oil cleansing method

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Washing your face at night is extremely important to the overall health of your skin. This is especially true for women or people that wear makeup on a daily basis. If you’ve never heard of the oil cleansing method, let me fill you in. Oil cleansing is essentially a method of washing your face with…that’s right, oil! Although the prospect of cleansing with a facial oil might sound strange, there are many benefits to utilizing an oil cleanser. In order to achieve the full benefits of this great method, there are a few steps to follow.

Oil Cleansing 101

First, you’ll want to wet your face with warm water to open your pores and allow greater penetration into the skin for the oil to follow. Next, pat your face dry and apply a nickel-sized amount of cleansing oil, I use this one from Tatcha. You’ll want to massage the cleansing oil into your face for between 2 and 3 minutes, focusing on areas of congested skin or blocked pores.

After you’ve given yourself a nice face massage, soak a washcloth in hot water. Do not make the water so hot as to burn your skin, but hot enough to steam your face. Squeeze out the excess water and lay the washcloth over your face, allowing the washcloth to trap moisture onto your face. This will allow your pores to open, and will allow the oil to bind to the impurities on your face. Leave this on for 1-2 minutes.

Once the time is up, you’ll repeat this process, but except for a wet washcloth at the end, you’ll use a dry one to wipe away the excess oil. Depending on if you have oily or dry skin, you may want to apply a pea-sized amount of moisturizer if your skin feels tight after cleansing.

Benefits of Oil Cleansing

One thing that many people find puzzling about oil cleansing is that it’s actually a great cleansing method for people who have oily or congested skin. The reason behind this is that the cleansing oil will actually bind to the excess oil and dirt on your skin. Once this layer of dirt and oil is removed, it is then replaced with the cleansing oil, keeping your skin hydrated and balanced. The results are smooth, clear skin that is actually much cleaner and softer than results shown through other more traditional cleansing methods.

This method of cleansing may take up to a week for your skin to get acclimated to its new routine. Within the first week you may notice some excess oil on your face as your skin learns how to rebalance itself. During this time it’s very important not to switch back to a harsh chemical cleanser or bar soap, this will cause the adjustment period to take longer.

If you can stick out the adjustment period, you’ll be rewarded with clearer, softer, and more balanced skin. The oil cleansing method has worked wonders for many people with problem skin, and it definitely worth looking into if you aren’t seeing results from your current skin care routine.