Oil Cleansing

Oil Cleansing

“As counterproductive as it may sound, oil cleansing is a terrific way to cleanse your skin… Here’s a fact though: oil dissolves oil. This means that by using the right oils, you can effectively cleanse your skin. When done correctly and consistently, oil cleansing can clear up the following skin conditions: oily skin, dry skin, acne, whiteheads, and blackheads.” - Willow And Sage, Autumn 2016, ‘The Ins And Outs Of Oil Cleansing’ <- aka where this info was retrieved from

necessities:
-hot water
-oil
-soft washcloth

the oil for you:
CASTOR: most effective for cleansing. usually part of an oil-cleansing blend
JOJOBA: good for all skin types, especially acne-prone
SWEET ALMOND: all skin types, especially oily
GRAPE SEED: all types, especially oily
AVOCADO: best for dry/aging skin
SUNFLOWER SEED: all types 
ARGAN: pricey !! but good for all types, especially aging

blends:
castor is good for cleaning but can by drying. here are variations for skin types:

OILY SKIN: 2/3 castor oil to 1/3 carrier oil
NORMAL SKIN: equal parts castor + carrier oil
DRY SKIN: 1/3 castor to 2/3 carrier oil

to cleanse skin:
“unlike washing your face with soap and water, there is no need to remove any makeup before you begin… using your fingertips, gently massage a small amount of oil into your skin, taking care around your eyes… rub oil into skin for about 2 minutes. place a wash cloth in hot water and wring out excess water. place the washcloth over your face and let it sit and steam up your skin. this is key to removing dirt from your pores. wash out the washcloth and repeat this two or three times. remove all oil residue from your face with your damp washcloth. moisturize as desired.”

in short:
1. massage oil into face with fingertips for ~2 minutes
2. place a wrung-out cloth with hot water over the face to steam skin
3. repeat 2-3 times
4. remove oil residue with cloth and moisturize