Written by Kate TietjeToday’s DIY project is an oil-cleansing blend. Curious about what oil cleansing is?
Oil cleansing is a method of washing your face that is completely safe and healthy for your skin. The idea is that oil is the best way to break down the oils and build up in your skin without actually stripping your face. It cleans gently and leaves natural moisture in your skin. Sound pretty good?
I’ve used it on and off since 2011 and love it. I especially love this blend, though. I tried a blend before that was 1 part castor oil to 3 parts sweet almond oil, with a few drops of lemon essential oil. It was okay — but I still felt like my skin was pretty stripped and dry after. This new blend is great (we’ll get to that).
Here is how oil cleansing works:
- Create a blend of castor oil (this is a must; it is what cleans your skin) and nourishing oil (olive, sweet almond, avocado, apricot kernel, etc.).
- Spread the oil over your (dry) face.
- Choose a large washcloth and get it wet with the hottest water you can stand. Place this over your face for a minute until it cools. The steam is opening your pores and drawing out the junk.
- Repeat once or twice with the steaming washcloth.
- Use the washcloth to gently exfoliate your face in all areas.
- Dip the washcloth into really cold water and pat it over your face (to close your pores and seal in moisture).
Done! This process takes me less than 10 minutes each night, and I only do it once daily. Sometimes, I follow up with Pineapple-Infused Face Lotion (if you don’t want to make your own, check out Earthley’s Skin Care Line).
Why Pineapple?
Why did I include pineapple in this? Pineapple is known for helping smooth skin and erase the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. I looked it up and found that the bromelain in pineapple is known for helping “fix” problem skin (scars, collagen production, fine lines, wrinkles, etc.).
I thought, hmm…I bet I could integrate this into oil cleansing. So, I decided to infuse the oil with pineapple and use this to clean my face. Isn’t that neat?
Oil-Cleansing Blend
Now, there are a whole bunch of ways to do this. Just about everyone has their own way. Many people choose castor oil and olive oil; their ratios can be anything from 1:1 to 1:18 (use less castor oil for dry skin). So, you may need to play with the ratios here to find what works best for you.
This one works well for me. 🙂
If you want to simplify this, you can skip the pineapple parts and blend the oils. I only use oil if I don’t have a pineapple or just want to save time. It works just as well!
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup apricot oil
- 1/4 cup castor oil
- 1/2 cup pineapple cores and skin
Directions:
Step 1: Cut up your pineapple. Save the yummy parts to eat, and use the discarded parts (cores and skins) for this.
Step 2: Put your pineapple parts in a small pot.
Step 3: Cover with your apricot oil.
Step 4: Put it on the stove on low for about an hour. Watch it because it can boil easily. You want only a low simmer.
Step 5: Remove from heat and strain into a glass jar, discarding pineapple parts.
Step 6: Add your castor oil. The oil-cleansing blend will separate but don’t worry, it just needs to be shaken. Once it’s mixed, it will stay mixed. Please keep this in your bathroom and use it once a day. Easy!
Have you made your own oil cleansing blend? Does it work for you?
I tried oil cleansing for the full month of January. I am 28 and have combination skin that breaks out with my cycle in the tzone area. I researched oil cleansing for a solid week before I tried it, and ended up using an olive oil/castor oil/jojaba recipe from Crunchy Betty’s site that is supposed to help with acne. My skin felt amazing – the moisture was so great. I loved the way my skin felt using it. However, I broke out worse than before. I stuck with it, and the deep acne, in hopes it was just an initial purging, but I continued to break out the whole month. If anyone has any tips as to what I did wrong, I’d love to hear. I finally quit in desperation.
Other than the breakouts, my skin felt amazing and the crows feet around my eyes diminished. On the bright side, the left over oil I’d mixed up works amazingly well as an eye makeup remover, so I’m still using it that way. Advice please? I would love to make this work for me. And if your skin is less breakout-prone you’ll likely adore this method.
Oh my goodness, this looks amazing!!!! Thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks for sharing. Have been experimenting on making home skin care products for the fam. Like you we homeschool our 9 kids and we are adamant about doing everything in a heathy cost effective manner. Keep up the great posts, can’t wait to see your lotion recipe.
Have you tried other foods besides the pineapple? I don’t have one in my house but I need a new batch of oil and would love to try incorporating something else! I love this method, and have used apricot, avocado (I found this one too rich for me) jojoba and sesame oils. I really like the sesame and jojoba oils.
This is so cool, especially because it uses something that would normally be thrown away. Love that! Thanks for sharing at Healthy 2Day Wednesday and come back tomorrow to see if you were featured!
I have very oily skin and greasy hair, and have tried the oil cleansing method left me with greasier skin and oilier hair, even when I changed the formula to include more castor oil. However, I haven’t tried infusing anything, and wonder if that would help? I just can’t seem to get the oil off of my skin, and end up using a microfiber cloth to essentially strip it back off…
What about coconut oil for this?
[…] Oil Cleansing Blend […]
I too am wondering about using coconut oil. Also, I have a ton of inedible pineapple parts. Is there anything else I can do with them?
Thanks!
I love love love the oil cleansing method!!!
I have been using a mix of just 1/3 jojoba oil and 2/3 castor oil on my skin 1-2 times a day, for the past 3 months. I tried using coconut oil by itself, but it was too harsh and greasy. The frustration with breakouts, trying new products, and spending loads of money on different face products are what pushed me to research natural cleansing options for my skin. Now, I do not have to buy face cleanser, moisturizer, toner, masks, or make up remover. I use my oil blend in place of all of them. It took a little while to get over the concept of using oil instead of soap….but I convinced myself by reasoning that more than likely this is how women did it long ago. My face feels and looks great. I have ivory, combination skin.
How did this end up working for you?
[…] (I paid $9 for a 32-oz. bottle) and it’s perfectly safe on babies and adults. I make my own oil cleansing blend and face lotion (both pineapple-infused) instead of some expensive facial-care system (if you need […]
bromelain is an enzyme and aren’t enzymes destroyed with heat?
I’m 35 and get bad acne around my chin and mouth, with occasional eruptions elsewhere in my face. They take forever to heal, and I’ve tried many different options. My problem areas are greasy and the rest of my face is dry. I can’t seem to stick to any complicated regimen, won’t spend lots of $, and exhausted the prescription route.
I have begun oil cleansing (over a month now), and I use olive oil, tea tree oil, and castor oil. I mix it in one of those tiny bubble bottles you get at weddings, so I can play with the ratios as needed, and the blend is portable and fresh. I use a little syringe from kids’ Tylenol to measure: 1 part castor oil, 1-2 parts tea tree oil, and 7-8 parts olive oil.
I start by splashing warm water on my face to open pores. I dab dry on a clean towel just enough so my skin is moist but not dripping. I give the oil bottle a shake, and apply to my skin. I rub it in using my fingertips in a circular motion for 2 min. Then I wet a clean washcloth in hit water, wring out, and place on my face for 10-15 seconds. I then wet my hands in cold water and press on my face, repeating all over so my pores close, sealing moisture in. I pat dry on the clean towel.
My acne is greatly improved, and I don’t seem to get the deep cystic, scarring blemishes anymore, and my skin is healing more quickly. Plus, this feels do good and is do quick (just do it before bedtime), that I look forward to it and have kept it up every night!
Mornings I just splash a little cool water to freshen up. If I have a dry area, I just rub a little olive oil into it and dab any excess with a tissue.
The tea tree oil lends a welcome fresh scent.
Try oil cleansing!
I LOVE this idea of adding the pineapple to the oil blend! I’m going to give it a try next time I make dehydrated pineapple chips. 🙂 Plus I’m sure it smells divine!
[…] written about oil cleansing before. Another unfortunate “symptom” I’ve run across is break outs, for the […]
I adore the oil cleansing method! I have been using it for almost 4 years. When I first started it took me awhile to work out the ratio of caster oil to carrier oil (I use olive oil). I, too, had break-outs when I first started but that eventually cleared up and now I rarely get a pimple. I think finding the right ratio for your skin type is the key. It’s been years since I looked at a recipe but when I started I was told never to use a ration more than 20% castor to 80% carrier oil and that is for the oiliest skin. I use more like 15/85. I sometimes use a homemade toner after 1Tbls raw apple cider vinegar to 3-4Tbls water. It’s lovely.
[…] Instead, try a blend of castor oil and another “nourishing” oil (sweet almond, olive, avocado, jojoba — any liquid oil). Most people start with a 50/50 blend. Those with drier skin may need as much as 90% nourishing to 10% castor oil, and those with oilier skin may need a greater percentage of castor oil. Play with it until it works for you. This is the blend I use. […]
[…] oil recommended. This last time I made a diffuser I only had castor oil on hand (leftover from oil cleansing), and while it is a bit thick, it still […]
[…] (I paid $9 for a 32-oz. bottle) and it’s perfectly safe on babies and adults. I make my own oil cleansing blend and face lotion (both pineapple-infused) instead of some expensive facial-care system (if you need […]
[…] I’ve been doing is helping — oil cleansing and my acne salve — but it’s not enough. My skin has been damaged by the […]
[…] with either my lavender and green clay mask + a couple drops of tea tree oil (2x a week) or my oil cleansing blend. I’m following that with acne salve, and I’m currently making a rose and comfrey […]
[…] oil recommended. This last time I made a diffuser I only had castor oil on hand (leftover from oil cleansing), and while it is a bit thick, it still […]
[…] a small amount on skin every night before bed, spreading to cover evenly. I recommend using an oil cleansing blend to wash your face 6x a week, and the lavender and green clay mask on the 7th night. (Instead of […]
[…] Oil Cleansing Blend […]