The Oil Cleansing Method

Thanks to my friend, Kim, for the link that lead me to trying this skin cleanser.

I'm big on natural and homemade products...for cleaning, eating, washing, you name it and I can pronounce it, I'll try it. Not only does it benefit our bodies, but also my bank account. You can't beat the $2 laundry soap that lasts for weeks, or the readily available dusting polish that costs pennies to whip up.

My homemade soaps are oil based, and you really can't beat the feeling of your skin after a natural olive and palm oil lather. I have high hopes for the liquid version for my face.

I don't wear much makeup, except for mascara and occasionally some eye shadow, and my skin is generally very healthy. However, I live in the most beautiful sunshine state, and it has the potential to reek havoc on a lady's most displayed organ. I also have two children who will likely suffer from problem skin, and one with frequent styes in his eyes. My goal is to test this on me for a week, and then introduce my boys to the cleanser as well.

Some excepts from an OCM website:

"These products [over the counter cleansers] strip the oil out of our skin, leaving our largest organ trying to repair itself by replacing the oil stripped away. This leaves us in a cycle of being tight and dry followed by the inevitable oil slick. Each time we strip the oil away, our skin over-compensates for the lack of moisture by creating more oil."

"Getting right down to basics, when cleansing and moisturizing your skin, it is imperative that you keep in mind that oil dissolves oil. Your skin naturally lubricates itself with oil, and as we are creatures of adaptation, one can believe that if this weren't the appropriate built-in care for ourselves, our bodies would have adapted to suit the need."


(Taken from http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com)

The Oil Cleansing Method

First and foremost, this is typically done in the evening, prior to bed. There should be no need for deep cleansing in the morning if you're waking up with skin cleansed the night before. In the morning, a quick wipe with a warm washcloth should suffice. We don't want to overcleanse our skin as this will serve only to irritate and cause more oil production. The objective of using this method is to deep clean while balancing our skins oil production at the same time.

• You'll need a soft washcloth, your oil blend, and hot, running water.
• Pour a generous puddle of oil into the palm of your hand. Roughly, the size of a quarter, but more is acceptable. Rub your hands together to warm the oil and smooth over your face.
• Begin massaging the oil into your face. This will remove makeup, dirt, and other impurities, so there is no need to use a makeup remover or wash your face prior to the massage. I've found that this removes even my stubborn waterproof mascara and concealer.
• Using slow, firm motions across the skin, massage the oil deeply into your pores. Take your time and focus on your problem areas. You want the oil to work into your pores so that blackheads and the like can be dissolved and steamed away.
• As you're massaging, let your mind drift off to something calming and breathe deeply. Take this time to relax and release some of the stress that your body is harboring. Sit down, breathe deeply, and take your time. Give the oil enough time to work on dissolving the impurities in your pores and give yourself enough time to unwind. Picture what your face would look like if it were completely clear and free from blemishes. Focus on that image and know that it is attainable. Trust that it is attainable. Accept that it is attainable. You can have clear skin, free of blemishes and you will have clear skin, free of blemishes. Focus on perfect skin and breathe deeply.
• Once you're satisfied that your pores are saturated and you're feeling calm, pick up your washcloth and soak it in clean, steamy water. We want the water to be warm enough to open your pores and remove the oil. Cool water will not open your pores, nor will it remove the oil efficiently. We're not scalding our skin, we're steaming to coax our pores to release the oil carrying the impurities. We're essentially steaming our skin as an esthetician would, but without the luxury of a steam machine.
• Hold the washcloth to cover your face. Allow it to stay until it cools. You will feel your pores releasing the impurities. Wipe the oil gently away and rinse the washcloth well in hot, running water. Hold the washcloth to your face again, allowing it to cool. Wipe gently, rinse well, and repeat two or three more times. Avoid any temptation to scrub, as you'll find it's completely unnecessary and your skin will be soft, smooth, and free of flakes without the additional manual exfoliation and irritation that will result. Impurities, dead skin cells, and bacteria will be gently swept away.
• Have no fear of the oil, as the steamy washcloth will remove it. The Castor Oil, though it is an oil, will help with the removal of the other oils, as well. It is our main cleansing oil and is easily removed with warm water.
  
• If your skin feels tight, take a tiny drop of your oil blend, rub it between your clean, damp palms and pat it onto your damp skin. Gently massage any oil residue into your skin so there is no film of oil left sitting on the surface. Your skin should now glow!

The Recipe:
This is the latest concoction that has made it's way into my bathroom
- 2 T castor oil (found it at Publix for $2.50 for a 6 ounce bottle)
- 8 T olive oil (the less virginal the better)
- 1/4 t tea tree oil for it's natural anti-bacterial qualities. (increase this amount if your skin is prone to break outs...decrease or eliminate if you have exceptionally dry skin)
- 1/2 t jojoba oil (no problem, if you don't have this. I use it in my soap making for the moisturizing qualities, and to keep me minimally wrinkly)

Make sure you massage it into your lips and eyelids as well.

Wishing you glowing, smooth skin friends!

Cleaning Au Natural

Thanks to a friend's suggestion, I googled a recipe for homemade powdered laundry detergent, and put it to the test on our dirtiest baseball pants, stinkiest socks, stained shirts, grease saturated work shirts, and my own delicate items. Here's the breakdown:

The Recipe:
1 cup Borax
1 cup Super Washing Soda (not to be confused with baking soda. I find the Borax and SWS near the usual laundry supplies, but typically on the bottom shelf)
1 bar Zote or Fels Naptha soap (These two were both found on the top shelves near the fabric softeners. They are great for pre-treating stains, so the theory is that with this included, I won't need to shout out those baseball stains! I hear rumor that Ivory or Dove can be used as well.)

The Directions:
Grate the bar of Zote or Fels Naptha and allow to dry out over night for easier crumbling. Once dry, measure in the remaining ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon or your finger tips, which seemed to work just fine for me. I used Zote for this load, but I currently have 2 bars of Fels Naptha in my possession for the next batch.

I used 2 Tablespoons of my mixture per average size load. I operate my washing machine with only cold water to save on electrical expenses, and I've always had an okay turnout. For this sample load, I pretreated nothing and threw in an assortment of our everyday washing items.

The Results:
I'm both pleased and unimpressed. It worked, and I would say well; however, it didn't take out the baseball stains as well as the recipe had promised. With that small drawback, it was a great money saver for us because we do an unreasonable amount of laundry, and the clothes still came out clean. The smell is a little lemony from the Borax, which both Luke and I like. I washed the baseball pants with the shout sprayed on them, and they came out great the next time around. I have two sensitive skin men in the house, so another test was to see how they reacted over the week. No spots or itchies!

I spent $2.50 on a 4 pound box of Borax, $2.00 on a 3.5 pound box of SWS, and $0.99 on the bar of soap ($1.97 for a double bar of Zote). Considering I only use 2 Tablespoons of the mix, it seems safe to say this is budget friendly. 

Ultimately, if the cost of powdered detergents makes you groan and you can spare about 10 minute to make your own, it's worth it.



Next, I read an article about how the aroma and fumes from traditional household cleaning chemicals can put us in a bad mood more often than not. With that in mind, I found a quick recipe for a dusting/furniture polish.

The Recipe
 1/4 cup organic apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon of oil (I used jojoba just because it never goes rancid, and I have a bottle leftover from soap making. Olive oil would be a great second choice.)

The Directions  
Mix and store in a closed jar, such as an old spaghetti sauce or mayonnaise container.

The Results
Wow - what a fabulous cleaner! The apple cider vinegar, while stinky at first, left no aroma behind whatsoever. What it did do was dig deep down into the wood pores and pull up all the dirt left from grimy hands and fingers. The oil was just enough to leave a shine behind, but no greasy residue to speak of. Today is day 2 after using the homemade polish, and my wooden tables are still dust free and clean. I'm anticipating using this weekly, so if we can go a week without dusty shelves, it's a winner in my book.