The Best Oil Cleanser Recipe for Clear, Glowing Skin
Clean your face with oils? Sounds crazy, but it’s one of the best things you can do for your skin!
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Oil cleansing is the process of using oils to cleanse your face. So instead of using soap or foaming cleansers, you are using straight-up oils to wash your face.
Yes – you can remove makeup, dirt, impurities and all that jazz without soap. In fact, soap is probably one of the worst things you can use on your skin! You probably notice that dry, tight feeling that happens when you clean your face with soap or a foaming cleanser right? Well, that’s not a good thing! You are stripping your skin of all of its natural oils. Your skin needs these natural oils so it doesn’t OVERPRODUCE them – hence leaving you with even oilier skin.
Soap also messes with the pH balance of your skin – which tends to make skin conditions worse.
Bottom line – your face is delicate and we want to do the best we can to nourish and protect that precious skin…and oils are the way to go!
Oil Cleansing Transformed My Skin
I was a tried and true Cetaphil girl. I would wash my face morning and night with Cetaphil and then apply my benzoyl peroxide acne medicine to my forehead (cringing at the damage this did to my skin right now).
I stuck to this routine for years because it seemed to be working. I was always told I have “combination skin”. My t-zone was greasy and I had little dry patches around my nose, with breakouts here and there.
After ditching cetaphil, the acne medication and other fancy (probably toxic) products, my skin went through periods of horrible breakouts, then melasma and then hormonal acne (that was fun at 36). I’ve seen it all people!
I started cleaning up my skincare routine and became very curious about oil cleansing. I started using Argan Oil as a moisturizer and I really loved how it made my skin look and feel. I gradually ditched the natural cleanser I was using and just turned to Argan Oil as my main product. I would moisturize with it morning and night, just using water to clean my face.
I noticed that my “combination skin” evened out and I wasn’t super greasy in my t-zone anymore. Dry patches? Gone!
I now understood that using oil on my face is the best thing I can do for my skin!
Facial Oils in this Recipe
Once Argan Oil opened my eyes to the world of oils, I have experimented with so many different types on my skin. There are specific oils I like to use for cleansing, certain ones I like to use in my serums and other ones that I only use on my body.
I have built my oil collection over the past seven years so please don’t think you need to run out and buy a million different oils. Start with one or two and then go from there. I was strictly an Argan Oil girl for about three years!
For oil cleansing, my favorite combination is Sesame Oil, Olive Oil and Lemon Essential Oil. So basic right? Two oils that might be sitting in your cupboard right now! Let’s break it down.
Sesame Oil is high in antioxidants and Vitamin E and sooo good for skin soothing and healing. My skin feels so much smoother since I have incorporated this oil into my routine.
Olive Oil is extremely emollient (softening, soothing), cleansing, anti-inflammatory and fights all those nasty free radicals. It gives you an overall glow!
Lemon Essential Oil is an incredible essential oil for the skin. It’s a natural antiseptic, super cleansing, great for acne and dark spots – basically an overall anti-aging powerhouse.
Oil Facial Cleanser Recipe
2 Tbsp Sesame Oil (organic, unrefined – not toasted!)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil (I use calendula-infused OO for extra skin benefits, but regular cold-pressed organic olive oil is amazing too)
20 drops Lemon Essential Oil
Add the Lemon essential oil to a 2 ounce dropper bottle and then add in the Sesame and Olive Oil. Shake to mix up all of the ingredients. Done!
How To Use Your Oil Cleanser
Apply a few drops in your palm and rub your hands together, apply all over your face, really massaging it in. Take your time, this part should feel really good!
Take a warm washcloth and gently rub the oil off your face. I usually do this twice. Apply your nightly serum (you could use this recipe for your serum too!) or moisturizer and you’re good to go.
FAQ
1. I have oily skin, will oil cleansing make it worse?
NO! Oil cleansing will balance out the natural sebum in your skin which means you’re skin will no longer be producing excess oil. I had a really oily t-zone and once I started oil cleansing it totally balanced out!
2. Will Lemon Essential Oil make my skin sensitive to the sun?
Lemon essential oil has a low risk for phototoxicity (making your skin sensitive to the sun) which is why we kept this recipe at a 2% dilution. It’s also recommended to wait about 12 hours before going out in the sun after using lemon oil. Always oil cleanse at night and this won’t be a problem!
3. Don’t I need Castor Oil in my oil cleansing recipe?
A lot of facial oil cleansing recipes use castor oil as one of the main ingredients because of its astringent properties. You absolutely do not need to use it, but if you want to add it to the recipe go right ahead. You can customize this cleanser to your liking – that’s the beauty of making your own skincare products!
I would recommend only adding a teaspoon or so of castor oil to start – it’s super thick. I initially started oil cleansing with a mix of castor oil and olive oil (the standard when it comes to oil cleansing) and it really irritated my skin. It might be good for you though! It’s all about experimenting to see what works.
Are you ready to make the switch to oil cleansing?! Give me a hell yea in the comments!
