I am yet another person who had a horrific experience with the OCM. I experienced TERRIBLE cystistic acne on my forehead, cheeks and jawline and chin area. It's the worst my acne has ever been. My skin looked great for like a month and then all hell broke loose! I carried on because I believed the bullshit that it was purging! I tried switching from jojoba to grapeseed with no improvement.

I stopped just before Xmas and have seen a dramatic improvement after using tea tree wipes and witch hazel. I went to my doctor though as I still have a lot of blocked pores and new smaller breakouts. My doc has started me on Duac and Lymecyline and I am having tests to check thyroid function.

I wish I had never discovered the OCM and just gone to my doctor in the first place.

I know...I don't think people should try this at all...even if they think the oil is not pore clogging. This has been an absolute nightmare. I've managed to clear up the majority of my acne, with like 2 new breakouts every few days or so. My skin actually is smooth again but I have so much redness, it looks like the lower half of my face is still covered with acne. This has been what is helping me if you'd like to know: wash face with Purpose bar cleanser, use Olay pro-x face brush, tone with 50% diluted raw apple cider vinegar with the "mother" with a cotton ball. I do this morning and night. If a zit pops then I put full strength apple cider vinegar on that pimple only with a q-tip. I have slightly oily skin so I don't moisturize at all and my skin doesn't dry out. At night, after I wash and put on ACV, I apply betadine with a cotton ball to the areas that look like something might pop up.

Also, I drink lemon water multiple times a day. Honestly, I think the thing that has been helping the most is the Olay brush. I bought it at Christmas time, and it was the only different thing I added and my skin is finally almost cleared because of it. .

Hello everyone!

Thank you for stopping by this post! This is my first post on Acne.org and I can't believe it's taken me this long. I need help guys, so badly. In about October 2012, I read about the Oil Cleansing Method and before doing any sort of thorough research, I began the method. I am very interested and involved in natural and homeopathic remedies so I was thrilled when I discovered this! Within two months, my skin was as awful as it's ever been. Bumps and cystic acne EVERYWHERE. I initially thought it was the purging process but after about three months, I couldn't continue. It was when my coworkers (NOT the nicest women) began pointing it out, asking me rudely "if I've ever seen a dermatologist", and I went home crying that I couldn't bare this cleansing method anymore. I stopped the Oil Cleansing Method and returned to my ever faithful Proactiv system. Now, Proactiv has never actually completely cleared my skin but it's been much better than anything else out there. Except now that I've quit the oil cleansing treatment, it's not really working. Things got slightly better when I first started with Proactiv again but now it's not working. Clay face masks that once helped clear my skin don't work either. I'm currently covered with rolling scars and dark marks (hyperpigmentation from the scarring) and many, many continual pimples-both regular and cystic. I changed my diet and cut out both gluten and dairy, started incorporating much more fresh vegetables, and stopped drinking anything alcoholic except for an occasional glass of red wine. Nothing I'm doing helps my skin so I'm very concerned that I ruined the PH balance in my skin. Does anyone have any advice? Anyone ever experienced this and can offer any help? I don't go out and do anything social anymore because I don't want to meet anyone with this horrific skin. It's ruining my life and I will do ANYTHING to get it better.

Please help!!! I greatly appreciate any responses Thank you!

I don't have the patience to read the entire thread so excuse my ignorance if I merely regurgitate what others had posted. With that said, what oil did you use for the OCM? I ask because so many people don't understand about the different types of oil. Mainly there are two types of oil: essential oil and carrier oil. The former is highly concentrated and can be very irritating if used alone. The latter, on the other hand, is not harsh. As a matter of fact, when using the essential oil, it needs to be diluted with a carrier oil. Otherwise, it can cause a severe reaction for some people.

It's my understanding that you might have exposed yourself to one of these essential oils without first diluting it with a carrier oil. The good news is that a problem caused by one oil can be remedied by another oil. So keep your hopes up. And, please, do a thorough research before you venture out into uncharted territory.

Syllacrostics - I realized that our reply's were getting quite long so I thought it might be easier for us-and other readers-if I posted a new response. That is seriously some great information! I definitely think you described the difference between hyperpigmentation and erythma perfectly! You explained it in a way that I can understand which is awesome. The next time I wash my face, I'm going to press down on the marks and figure out what I really have going on. I've never heard of the Makeup Artist's Choice brand for the peels but I like the fact that yours comes in a kit with the pH prep solution. I found a lot of good responses about the Skinceuticals brand and their lactic acid peels....do you know anything about the difference between these two brands? I'm going to dig in and research the two because it sounds like that is right up my alley!

In conjunction with your response about looking good into your 50's, I feel the same way! Haha. I plan on getting a TON of these TCA peels (unfortunately, it seems like I got the worst permanent damage to my skin from the OCM out of everyone here) and since they get rid of fine lines and everything else, hopefully the both of us will be looking young and renewed through our 50's!

What's so crazy is that my father has the most INCREDIBLE skin I've ever seen. He's 63 and looks like he's 45 because he has only the smallest and unnoticeable lines. Aside from that, his skin is FLAWLESS! Not a mark or blemish in sight. Now my mother on the hand, it's clear I've taken after her. Haha. Hopefully as I get older, my genetics will fall in line a little more with my dad's than my mom's. Here's to hoping!

Hi Smarie -

I just wanted to throw in my experience as I am almost a year since using OCM for 3 months. It wrecked my face for about 6-7 months and gave me the worst acne of my life. I have a log on here you can read if you search retin a micro and spirinolactone journal. I got it under control with those two drugs, antibiotics for a few months to control inflammation and several chemical peels and microderm with lots of extractions. I had never even had a facial previously! The acne cleared after about 4 months of use and all the red marks cleared about 6 months after. Thankfully it only left me with a few tiny shallow scars. I still use the retin a micro and a glycolic acid toner, which works wonders at clearing hyperpigmentation and getting rid of blackheads. I would say I am 95% recovered only because I feel like I still get clogged pores more frequently than I ever did before. I don't know if this is still residual from it or if I am just how hyper aware of my face (I had extreme anxiety and some depression during all this) and just didn't notice small clogged pores before, mostly in my lower cheek and around mouth area. I rarely get pimples now though. I would really really recommend you try derma rolling for your scars. I researched it a ton when I worried I might get scars from OCM and it is proving to be very successful in people with deeper scarring. They usually combine it with copper peptide or some collagen boosting serum. The idea is that the minor trauma causes collagen remodeling that will fill in your current scars after several months. There are also options with TCA cross, punch excision and subcision for really deep scars, you just need to see a cosmetic dermatologist rather than a regular one. I hope this helps and you continue to find peace and joy in life again!

I did the OCM for quite a while using grapeseed oil, and it worked beautifully. However, I decided to switch to coconut oil and it worked even MORE beautifully, at least at first. Then it started breaking me out like crazy with no end in sight. I at first had just clogged pores and no inflammation, which turned into a face full of inflammed breakouts pretty quickly. I think some oils are more likely to clog pores than others. Olive oil is pretty bad for use on the face, and using too much castor oil can irritate your skin if it's not cut with a lighter carrier oil. I've had great luck using just grapeseed oil for 5 days and using a AHA cleanser on the weekends. Took months to finally clear up the coconut oil breakouts though. I think it clogged every pore on my face, so turning them ALL over took forever.

I should also note that I've cut out sugar, dairy and most grain entirely since I've found my acne to be food related (at least the inflammation part). Clogged pores are from something getting in your pore and getting stuck, but an inflammatory response (juicy zits) is almost certainly diet-related. Just my two cents. I completely feel for anyone who had a normal face that suddenly turned on them. I didn't work out for weeks just because my skin literally hurt when I sweat. It was hugely traumatic and I still have dreams in which I have messed-up skin, and I wake up and I look fine and I'm like WHEEEEEW... still keeping fingers crossed that I'm clear again for good.

Of the four oils you mentioned, coconut oil is definitely comedogenic and I would avoid using it on face unless you suffer from eczema or psoriasis. As far as the viscosity is concerned, the grape seed oil is the lightest of the bunch. Its absorption rate into the skin should be quite quick and, technically, it shouldn't clog the pores. I have been using this oil for many years and had no major problem. Next up is the olive oil, which I do think is good for your face, especially if you suffer from dry skin. Coconut oil requires a pause because it is hard to classify. It ain't thick but, unlike the others, it's very greasy and it takes forever to get absorbed. Finally, the castor oil, which is my personal favorite. I wear this oil to bed every night... well, almost every night. This oil has a healing effect and it's known to loosen the scar tissues. It does have a drying effect when used for a prolonged period, creating some minor wrinkles. Hence its ideal to take a break to allow the skin to firm up.

I'm sorry to hear about the adverse reactions you encountered with these oils. Of course, I understand that everyone reacts differently but the side effects, if any, should have been minimal. Have you used the oils in their pure form or were any of them diluted with other cosmetics?

Of the four oils you mentioned, coconut oil is definitely comedogenic and I would avoid using it on face unless you suffer from eczema or psoriasis. As far as the viscosity is concerned, the grape seed oil is the lightest of the bunch. Its absorption rate into the skin should be quite quick and, technically, it shouldn't clog the pores. I have been using this oil for many years and had no major problem. Next up is the olive oil, which I do think is good for your face, especially if you suffer from dry skin. Coconut oil requires a pause because it is hard to classify. It ain't thick but, unlike the others, it's very greasy and it takes forever to get absorbed. Finally, the castor oil, which is my personal favorite. I wear this oil to bed every night... well, almost every night. This oil has a healing effect and it's known to loosen the scar tissues. It does have a drying effect when used for a prolonged period, creating some minor wrinkles. Hence its ideal to take a break to allow the skin to firm up.

 

I'm sorry to hear about the adverse reactions you encountered with these oils. Of course, I understand that everyone reacts differently but the side effects, if any, should have been minimal. Have you used the oils in their pure form or were any of them diluted with other cosmetics?

I love love love castor oil, but I just can't use it by itself. My current facewash oil has grapeseed oil mostly, but is about 1/4 castor oil. I find Castor Oil to be drying when I use it by itself, but I have heard that some people can use it straight with great results. Overall, I have relied more on diet than topicals to clear up my skin, as I was never fully satisfied unless my results could be replicated on a desert island without drugstores and pimple creams, etc. I still use oils to clean my skin because I feel that most cleansers are pretty harsh, but at this point, it doesn't much matter what I put on my face (unless it's coconut oil HISSSSSSS). I was always using pure oils, but the olive oil was not organic, so maybe that was it. It was extra virgin, though. The coconut oil was extra virgin and organic, so I guess coconut oil is just a nono for the face, which is interesting. Honestly when it was working, it make my skin feel so amazing. It's a shame it broke me out so badly (

Yes, Castor oil does tend to make the skin a bit dry, especially after a prolonged use. Hence it's ideal to take time off after a week or two of usage. I personally use CO for about 5 days (eg. weekdays) and take 2 days off (eg. weekend). There are times when I also find CO to be little too thick. I would then dilute it with either grape seed oil or avocado oil.

If these oils are not working out for you, you might want to check out Shea Butter. This is another one on my list of all-time favorites that I absolutely love and have used it for years with much success. It's worth knowing that Shea Butter is used in just about all cosmetic products. Hmm, I wonder why?

I wrote a blog post about my horrific experience with the OCM here: [edited link out]

For me, it gave me glowing skin for a few months then I broke out in the worst cystic acne of my life. It took months to get rid of and everything I tried seemed to not really help. I found the only way to really help was to try get my skin in balance. Ultrabland by lush is hailed as a brilliant product for doing that but for me I just washed with honey, day and night, and moisturised with jojoba and my skin was finally back to normal several months later. I really sympathise with you all as I know how horrendous it is and it literally left my skin so scarred! I've found vitamin d3 and using simple and natural products as the only way to make a big difference to my skin. And i agree, the aztec healing clay mask is amazing, I use it once a week which is making a big difference to my clogged skin.

I have to say since starting with Lymecyline, and Duac (benzyclin) my skin is so much clearer. My chin area is pretty much acne free, bar some scarring. Even the blackheads around my chin are nearly gone. I still have 4-5 spots at any one time but it's an improvement. My doctor said he might put me on dianette but that's a bit more complicated. I'll give you an update once I have finished the antibiotics. To see such improvement after 5 weeks is very encouraging though

SMarie23, am in the exact situation as you were. I used proactive for years and it did work for me but decided to try a more natural organic OCM. It ruined my skin so bad. I also have the coworkers who like to ask "what happened to you face".....makes me want to cry. I've now been back on proactive for a month with not much improvement at all. I was wondering if proactive eventually started working for you again? Thank you so much, Katie

After 4 months on Lymecycline and Duac I am finally 100% clear. Best thing you can do if you had issues on the ocm is to stop using it and head straight to your doctors. It takes ages but you will get there eventually!

Hello everyone!

Thank you for stopping by this post! This is my first post on Acne.org and I can't believe it's taken me this long. I need help guys, so badly. In about October 2012, I read about the Oil Cleansing Method and before doing any sort of thorough research, I began the method. I am very interested and involved in natural and homeopathic remedies so I was thrilled when I discovered this! Within two months, my skin was as awful as it's ever been. Bumps and cystic acne EVERYWHERE. I initially thought it was the purging process but after about three months, I couldn't continue. It was when my coworkers (NOT the nicest women) began pointing it out, asking me rudely "if I've ever seen a dermatologist", and I went home crying that I couldn't bare this cleansing method anymore. I stopped the Oil Cleansing Method and returned to my ever faithful Proactiv system. Now, Proactiv has never actually completely cleared my skin but it's been much better than anything else out there. Except now that I've quit the oil cleansing treatment, it's not really working. Things got slightly better when I first started with Proactiv again but now it's not working. Clay face masks that once helped clear my skin don't work either. I'm currently covered with rolling scars and dark marks (hyperpigmentation from the scarring) and many, many continual pimples-both regular and cystic. I changed my diet and cut out both gluten and dairy, started incorporating much more fresh vegetables, and stopped drinking anything alcoholic except for an occasional glass of red wine. Nothing I'm doing helps my skin so I'm very concerned that I ruined the PH balance in my skin. Does anyone have any advice? Anyone ever experienced this and can offer any help? I don't go out and do anything social anymore because I don't want to meet anyone with this horrific skin. It's ruining my life and I will do ANYTHING to get it better.

Please help!!! I greatly appreciate any responses Thank you!

this is one of the biggest issues that , we , acne suffers have. I have been recommended many kind of treatments, but at the moment I have to honestly say that I haven´t started any of them yet. I really scare to damage my skin and my health because of trying "any miracle treatment"

One underlying refrain that I've come to notice from reading posts on this board is that too many people are expecting a miracle but they're too damn scared to experiment as if they want absolute certainty before making any commitment. In this game (so it sounds for some), there's no one-shot deal. If one thing doesn't work, then you move on. Also the possibility of using a cocktail of different products together is practically endless. Why must you settle for one miracle cure? Moreover, just because the treatment didn't work for you, you shouldn't pass a blanket judgment, throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

Just wanted to update everyone on my situation. I did the OCM in Oct 2013. It's now July. My acne is pretty much gone now, minimal scarring! Yay! My skin tone is still a little rough. It took a long time, but I got rid of my acne naturally without the dermatologist. For me, it took lots of time and learning to leave your skin alone. I now don't wash my face at all (except with plain water) and I don't scrub. Occasionally, I put some homemade toner on my face (made with 1/2 vinegar, 1/2 water, plus a few tablets of aspirin).

Good luck to the rest of you! so glad it's over!

Here's my acne when it was at its worst during the OCM. Note that I didn't have ANY acne (only blackheads) before I started OCM.

I understand the struggle! I came across the same problem til I did more research. The problem you're probably having is using the coconut oil, it clogs pores! I know, I had no idea either, but here is a link that helped me tremendously!

*Moderator edit, URL removed please read the board rules*

I believe the key is moderation. The reason it works so well right away is because it's behaving like your natural sebum, which many of us have stripped away with harsh medications and over-washing.

The common Western diet already has an abundance of Omega 6 oils, which is why fish oil is so heavily promoted.

But anything oily in excess is going to gum up the waterworks.

I just started using coconut oil, topically and orally, because I don't get those kinds of fat in my diet unless I'm eating oily cooking, but no way would I use it as a makeup remover, or add it to acne that wasn't in need of oil. Also, my skin is older so it has different needs.

The key is to listen to your skin. It shouldn't be drippingly moist, it must breathe. It shouldn't be squeaky clean and dry- it should be soft and balanced and protected.

The best, most natural moisture is hyaluronic acid **

The oil cleansing method is incredibly over simplified in terms of it "healing skin". The problem with this particular method is that it's only working on the surface of the skin, and if you're someone with inflammatory acne, especially cysts, we're talking about an infection that lies deep within the skin where no oil will penetrate to. This is why most topicals have little benefit for people with cystic acne, with only some exceptions. The regimen is a great solution for even more severe cases of acne because you're applying only 2.5% BP which produces little irritation and you're applying A LOT of it which helps it to penetrate deeper into the skin. Add an AHA+ or tazorac into the regimen and you're now tackling the infection in two ways- reducing bacteria over the course of a month or two and reducing hyperkeratinization. I have had severe cystic acne since the age of 11 and the regimen did clear me up, although it took a little over two months in my case.

I got on an all natural kick about 5 months ago and did some research on the ocm and then jumped in with both feet. In the past I had managed to get perfect skin using a combination of erythromycin and bp. I had finally gotten to the point where I was actually getting compliments on my skin from random strangers. One woman even said "I'm sure you hear this all the time but you have beautiful skin." Haha, little did she know it had taken me about 10 years of hard work and tears to achieve those results...and then I just HAD to try ocm...*cue ominous music here* Like most of you my skin looked even more fabulous than ever for the first few weeks...then suddenly the breakouts started. I was still determined to go all natural so I stopped the ocm and started using African Black soap and tea tree oil and I managed to get it somewhat back under control. I even had some days where I would go somewhere (like the grocery store or gym) without makeup. Over the next few months my skin seemed to continue to slowly improve but then about 2 weeks ago I suddenly got the worst break out of my life. I actually had a woman tell me "you look like you have the chicken pox on your face"...side note, people can be just plain cruel sometimes. Until then I had been working so hard at keeping my morale high and chugging thru, but that comment was the last straw for me. My self esteem that had already been teetering just totally crumbled and vanished. And that brings me to earlier today being upset with my puppy because he is asking to go outside to potty...how could he do this to me?? I sit and stare at him, contemplating with dread the risk of running into one of my neighbors. I finally take him out as quickly as possible with my head down terrified of hearing anyone say my name. I'm lucky and make it back inside...and now I am here dreading my husband coming home...yes, I don't even like him seeing my face...I have so much anxiety and depression. I won't go anywhere or see anyone...I bought an acne light from Trophy Skin last week out of desperation and with a heavy heart I bought another tube of bp. I go to the Dr. tomorrow to get a prescription for erythromycin again. I'm so sorry that you all are going thru this too. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy (maybe the chicken pox comment woman...jk, not even her)

Update! My skin is clearing finally!!! And I didn't even take any of the drugs that the doctor prescribed me last week! I'm keeping my fingers crossed but for now, i'm using vitamin A topically and that has seemed to work miracles. Then I finally got my Trophy Skin blue md light in the mail about 4 days ago, and I think that's reeeeaaallly actually working! I've only used it twice so far (every other day for 25 min) but I've noticed my red marks fading crazy fast and a few hard lumps that have been stuck deep under my skin were on the surface today and I was able to get rid of them very easily. So I'm super excited that I may have found answers, but I guess it's still too soon to tell

Cleansing your skin with oil can actually be extremely beneficial! The problem is the widely popularized OCM is the wrong way to go about cleansing with oil. First and foremost if you're cleansing with just oil it's going to be extremely hard to completely remove. You won't be able to completely remove it by steaming your face, which isn't something you should be doing anyways (exposing your skin to extremely hot temperatures), second some people claim that "oh, I leave the leftover on my face because it moisturizes my skin and I no longer need moisturizer!" This is terrible.. You just used the oil to clean your face so obviously that oil would be dirty, so you're keeping dirt and oil on your face. The best way to use oil as a cleanser is through the double cleansing method,where you cleanse with oil first and then a regular cleanser. People also use the wrong oils for their skin when cleansing with oil. Mineral oil and hemp seed oil is good for clogged prone, oily skin as they are non comedogenic (have a level of 0) . I got put of the OCM method because I was using the wrong oils at first (jojoba oil or coconut oil)

Me too I tried this Oil Cleansing Method once and my skin was devastated and acne broke out. I need to seek dermatologist to prevent and control the acne from breaking out. My doctor said I should have not done the method since I have acne prone oily skin. Thanks for my lady doctor who helped clear my skin.

I dont know what to do anymore now after reading all this..i was looking forward to introduce OCM along with bp in my regiment , even though OCM has broke me out in the past i tought bp would fight against the acne and i would finally be able to stop using any facesoap ...i used sunflower oil for 2 months and only water i remember i was craaaving facesoap and obsessed to rinse all the oil out with water haha very stupid of me since water and oil dont mix... Anyway im thinking about how to perfect the OCM.so i can finally be lazy like. My husband who has perfect skin and washes his face only in the shower lol. As an edit i would say its 1 thing to just moisturize with oils and totally different thing to do the oil clensing method and while the break out made me dismiss ocm i still belive u should be able to get gr8 skin hydration from oils as long as u wash them off with soaps to prevent cloaging ur pores with oil and dirt and check twice to have a 0 comedogenic oil

I recommend trying Kombucha (just look up Kombucha acne in google and read some other results)

I've struggled with acne consistently for years and have tried every treatment, scrub, medicine, you name it. I had pretty much given up. Then I started drinking kombucha (I started drinking it for other reasons) and I immediately saw clearer skin. The next day, my skin wasn't nearly as red. Within a week, my face was totally clear. It is AMAZING. Granted, I've heard that you have to drink fresh, live kombucha (rather than store bought, it's less effective because they kill the culture so it stops fermenting). I get mine at a Saturday market fresh. It is AMAZING. Not only that, it helps with weight loss and other things.

Basically, it's an internal thing. It adds GOOD bacteria to your gut and balances everything in your body. Seriously, try it. If you can't find anyone that brews it fresh, you can try making it yourself! It's supposed to be really easy.

I also started oil cleansing and using a little argan oil in my moisturizer. I have now ruined my entire face. I clogged the pores all over my face. I look like the skin of an orange. Because of so many enlarged pores on my face now. I wish never bought anything oil. I've done nothing but cry for weeks. I don't know if this is even fixable. This has hit me hard. I wish I could reverse it.

Hey guys, I know it's been 3 years since anyone posted on here, but I'm wondering if this is my exact problem. I was using murad, and them clinique, and while I still had blemishes my skin was pretty good. I tried coconut oil, and it just clogged my pores so I stopped. Tried olay regenerist and my face freaked out big time. Couldn't even lay on my pillow. Now murad or clinique don't work as well, murad not all . clinique started working for me over the summer last year, but during the winter I started breaking out again. As soon as October hits my face turns into an oil slick and I get big inflamed pimples that take forever to pop and they just get bigger. It's like as soon as I quit ocm my face no longer responded the same. Glad that you guys suffered too, but glad I'm not crazy. How are things now? What did you use to repair your skin? Does your skin respond the way it did before?