When the oil cleansing method is performed properly it can deep clean, exfoliate, hydrate, brighten, balance and completely transform the skin. As an esthetician who was first taught to manage oily complexions with oil stripping cleansers and growing up experiencing my own “oily acne prone” skin, I understand why you might be a little hesitant to apply more oils to your skin because, wont it clog your pores?! The truth is that oil cleansing is one of the most gentle and effective ways to clean and balance the skin but strategic beauty marketing and their “oil-free” skincare campaigns conditioned us all for so many years to think otherwise. My skin care routine used to be full of harsh foaming, peeling, and “oil-free” product systems before giving oil cleansing a try myself.

As I became more interested in holistic skin care and began hunting for cleaner beauty products, I realized the purest and most simple options I had to choose from were usually skin oils. I wanted to take my skin back to basics and back to nature. At first I slowly flirted with oils in my routine only by removing my makeup with them, then I swapped most of my lotions and heavy creams out for natural botanical oils, butters, and balms, but a big game changer was when learned how to properly incorporate oil cleansing into my self care routine. My skin felt unbelievably clean without feeling dry, I even noticed less inflammation and congestion over time. Estheticians like myself all over social media now praise oil cleansing and often use it as the first step in a double cleanse routine, which is a great practice to begin with if you are still nervous about leaving oil residue on the surface of your skin.

Oil cleansing forces you to slow down, be present, and truly connect with your skin instead of rushing through a typical cleanse. To effectively perform the oil cleansing method you need to begin with a dry skin surface, working the oil into the face for about 60 seconds without water before removing with a warm damp washcloth. For the second pass you will combine both oil and warm water on your washcloth and gently massage it over the skin for another minute. You then finish your oil cleanse with a fresh side of your washcloth, using only warm water and cloth to remove all the oil. This technique ensures a very thorough cleanse that will leave your face soft and squeaky clean without impairing your skin’s natural moisture barrier.

Try looking for jojoba based oils for cleansing because the waxy structure of jojoba is very similar to that of your own sebum. Jojoba oil is full of antioxidants, fatty acids, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties and has the ability to restore a compromised skin barrier.

I recommend oil cleansing all the time, and especially when a client's skin is sensitized, dehydrated, or inflamed as an easy skin reset to bring the skin back to balance after using too many stripping products for prolonged periods of time. Oil cleansing can be very detoxifying so start off slow once to three times per week in the morning and/or night and follow your skin’s lead increasing or decreasing depending on its needs. For a complete skin reset, use nothing else in your routine besides your oil cleanser, anywhere from 7 to 21 days to give your skin a break until it shows improvement and then slowly introduce other products back to your skin.

RITUAL OIL