Thursday, October 25, 2012

Perfect Homemade Face Wash for All Skin Types

photo credit
I shared a while back that I had swtiched from fancy face wash to a homemade baking soda face wash.

Well, it's been almost a year since I've changed my face wash method again. My new-to-me method of cleansing my face works great, it's healthier, and it's cheaper. I don't think I'll ever go back to store bought face wash again.

I wash my face with oil. OCM (oil cleansing method)

I had heard about this method a few years ago, but thought it wasn't for me because I have oily skin. I have always stayed away from any products that contained any type of oil. And, of course, I've always wondered how oil can clean skin properly, when what we are trying to do is get our oily skin non-oily.

In all the research I've done, I've learned that the oil in the was adheres to the oil in our face, to help clean away the excess oil. The goal is to clean off excess dirt, oil and makeup, while leaving enough oil on your skin for natural protection and softness. Or something like that. Tsh and explain it much better. Read here.

After reading this post a few months ago, I decided to give it a try. After the first use, I was surprised that my skin was dry! I used the ratio that is recommended for "oily skin". Turns out, I don't actually have oily skin! I think I must have been producing more oil then necessary in the past, simply because I was using treatments on my skin that made it severely dry (retin-a, benzoyl peroxide).
I have since adjusted my mix, and it works great for me. Here's what I do:

1 part Castor oil
3 parts Olive oil
a few drops of Tea Tree oil (just enough to almost smell it, it is very potent).

I use about a quarter sized drop of the mixture, rubbed into my face and neck with my fingers. I hold a towel under warm water until it is steamy, and cover my face with it for a minute (or whenever the kids interrupt me). The wipe the oil off. So simple, so cheap, and so GREEN!

One day I might get one of those face steamers to use after I rub the oil on, you know the ones that are supposed to open up your pores? Might help shrink some pores. Maybe.

Have you jumped on the homemade bandwagon with anything, and ended up pleasantly surprised?


  1. I've always wondered about how this works. Thank you for sharing your experience and recipe!

    Where do you purchase your castor oil?

    1. I bought the castor oil at Target once, but haven't seen it there often. Mostly I buy it at a regular grocery store (Safeway, Save-Mart).