Replied By Misha (Binghamton, New York) on 04/28/2009

I have since discontinued use of the oil cleansing method as I find it does not work for my skin. I have resumed my use of oil free cleansers and my skin is starting to clear up, however it still has quite a way to go before it returns to its "normal state"!

I still use jojoba oil as a light moisturizer for my face with good results.

Replied By Tee (Chicago, Il) on 09/28/2009

Replied By Ratgirldjh (Austin, Texas, USA) on 09/30/2009

what helped me a lot - was to start using a tiny bit of baking soda and a wet face to exfoliate. then i use very diluted ACV afterwards to balance my skin back out.

after a few days of this my cystic pimples started clearing up. some are taking longer.

i think that why the oil cleansing method doesn't work for everyone is that you are actually massaging the oil into the pores and some pores are too small for it to come back out very well...

even with the steaming hot washcloth i still has this problem :(

i thought about steaming my face to try and get rid of the cystic pimples and it did help when i did it with water alone or a little ACV over a pot and then used a washcloth on my skin - or did the baking soda afterwards...

Replied By Twitch (Nw, Ohio) on 10/06/2009

Replied By Saysouda (Nashville, Tn) on 10/12/2009

In the morning, I clean my face with witchhazel using cotton ball; then use warm damp cloth over face and neck. Sometimes I use BORAX when my skin feels oily, just sprinkle a little and add water to make paste, then rub on face and splash it off with warm water. The borax paste also works like an exfoliant.

At night, I rub VCO on face and neck. Wipe off with tissue, then use warm/damp cloth.

After cleaning, I moisturize with jojoba oil both day and night. In the daytime, I add sunscreen to my routine.

Recently I have tried the mask using honey and milk (a recipe I found here on EC) and I love the way the mask makes my skin feels. Soft and the lines are less noticeable.

I used VCO as a moisturize and found it was not hydrating enough for my skin. But I love it a cleanser. I even take 1 TBSP VCO internally every day and I feel like I have more energy and my skin feels clearer also. Oh, one more thing, yes, I did break out during the first week of trying this method. I think it was due to the impurities coming out of my skin.

Good luck and hang in there if you do break out some. Your skin is just detoxing itself.

Replied By Ecfan99 (Everywhere, Usa) on 06/23/2011

Replied By Insectc (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) on 01/18/2012

I had the worst case of cystic acne I've ever had in my entire life (take it from somene who's had to deal with zits her entire life, and still I have never had anything like this). It happened on my chin, along with lots of tiny little bumps elsewhere on my face. It took 4 months before the acne finally calmed down, and another 6 months for it to clear completely. It's now been over a year and I'm still wary about breakouts on my chin.

I use a simple oatmeal soap to wash with, I tone with alcohol-free witch hazel and I moisturize with a light cocoa butter moisturizer. I use a small amount of moisturizer, just enough to hydrate my face. My face is quite clear now. I try to drink lots of water. The oil cleansing method was just not for me. It's for people who don't need to wash their faces that often because their skin naturally sloughs off the dead cells quickly and for those whose faces don't produce excessive amounts of oil to begin with. All I felt after a couple of weeks was buildup on my skin. By this I mean I would be rinsing my face with water and when I rubbed it gently, it felt rough and grimy. I persisted with OCM, thinking that eventually it would help. It did not, it made things worse. Believe me, I used warm washcloths and steamed and wiped gently until all trace of oil was gone after each cleansing, and then showered after. So no, I did not leave traces of oil on my face. And I only did it three times a week, in the evenings so it wasn't excessive. The oil cleansing method is not for everyone. I definitely need to wash my face every day to take away a day's worth of makeup, dirt and pollution. Gentle cleansing is the key, not harsh soaps and alcohol loaded toners but not OCM either, at least not for someone with my skin type.

Replied By Lady From London (London) on 04/11/2012

I wanted to try it because I used to use Ernest Laszlo's oil on my face ages ago. It left my face in such good condition - but it was expensive to keep doing that regime. I was originally pleased to find this method again, only that it really doesn't work - at least the oils that I'm using don't work. If anyone knows the oils that were in The Ernest Laszlo bottle, please let me know. Otherwise, beware!

Now, I just use ACV to target the spots, and it's taking time to deal with them. I didn't have so much before this oil cleansing - so I feel like I'm backpeddling big time!

Replied By Lady From London (London, Uk) on 04/11/2012

If anyone else knows the other oils, do let us know. Thanks!