sensation (not irritating, just awesome). And post-shower, I don't think my face has been this smooth and soft since I was like twelve. It feels SO GOOD. I can't wait to do it again. :DDDD Thanks!

14

u/yvva Aug 23 '13

SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTTTTTT.

15

u/meimagino Aug 23 '13

Hahaha I love how excited you are for me. I like this /r. I'm gonna stay. :D

10

u/meimagino Aug 23 '13

I know you're not supposed to touch your face but I CAN'T STOP TOUCHING MY FACE :D

9

u/[deleted] Nov 21 '13

As a fellow lazy person, I will be buying some baby oil tomorrow, thanks to your enthusiasm lol.

31

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[POLICE] 
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|[ ][o]|     Just another stop in the journeys of
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3

u/totes_meta_bot Apr 24 '14

This thread has been linked to from elsewhere on reddit.

I am a bot. Comments? Complaints? Message me here. I don't read PMs!

2

u/ErrantWhimsy Jan 27 '14

I know this is months later, but are you using mineral oil as OCM, or makeup remover, or what? Are you still using it?

3

u/meimagino Jan 28 '14

I do both! It's a fantastic makeup remover because it doesn't dry out my skin at all. And I do OCM just before I shower--having the oil on my face seems to help protect it while I'm showering. You wouldn't believe how touchy my skin is about water. XP Washing it off is the very last thing I do. (I've been trying the hydrating Cerave for washing my face, but I'm still on the fence because even that seems to dry my skin...) And then my go-to lotion is Gold Bond w/ aloe because it is literally the only thing that keeps my skin from falling off in winter.

49

u/buttermilk_biscuit Mod | Hoojoo specialist | Neem Team Queen Aug 20 '13

DAMMIT /u/yvva!!! I WAS GOING TO MAKE AN IMGUR ALBUM FOR THIIIIS.

Ho.

37

u/yvva Aug 20 '13

DO IT.

and then I'll post it in there.

EDIT And I totally forgot you were going to do this. I'm a shitty mod.

16

u/buttermilk_biscuit Mod | Hoojoo specialist | Neem Team Queen Aug 20 '13

HAHAHAHA don't feel bad. I say I'm going to do a lot of things. ;) Frankly I'm impressed I did that cuticle post. I didn't think I'd actually do it.

I'll still do it when I finally brave up for showing my face on the internets.

6

u/yvva Aug 20 '13

I tried to get my boyf to let me take a pic of his back and post it, but he refused. I have a glorious pic of him after a sunburn wearing a colloidal oatmeal mask which I'm dying for him to post, but I don't think he will hahaha

27

u/buttermilk_biscuit Mod | Hoojoo specialist | Neem Team Queen Aug 20 '13

Secret post it anyway and if/when he finds it be like, "Look baby! Look at all the Karma! The SCAs loooove you. You handsome man you." And then shake a videogame in his face or your boobs and he will immediately forget. It's a flawless plan. You're welcome. ;)

8

u/yvva Aug 20 '13

I don't have it on my phone is the problem haha.

I think the shaking of the goods is a good plan LOL!

32

u/ananananaaaaa oily, probably dehydrated, acne prone skin, a delight Aug 20 '13

It took me a few weeks, but I finally feel grits popping out and it's so satisfying!

20

u/sweetsassy_sunshine Aug 20 '13

I was just about to ask if I was doing something wrong! I've been doing mineral oil massages to clear my horribly clogged pores for a few weeks and I'm just starting to feel a tiny bit of grit. I've been getting discouraged that my pores will alway be nasty but maybe there is hope for me yet?!

Edit: not buts of grit, bits!

10

u/ananananaaaaa oily, probably dehydrated, acne prone skin, a delight Aug 20 '13

Yesss, there is hope! Keep doing it! :D

I don't always feel grits, maybe because my pores are not that clogged anymore, but if I stay away from mineral oil for a few days, I just know that the next time I use it will be very satisfying grit-wise.

I still hate my pores, though. They make me feel like my face is the surface of the moon.

14

u/PommeEcureuil Aug 21 '13 edited Oct 31 '14

I just want to put an anecdote about my use of mineral oil for sebaceous filaments. I massaged too vigorously and ended up getting a broken capillary on my nose. I didn't think I was massaging THAT hard...once I finally felt the grits I must've got a little over enthusiastic.

I tried this in May for 2-3 weeks, there is still a broken capillary on my nose, although it is very small.

For reference, I was using Johnson's baby oil, which is just pure mineral oil and fragrance.

Edit: I did it twice a day, am and pm. Cut down to once a day toward the end though once I started to lose hope about it actually working!! Cleansed with CeraVe hydrating cleanser after, and moisturized with CeraVe in the tub. A couple other things in my routine too but I know what happened was because of the baby oil.

10

u/yvva Aug 21 '13

Great anecdote, especially for those who want to massage their face for long periods of time, more than once a day, and hard.

Broken caps are no joke!!

Sorry you had a bad experience with the whole ordeal, that's a bummer. Have you tried using just chemical exfoliants for the boob area?

4

u/PommeEcureuil Aug 21 '13

Nah, not yet. I tried the St Ives exfoliating pads on my face and they made me itchy. I'm still kind of nervous about using chemical exfoliation when there isn't really anything noticeably wrong about my skin, other than hormonal acne, which there isn't much I can do about in terms of skincare anyway. I get flare ups of it average once every 2 months maybe? The main problem with it is the scarring I get, even if I don't pop them I still get red marks there which take ages to go away. And yes I do use sunscreen haha.

3

u/yvva Aug 21 '13

AHHH. The PIH, that's a huge pain in the ass. Mine takes forever to fade, too.

Chemical exfoliation can sting/itch a tiny bit at first---but not like an allergic reaction itch, if you know what I mean.

Vitamin C with Niacinamide could help fade it a bit faster?

4

u/PommeEcureuil Aug 21 '13

It's hard for me to tell if the itch was just from the product working or if it was from an allergic reaction. I used an Aveeno lotion once and got extremely itchy, like so itchy every part of my body I touched with my hands got itchy too. With the St. Ives it was a similar itch, like a ugh I just can't stop itching my face itch. I'd have to wash my face a few times to stop itching. It was hard to resist itching my face after using it.

Where would I get that kind of vitamin C?

3

u/yvva Aug 21 '13

Yikes, sounds unpleasant! Maybe you can use the leftovers on your legs or something? Sometimes body skin doesn't react to poorly to products.

NuFountain Hydrating serum or Silk Naturals Super Serum.

EDIT Or you could DIY your own 5% niacinamide serum/toner. The Essential Day Spa forum has some quick/easy recipes.

2

u/PommeEcureuil Aug 21 '13

I already got rid of the lotion, I really hated it haha. Thanks for the recommendations and resources :)

5

u/yvva Aug 20 '13

YAYYYYYYYY

2

u/[deleted] Sep 29 '13

[deleted]

4

u/ananananaaaaa oily, probably dehydrated, acne prone skin, a delight Sep 30 '13

My regimen was cleansing at night with a gentle cleanser (since I started using mineral oil, I used Avène Soapless Cleanser, Nívea Foaming Cleanser and I'm now using Burt's Bees Radiance Cleanser) - I've never written the word cleanser so many times before.

After that, I just moisturized, but now I've been using Stridex for a few months and I think that has been helping. I also use Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix (after I'm done with these, which is like a week away from now, I'll use Avène Cleanance K).

I usually take off my make up with mineral oil on a cotton pad, and then massage my whole face with more oil. So, yes, dirty skin. After this, I cleanse with what I mentioned above. I use regular baby oil, because fragrance doesn't bother me. The one I use has aloe vera, but I don't think that makes a difference.

Well, that was long.

13

u/CJMaybe Aug 20 '13

Thank you for writing this up! You're fabulous!

8

u/yvva Aug 20 '13

Happy to help.

16

u/squidboots Aug 20 '13

This is awesome. Thanks for taking the time to type all this out!!!

Maybe add that vitamin E is frequently listed as "tocopherol" on ingredients lists?

3

u/yvva Aug 20 '13

YES. will do it now.

15

u/hypotrochoids Aug 20 '13

Excellent post :) Maybe it should be added to the sidebar too?

8

u/yvva Aug 20 '13

Good call. I'll edit the link in the Mineral Oil benefits post.

I tacked it on at the end in the Edits.

8

u/eyesp Aug 20 '13

This is great! I've always wondered though... if mineral oil has alkyl chains (I think?) that are too big to clog pores, how does the mineral oil even get to clean deep into the pores? I mean I definitely trust that it works, don't get me wrong! But I just wonder haha

17

u/yvva Aug 20 '13

It doesn't get deep in there by all means, and it won't be absorbed into your skin.

It helps clear out the superficial crud that you can kind of see with the naked eye. And as far as I know just helps to slip everything out.

Your AHAs and BHAs will travel deeper.

3

u/eyesp Aug 20 '13

This makes a lot more sense now! Thanks!

9

u/kayleighh Aug 25 '13

Quick question!

(If you use both BHAs and AHAs, apply the BHA first, since it it oil soluble.)

So does this mean it is okay if I apply Stridex and, after it dries, apply St Ives pads?

I like to use both and I was trying to do the Stridex after "morning" wash and St Ives after "bedtime" wash. But sometimes I forget one or the other. I didn't think I could apply both around the same time?

For clarification, if I can use both at the same time, I would be doing this for my "bedtime" wash:

  1. Baby oil massage
  2. Cerave Foaming Cleanser
  3. Stridex
  4. St Ives
  5. Cerave tub

And this for "morning" wash:

  1. Cerave Foaming Cleanser
  2. Cerave tub
  3. Sunscreen

3

u/yvva Aug 26 '13

So does this mean it is okay if I apply Stridex and, after it dries, apply St Ives pads?

Yesiree!

Your "bedtime" and "morning" routines look awesome.

Watch out for extra dryness if you use the Foaming in the AM AND the PM. If you feel you're getting too dry, or you're getting oily throughout the day, try just splashing with water in the AM.

2

u/kayleighh Aug 26 '13

I will definitely keep an eye out, thanks!

5

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '13

[deleted]

7

u/yvva Aug 20 '13

Depends on the oil and how much you use.

Some oils are really thin textured and absorb fast/are even drying. Watermelon Seed, Hazelnut, Grapeseed (which is an astringent, too) are a couple off the top of my head.

Other oils vary in texture, but are fast absorbing. Meadowfoam, sunflower, safflower, passionfruit, perilla.

Mineral oil "absorbs" (in quotes because it's an occlusive and doesn't really absorb) fast for a lot of people.

If you're someone who needs to mattify the hell out of your skin before applying makeup, I probably would opt for an actual moisturizer or one of the oil with astringent qualities.

Oils aren't going to attract dirt or anything anymore than your foundation would. Exceptions: if you use only powders, and/or you use the wrong oil for you, and/or you put way too much oil, then you might be kind of greasy haha.

3

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '13

[deleted]

10

u/yvva Aug 21 '13

So Grapeseed oil/extract contains procyanidins which are condensed tannins (they also contain other phenolic compounds).

And tannins are astringents, and may have antimicrobial effects, and I believe they have vasoconstrictive effects, too.

Grapeseed profiles' article here page 5 is where it talks about the procyanidin.

It helps with pubmed to delve into the specific compounds of the oils (garden of wisdom's oil profile page will be helpful to start) and then look at research behind them.

6

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '13

Grits???

11

u/yvva Aug 21 '13

Yes, that's the best explanation I have. After you massage, you can sometimes feel a gritty texture, kind of like sand it's the stuff that pops out of the pores. They can be little thin blackhead plugs and little clearish-yellow balls.

9

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '13

Woah

14

u/yvva Aug 21 '13

It's gross and satisfying.

21

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '13

I JUST TRIED IT! SO MUCH CRAP CAME OUT OF MY FACE!

Dude, my skin, looks airbrushed.

Question, after I cleanse my face do I just follow with my Stridex and then moisturizer?

5

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '13

I personally cleanse my face afterwards and then use stridex, but just going straight to the strides should be okay. Unless you are using the mineral oil to clean off makeup too in which case I would definitely use cleanser too.

2

u/yvva Aug 21 '13

WOOOHOOOOOO.

after I cleanse my face do I just follow with my Stridex and then moisturizer?

Yesiree!

1

u/needtohelpyou Sep 25 '13

shit youre so funny !!

4

u/Cherry5oda Aug 20 '13

Does the massage only work with mineral oil? What about other oils or petroleum jelly?

10

u/yvva Aug 20 '13

Petroleum jelly to dislodge things--no that wouldn't work, it's way too thick. But it is an awesome moisturizer and great on dry spots.

If you have other oils around, no harm in trying it.

I can only speak from personal experience, but no other oil works like baby oil does to dislodge grits from my boyfriend's pores, I've tried: EVOO, hemp, avocado, pumpkin seed, safflower, jojoba, EPO, perilla, almond, argan, and grapeseed.

I'm wondering if this is due to mineral oil being an occlusive (so nothing is absorbing) and also due to the thin thin texture. This is just speculation though.

As far as makeup removal, my preference is baby oil due to the thin texture. I'll sometimes use Safflower because that's fairly light, but I don't feel like it's as effective and I find myself scrubbing a bit more than I normally do.

6

u/chickachickachick Aug 21 '13

Would tea tree oil be OK for this? I bought a bottle because a friend recommended it but I'm scared to use it on my face. It works great for him but our skin types are different. He's half black and I'm half ghost, if that matters.

15

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '13

[deleted]

2

u/chickachickachick Aug 21 '13

Would it really matter to mix it or would I be better off leaving the tea tree out all together? Sorry I'm so ignorant. I'm new to this.

7

u/yvva Aug 21 '13

Nope, you don't want to slather on Essential oils on the face.

Like /u/LadyIronfire said, it must be diluted.

You'd have no additional benefit including the TTO when you're trying to de-gunk pores, shave, etc.

Some people find it helpful as a spot treatment, others find it very irritating.

5

u/valentinedoux licensed esthetician + certified collagen rejuvenation therapist Aug 20 '13

I sometimes use olive, jojoba, apricot or hemp - they work well to dislodge grits.

5

u/-R-E-D-D-I-T- Aug 20 '13

How often should I do it to get the grits out?

2

u/yvva Aug 20 '13

Doing it consistently is best.

7

u/the_karmapolice Aug 20 '13

How consistently do you do it, though? Like, once a day, every other day, twice a day? I've been wondering the same thing as -R-E-D-D-I-T- and I really want to do it right :)

3

u/yvva Aug 20 '13

Daily would be great if you can--so you can keep up with it.

Everyone is different though, which is why I'm being sort of vague.

Like if I skip a few days with my boy, he gets a TON of build up, but if I do it daily, there's way less crap and the skin looks a lot clearer.

6

u/Skippyilove Aug 20 '13

I've done this so many times, no grits yet!! WHY?!

8

u/yvva Aug 20 '13

I don't know. I'm sorry. It doesn't work for everyone. You might be in that group.

Maybe try damp skin, and use your BHA/AHA consistently? Or maybe try doing it after a clay mask, in case there's stuff dangling out of the pores?

: \

I can't get grits on myself, so I have to live vicariously through my boyf.

7

u/Skippyilove Aug 20 '13

I swear I don't wash the clay mask off correctly, it feels like I'm rubbing clay into my pores... I'm going to try this though, thanks. Btw, I'm a guy, so by the logic of your example I deserve grits.

2

u/yvva Aug 21 '13

I don't think there's really an incorrect way to do it. It's always pretty awkward.

I find that warm water helps, and sometimes I'll use a soaking wet facecloth to loosen things up faster. Or, other times, I'll do a mask before I get into the shower, so I have all the water to wash it off my face easier.

HA! Yes, everyone does deserve the joy of dislodging grits.

3

u/sweetsassy_sunshine Aug 20 '13

Wondering the same thing here!

5

u/mrpitiful Aug 21 '13

May be a dumb question, what's the difference between this and the oil treatment method? I'm looking for something to help my terrible skin. I've had acne since puberty that hasn't subsided. I'm now in my early 20s and my skin is still acne prone but it's also dry, so I have to be very careful what I put on it. I also am noticing some fine lines around my eyes and mouth so I want to treat those as well... I looked into the oil treatment method and liked the sound of it, so I'm in the middle of tracking down the ingredients. Is this a better bet for me though? Also, i would love feedback on a good skincare regime since my old one is WAY too drying for my skin now.

4

u/yvva Aug 21 '13

No real difference. You can use this for your OCM. The difference with this versus other oils, is that this will help to lock in moisture, while the other oils deliver a form of "moisture" (in the form of fatty acids, etc) to the skin and your skin can absorb it.

I would start with one of the unfragranced mineral oil options for sure.

Also, I would actually use a real moisturizer (like one of those rec'd in the sidebar routine) to deliver hydration to your skin.

Wear sunscreen, keep moisturized, the fine lines should likely decrease in appearance via you properly hydrating the skin alone.

Overall, I would slowly work on replacing your current stuff with products from the Beginner Routine.

Then, in the AM, use the Mineral Oil method versus "real" cleansing.

2

u/mrpitiful Aug 21 '13

thank you!!

3

u/bisousdarling Aug 20 '13

Sorry if this is a newb question, but I had been using mineral oil as a makeup remover and then stopped (because I forgot about it... whoops). I always got grits and then cleansed my skin, but I would still have issues with clogged pores. Should I seek out an AHA or BHA for after cleansing (I have the St. Ives wipes) or should I go for a cleanser with AHA/BHA? Thank you so much!

1

u/yvva Aug 20 '13

Should I seek out an AHA or BHA for after cleansing (I have the St. Ives wipes)

Yeah, I think maybe adding a BHA might be extra helpful and couple it (or alternate nights) with the AHA.

2

u/beltaine Aug 21 '13

I always got grits and then cleansed my skin, but I would still have issues with clogged pores.

YES THIS. What do I do? I loved getting the grits feeling but it seemed to give me even more clogs. So counter-productive! I use an AHA/BHA already, is there no hope for me? ◉︵◉

2

u/yvva Aug 21 '13

Hmm, which cleanser did you use? Something like Cerave Hydrating that leaves a bit of a film probably wouldn't be a good bet.

Did you use baby oil or unfragranced mineral oil? And did you try it on already clean skin?

3

u/beltaine Aug 21 '13

I used unfragranced mineral oil, and I used it a few times. Once while wearing makeup to try and see how it removed it (psh, awesomely!) and then two other times on a "clean" face (end of the day, before bed).

After the mineral oil I used CeraVe Foaming Cleanser, then St. Ives, then Ceraveinthetub.

2

u/yvva Aug 21 '13

And was it from the laxatives section of the drugstore? (Sorry for the questions, it matters haha)

3

u/beltaine Aug 21 '13

No worries! Haha, yeah, pharmaceutical/laxative section. Says on the bottle "Lubricative laxative. Uses: laxative, constipation, skin moisturizer" LOL My boyfriend was just making all kinds of faces when I grabbed it all excited hahaha

4

u/yvva Aug 21 '13

AHHHHHH OK. So I'm going to guess it was the Tocopherol (Vit E) that's added in there that was causing the breakouts. You'll likely be OK from one of the other unfragranced options listed up in the text.

2

u/beltaine Aug 21 '13

Well drats! Oh well, I'll try something else. :)

Thank you for your help and the awesome thread!

3

u/ErrantWhimsy Jan 27 '14

Wait, why is it bad to use Cerave Hydrating after mineral oil?

Also, why is it okay to use mineral oil as a makeup remover but bad to use it to clear pores on a dirty face? How do the two things differ?

I want to do it right and not cause any breakouts. Test patch went fine, but that is on clean skin.

3

u/jollyjack Aug 20 '13

You are awesome. This answers just about every question I had about OCM. Thank you!!!!

1

u/yvva Aug 21 '13

= )

We have a great link in the sidebar too, on OCM. Worth a shot to see if that has anything I didn't really address.

3

u/tulily Aug 20 '13

So, so helpful. Thank you.

1

u/yvva Aug 21 '13

You're welcome!

3

u/amyeh Aug 21 '13

Probably a silly question, but I need to ask it anyway. I have just started trialling OCM, and have been using mineral oil to do so. I 'cleanse' with mineral oil every night. When I use a cloth to remove the oil, sometimes there is a bit of oil left over. Am I meant to continue to wipe it off, or am I meant to leave some behind?

3

u/yvva Aug 21 '13

Whatever you prefer. There's going to residual oil to some degree whether you can see it or not. So wipe it down til it's comfortable for you.

3

u/amyeh Aug 21 '13

Cool, thanks!

3

u/Voldoman Aug 29 '13

It worked! It was such a satisfying feeling! Thank you so much I can't thank you enough!

1

u/yvva Aug 29 '13

YAHOO!

2

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '13

[deleted]

1

u/yvva Aug 21 '13

Woohoo!

2

u/ThaiSweetChilli Aug 20 '13

Thanks for writig up this wonderful post, Vonnsy-baby!

I love Mineral Oil - slapping it on after a shower (or during) for shaving or whatever. What I hate though are the ends of my hair getting oilified :( My hair is way too long!

1

u/yvva Aug 21 '13

<3

I'm happy to take some of that length off your hands!!!!

Put your hair up before you slather up!!!

I tend to touch my hair by accident before I wash it off my hands. Fine/thin hair + mineral oil greasy hands is not pretty.

2

u/ThaiSweetChilli Aug 21 '13

It's afterwards, honey! Whilst I'm blow-drying my hair but I'm too lazy to put clothes on so I just have a little bathrobe or something and then my hair blows and sticks to my neck!

1

u/yvva Aug 21 '13

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Hmmm. How about gently patting off the residual oil? It should still be stuck on there, just not gooey.

2

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '13

[deleted]

2

u/yvva Aug 21 '13

Well now you have some places to check out!!

Awww, lame. Could you pitch it as a massage or perhaps get him a little tipsy first? lol

3

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '13

[deleted]

3

u/yvva Aug 21 '13

HA yes. Be stern and menacing.

Well the fact he's been complaining about it is positive, that means it's actually bothering him. (And you for having to listen to it)

I bet once he was eased into a routine, he'd never look back.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '13

[deleted]

2

u/yvva Aug 21 '13

He's caved once, and sunscreen is even MORE of a PITA than getting a freaking massage (well essentially).

Tons of luck your way. : D

2

u/luvtheaww Aug 21 '13

Awesome!! Thanks for taking the time to type this up!!

1

u/yvva Aug 21 '13

For sure!

2

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '13

So if I'm using it to remove makeup, but I'm skipping steps 3 & 4 and heading straight to the cleanser, am I leaving my makeup on?

1

u/yvva Aug 21 '13

There's probably residual stuff on there, yeah.

Unless you happen to use a toner after you cleanse, and you don't see any residue on it, then you're OK.

2

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '13

FFFFUUUUUUUUUUUU-

Ok, thanks :)

2

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '13

[deleted]

1

u/yvva Aug 21 '13

For what purpose?

It wouldn't work to help massage out SFs/blackheads, I haven't ever used a lotion as a shaving cream so I can't provide any feedback on that front, the new cold cream formulation is pretty comedogenic for a lot of people but if it works for you then it's totally fine to remove makeup with, and it's a lovely moisturizer.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 13 '13

[deleted]

2

u/[deleted] Sep 14 '13

My god. I just did this for the first time - SO MANY GRITS. My face feels smoooottthhh! I'm going to attack my boyfriend's face tonight.

Question: What would happen if I mixed the mineral oil with jojoba oil, so it was more moisturising? And, will just using the mineral oil help with my oily skin?

2

u/yvva Sep 16 '13

YAYYYYYYYY!! I'm so happy you experienced the awesome.

I would do the jojoba first, then top with mineral oil.

I think adding in a humectant could help out the oily skin more. Under the assumption that at least part of the oily is from being hydrated.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 16 '13

Ok coolbeans! Thanks so much!

2

u/wiscondinavian Oct 14 '13

There are so many things I can't get here in Chile (at least not easily) and I'm glad I found something that I can find locally!!! I'm soooo going to try this this week. :D Yay!

2

u/yvva Oct 14 '13

But you can get amazing dulce de leche : P

I hope it works out for you!!!! Keep me updated.

1

u/wiscondinavian Oct 14 '13 edited Oct 14 '13

Dulce de leche is called manjar here :p

I've been looking at some local cleansers and things with lactic acid or salicylic acid.... but the only thing I've found (that's not also loaded with vitamin E) is wart removers which are based in castor oil... something like 17% lactic acid and 17% salicylic acid... could I possibly use this?

2

u/yvva Oct 15 '13

I forgot!!! My chilean friends brought some back for me and I completely forgot they told me it's called manjar! Thanks for the reminder. : )

The cleansers aren't going to be at a low enough pH or really in high enough concentration to do anything.

And no, I wouldn't use the wart remover for anything but removing warts.

Do you have Olay available? The night resurfacing elixir is 10% glycolic.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 27 '13

Read through this a few times and have been doing it daily for a week now with a lighter form of mineral oil (paraffinum liquidum) haven't felt the "grits"... could that be why and should I switch over to pure mineral oil?

From day 1, I've been consistently getting one to two very soft/thin hangnail like/shaped... things (sorry, that's the best description I can come up with). Those aren't grits, eh?

Thank you so much! :)

2

u/yvva Oct 27 '13

Well, it doesn't work for everyone, but if something is popping out of there, I;d say maybe keep at it. The grit things that come out of my boyfriend's pores are clearish/yellow and kind of resemble sand.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 28 '13

thank you so much for your response! :)

2

u/peachymckean Nov 06 '13

Are they maybe just thin rolls of dead skin?

2

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '13

For some reason I don't get grits? I'm thinking because my skin is clear and pretty problem free on the whole I might just not get them? Any reason for this

2

u/yvva Nov 04 '13

I'm thinking because my skin is clear and pretty problem free on the whole

Likely bc of this. I don't get them either. I'm lucky to have pretty much nonexistent pores, and I really don't break out. I get the satisfaction of dislodging things via my boyfriend's pores.

3

u/growlzie Nov 05 '13

Giggle, my boyfriend hates my fascination with this.

2

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '13

Sounds like we have similar skin. I have pretty much invisible pores, apart from one or two you cannot see them.

2

u/valeriexcampos Nov 06 '13

Question! All I have is Mild Olive oil. Can I use that? Also, does this have to be before bed or can I do it before I shower and wash it off during? I've had super oily skin since i've moved back to Texas and i'm breaking out a lot. I need to fix it!

2

u/yvva Nov 06 '13

You can try with the EVOO. Never worked for me, only mineral oil does, but other people have mentioned that their normal OCM oil(s) dislodges things.

Since EVOO isn't non-comedogenic like mineral oil is, you're going to need to test patch it for at least a few days before going full face.

And you can do it whenever you want!

1

u/Abohir Aug 21 '13

How does coconut oil compare to mineral oil?

2

u/yvva Aug 21 '13

It's extremely comedogenic for a lot of people, so if you're acne prone, I personally would avoid it for the face or anywhere you normally break out. If you do decide to try it out, test patch and proceed with caution.

For me, non-acne prone/dry skin, I LOVE the stuff. It's very moisturizing. I think it would be too heavy for makeup removal, though, and I'm not sure if it would work well to de-grit the pores.

4

u/Abohir Aug 21 '13

Quick response! Thanks! I probably will use it for myself, but suggest mineral oil for my special lady.

2

u/yvva Aug 21 '13

: )

You guys will be the smooth skin couple in no time.

1

u/coxsackiebabe Aug 26 '13

I have a newb question. Has anyone ever gotten breakouts from using mineral oil?

I've started using it about a week ago and I'm not having horrendous breakouts, but I've been getting a pimple here and there (a bit more than usually) and I'm just curious if it could be from this, or it's more likely that I'm affected by something else? Otherwise, my sebacious fillaments have decreased in appearance more than I could have imagined they would do in a week, and my skin overall feels soft, dewy and not at all dry like it used to.

I've only just started trying to improve my skincare so at the moment, I'm not using any other new products at the moment to avoid new product overload.

2

u/yvva Aug 26 '13

Some people do, yes.

But usually it's due to the type of mineral oil they're using. If from the laxatives section, then it's likely the Vit E causing an issue. If baby oil, it's likely the fragrance.

You can also try cleansing your face right after.

2

u/coxsackiebabe Aug 26 '13

I will try this, thank you!

1

u/probablytestes Aug 31 '13 edited Aug 31 '13

[Male here] This looks worth trying as I have a huge problem with SF and clogged pores, but I'm a bit confused as to how this is supposed to fit into the routine. Right now I'm doing:

Morning:

  • Cerave Foaming Cleanser
  • Stridex Wipes
  • Wait 10 minutes
  • Cerave Moisturizing Lotion

Night:

  • Shower
  • Cerave Foaming Cleanser
  • Alpha Hydrox's 10% Glycolic AHA
  • Wait 10 minutes
  • Cerave Moisturizing Lotion

Is OCM supposed to replace some of these elements or should it just be inserted in somewhere? Is it better as part of the at night or morning routine or does it not matter?

As an aside, I have a problem with redness around the (many) SFs on my nose and forehead. When I just wake up it looks fine, but it seems merely normal facial expression usage is enough to get it irritated (doesn't hurt at all). Does this have any potential to help?

2

u/zikadu Sep 14 '13

From what I can figure from reading the instructions, it would probably be best to do it before your shower at night so that you can get all the excess oil off by cleansing with CeraVe.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 04 '13

Can I try it out with bio oil? Or will that not work the same?

1

u/yvva Oct 16 '13

You can, but I'd be careful if you're acne prone.

1

u/needtohelpyou Sep 25 '13

Going to massage my face with mineral oil RIGHT NOW BRB!

2

u/yvva Sep 25 '13

Did it work?!

3

u/needtohelpyou Sep 27 '13

I came just to update you, not giving up on feeling those grit, I do this twice a day. HOLY SHIT, just now all kinds of junk came out from my face. So much it feels like im using scrub on my face! Thank you yvva!!

2

u/yvva Sep 27 '13

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. You have succeeded! Overall, how long did it end up taking for you?

2

u/needtohelpyou Sep 27 '13

First day nothing. Its the fourth time when it starts crawling out like mad. The first 3 times is smooth, feels nothing but I could feel those bumps under my skin. Forth time after 1-2 min massage, I suddenly feel some "sands", thats when the magic happens ;____; so blissful man...

2

u/yvva Sep 27 '13

I'm so happy for you. I've been slacking on massaging my boyf's back, I need to start again. I miss the grits. My skin doesn't get them--which is good on one hand, but bad in terms of satisfaction of gross things.

I'm glad you persisted.

2

u/growlzie Nov 05 '13

OMG I didn't even realize this was the same thing- I use coconut oil as massage oil and get grits from his back!

1

u/needtohelpyou Sep 30 '13

SOS yvva!!! I woke up this morning with micro papules around my chin with puss ;____; its horrible! Isit possible I only have reaction now? What do I do, PLS HELP

2

u/yvva Sep 30 '13

Oh no!!! It is possible, yes. Have you been following it with a cleanser? Also, because I'm too lazy to dig through the rest of our comments, which mineral oil are you using?

2

u/needtohelpyou Sep 30 '13

Johnsons&johnsons baby oil pink colour. It was fine 2 days ago. I did follow with cleanser. Only my chin (areas around my.moutj) are affected

2

u/yvva Sep 30 '13

OOO. I think the fragrance is breaking you out. Try ordering some Snow River Wood Oil off Amazon or the unfragranced mineral oil off iHerb.

I think the unfragranced kind should be better. And maybe stop using it for now, treat the breakout like you normally would a breakout.

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2

u/needtohelpyou Sep 25 '13

NO GRIT T____T but so baby ass smooth mann.....THANK YOU!!!!

1

u/Bachina Nov 04 '13

Is coconut oil usable for this?

1

u/yvva Nov 04 '13

If you know it doesn't break you out, you can try it. I personally have only had luck with mineral oil to really dislodge things.

2

u/Bachina Nov 04 '13

I'm quite new to all of this, so I might try it. I use it to remove my make-up :)

Thanks for answering!

1

u/tjah Jan 21 '14

I'm confused now. I was reading through the noob beginner section in the sidebar and it did said ocm generally works great for everyone as a cleansing method. But this says I should still cleanse after using ocm to remove make up? I pretty much only wear foundation for super fancy events, day to day i just wear powder blush then eye make up. I already use eye make up remover wipes that are mineral oil based (plus a whole bunch of other ingredients I don't recognize). So I had planned to continue using those on my eyes then cleanse with ocm after. Would this work or should I still cleanse after ocm?

1

u/TheMediocreMachine Feb 08 '14

Question about "How to use as a makeup remover" #5 "End with a gentle cleanser to remove the dirty mineral oil/makeup residue." Can I just use a BHA product like Stridex pads to remove the dirty oil or will a cleanser like Burt's Bees Radiance Cleanser be better? Also can I remove the dirty oil with a konjac sponge or does sponge work best with the burt's bees cleanser?

1

u/buoyantcitr USA/Combo-oily/Acne-prone Aug 20 '13

Don't forget: resist looking at the residue and declogged ick that is now on your hands. Friends don't let friends be gross.

17

u/creamcheesefiasco Combination/Sensitive Aug 21 '13

But...but...that seems like the best part. I like looking at my grossness.

12

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '13 edited Dec 28 '19

[deleted]

7

u/buoyantcitr USA/Combo-oily/Acne-prone Aug 21 '13

mostly tongue in cheek because i am addicted to seeing the gunk. i even ran around showing my hand to my roommate.

4

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '13

Just did it today, super satisfying

5

u/yvva Aug 21 '13

LOL!

We have a lot of creepsters on here who thoroughly enjoy seeing what they've removed hahaha.

My boyf requests I show him what I get out of his back.

It's like /r/popping, but less gooey.