I'm just saying - surely after the washcloth has been sitting in the bathroom for a day it will start to harbour germs and bacteria.

So I have been trying the OCM for a month now. I would love for this to be the answer for my acne, but I'm still undecided.

For the first two weeks I was using Castor oil and Hazelnut oil (1:1 ratio). Then I switched to 60% Castor Oil, 20% Jojoba Oil, and 20% Grapeseed oil for the last few weeks. I use Tea Tree Oil on my acne spots, but sometimes it feels like I am just spreading it all over my face. I am pleased with the softness of the skin around my neck and eyes (less wrinkly).

However, I am still having regular breakouts which I think are slighly worse than when I was using Proactive. I have a hard time not picking at them (I know this is bad). I know there should be a transition period where my skin would need to adjust to this new method.

Am I complaining too early? Should I try something different? Suggestions (besides stop picking)?

Wouldn't using a washcloth to wash your face cause the pustules to pop and thus scar?

I've been researching this method for the past week and thought this thread was the most informative about various reactions to the method.

This method absolutely did not work for me. I've never been acne prone, have experienced very few pimples, and I had normal skin - before now. After I tried this method once (25% castor oil, 75% sunflower seed oil), I have been breaking out all over the place like crazy. I massaged the oil into my skin for a good 10 minutes, did the steam, followed the instructions just so but no. I look like a pizza.

In retrospect, I should have tested it on a small patch of skin before going full-out. This method is very much user-beware as you really can't tell what kind of reaction you will have. I thought it would be amazing for me as I used to experience pretty trouble-free skin and I wanted to switch to a more effective, less chemical-ridden cleanser. I've heard of a purging period, where you will experience a bunch of painful pimples, but I'm not going to risk that unless I've been advised by a dermatologist who can more readily determine what is right for my skin.

I would advise, like some others have, a skin patch test first. You just can't tell.

A question: Why should this method work better than using soap? Soap is amphipathic, meaning it has both hydrophilic and hydrophobic parts. The hydrophobic parts surround non-polar molecules, emulsifying oil so that it can be washed away with water. How is the oil cleansing method supposed to work? You can only wipe away the oil from the surface of your skin, since it doesn't wash away with water. Is the dirt/bacteria/etc. supposed to diffuse into the outer oil? How is this more effective than washing with a gentle soap, and moisturizing with oil afterward?

Hey,

I just want to say, as of last week (about 6 days ago) my skin was the worst it has ever been! Huge painful almost cystic lumps all over my neck and cheeks and a myriad of blackheads everywhere. Looked horrible, embarrassing and all around painful! It was super dry, wrinkly and stinging from me trying all kinds of products to dry up these gross bumps.

So, i tried the oil cleansing method mostly to just combat the dry, tight and painful skin. But to my amazement my skin is clearing by only using a combo of Castor Oil and Coconut oil rubbed in really really well both in the morning and at night, a good steam (face over a pot of clean boiled water for about 5 mins) then I just use a soft clean cloth and wipe the oil away.

Six days later my skin looks AMAZING! there still are a couple of bumps on my throat and a little redness where the worst of the lumps were but the blackheads... GONE! they just ... dry up, get itchy and i can just scratch/wipe them off. Even the scarring is fading super quick and the best part is that my skin tone is even (my face matches my neck again!) and glowy and bright! It is AMAZING! and in less than one week!!

Please, if you have trouble skin, just try this! It really works.

Hey guys, I need help.

I have acne prone skin

I am 14 years old

I am currently using an antibiotic stick prescribed by my doctor which I dab on my face twice a day to treat the acne.

I have a red chin, a few spiderveins on my cheeks and nose aswell. I have acne scars on my chin.. yucky:(

My plan is to use

extra virgin olive oil 70%

hazenutseed oil 30%

with a drop of teatrea

Will this work?

Thankyou!

By the way...

A topic here

Shows that youy shouldn't use Castor Oils used because of the chemicals which is dissapointing, I wanted to use Castor Oil :[

i'm really bummed.... i've tried it twice now and the oil won't come off!

i did 3 tsp castor oil and 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (i have oily skin)

i mixed them together, massaged it on my face for about a minute and did the steaming thing. i wiped it off with a towel a few times and i patted it dry. it seemed fine, but now that i'm out of the shower and sitting here, i can touch my face and feel oil. (it's oil i applied... it smells like EVOO)

WHY ISN'T IT COMING OFF? (this has happened twice now, and when i wake up in the morning, my face is oil-ier)

Man, I wanted this to work for me so badly! I have used Paula's Choice products for a while and they worked well for me, but I wanted something even more natural. I really tried to get it to work---I spent a month doing the OCM, and it just didnt pan out. I had mild acne to begin with. Now its moderate. I used the castor oil with jojoba oil. The first week was awesome! I thought to myself, "This is it. This is what is going to make my acne disappear entirely." Then the second week rolled around. I started to get painful blemishes on the sides of my cheeks. I thought this was the purging stage, so I kept on truckin'. It only got worse from then on. My blemishes werent healing, and for every blemish that started to subside, I would get three new blemishes to take its place. It got so bad, I didnt even want my husband to see my face. I dont know what went wrong. I tried to be gentle with the washcloth, but then I didnt feel like I was removing all of the oil. I tried rinsing the washcloth to steam a couple more times, and I felt like that was too harsh for my sensitive skin. The one thing that I did notice was it regulated my oil production, which was pretty cool. I think I would rather have to blot my face throughout the day than have to spend 15 minutes covering all of the blemishes, though. I went back to my original face routine a couple of days ago and Im already seeing a great improvement. I guess trying this humbled me a little, because I realized that if you think you have bad skin, it could always be worse.

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I've been doing OCM for about a week and I'm breaking out all over my forehead. At first they started out as small skin colored bumps and now they've matured into papules. The OCM was doing wonders for me but it just went all wrong. I dont know whether this has to do with anything but I think it's because I wasn't just steaming my face with a washtowel, I was steaming my face directly with boiling water and a towel over my head while I had the OCM mixture on my face. Should I continue with the OCM the recommended way? Or should I just go back to the regimen?

Hey. It happens to a lot of people. It's called the purging, much of like what happens when people use retin-a or salicylic acid. It draws out the stuff, presumably by increasing turnover. I am currently using it, and I did before but had to stop because I was giving my skin rest for two months from everything and letting my own body gather its immunities and strengths.

Back to the present: its making me break out around both the sides of my mouth, and at my chin, but the rest is looking very clean and neat. This time, I'm sticking with it till it purges me. You need to stick with it for some time to see how good it is.

i tried the OIl cleansing method yesterday.. I have DRY, acne prone skin.. that i developed after the birth of my child.

I did the Castor oil, jojoba and tea tree oil and My skin loved it.. this aM i woke up with glowing skin.

Im in love.. my question is how long does it last? i put mine in the refrigerator, does it have an expiration date.

Oil does not expire, even when it is put out in the warm. That is why it is used to coat and drench pickles and preservatives in India and the Middle East.

Looks like the OP gave bad info and it caused heaps of people to breakout with some of the worst acne in their life.

Browse through the entire thread before you try.

Oil absolutely expires, it goes rancid; google it. You know because it'll smell bad, and taste bad.. but you don't taste it with this method of course. I wouldn't want to put rancid oil on my face. It goes bad from being kept too long, being exposed to light (kept in a clear bottle), and exposed to heat.

I love the OCM! It feels so luxurious! When I finish massaging the oil into my skin, I can see the whiteheads and blackheads on my fingers. This works so well! I use a 50/50 mix of castor and grape seed oils for my oily skin.

I just tried it an hour ago. But I did it differently. I mixed flax seed oil and jojoba oil and I also added two drops of grapefruit seed extract. I know it's not oil but I feel like its antibacterial properties help so much. Skin feels so smooth and velvety.

Anyway, it's awesome and I will probably start doing this every three days or so. Thanks!

i have been trying the OCM for a few days now, almost a week. I use coconut oil and evoo; I steam with a warm washcloth; then i cleanse my face with a BP wash and use toner at night. I exfoliate once a week.

So far, I have not had any problems, most likely because i am using coconut oil, which my skin seems to like. my skin overall feels smooth and looks brighter since being on the OCM. my acne seems to be calming down also. I think this is because i am not using as many products as i used to and i am sticking to one, simple regime.

i personally would never put castor oil on my face.

Just joined the forum, like, right now... Been reading this thread for the last couple of hours and thought, "if I'm going to try this (OCM), may as well track it" here's my stats:

I'm 28, I've had acne since 15. Found proactive at 19 and stopped it 2 weeks ago, my face is a horror right now and, naturally, I'm a little flipped out.

I watched a video on natural news . com titled "Natural Treatments and Remedies for Oily Skin"

Went out and bought: Bentonite clay, rose water witch hazel, Aubrey aloe & dr. bonners citrus soap - this regime isn't working, although the "purge" being experienced from quitting Proactiv is probably less heinous than it could have been...

I wash with the soap, apply toner then aloe 2x/day and can stand the clay no more than 2-3x/week. My face constantly itches, is oily to the point of looking like I just stepped out of the shower and is covered with whiteheads, blackheads and flesh colored bumps. I have very oily skin, all over - T zone, cheeks, hell.. even eyelids. I apply the toner midday to control the appearance of the oil. My face is not smooth anymore, at all - just bumpy (ick).

I live in NW Florida - where it is hot and humid 9 out of 12 months/year.

After reading this [entire] thread - here's the recipe/method I have gathered would work best for my skin (after a skin test):

70% castor 25% jojoba, 5% lavender

rub oil into face for 5 mins.

run wash cloth under as hot of water as possible and drape over face until cool

repeat 3-5 x - massaging in between steaming

wipe excess oil off face 2-3 x.

Shower.

Ive seen people using toners after the OCM and I'll consider that but would like to try the OCM bear bones, so-to-speak, first to see if the toner is even necessary...

I won't be starting this regime right away, I'd like to leave time for debate regarding my recipe/method, should there be any.

personally ocm helps with:

cleansing/reducing sebaceous fillaments, pretty well

does nothing to acne

i do it:

before shower apply some oil, after ur done with shower, massage face and gently rub off dirt, filaments etc, then splash with water, pat dry

sometimes i leave thin layer of oil overnight or at day like a mask for some time and it really helps with inflammation, irritation and well all things makes spots red? right now im mostly using this wheat sprout oil and actually it helps me with inflammation really fast compared to other oils ive been using, i know its from wheat and all, but well idk i just wtv tried it and very liking actually, but if anyone reads this and is interested research first or something tho..

Hey,

 

I just want to say, as of last week (about 6 days ago) my skin was the worst it has ever been! Huge painful almost cystic lumps all over my neck and cheeks and a myriad of blackheads everywhere. Looked horrible, embarrassing and all around painful! It was super dry, wrinkly and stinging from me trying all kinds of products to dry up these gross bumps.

 

So, i tried the oil cleansing method mostly to just combat the dry, tight and painful skin. But to my amazement my skin is clearing by only using a combo of Castor Oil and Coconut oil rubbed in really really well both in the morning and at night, a good steam (face over a pot of clean boiled water for about 5 mins) then I just use a soft clean cloth and wipe the oil away.

 

Six days later my skin looks AMAZING! there still are a couple of bumps on my throat and a little redness where the worst of the lumps were but the blackheads... GONE! they just ... dry up, get itchy and i can just scratch/wipe them off. Even the scarring is fading super quick and the best part is that my skin tone is even (my face matches my neck again!) and glowy and bright! It is AMAZING! and in less than one week!!

 

Please, if you have trouble skin, just try this! It really works.

You leave the oil on while steaming?

I'm so happy I found this thread. I stopped using cleansers to take my makeup off and just use olive oil. It's been working so well. Im learning more about this through this thread. I didn't know there was specials things. I've also been steaming. Im so grateful for all the people contributing (:

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.