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October 9, 2021
Works great for me… if it’s done right
I’ve been doing OCM for about 6 months now, and it is the best thing I’ve ever used for my acne. I am basically clear most of the time now, with only a very mild breakout mid-cycle that lasts for a couple days. I’ve been able to stop all my other much more expensive acne products, because OCM does better by itself than all of them put together. I’ve been battling acne on and off for almost 20 years at this point, and this is the best results with the least side effects that I’ve ever gotten from anything. I don’t know why this method seems so polarizing, but I have found that how I do it is very important, so I’ll share that in detail.
Firstly, to fill in a few details: I’m a woman in my 30’s, oily and slightly dehydrated skin that is, of course, acne-prone. I get both cystic and inflammatory acne that seems to rise and fall over the years like some nefarious tide. The last couple years the “tide” has been high, and I’ve had a lot of trouble with it. The previous treatments I was using reduced my cystic acne down to “occasional,” but I still had constant small inflammatory pimples along my cheekbones. Both are now essentially gone, post-OCM. I get the occasional random zit, again, mostly mid-cycle, but that’s it, and they’re pretty superficial. I do not use any other product on my face — not even a face wash, as I’ve found they tend to exasperate my acne for whatever reason. On in-between days, where I don’t do OCM, I just rinse with warm water and dry to help remove excess oil, and that’s it.
Ok, to the OCM part. I think something a lot of people don’t realize is that some oils are more irritating or more comedogenic than others. Most really bad experiences seem to be related to using olive oil or coconut oil. Neither of these are a good choice for acneic skin.
My blend is:
80% grape seed oil
10% castor oil
10% tamanu oil
Highly sensitive people may want to try eliminating the castor oil completely. For me, 10% seems to work fine.
I also don’t do it every day — only about once every 3 days. I think that doing it too much can cause dryness or irritation for a lot of people. Your perfect schedule might be a little different from mine.
Also, you don’t need much. I use a dime-sized amount and massage it into my face for about 20 or 30 seconds. It’s a pretty thin layer. My face doesn’t look all that oily — if I left the house like that on a warm summer day, no one would think I look unusual.
And finally, it’s REALLY important to wipe it all off with a wet washcloth. The water doesn’t have to be super hot or anything. I just use warm, because hot water can dry out your skin a lot more. But you need to wipe thoroughly — do a couple passes. Call it your exfoliation for the day. I always just brush my fingers around my face real quick once I’m done wiping and drying, to make sure I don’t feel any oily patches left over.
But also, I think part of the problem some people are having is that they’re getting bad advice about what to do when something clearly isn’t working for you. You don’t “purge” from OCM. In fact, you don’t purge from ANYTHING except retinoids. If you start this regimen and you start getting acne in unusual patterns that you normally don’t, stop. Either something you’re doing isn’t working, or the method itself isn’t right for you. Don’t just keep pushing forward until you’re having the worst breakout of your life. Don’t let people talk you into ignoring your body. Nothing works for everyone and I’m sure this won’t either, but I think a lot of these really terrible horror stories could be avoided by going with your gut on what’s good for you.
February 1, 2019
Oil cleansing is the biggest skin mistake I've ever made!
Based on my experience and others I have read about, I strongly urge anyone considering the OCM to just not!....I'm 36 years old and have had mild acne here and there since I was a teenager. Mostly a few little hormonal zits on my chin area a couple times a month. Well now that I'm old enough to start seeing fine lines and all that loveliness I decided to try OCM to see if it would help clear up the zits I had whilst keeping my skin from getting dried out. Well after a few weeks I was happy with the results. My skin seemed to be getting better. My pores seemed smaller and my skin was less oily. I thought, it's actually working!.....well fast forward a few more weeks and I started breaking out. Nothing alarming but it was definitely unusual for me, as I never really got acne on my cheeks. So I thought maybe the organic sweet almond oil I was using was not the best for my particular skin type. So I switched to organic grape seed oil Wich is supposed to be very light. Fast forward another couple weeks and I have the worst acne of my life!! Large painful zits on both cheeks, forehead and chin. One of which has left quite a scar. I have never in my life had this happen! I probably had at least 20 zits on my face at my wosrt point.....as soon as i got it through my thick skull that this OCM was not working for me, I switched to a gentle acne cleanser (neutrogena clay mask/face wash) I used it as a mask a couple times a week and wash my face with it every night. I skip moisturizer and just use a homemade rosewater toner in the morning. Thankfully my skin almost immediately started clearing up. A got a few new zits over the week after stopping OCM (I'm assuming it takes a while for all the shit I crammed into my pores to come out) but it seems to have come to a halt now. Just Sharing my story encase I can help even one person keep from making the mistake I did!
September 20, 2018
My biggest regret
I never had perfect skin, but to me (**me prior to OCM**), a bad breakout consisted of 3 maybe 4 zits. I discovered the OCM and was hyped, hoping it would put an end to those occasional "bad breakouts" because I have always been very anal and overly concerned with my skin. **Side note, in 5th grade a boy in my class called my pizza face because I had a weird rash/zits/irritation around my nose. I'm 23 now. That shit will stick with ya. Don't be mean** So I did plenty of research on the OCM and decided to give it a go. I began breaking out almost immediately, but I stupidly told myself to power through because many people starting the OCM have a brief purge phase. After about 2 months, my skin was at an all-time low, I was out at least $70 (from trying a couple different blends/oils), and my self-esteem was annihilated. I finally gave it up and returned to my regular acne-fighting facewash. When this didn't help, my classmate suggested I see a dermatologist (was so nice of her to point it out) but I decided she was right. That happened almost 2 months ago. The derm I saw wrote me up a little plan-of-action, which I've been following religiously for those 2 months. Yet, of course, my acne has somehow managed to get worse but derm lady said give the Differin gel at least 12 weeks before giving it up. Just at the beginning of this week, she decided to double the dosage of oral antibiotics I've been taking. ALL BECAUSE OF THE DAMN OIL CLEANSING METHOD. I strongly strongly urge people to steer-clear of the OCM and also Differin gel because this has been the longest, most itchy, irritated, and depressig 2 months of my life. I would do anything to have back my skin prior to the OCM :(
Razz2525
November 16, 2018
I can’t believe this but this pretty much echoes my experience. I’m a fortysomething woman with hormonal acne (right cheek and jawline only) and I was tired of my acne-fighting products always causing me to peel. Liquid foundation makes me break out so I use mineral powder bur the minute I apply it, my face starts peeling like crazy. So I thought the OCM would help return my skin back to a more
moisturized state. It did for a while.., it LOVED hemp seed oil and my jojoba oil since I researched the comedogenic ratings religiously but then the cystic acne just wouldn’t heal. It’s as if I were giving the bacteria more nourishment with the oil. I had an explosion of blackheads and whiteheads, and then I got 4 or 5 cystic bumps along my jawline... at once!! So painful! I usually get one or two cystic bumps here and there around my cycle but this has been continuous. Never have I had cystic acne this bad and only one side of my face thankfully (although I just felt one start along my jaw on the left). And I sleep on my back and don’t press my cell phone against my face at all. I’m usually more sensitive to pain on my right side as well so something is giving this bacteria a field day. I can only conclude it’s the oil. Not sure what to do: the topical medications prescribed seem to work but are so drying that the peeling starts immediately. Doctor has me on aczone and Retin-A. Maybe Differin would be better (and I declined to take spironolactone, I have enough hormonal issues, I don’t need to get back on anything that’s going to mess with my menstrual cycle).
May 26, 2018
Incredible if you have allergies (seasonal or otherwise)
As someone with moderate to severe acne since I was a teenager (and now I'm 37) I was terrified to put straight unrefined organic coconut oil on my skin, but here's my reasoning: Coconut oil is 1) antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal.. 2) Visibly attaches to and removes makeup. 3) Doesn't interfere with the "acid mantle" of the skin, so it leaves your skin to protect itself (everyone has an acid mantle that is slightly acidic to naturally kill bacteria.. It's striped away by using soap which not only removes your protective layer but also is alkaline) 3) Is free from chemicals. A few weeks before I tried oil cleansing my skin was out of control. It had never been so oily in my life, which is saying something. It was chronically broken out with deep cysts and whiteheads. I was using witch hazel and alcohol on it several times per day just to get it to feel clean for a bit. I decided to try just using water in the evenings instead after reading several articles and the results were nothing short of miraculous! My zits dried up and FELL OFF!! This has NEVER happened to me. My skin was also no longer chronically bright red and irritated, and had taken on a soft, porcelain glow. BUT I could SMELL MY FACE. Yuck. I looked better, but having a sharp nose, even right after using warm water and a wash cloth to clean in the morning and evening, I could smell skin oils that grossed me out. THAT'S when I took the leak and tried oil cleansing. My Routine: Take a white washcloth (dye free and can be bleached in the wash to sterilize it), Run tolerably warm water over it and let it sit on my face and neck for about 30 seconds. Rub coconut oil on my face and neck gently and allow it to sit for at least a full minute. Use the washcloth with fresh, warm water to thoroughly but gently remove the oil (your face won't feel squeaky clean until you dry it.) Dry my face with a clean white cloth. * I DO THIS ONCE TO TWICE PER WEEK AND USE HONEY ON THE OTHER 5 DAYS WITH THE SAME ROUTINE EXCEPT PAPER TOWELS INSTEAD OF CLOTH BECAUSE... ANTS ;) The honey is even gentler than the oil, thus keeps my acid mantle completely in tact, protecting me from acne causing bacteria. My results: My skin glows and has vastly improved (at this moment I have 2 hormonal zits compared to a rash of zits across my chin, neck and forehead before). My face smells beautiful, like a tropical island or honey on the days that I use that. Additional reasons that this worked for me: I have always had combination skin that I blamed on hormones. While they are part of the problem, it turns out that I have sensitive skin too. If you have seasonal allergies, occasionally break out in hives or have chronically pink or red irritated cheeks you too could have sensitive skin. The traditional soaps and cleansers (even the organic products) strip your face of its natural defenses. This has been a miracle and a revelation for me to find after all of these years that less really is more. Within 3 days of using just water on my face in the evenings I was SHOCKED to solve the puzzle that is my face. I know that not everyone will have the same results so maybe just start off with your regular soap in the morning and then a wet, warm cloth with only water in the evenings and see how your skin responds. If there's a noticeable difference SLOWLY work your way to oil cleansing by trying the honey cleanse in the morning and water before bed for a few days. IF that seems to be improving things then try the coconut oil. I hope that this works for you too!! Love and light!!
April 12, 2018
HERE'S HOW I MINIMIZED THE POST-OCM BREAKOUT
Okay so first of all if you're reading this contemplating whether or not you should give the Oil Cleansing Method a go. Don't. Run the other way. Go use a mild cleanser instead like Physiogel (what i personally use) or something your skin works with. BUT if you're stubborn (like I was) and thinking to yourself, "well maybe i'm part of the LESS THAN 50% that has great results with this method! Plus I've already bought a bottle of jojoba and i dont wanna waste it" Fine, Its all up to you. BUT I strongly suggest this is the order you try it at: NEVER USE COCONUT OIL OR OLIVE OIL OK JUST DONT (Day 1) Patch test.
(Day 2) Try adding a little bit of the oil of your choice to your daily moisturizer and see if it doest give you a reaction.
(Day 3) Oil Cleanse Day and pray to your god that it doesnt break you out
(my blend was Grapeseed oil, Jojoba, Rosehipseed, and a little hemp) (Day 4-17) Its the "Observation Phase" PATIENCE MY FRIEND. It'll save your skin. Dont use the oil for 2 weeks, wait it out in this timeframe and go use your normal cleanser first to see if the ocm will give you more breakouts than usual. I saw 3 new pimples 4 days after the ocm trial day, then 5 new ones and a monster cystic one a week after it and decided never to try it again since I almost never get pimples prior to ocm. I say wait it out 2 weeks after your first ocm because pimples take an average of 2-6 weeks to appear on the surface of your skin. Thats why some of the positive reviews on here are from people who have used it for 1-2 weeks reporting they've had smoother skin after just one wash, and the negative reviews are from people who have had initially good results within the two week timeframe, then suffered for months. So its very important to use it ONCE then wait it out for 2 weeks and use your usual routine pre-OCM during this time, if you get more than your usual breakout forget the Oil Cleansing altogether. This isnt purging only AHAs and BHAs and scrubs and peels can cause purging.
If it didn't break you out congratulations unicorn! But dont stop observing your skin. Slowly incorporate it into your routine, do it once a week and not daily. NOW IF YOURE LIKE ME AND YOU JUST WANNA END THIS NIGHTMARE OF A CLEANSE ONCE AND FOR ALL, here's what I did: 1. Go back to your normal routine and toss that oil blend bottle into the bin (I assume you already have by now) and stop blaming yourself for the outcome! Blame those darn youtube reviews or something 2. Patience. The healing process might take two months. Dont go out and panic buy all the harsh spot treatments and chemicals that might make your condition worse. 3. I did two weekly masks (that I still do now) One is a clay mask, Aztec healing clay plus apple cider vinegar (Yes that one the green one everyone talks about) Now note that this might make you purge because ACV has malic acid which is an AHA. But it's only removing the damage that OCM has done. Do this once a week. The other mask I swear by is a ground coffee and honey mask. Grind some coffee beans, make yourself a cuppa coffee, use the strained grounds and mix with raw organic honey to make a scrub. Steam your face with 6 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 cups water for 5 minutes, wipe off your face, and gently massage the honey coffee mask onto your face in circular motions. Leave this mask in for however long you like. I leave mine for 1-3 hours before washing off. Dont use the clay mask and scrub on the same day of the week. 4. SPOT TREAT those pesky pimples and acne by mixing on the palm of your clean hand, 3 drops of water, 2 drops of apple cider vinegar, and 1 pea sized amount of honey. Mix em all together and use as an overnight spot treatment. Dont use during the daytime as the apple cider vinegar might be less effective if exposed to sunlight. The healing process will take a month or more but hey its worth it. As for ACV and honey and coffee grounds, you might be thinking, oh hell naw im not putting more natural products in my face anymore. Shh. Go check out the reviews on this site for those individual ingredients and see the difference in the percentage of good reviews from this OCM bs right here. Anyway, let me know if it worked for you guys! And remember, patience is key to undoing this mess. x
April 14, 2018
I’m so glad you posted this! I started doing the acne.org regimen in 2011 (previously, I was using a very expensive skin care regimen for a couple of years and once I discovered acne.org, I immediately switched over because of the price AND the biggest plus I noticed after a month was that it healed my acne 100%). By the end of 2016, I noticed my skin was more dry/more fine lines, and I became concerned about aging skin. Because I didn’t have any more cystic acne in YEARS or if I had a minor breakout (because of the time of month- which would disappear quickly with the regimen of course), I thought, “hmm all these youtubers rave about OCM. Maybe I should stop putting extreme products on my face and just use oils.” Fastforward to now.... as of March 2018, I restarted the acne.org regimen because the entire year of 2017 of giving my skin some time to adjust to the OCM has left me with cystic acne and pimples! I’m back where I started with bad skin from my early 20s. And I wish I stopped doing the OCM as soon as I started to see pimples on my face. For those of you who are willing to try it out, please, PLEASE, listen to your skin. I had the misconception and ignorance to think I was in a”purging” stage and that I needed to let my skin “detox” from all the chemicals I was putting on my face. I was wrong. The OCM just isn’t for everyone. But there are some people who can tolerate it/have great outcomes! Sadly, I’m not one of those “unicorns.”
April 18, 2018
Its good you finally switched back to your old regimen!
April 18, 2018
Were not all blessed with oil-loving skin unfortunately haha. But hang in there, time will heal anything, even what ocm has left behind ✨
November 24, 2017
Cleared my acne and dry skin! (Olive Oil)
I've had constant acne for over a year now and a few months ago I decided that I'd had enough of having painful acne and low confidence. I did a lot of research regarding natural treatments and I found the Oil Cleansing Method. I will never go back! I'll never use chemicals on my skin again which left my skin dry, oily, irritated and covered in acne. I decided to combine the OCM with a banana peel mask that I do 1-2 times a day so I recommend having a look at that treatment as well, as these two treatments combined have helped me so much. Before I started either of these acne treating methods, I had struggled with benzyl peroxide with left my skin insanely dry to the point my makeup wouldn't sit on my face at all and gave me swollen eyes which kept reoccurring even when I washed it away and avoided my eyes. It didn't clear my acne one bit. I was quickly losing hope and decided to do research for the final time before booking a doctors appointment. Twice a day I use this method to remove makeup and cleanse my skin, and I start with rubbing a small amount of olive oil on my face in small circular motions. My makeup is instantly removed, then I take a hot wash cloth and make sure I wipe it all away so that none is left behind to clog my pores and cause further acne. This is why YOU HAVE TO DO IT RIGHT. For some people this method won't work - all skin is different - but it's so important it's 100% removed. After this my skin already feels insanely soft and has a glow to it, and by using this method I managed to get rid of all my dry skin from the benzyl peroxide. Because the oil lifts the other oils I don't develop any new acne and when I wake up in the morning, expecting to see more acne like usual, my skin looks so clear! Even if it means experimenting with different oils, I would definitely try this.
September 13, 2017
OCM is the worst thing ever. Plz help
Ocm ruined my skin completely. I had the mildest form of acne and great skin apart from acne. I used OCM for a few months and suddenly one day I wake up to 3 cystic acne. I never had such acne. Then this started spreading on the sides of my forehead till the point I had to big isolated clusters of cystic acne with 10 inflamed bumps each side. My skin became red even the part where there was no acne and it seemed as if I had rosacea. A guy with clear skin suddenly having such bad Cystic acne, this was a disaster. This happened around 5 months ago and I am still struggling. Surprisingly only my forehead has acne and no other part of my face. If anyone has the same type of acne and has cured it, would be grateful if could get some help. Thanks
November 19, 2017
Okay so this is probably because you were using a highly comodogenic oil, the oil was too heavy and thereby clogged your pores, or you weren’t taking it off properly. Switch to using an oil free cleanser and moisturiser (oil helps the acne spread) and use witch hazel as a toner. You should probably treat the acne with something like benzoyl peroxide, until it dries out and goes away, and after that continue with clean skin. This is what I recommend, was recommended, and what is working for me. It’s important to wash your face twice a day, for this to be more effective.
August 27, 2017
OCM ruined my skin, HELP!
Tried the oil cleansing method because of all of the great things I heard about it, but that was a decision I was going to regret more than anything yet. I started with cleansing my face once a day with a mixture of castor oil, jojoba oil and hemp seed oil, and would afterwards moisturize with rose hip seed oil. After two weeks of treatment, my whole face is covered in inflamed pimples and cysts, and my skin is the worst it has ever been. I am so sad and devastated about the situation and I am in desperate need of advice on how to heal my face the best way possible. My skin care routine is very simple and I have eliminated all harsh products: I now wash my face twice a day with water, tone with a mixture of rose water, witch hazel and apple cider vinegar. I moisturize once at night with an organic moisturizer and as a treatment, I use aloe vera from my plant as often as possible. Is there anything I can do differently? how can I heal the scars that it will leave? I will be forever thankful for any response.
May 19, 2017
ARE OILS DEMAGING TO YOUR SKIN?
I have tried OCM for three days, developed the most terrible irritation and breakouts I have ever encountered in my life (had relatively clear skin before, except some breakouts because of makeup) and here is my review on it: (I have Master's degree in Biochemistry. If you don't agree with something I'm going to say or provide, you can leave a comment below and we can figure out it together. Also, English is not my first language, so I can make mistakes. Sorry.) Many people use oils (ideally cold pressed organic 100% pure) as a replacement of skincare. Yes, such words as organic, all natural, full of vitamins and minerals sound really good and people leading organic lifestyle propagate the usage of those.
You know, there are oils that can clog your pores. They do so by increasing follicular hyperkeratosis'"an increased production of keratin in hair follicles. Over time, this leads to clogged follicles and comedones. Thus, oils with the low comedogenic score are safe to use. This is nothing I'm going to talk here about. So, what are these beloved avocado, rosehip seed, grape seed, hemp seed, olive, safflower, coconut, etc oils? Well, 60% of each are fatty acids. Among these, in the vast majority of cases, 95% are linoleic and oleic acids.
Thus, oils are concentrated chemical solutions.
Linoleic acid (18:2) is scaled by NFPA 704 as level 2 hazard to health (0-4), meaning intense or continued but not chronic exposure could cause temporary incapacitation or possible residual injury (e.g. diethyl ether, ammonium phosphate). The next point on the scale is this one: 3 - short exposure could cause serious temporary or moderate residual injury (e.g. liquid hydrogen, carbon monoxide, calcium hypochlorite).
Oleic acids (18:1) is scaled 1 by HMIS: - exposure would cause irritation with only minor residual injury (e.g. acetone, sodium bromate).
Safety data sheets in chemical/biochemical labs state:
Adverse Human Health: Material may be irritating to the mucous membranes and upper respiratory tract
Effects and Symptoms: May be harmful by inhalation, ingestion, or skin absorption. May cause eye, skin, or respiratory system irritation. Indeed, 1 of 2 people is sensitive to even organic cold pressed natural oils and develop the worst irritation and breakouts they have ever had in their lives even because low or non-comedogenic oils. WHY? WHY ARE THEY SO IRRITATING TO SOME PEOPLE AND WHY DO THEY MAKE OTHERS SKIN VERY SOFT AND SUPPLE? Answers hide in the nature of fatty acids and how they act when applied topically. Studies show that even micromolar concentrations of palmitic (C16, saturated acid) and oleic acids incorporate into the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane (an inner cell organelle, surrounded by lipid bilayer) and reduce the content of phospholipids in the membrane. (Leo G et all, 1983) A consequence of enhanced skin permeability and/or toxicity with fatty acids is increased transdermal water loss (lauric, oleic acids). The intercellular lipids (permeate through the whole membrane) have an important function in maintaining the barrier to water permeation through the skin and for holding water in the skin, removing of intercellular lipids produced chapped and scaly skin. Maximum permeation enhancement was observed for fatty acids of 9 to 12 carbon atoms and for fatty alcohols of 10 to 12 carbons. Among saturated fatty acid, the maximum enhancement was shown by lauric acid (C12). (M. Loden at all, 2000) Remember, when tests say the maximum or elevated score they don't say other substances scored 0, as permeation ability was shown for many other fatty acids, as myristoleic, palmitoleic, linoleic, oleic, lauric and many others.
Let's be clear. The skin permeation effect of fatty acids indeed depends on the chain length and saturation. But the thing is oils do not contain very short fatty acids or contain only trace amounts of those (chains of very very short fatty acids are too short to incorporate into the lipid bilayer, therefore didn't show irritation reactions). Also, it's not the deal with a specific membrane, as all of them have the same basis.
In an irritation test in nude mice, 10% oleic acid caused severe irritation. Oleic acid was also evaluated in guinea pigs, with 5% producing significant epidermal damage. Various fatty acids have been examined in humans by applying for 3 h under occlusion using concentrations 0. 16 M. Oleic acid resulted in an elevated score and visible erythema and edema. (M. Loden, 2000)
Another study shows linoleic acid produced significant irritation on human skin (Michael A et al, 1975).
Also, prior studies on the relative irritancy of free fatty acids revealed the saturated C8 to C14 fatty acids and a C18 unsaturated fatty acid to be the most irritating. Another study says that among saturated free fatty acids from C3 to C18, and unsaturated C18 free fatty acids that were applied daily under occlusive patch tests to human skin until detectable erythema appeared, the most irritating fatty acids were C8 through C12. Of the unsaturated fatty acids tested, only linoleic acid produced irritation ( it was the only tested, though). Also, notice that different tests evaluated different fatty acids and therefore one can say the most irritating was this acid/only this acid showed irritation, while an another test names different acid due to different samples included. Studies say they applied oils until the detectable erythema occurred, thus erythema occurred in all applied saturated fatty acids. Among these, they evaluated the most irritating samples. SO WHY OILS ARE SUCH GOOD CARRIERS?
All people say oils are good natural carriers of vitamins and minerals to the skin. Oh yes, they are very good carriers, as they disrupt lipid bilayer (membrane that surrounds our cells) incorporating in it and therefore make it easier for other substances to penetrate through it.
But our skin is not designed as frogs skin, which consume near 10% of oxigen within it. Our skin is a barrier, nourished by minerals, vitamins and fatty acids, etc. supplied by blood, thus there is no need to disrupt the natural barrier in order to deliver minerals and vitamins topically.
But even people that develop skin irritation and breakouts can safely consume different types of oils. Even mice like food flavoured with oil more. What's the secret behind it? The thing is our digestive tract has a layer of mucus that protects it, also it regenerates really fast and digest all sort of organic compounds starting from our mouth. WHY DO SOME PEOPLE DEVELOP IRRITATION AND OTHERS NOT?
Let's look at one example. There is a compound called PTC (phenyltiocarbamide). It has extremely bitter taste. Evolution gifted us an ability to detect bitter tastes bacuse at the most cases bitter means toxic. So, when you can distunguish many bitter substances, you have better chances of survival.
But turns out that we vary in the ability to taste PTC and among different nations and populations only certain amount of people can taste it (from 16% to 40%). But it doesn't mean for those who can't distunguish the taste, it's beneficial and they can eat it without councequences.
The same is with topical irritation. Not everyone develope the reaction, but it doesn't mean it's beneficial for those (we are not talking about allergies here, just irritation!)
Most people experience some sort of reaction after some time of continuous application, as irritation may be induced by repeat disturbance of barrier function. Maybe you also wonder how oils helped some people to battle acne(especially oil cleansing method) It turns out, they aren't sensible to the mechanism in which fatty acids act. Okay, fatty acids act the same on their skin, they just don't develop a visible reaction to it. Thus, fatty acids could dissolve makeup traces that can irritate their skin, or dissolve natural sebum that clogs pores and not to cause irritation by itself. WHY DO PEOPLE
May 19, 2017
WHY DO PEOPLE BELIEVE USING OILS TOPICALLY IS GOOD FOR SKIN? 1. People are leaded by the fact that linoleic acid is a natural component of human sebum. Let’s investigate.
Triglycerides and fatty acids, taken together, account for the predominant proportion (57.5%), followed by wax esters (26%) and squalene (12%). The least abundant lipid in sebum is cholesterol, which with its esters, accounts for the 4.5% of total lipids. (Greene RS et all, 1970) Linoleic acid (18:1) and oleic (18:2) are only less than 15% (there are also different linear monounsaturated acids with 18 carbons) of all fatty acids (they are 57.5% of sebum), thus less than 9 % of sebum are linoleic and oleic acids (B. Boughton et all,1959) It’s not healthy smearing concentrated fatty acids on your skin, even though it’s produced by sebaceous glands in some quantity naturally. Most people imagine human sebum as a blend of fat and some small amount of water. It’s not like this at all.
Think about this: we can obtain not only oils from seeds but cyanide too. It will be 100% natural and organic, but would you smear it all over your skin? (the toxicity isn’t relative, but It’s just an example that not everything obtained from plants are good for health).
Indeed, human sebum is a unique substance, that can maintain itself when supplied with essential by blood (by the food we eat). It is unique in particular, the pathways leading to the formation of lipids, which are typically sebaceous, such as branched fatty acids and fatty acids with unshared unsaturation positions: features unique to sebum are the branched chain fatty acids and lipids with the particular pattern of unsaturation. Δ6 desaturase enzyme (fatty acid desaturase-2) catalyzes a “sebaceous-type†reaction of desaturation that leads to particular compounds, unique to humanΔ6 desaturase preferentially converts palmitic acid (16:0) to sapienic acid (16:1, Δ6), which is unique to the human sebum and represents ca. 25% of the total fatty acids. Elongation of sapienic acid by 2-carbon unit and further unsaturation leads to the formation of sebaleic acid (18:2, Δ5,8), which is also peculiar of human sebum. (Ge L. et al, 2007).
We cannot deliver fatty acids that are synthesised only by human cells topically. 2. People that don’t develop any kind of visible bad reaction experience very soft, “hydrated†skin. Of course, skin is soft after continuous application of oils, as they disrupt elastic membranes and make skin very supple in that way.
There is one Polish saying “co bagato, to niezdrawoâ€, meaning when there is too much of something it’s not healthy. Even though vegetable, seed, nut oils are all natural this doesn’t mean they can replace human sebum and can be used safely on the skin. We have a need in linoleic acid, but mainly in our food or some severe conditions that demand the topical application of oils (can be helpful for people that don’t develop visible irritation).
May 19, 2017
also, I have to note that the irritation because of oil application can last for a long time and develop into a chronical form...
June 24, 2017
Thank you for sharing so much information and citing your sources, I have a Biology degree, so I can understand all the hard work you put into this paper. ðŸ™ðŸ» Thank you
May 14, 2017
Not for me
I'll start off by saying I have normal skin, I found out about oil cleansing on YouTube and thought I'd give it a try, and long story short, it didn't work. I used coconut oil and I know there's tons of different oils to use but that's what I used. It didn't really make my skin worse but it also didn't make it better. The only thing it did is make my skin a little bit smoother and softer afterwards. Although every person is different, it may work for you and it may not.