Well, most people know by now that I am an Oil Cleansing Method fan. :) If you need a refresher on my experience with it, check it out here and here.
I am super, SUPER happy that I have chosen to do OCM. I love it. My skin isn't perfect... it never will be and it will never be "the pill perfect" either. But, this is the only skin routine that I have seen results. I am not a crunchy person by any means... but it does make me feel a little better knowing that I am not using crazy chemicals on my face. So, there's that!
ROUTINE
Let me go over what I do, exactly, every.single.night. My nightly routine isn't just a quick brush my teeth and splash water on my face. No... it's an 11 minute process. Yes, I timed it. Sometimes it's shorter, sometimes longer. But, if I don't do it... I feel WEIRD when going to bed. Something is off, and it takes me a long time to fall asleep.
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| This is where the magic happens. And yes, I wear that bandana every time, too. |
OCD tendencies, anyone?!
Step one: take eye makeup off with remover pads
Step two: floss/brush teeth
Step three: oil up my face... massage gently all over my face, jawline, etc.
Step four: wet wash cloth with hot water and place over face for a few seconds- enjoy the warmth/mini spa sesh
Step five: wipe oil/makeup/dirt off face- you will see the makeup on your cloth, so you'll need to rinse a few times and wipe again
Step six: scrub with my Clarisonic
Step seven: pat face dry
Step eight: cleanse with witch hazel/toner
(Step nine: now use Olive + M's face oil on the dryer parts of my face)
[In the morning, I use a wash cloth to wipe my face clean while in the shower. I don't use any sort of cleanser or more oil. Then use a bit of oil as a moisturizer, if needed.]
THE OIL
As I explained in my first OCM post, its important to try different combos of oils to see what works for your skin. Different oils do different things and will do different things to your skin as opposed to my skin. Coconut oil has been AMAZING for my skin! But, I have heard it does horrendous things to others.
Coconut Oil. It's my love. No, really. I just love it. It can be used as a moisturizer. It smells heavenly. And you can cook with it, if you want. :)
On February 1, I started using an olive oil blend, however. The very nice Mariska of Olive + M, an olive oil based skin care line, reached out and asked if I would like to give her oils a try*!
I mean... sure!! :) I am always up for trying something new... and something new that is STILL my beloved OCM?! Yes, please!!
She asked that I do a 7-day challenge with the Cleansing Oil and Face Oil. But, I don't know about you, 7-days is not enough time to see if there was any positive change in my skin. (Although, I bet if I was starting out OCM for the very first time with these oils, I would totally see a change!) So, I have committed to using O + M for all of February. But, I would still like to show you what my face looked like for the first 7 days, and then I will get my bee-hind together (I hope) to do another post after February is all finished. Which, ya know... isn't too far away. :)
After the Clarisonic, I will use the Face Oil for the dry areas, if needed.
RESULTS
As you can see... there is no dramatic difference. I found that drama came when I first switched to OCM, check those results out here. But, what I can tell is that the redness isn't as pronounced. All of these pics were taken right after I cleaned my face/before bed, so my face is a little irritated looking, perhaps, from the rubbing/wiping.
But! I am hopeful. I am really liking Olive + M. I was a bit nervous because, as coconut oil can do crazy things to some people's skin, so can olive oil. Thankfully, my skin has been doing really well! There are all of these wonderful essential oils perfectly blended in both the Cleansing Oil and Face Oil that make them smell divine! I just love the way they feel on my skin.
Right now, the only thing that I am finding different between the the coconut oil and the olive oil blend, is how effectively is takes my makeup off. I am finding that when I wipe my face with the toner/cotton ball, makeup is still coming off (this is AFTER cleansing with the oil and using the Clarisonic, mind you). I did not notice this much with the coconut oil. I have also noticed that my forehead is having smaller breakouts. Is this perhaps because not all of the makeup is coming off?! I am not too sure.
But, I have only had one or two painful, cystic blemishes!! I even had my period, which is when those suckers appear. Normally I get a bunch around my period, so to only have a couple is awesome!!!
ANYway... enough of that boring stuff. Maybe some of you have been interested in trying OCM?! I'd say... just go for it!! Perhaps using Olive + M?! Well, you are in for a treat!!! The first 10 people to fill out the form below, will receive a sample of the Cleansing Oil and Face oil to try for 7 days! It's free!! No pressure! If you have been curious about OCM, then this may be the perfect time! :) :) The Olive + M team will contact you if you are one of the first 10 people to sign up.
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