432 replies to this topic

[skd0105]

I've been using the OCM since mid August and have never had any problems with it, but I've also never experienced the deep purging everyone on here keeps talking about. For the first few weeks, I actually used cheap Canola cooking oil along with Castor oil, and even that didn't break me out. Since, I've been using EVOO. I actually just like the OCM because if keeps my skin from drying out. I used Accutane TWICE and my skin hasn't been the same since. My derm actually wants be to go through a third cycle of accutane, but I'm not willing to do it again.

For those thinking about using OCM, I wouldn't consider it a miracle cure for acne. However, I personally like it because it doesn't irritate my skin, which can be an issue if you're using a harsh topical like BP. But I guess if you have really oily skin, it might not be the best idea. It's not right for everyone.

Now here's my question. Has anyone ever had an allergic reaction to grape seed oil?

I bought a bottle, thinking it would make my oil cleansing that much better. I haven't used it yet as part of my oil mixture I use for cleansing, but I did try it out as a moisturizer and at first I didn't notice much of a difference. Then all of a sudden I got this nasty rash along my jaw and under my eye, no acne, just red itchy bumps. So I decided to try a skin test on the underside of my forearm and there was no reaction. Now I'm wondering if it's the grape seed oil or something else. Has anyone else had a bad reaction to grape seed oil?

I know it has been a long time since you posted this, but I also had a horrible allergic reaction to grapeseed oil last year. I ended up with a rash and even hives. I know it was the grapeseed oil because the lotion I used only contained 2 ingredients, aloe vera and grapeseed oil, and I had used aloe vera for years with no rash. Anyway I wanted to tell you that because even my doctor had never heard of this allergy before, but it definitely exists. I have to make sure I never buy a product with that ingredient.

As for OCM, I have been using it for over a year, and it is the only method that has actually cleared my skin. I started having horrible breakouts (including cystic acne) out of the blue about three years ago when I was 22, and tried every product I could find in the store and nothing worked. I have extremely sensitive skin, and I believe that was a huge part of why no store bought cleanser would work for me.

I have noticed that my method is very different from everyone else's here because I have never used castor oil. I use EVOO with orange essential oil, and sometimes I add in pure aloe vera or pure vegetable glycerin for extra moisture. After cleansing with the EVOO I use almond oil with one drop of lavender and a few drops of rosehip seed oil as a moisturizer. Considering that this works perfectly for me, I believe I must have skin far drier than I realized! But I really would recommend that people with very sensitive or dry skin 1) try another cleansing oil besides castor, as orange oil cleanses without drying 2) use a moisturizer in addition to OCM.

Like a lot of users have stated, no method will work for everyone. But I just read the entire thread and there are a lot of people who had terrible experiences with OCM. I wanted to add a positive review for it because it was an absolute life saver for me. I did not want to leave my house for over a year because of my skin problems, but using the above routine my skin looks better than it has in YEARS. The angry red marks left from those old breakouts are fading quickly since I began moisturizing with almond oil and rosehip seed oil.

I will say, in all fairness to those that believe it caused bad acne, that I had a long purging period on my forehead when I began using the almond oil as a moisturizer instead of aloe vera. I stuck it out and the breakout cleared up in about 4-5 weeks.

[lexib]

To skd0105:

I also had a bad reaction to grapessed oil twice this year, earlier in January and later this past summer, which lead me to have the worst breakot of my life. I just recently realized why it happened when I had resumed using it again over the summer. I think the breakout occured because the grapeseed oil I was using had gone rancid and I hadn't realized it since I did not know what fresh grapeseed oil should smeel like, and considering that I live in a very hot part of the country and my room can get stuffy over the summer. I did wonder though, and compared it to a more recent bottle and realized that the color was really different and wasn't the same color as when I bought it. It was a light to medium brown color, compared to the light green color of a newer bottle. But I'm just writing this to tell you that maybe your grapeseed oil was just a bad batch and not actually an allergic reaction. But i dont blame you for not trying it again, I dont plan to ever try it again.

Edited by lexib, 21 September 2011 - 09:26 PM.

[betsy91]

For you make up users, I'd like some help. I've been doing this and it's great it's just that when I do it, my mascara stays with the oil and I feel like that breaks me out. How do you ensure all the oil is off? Because when I think it is I whipe my face and realize residues from my mascara is all over my face. I don't want it to stay there and clog my pores Also can you do this with just regular steaming and a bowl?

[LoveGreenSmoothies]

I tried this while I was clear for more moisture and it broke me out. I would warn anyone using it that if you start breaking out while doing this to stop right away. I've read some reviews where people got full-blown cystic acne from this. For a few it can work, but I find those people usually are pretty clear to begin with and never had cystic acne.

[betsy91]

Well that's because you get an initial purging. It's pulling out all the gunk for good... You can't just give up. You have to give your skin time.

[LoveGreenSmoothies]

Well that's because you get an initial purging. It's pulling out all the gunk for good... You can't just give up. You have to give your skin time.

Oh I call BS. I'm so sick of hearing about this "purging" nonsense. A lot of times when people 'purge' it just means it will never work and they're headed for cystic acne and scarring. I fell for the purging crap and ended up with monster acne and scarring. If something breaks you out, you stop. And like someone else said, oils can't clean your face and people with acne have a ton of bacteria that needs to be washed away.

[Dezypeche]

Hello! I was just wondering what % of each oil (castor/jojoba) I should use if I have. Very oily skin. Also does it work for back breakouts? Plz get back to me anyone with personal experience or knowledge. Thank you!
Sincerely-super oily

[Felina]

Wow, this is AMAZING! I have been doing the OCM for only a week and my skin has improved sooo much! I have one pimple ATM, I usually have around 15-20 at a time... My pores seem to be smaller, the skin less greasy (probably cause now it doesn't have to produce that much oil anymore to compensate for the oil I have been washing off several times a day with my previous cleansers)! Thank you so much for sharing this, this was really the solution for me!

I am currently using EVOO and castor oil 50:50. What are the properties of jojoba compared to the EVOO?

I use this after each cleansing session, makes my skin feel fresh and healthy, love it!

http://www.thebodysh...ing-lotion.aspx

[mystril]

A point to note:

1) Most satisfied users of OCM are likely NOT to return to update on their good progress
2) Most users that experienced breakout are highly likely to update on their breakouts

Therefore a disproportional group that voiced in this thread are more geared to the negative side.
If you've explored some popular threads here, you'll be surprised on how some posters "exaggerate" their breakouts. Please do not be put-off by extremities. But it's up to your judgement ultimately. Moderation is key. Therefore it's important to take each comments with a pinch of salt.


My Views on OCM

1) Quality of the oils you're using
2) Your diet
3) How aggressive you take care of your skin (e.g Topicals, Sun Exposure, Hygiene..)


What OCM does it to treat the surface. Not the roots of Acne.
It might be menstrual, diet or stress-related.
I took me 5 years to realize gluten and weak intestinal walls cause my severe acne.


This regime might be too risky for people with tendency for inflammation or sensitive skins.


My take:
Cleanse your skin and your body.

Endnote:
Acne is not just external factors. If we take in all the factors, we'll be surprised on how just relying on treating "what comes out" is counterproductive and often leads to disappointments.

Edited by mystril, 05 October 2011 - 11:20 AM.

[LoveGreenSmoothies]

A point to note:

1) Most satisfied users of OCM are likely NOT to return to update on their good progress
2) Most users that experienced breakout are highly likely to update on their breakouts

Therefore a disproportional group that voiced in this thread are more geared to the negative side.
If you've explored some popular threads here, you'll be surprised on how some posters "exaggerate" their breakouts. Please do not be put-off by extremities. But it's up to your judgement ultimately. Moderation is key. Therefore it's important to take each comments with a pinch of salt.


My Views on OCM

1) Quality of the oils you're using
2) Your diet
3) How aggressive you take care of your skin (e.g Topicals, Sun Exposure, Hygiene..)


What OCM does it to treat the surface. Not the roots of Acne.
It might be menstrual, diet or stress-related.
I took me 5 years to realize gluten and weak intestinal walls cause my severe acne.


This regime might be too risky for people with tendency for inflammation or sensitive skins.


My take:
Cleanse your skin and your body.

Endnote:
Acne is not just external factors. If we take in all the factors, we'll be surprised on how just relying on treating "what comes out" is counterproductive and often leads to disappointments.

Well, I was totally clear when I tried it. I did it for moisture since my skin was dry. I was on an antiandrogen for acne, so the hormonal part was covered. Of course I practice good hygiene -- except for when I washed my face with oils because that isn't good hygiene, since it doesn't remove bacteria. I have a good diet. Acne went away right when I stopped the OCM.

[I hate redspots]

is there any point doing this purely with jojoba oil?

[mystril]

I tried just using Jojoba oil as I only had that bottle!

For me, it made me breakout.

First, it's too drying on skin. Turns out skin gets "oilier" to compensate for both

1) Dryness from Jojoba Oil
2) Irritation from antiseptic aspect of Jojoba Oil

But it is my opinion and guess.

It's better to balance "Attack" & "Heal" for OCM Method.

Too much of a medicine will become poison. So does Jojoba Oil.

As the many users' opinion, having a good mix is crucial. But note, this doesn't complete clears acne.

It's only an alternative way to wash our faces.

Diet Exercise and stress can't be contained with just OCM. Good luck!

[kimisj]

http://www.cosmetics...-oily-skin.aspx

In my opinion, Paula Begoun is right. The OCM may get rid off all the excess oil on the surface but doesn't treat the underlying problem (improving pore shape etc.)
I won't try it, because it probably is really bad for acne/blackhead prone skin.
Also, you're recommending essential oils - one of the most potentially irritating ingredients!!!

[morningface]

Success story here!

Skin: I have oily skin, sensitive-ish, mild-to-moderate hereditary (hormonal?) acne (my mother had problems with acne until menopause). I had blackheads, milia, cysts, and the occasional surface infected spot.

I was prescribed retin-a to clear things up, and it did wonders for the milia and cysts, and helped with the blackheads everywhere but my nose. Unfortunately, it also gave me giant dry flakey and paradoxically oily patches on my cheeks where the acne was worst. Nothing was working to clear up the dry spots, and I didn't want to quit the retin-a entirely because it was working so nicely on the actual acne. I had had good luck with (gradually, over ~2 years) washing my hair less to make it less like an oil slick (I used to have to wash every day, now I wash 3-4x a week, depending on what I'm doing and what I want my hair to look like) so I wanted to try a less harsh approach to my face.

That said, I did end up making a lot of changes to my regimen, so YMMV. But OCM+Steam has been really helpful in keeping me clear and non-flakey. I've been doing this since late November, so I'm willing to say this is long-term successful for me.

Mixture: I started out using straight jojoba oil (ordered from this site), and then when that seemed to work ok, I picked up some cold-press castor oil from the cosmetics section of my local healthfood store. I use ~80-90% jojoba oil + 10-20% castor oil. I mix it up in a little glass bottle and just eyeballed it. I started out with Jojoba oil mostly because I already had it on hand. I'd been using it in the evenings to augment my moisturizer, and had not had any noticable breakout as a result, so I wasn't concerned about using more of it.

I pour out slightly more than a quarter-size amount, and massage it GENTLY into dry skin, preferably before I hop in the shower. I've never had the patience to massage it all that long, but I find it very relaxing to hang out in the warm shower and massage my face for a few minutes. Then, I wash up as per usual.

The last thing I do is steam my face. I turn the water a tiny bit hotter, soak the wash cloth, and just hold it against my face for a few minutes until I feel it cool. I aim for pleasnatly warm, not hot-hot. I repeat the process, doing my face in parts because I find it uncomfortable to have a warmwet washcloth over my nose and mouth at the same time. I do each part of my face at least twice, and as much as I have the patience for. The last thing I do is get the washcloth nice and hot and then GENTLY SO SO GENTLY wipe my face. I switch out the towel somewhere between every 2 weeks and once a month, depending on how much laundry I feel like doing.

The thing that took the longest for me to get used to was the clean sensation that isn't that squeaky-clean freshly-washed-with-soap feel. Now I try and judge if it feels clean, or still feels like there is oil. I will often wipe around my hairline a second time, to keep it out of my hair, but I try to avoid too much wiping.

After I pop out of the shower and dry off, I usually use a treatment and moisturizer. ~1-2x a week, I use my retin-a/retin-a+BP (I can't remember the brand name). 2-3x a week, I use the AHA+ from this site. The rest of the time, I just slap on moisturizer (also from this site) and call it a day.

In the morning, I most often rinse with warmish water and moisturize. If I'm feeling oily and impatient, I bust out my Cetaphil extra-ultra-gentle cleanser, but I find myself noticing the tightness even more.

I've tried moisturizing with the jojoba oil on it's own, but I find it leave me feeling super-oily and shiny instantly. I only do that at night, in the winter, if I'm feeling particularly dry.

My skin is currently much better than it has ever been since I hit puberty. I still have the tiny blackheads, but the milia/assorted bumps have basically disapeared. I just got my first cyst in a long time, and it is super-tiny and not nearly as giant and painful as they usually were. Providing I keep my hands away from my face, the red infect-y spots are mostly a thing of the past (and if not, a topical prescription antibiotic, BP, or the retin-a+BP clears it up almost instantly). And really, the overall texture/tone of my skin feels a bit magical. That said, if I slack on any part of the routine, my skin does start deteriorating after about a week.

For those thinking about trying OCM+Steam, I want to encourage people to read as much as they can. The google search reaults for oil cleansing are abundant and varied. It certainly isn't a method for everyone. I would also encourage people to take it slow. I started out using it once a week. I increased my usage after I liked how my skin didn't feel tight and dry afterwards like it did with my usual cleansers, and noticed a speedy decrease in the dry flakeyness in my trouble spots. Of course, that could also be down to my derease in retin-a usage, though I had decreased my retin-a usage prior to starting OCM+Steam and my skin was getting worse (more blackheads, bumps, milia) with no major improvement in the dry spots. I wasn't patient enough to really test it out, but since I'm happy with my current skin status, I'm going to run with it. :D

I found a useful list of potential carrier oils at a site called Crunch Betty. This might help people pick oils that might be helpful. I'm obviously partial to jojoba, but there are a lot of options, and it sounds like there are a lot of mixed results. Healthfood stores are a good option for purchasing the oils. I saw nearly all of these oils at my healthfood store in the cosmetics/moisturizer section. That's also where I purchased a tiny glass bottle that I mix my oils in, so I don't have to be mixing every time I want to clean my face (also, so I can take it with me when I travel, which is way too often).

Good Oil Cleansing Varieties

• Jojoba (all skin types, but very desirable for acne-prone skin)
• Sweet almond (all skin types, especially oily)
• Grapeseed (all skin types, especially oily)
• Avocado (dry and aging skin)
• Sunflower Seed (all skin types)
• Olive (all skin types)
• Apricot Kernel (dry, aging, and normal skin)
• Argan (all skin types, especially aging skin … very pricey)
• Tamanu (all skin types … very pricey)

Sorry for the super-long post, but I wanted to give as many details and background as I could for people thinking about using this method!

Edited by morningface, 20 February 2012 - 01:24 PM.

[tangt88]

I tried OCM last year with Castor oil, grapeseed oil, and jojoba with a drop of tea tree oil. I cracked open the oils brand new, and put it into a new, sterilized 1oz pump bottle to prevent contamination. For the first week I thought it would work. I did feel some graininess being rubbed out of my nose. My skin DID glow even after thorough, gentle removal of the oils and it felt nice and supple. After the first week, I started to develop very small flesh coloured bumps near my mouth and chin. Over the next couple weeks these migrated to my whole face. EVERYWHERE. Here's the thing, I was 90% clear at the time I started OCM. It was not really to treat any severe acne, as it was to help with the blackheads and gunky pores around my T-zone. My cheeks were absolutely baby-bottom perfect at this time. The texture of my skin got weirder and weirder until it seemed like my skin was just naturally grainy and rough. No makeup would apply nicely and sunlight really emphasized the weird texture my face had taken on. I STOPPED using the oils because I was freaked out, and these bumps. very slowly over the next 4-5 months surfaced as really painful cysts. Never all at once, some were so deep in there that it took months before they finally came to head.

I don't know about an initial breakout or purging period, but I will never try this again (even if it was somehow my fault) simply because I had not so much as a blemish on my cheeks and it caused what seemed like every single pore to fill up. Even going as far as my "laugh line" area, where my jaw meets my chin, and on my upper cheeks, all of which are areas I've never seen a pimple on in my life. This happened in May-June, and I was dealing with the bumps turning into cysts all the way until November. Even now, I see pores which have stretched out and sometimes fill up with gunk or look dark in areas where my skin used to be perfect and pore/acne free. (My breakouts were always limited to certain areas of my face). About 2 weeks of OCM unfortunately gave me 6 months of horrible skin.

It's disappointing as I see that it has worked well for a few people and I had high hopes for the first week, but that's just my experience with it.

[Brissyguy]

A point to note:

1) Most satisfied users of OCM are likely NOT to return to update on their good progress
2) Most users that experienced breakout are highly likely to update on their breakouts

Therefore a disproportional group that voiced in this thread are more geared to the negative side.

I agree with what you say mystril, but from these testimonials, it does seem like the general consensus is that the OCM is detrimental to the skin.
I've just read through 21 pages and it seems like in the beggining, everything was glowing, but the last 4 pages is quite scary to read.
I've been doing alot of reading and was intending to purchase some products to start the OCM this weekend, but I guess I'll hold it off.
My skin is dull and looks horrible and I was really looking forward to it. Perhaps the people who experienced side effects
left too much oil on and used too much castor oil? Perhaps double cleansing would be more benificial?
I just find it curious that the OP has not posted since. It would be nice to see how he's doing and to provide some advice.
Anyhoo, if you've got some success stories, or some not-so-good stories please share. Dang it, I was really looking forward to doing this.

[PatrickParker]

Just found this thread on google, but I have been cleansing with jojoba oil for a while now and it has my skin looking amazing and beautiful. Might add castor oil to my regiment because I also heard its good for your hair as well as acne scars. I don't oil cleanse with the wash cloth though... I just rub the jojoba on my face, chest, shoulders, and hair then shower it off with warm water. I don't put on any OTC topicals or sunscreen... Instead I use acv/green tea toner and maybe some witch hazel and rosewater spray if I'm going out. I think this method is great for your acid mantle which is different for chicks so maybe oil cleansing works better for dudes...

[lightersUP]

Wow, where to begin... I did the OCM for about 2 months and it really messed up my face. Please BEWARE of this method if you have combo, acne-prone skin like myself.

I used a blend of olive oil, castor oil, and tea tree oil and did the cleansing diligently every morning and night. I followed up with a light application of the same oil blend as a moisturizer. The first week, my face was glowing, radiant and I was so excited that I might have found my holy grail cleansing regimen. Boy was I so wrong! Every morning after that, I noticed new whiteheads cropping up in random places, but I still stuck to the OCM. I thought that this was an initial purge but the breakouts just kept going. I also noticed some tender red spots and breakouts in places that have been clear for years. I even had breakouts in my moustache and eyebrows. Still I kept with it, hoping that it would all pass. It didn't, and it just got worse and worse. I also noticed that some of the acne would be very red and painful.

I woke up one morning, looked at my face in the mirror and was horrified. This was the last straw for me. The OCM was ruining my complexion and I had to stop.

I read a bit more about OCM and found this link:

http://www.cosmetics...-oily-skin.aspx

Please read that link before even considering this method. I realized that for me personally, OCM just wasn't cleansing my skin deeply enough, and my pores were clogging up. I needed to get back into the rhythm of a daily BHA cleansing to clean out my pores.

I came into this with an open mind and gave it many weeks, but sadly the OCM didn't work for me. I'm not trying to sound like a jerk here but this just goes to show how much it ruined my complexion. I seriously have never had such a persistent and thorough breakout slowly covering my entire face. My forehead, cheeks, chin, and neck were breaking out all at once and this has never happened to me in my entire life. I really think it was the worse breakout I've ever had, and the only thing I was using were these oils. My jawline was pristine when I started this, and when I finally stopped OCM, it was just a bumpy red mess. It's never been like that EVER. Overall, I counted over 20 breakouts all over my face at once, and I started OCM with a fairly clear face. It was time to let it go.

Since then, I've returned to normal cleansing. Using a BHA face wash, and an AHA moisturizer spiked with Tea Tree Oil for antibacterial effect (that's the only useful way to incorporate oil into my regimen). This is working well for me and thankfully clearing up my face again.

So to everyone here, BEWARE and listen to your face when considering OCM. Sure, it would be nice to go all natural, but I really think I'm better off with the traditional means of BHA/AHA cleansing.

[k3tchup]

I feel you should only use this method if you have OILY SKIN. Those people with normal skin should not use this because we produce enough oils to the point we dont need to add more to them. I read somewhere that this method works for some and not others because the oils from this method sit on the skin and prevent our own oils from reaching the surface creating havoc for the skin. Your skin needs to breath and this method can prevent that for some.

I've read mixed results on this helping people with dry skin though i think i would work. Those with oily skin though i could see this working and actually (when the right oils are used) tell the skin to produce less oil leading to less break outs. This isnt always the case but can work.

Although interesting to note, I used Jojoba oil (used in Dr Bronners soap) to dissolve the non inflammatory clogged pores on my forehead. I was surpised this worked but it does. So I would suggest it to whoever has this or blackheads that need to be gone. Other than that I think this method like the previous poster said can seriously F up your skin so beware.

For people like me who's skin is relatively normal this is the worse thing i could ever do.

Edited by k3tchup, 16 March 2012 - 12:55 AM.

[w3ndy1019]

I have oily /combination skin and although I dont have a huge problem with acne, I do have it sometimes. I have been using the OCM for a couple months and it has worked great. I started with 50/50 castor oil and EVOO but have had to alter that a it as it was actually DRYING my face out but once I got the right combination it has been great! I also use 50/50 Vitamin E and jojoba oil for a moisturizer. I was afraid at first to try it but basic chemistry tells you it should work. Commercial products are so harmful to your skin! This method is great! I do it at night before bed.