While scrolling through Pinterest one fateful day, in the midst of all of the DIYs and healthy cookie dough recipes, I stumbled upon an article about the oil cleansing method (OCM). Now I’ve been to dermatologist offices, so I’m aware of the bad reputation that oil has in the acne industry. Even so, I couldn’t help but be intrigued.
PHOTO: Cassidy Clark
I researched more about the method and found pictures of glowing skin and rave reviews. Some fans of this method had managed to clear cystic acne, and others hadn’t purchased a traditional facial cleanser or moisturizer in years. Some of you may be wondering what the heck the oil cleansing method is. This method is a skin cleansing regimen in which you smear oil all over your face, then place a warm washcloth over top to open up your pores. You massage the oil into your skin, wipe away the excess, and you’re done. The idea behind this is that the oil you put on your face dissolves the bad oils in your skin. This will supposedly leave your face clear and moisturized. I grabbed some olive oil from my kitchen and proceeded to forego traditional face wash for six months.
My research suggested that I would go through a transition period, where I’d break out before things got better. This period typically lasts two to three weeks, and then supposedly my skin would be glowing. It’s safe to say that in all my six months I never made it to this light at the end of the tunnel. Sure, there were days when my skin would look and feel great, but for every one of those days there would be two or three where I’d be sprouting pimples like crazy, and it was not a good look.
I figured that I may just be using the wrong oil, so I began to invest in a few different kinds: jojoba, rose hip seed, coconut, and castor, just to name a few. Nothing worked, and I began to feel my skin grow oddly dry and even more zit-infested.
In an act of despair, I drove to the drugstore and picked up the chemical-laden cleanser I had been using before my OCM journey. And you know what? It worked. Soon after, I discovered my holy grail face wash, black African soap, and I’ve never looked back into my greasy past.
In conclusion, this method didn’t work for me. There are obviously people who it does work for, though, so if you feel inclined, try it out! You may regret it, but you might love it.
Do you have any crazy beauty tips? Let us know on social media @Cfashionista!
Additional photos by Cassidy Clark.
