Day 62
03/03/17
I’ve been working on an article for skin health, mainly acne, for a while now. It’s taking up a long time because the research in the field is vast and daunting. But green lights all ahead – I’m almost done! Here is a sneak peak about oil cleansing as a way to balance oils on skin:
Oiling an acne infested skin may seem strange, but oils actually help support the skin’s own oil regulation. Unlike harsh, chemical-laden washes and scrubs commonly seen at pharmacies and heavily advertised, they don’t strip skin of its natural layer of moisture and oils. In this way cleansing products actually cause the skin to produce a lot of sebum to rebalance. On the contrary, oils help balance the skin’s natural oil production as well as hydrate and maintain an optimal pH balance.
Commonly used oils are jojoba, olive, castor, coconut, sweet almond, and argan. Most of these oils are antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and have antioxidants therefore protecting the skin from microbes, free radicals that cause premature aging and reduce or prevent inflammation.
Drier skin require heavier oils that will hydrate all day, but acne prone skin which is usually oily needs oil that is light in consistency like almond, coconut and argan. Dr. Diane Walder, a cosmetic dermatologist, says that these oils work by binding impurities on the skin and pulling dirt from pores, and when rinsed away they leave the skin clean, soft and hydrated.
Here is a method I use to oil cleanse:
- Wash your hands.
- Lightly wet face with water.
- Put a small dime-sized dollop of oil (I love jojoba) on palms of hands and rub together.
- Rub oil on face.
- Wet a washcloth with hot water and place on face.
- Wet a second washcloth with even hotter water (as warm as possible without being painful), and place it on top of the first.
- Hold in place for about 3-5 minutes, slowly rubbing skin.
- Repeat steps 5-7 for a deeper cleanse.
- Watch as your skin gets healthier!
