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Bryan,
While I sincerely applaud your use of scientifically generated data to back your claims, I find your views to be closed-minded. Insulting people rarely wins people over to your point of view. It doesn't make you any friends, either.
Whence comes this bolt-from-the-blue? 
I haven't posted in this thread in several months, so I have no idea why you think I'm "closed-minded" or when/where I supposedly "insulted" anybody. The standard procedure in discussion forums like this is to quote somebody's previous post so we'll know what you're talking about, especially if several months have gone by.
Scientific thinking involves the constant challenging of what we think we know in order to reinforce the strength of our arguments. So I propose this to you:
Follow the Oil Cleansing Method yourself for a reasonable period of time. I don't know how your oil measuring strips work, but if possible, take a baseline reading shortly after application to assess the amount of residual oil left by your cleansing. See how your sebum production using the OCM varies from sebum production using your current regimen. If you don't already have data regarding oil production with your current regimen, take the time to assess this first before you introduce any changes.
So you think applying oil to my skin will make it produce less sebum? I've never done that test on myself; all I've done is tried different washing schemes (intense washing, compared to no washing at all), and there's been no difference in sebum production between those two. Do you really think applying oil to my skin would make a difference?
BTW, even though _I_ haven't tried that, Kligman & Shelley did that as one of the many tests in their exhaustive 1958 study, and they found no effect on sebum.
I have been using tea tree oil and eucalyptus oil diluted in water for the last couple of weeks. I wash my face with Burt's Bees deep cleansing creme, then put honey or coconut oil on for about 15-20 min. After this i apply the diluted oils to my face and let it dry. Usually it leaves my skin somewhat dry, but not really bad. I apply sweet almond oil to the dry spots and haven't had any really bad breakouts or anything from it. I haven't had any really bad breakouts since i've been doing this! Essential oils are really good for your skin!
I suggest checking the pH on that cleansing creme. I don't know anything about that product specifically, but a lot of the Burt's Bees soaps and cleansers are highly alkaline and damaging to the skin. 
(skin info: oily t-zone, blackhead problem on nose, acne overall isn't too bad.. random pimples every week or so)
I got frustrated the other day that a few of the new products I've been using hasn't been working in the slightest in clearing up the blackheads so I saw my old bottle of OCM (50/50 castor/evoo - tried it in the past and it just made me break out) and I decided to give it another go since everyone claimed that this cleared up blackheads like nothing they've ever tried.
This time, however, I decided to see what would happen if I massaged it in for a longer period of time. I use to do it for about 5 minutes and throw in a steam halfway through the process. I think I massaged it in for about 45 minutes while adding in a hot towel steam every 15ish minutes. Gritty hard shit and what looked like little black slivers appeared frequently on my hands and, at first, I thought that maybe it was some shit that fell out of my hair (idk) but I did it another time yesterday and it happened again. In terms of seeing an actual difference in whether or not I have a smaller amount of blackheads, I'm not sure yet. I definitely did notice that there were a few spots that looked like they previous had a blackhead in it but looked.. different? I don't know. I can't even remember a time what it looked like to have a pore on my nose not be clogged.
I'm just wondering if this would be an effective method just to unclog pores? Let me describe my nightly process:
1. OCM for 45ish minutes with various steamings.
2. Mild cleanser to get the rest of the oil shit off.
3. Dr. H CC (I'm not sure if I should just throw out the mild cleanser thing and just use this alone? The way you apply Dr. H's CC makes me feel like it wouldn't get off all the leftover oils.)
4. Epidermx II for exfoliation.
5. ACV toner.
6. BHA 5% on nose.
7. Some gel shit that an esth recommended I try for oil control haha~ I want to say it's a Skin Essentials product but I don't remember offhand.
8. Neutrogena oil-free moisturizer.
My morning routine is really just shave, few splashes of cold water, tone, gel junk, and moisturize.
I've never had so many steps to my cleansing process but my skin hasn't reacted too harshly after doing it for three days so far. Last night, I picked up some jojoba oil and used that instead of the castor/evoo. From everything I'm reading, I'm thinking of doing a 25/75 castor/jojoba for the extra cleansing.
Does anyone foresee any problems from me doing in this on a continued nightly basis? Is there any way that I could make my process more effective? I've been reading a lot on OCM but I never heard of anyone doing it for more then 20ish minutes and although oil control is a concern of mine, I'll forgo trying to argue whether or not OCM helps with oil control 
and stick with whether or not it will rid me of blackheads.
ok, so i started the Oil Cleansing Method about 10 days ago. I'm using a mix of roughly 60% castor oil, 39.8% grapeseed oil and a few drops of tea tree oil.
I start by getting in a hot shower and letting the steam open my pores, then I apply the oil mix. I then follow the instructions as listed in the original post.
i've found that I love the way my skin feels afterwards, but I've recently broken out BIG TIME. My forehead, chin and nose are breaking out the worst. I try not to pick, but there's this giant one on my nose that gets so large and impacted it's painful. over the last 4 days, it has squirted the mirror 5 times...voluminously.
is this a normal reaction to the OCM? I'm thinking to myself "Pretend it's a colonic for your face. Sure a colonic makes you healthier, but not until is gets all the crap out" Is this right? i've never had an adverse reaction to TTO, but maybe using it in combination with the other oils is causing the problem. any advice?
ok, so i started the Oil Cleansing Method about 10 days ago. I'm using a mix of roughly 60% castor oil, 39.8% grapeseed oil and a few drops of tea tree oil.
I start by getting in a hot shower and letting the steam open my pores, then I apply the oil mix. I then follow the instructions as listed in the original post.
i've found that I love the way my skin feels afterwards, but I've recently broken out BIG TIME. My forehead, chin and nose are breaking out the worst. I try not to pick, but there's this giant one on my nose that gets so large and impacted it's painful. over the last 4 days, it has squirted the mirror 5 times...voluminously.
is this a normal reaction to the OCM? I'm thinking to myself "Pretend it's a colonic for your face. Sure a colonic makes you healthier, but not until is gets all the crap out" Is this right? i've never had an adverse reaction to TTO, but maybe using it in combination with the other oils is causing the problem. any advice?
Your reaction isn't caused by the Tea Tree Oil, but rather it's caused by the flushing contaminants out of your face, and sometimes that mobilizes previously encapsulated/dormant bacteria causing people to breakout. the Tea Tree oil is supposed to prevent that, but it sounds like you aren't using very much Tea Tree oil. TeaTree Oil is one of the more mild essential oils and is very beneficial to the skin selectively killing the bacteria causing the pimples. It's the one ingredient that's supposed to prevent this process from becoming what it has become for you.
So you got to kill the recently mobilized bacteria that's causing the pimples. After you do the oil cleansing what I would do is to apply full strength TeaTree Oil onto the whiteheads (or emerging pimples) twice daily. Let it soak in and don't wash it off (unless you have really sensitive skin, and then only lightly rinse it). I do this (full concentration TTO) with pimples and they completely disappear before becoming whiteheads.
Afterwards, if sore, you can also reduce swelling and redness around each pimple with aspirin - just add a drop of water to an aspirin, when it get's mushy put it on the pimples and let it dry and flake off. You may repeat this process if needed to reduce pimple redness and swelling.
Thanks so much for posting this...
I've been using OCM for three weeks and my skin is 90% clear. I'm down to using BP for spot treatment. I am still using alpha-hydroxy too.
My mix is 50% jojoba/50%castor oil with a drop or two of rosemary oil. Works like a charm!
I posted before/after pics. The after pic has me in makeup but you can still see my skin is mostly clear.
(((HUGS)))
Ari
I've been doing the OCM for about two weeks and I've got mixed emotions about it.
My formerly oil-slick face is no longer greasy! Sometimes it feels oily, but when I take a look, I've actually got that glow I've heard people talk about but thought it was a B.S. term for I-don't-know-what. I've completely stopped using Cetaphil or soap, just OCM at night and water in the am.
Here's the bad news: My chin is completely broken out. Not along the jaw like my hormonal breakouts, but under my lower lip where I always saw clogged pores but could never squeeze out. I'm hoping and praying that this is an initial purge. It makes sense since this is the only place I know I had deeply clogged pores, but it's still pretty damn scary. Some are deep and painful, some are superficial whiteheads. I've been alternately using BP, tea tree oil, and Proactiv's clay/sulfur mask on the spots. I hope I'm not throwing so much at the zits that I'm actually making it worse.
One thing I figured out was the washcloth part. I had been using terry cloth rags- the rough type you can buy in a 30-pack at Costco. I was rubbing really hard to get the oil off and exfoliate at the same time, but I think that's part of my current problem. Now I'm using 100% cloth baby wipes, also from Costco. I apply the oil, steam in the shower, rinse out whatever makes the baby wipe moist, and use it to GENTLY wipe off the oil. Then I toss it. No more wet washcloths hanging over the faucet.
I really want this to work. My chin hurts, but it really doesn't look that bad. I haven't noticed anyone sneaking their eyes down to look. The rest of my skin is fantastic. Soft, no oily shine, and no irritation from the products I used to use. I'm going to keep on with this unless I know for sure that OCM is doing more harm than good.
ok well here we are, 5 weeks after beginning this regimen. I'm going to be honest, I quit using the oil a week ago. My face became so severely inflamed and painful that I could barely muster the courage to leave the house.
I've been using Purpose face cleanser and moisturizer and mt cheeks and jawline have cleared up 95%. My forehead, though better than before, is still a vile minefield of cysts and whiteheads. total suckwagon.
I can see that the OCM is effective at getting the crap out of your face, but I have to leave the house every day and go out in public. If this method would have gone through the purge phase in a week or so, I could have stuck with it. As it is, the ensuing cysts made me want to cry, and I have a ridiculously high pain threshold.
Could I have been doing something wrong? Was I using too much Castor oil?
thanks for this post. great info. i have been using the jojoba oil and am seeing amazing results. i am not ready to eliminate benzoyl peroxide yet, but the jojoba oil is clearing out all of my clogged pores and keeping my face from producing excess sebum.
i have been researching different types of oil and I'm glad you have a nice presentation of all of the information.
thank you.
I'm all messed up over the oil cleansing method with castor oil. I read that that's the primary culprit behind these massive breakouts some of us have been experiencing. I read about one woman's "beard of acne", and I'm sorry to say that I've got a goatee myself. I had been 90% clear before this, and now my chin is a battlefield of cysts. I stopped using the castor oil and switched to jojoba and safflower oil, and I think that's helped, but it's hard to say because the cysts are still popping up randomly. I think that they're left over from the castor oil drawing everything up.
I haven't gone back to washing my face with Cetaphil because now I know that to strip your skin of its oil is not beneficial. Instead, I'm washing with water most of the time and maybe 2x a week using safflower with tea tree. I did go back to BP, and wow, the irritation! I think I probably got another mini-breakout from that. So, I backed up another step and only apply it sparingly once a day.
One thing that I'm trying, and I swear I think it's helping, is a silicone scar sheet on my chin at night. I know that occlusive dressings help the healing process by keeping things warm and moist, and the stickiness grabs the peeling skin when I take it off. It stops my obsessive picking, and it looks like the brown marks fade after each application. But who knows, I could be messing up my face even more.
I hope that all these things I'm trying to restore my face aren't doing more harm than good. I can't believe I messed myself up this badly. 
So, I've been using the OCM for about 3 weeks now, using it once a day or every other day. Jojoba oil and 20% castor oil. I haven't had more or less acne, just about the same, but my skin isn't dry anymore and nothing has gotten worse, so I think I'll keep using it.
Is it possible to add pure salicylic acid to the OCM? I found a site that sells a jar of it in powder form for about $14. Has anyone tried it?
Okay I tried the OCM with EVOO and Castor oil (70% to 30%, respectively) and my skin FREAKED THE F*CK OUT.
Seriously. Zits popped up ALL OVER my face, whereas before I had only had some on my chin and around my mouth.
I was wondering of anybody else had this problem? Because the theory is sound! Maybe my skin just hates EVOO?
Is anyone still having success with OCM?
Which is better to mix with the castor oil, jojoba or grapeseed?
Both of the ones I have are cold-pressed and organic.
I have had blackheads and comedones for years. I was having a big breakout from coming off of birth control, but it is clearing up thanks to African black soap. If it doesn't have an impact on my non-inflamed acne I might try this OCM. I actually already have castor oil, grapeseed and jojoba my house.
My skin does not like EVOO. I used it once on my body after a shower because I did not have lotion and I broke out on my arms and back, which is very unusual for me.
hey...Iv started using this method but only using only jojoba oil. Is that ok?? has anyone else tried this using jojoba?
I think its way better than using cleansers and other harsh face products as now my face feels so much more comfortable. Before I had dry/oily skin with painful spots....now since using this its all calm down.....face feels cleaner and less inflammed.
I guess ill have to wait longer to se if it really works.
Awesome post. I'd read about OCM on other sites and wanted to learn more. I def can't wait to try it out, just a question though.
Can you use OCM to cleanse other acne-prone areas on the body? because I unfortunately have some mild body acne and would hope OCM could help. If so, could I also do OCM on my body and face in the shower? (do I have to avoid the stream of water or does the oil resist washing off?)
I haven't read the entire 15 pages, but thought I post my experience with OCM. Hopefully this will help others. My regimen has been working pretty good so far. I use 50% castor & 50% jojoba combination. I first started out cleansing my face twice a day, and using the 50/50 blend as moisturizer. However, I noticed small red bumps started to appear. I then reduced to just once every night, and leaving out the castor oil as a moisturizer. It has been working well since.
I'm not 100% sure of this, but I don't think castor oil is the best to leave on your face. It's great to use as a cleansing oil, but it needs to be removed. I have a feeling those who are getting red bumps are either cleansing too many times a day, or leaving the castor oil on your face as a moisturizer. The regimen said if additional moisturizer is needed, go ahead and use some of the blend on your face after the cleanse. I say leave out the castor oil, and just use the other oil. In my case it's jojoba.
Also, about 3 times a week I use an exfoliating face wash (Murad's AHA/BHA exfoliating cleanser), in place of the oil blend to clean my face. This helps to get rid of the dead skin, and I've seen good results in helping with my hyperpigmentation from acne scars. I always use jojoba on my entire face after using the exfoliating wash. I wouldn't introduce this step into the regimen until you have been on OCM for long enough to know that it is working.
RECAP
- follow the normal OCM regimen.
- start out cleansing once a day.
- make sure to wipe your face well to remove as much of the castor oil from the cleanse as possible. No need to wipe hard, just 2-3 times gently with a hot wet towel will do.
- if moisturizer is needed, don't use the blend with castor oil. Use only the other oil.
- (optional step) I started using the AHA/BHA exfoliating cleanser, after my acne started to subside. This has helped with my hyperpigmentation.
Good luck!
I followed this method somewhat. Due to hearing various people breaking out from EVOO and Castor Oil I went to Avocado Oil instead which only had good reviews but probably because it's a less popular oil. The first day I used it as a cleanser (5-6 drops - my bottle dispenses that way - for my face) and followed up with a cream cleanser and then used the oil as a moisturiser! Talk about overkill, my face broke out the next day.. I gave it a break then tried it as a cleanser alone, using only 3 drops, and wiping with a warm wet washcloth. It didn't happen over night but gradually after a few days of this routine, whiteheads disappeared and clogged pores became minimal.. I really do believe it dissolves the sebum in your pores and cleanses effectively (makeup too!) It also moisturises sufficiently so I don't have to put on additional moisturiser at night (just aloe vera gel on affected areas).. having less product on my face at night has allowed my skin to recover.
I am going to start using this method tonight. I am only going to do it in the evenings with 30% castor oil and 70% jojoba oil.
In the mornings I will wash with African Black Soap.
I have been using jojoba as a pre-cleanse oil for a long time as it removes makeup so I think this will work well for me. The ABS is really helping my skin but drying it out a bit so I will use OCM at night to cleanse and restore moisture.
I will keep you all updated : )
Has anyone with dry skin tried OCM? I have light/moderate acne but my skin is always dry. I cannot for the life of me figure out how a person with horribly dry skin can have so much acne. On that level, OCM is appealing b/c it's like, "Oh, maybe I've dried my skin out and this will replenish it and solve all my problems."
But with almost everything I try, I end up with one of two less-than-ideal situations: 1) I use products that get rid of acne, and they do get rid of the acne, but they leave my skin so flakey I look like a snake that's shedding skin or 2) I use products that moisturize, and they do actually moisturize, but they leave me with so many papules and bumps that my skin looks like the lunar surface.
Why are my only choices flaky, dry, but clear skin or soft, dewey, but pimply skin? There has got to be a way to help your skin balance itself out. What is it? Why can't I find it? Grrr!
Sorry. I'm a little frustrated right now. Back to the point...
Most of the posts have been from people with oily skin. Has anyone with dry, acne prone skin tried OCM. How has it worked for you?