So on Monday Jan 30th I started The Oil Cleansing Method, the Natural Deodorant, and the "no poo" shampoo, the first day I tried it this way and last night I tried it this way. Neither one of them seem to really get the oil out of my hair, so for now I am just grateful that I work in an office with almost all men and none of them care if my hair looks greasy or not. Note: I tried this specifically in a time frame when I know I don't really have to be seen in public much... no birthday parties or weddings or anything like that to go to.
Okay, oil face wash. This is gross to share, but blackheads on my nose have always been my #1 nemesis. I have tried every "scrub" under the sun and I always end up feeling like I took sand paper to my face, just for them all to be back the next day... Before I go on I have to tell you I have an EXTREMELY oily face and pretty decent size pours so I was really hesitant to try this. I bit my tongue and I did it, after the very first wash I noticed a difference. My face felt moisturized but not oily. However I wasn't convinced because, like I said #1 nemesis not fixed. To be fair this was only the first day so I gave it another shot last night. To my surprise I noticed a difference. Now before you judge this is only after two uses. Sorry I didn't take a before picture, you didn't want to see it anyway, take my word for it, it was bad. I will keep posting pics of the progress.
Here is the recipe I am using:
- Oily Skin: Try a blend of 30% Castor Oil to 70% Olive Oil (you can also use Sunflower Seed Oil) MINE
- Balanced Skin: Try a blend of 20% Castor Oil to 80% Sunflower Seed/ Olive Oil.
- Dry Skin: Try a blend of 10% Castor Oil to 90% Sunflower Seed/ Olive Oil.
- You'll need a soft washcloth, your oil blend, and hot, running water.
- Pour a generous puddle of oil into the palm of your hand. Roughly, the size of a quarter, but more is acceptable. Rub your hands together to warm the oil and smooth over your face.
- Begin massaging the oil into your face. This will remove makeup, dirt, and other impurities, so there is no need to use a makeup remover or wash your face prior to the massage. I've found that this removes even my stubborn waterproof mascara and concealor.
- Using slow, firm motions across the skin, massage the oil deeply into your pores. Take your time and focus on your problem areas. You want the oil to work into your pores so that blackheads and the like can be dissolved and steamed away.
- Once you're satisfied that your pores are saturated. Pick up your washcloth and soak it in clean, steamy water. We want the water to be warm enough to open your pores and remove the oil. Cool water will not open your pores, nor will it remove the oil efficiently. We're not scalding our skin, we're steaming to coax our pores to release the oil carrying the impurities. We're essentially steaming our skin as an esthetician would, but without the luxury of a steam machine.
- Hold the washcloth to cover your face. Allow it to stay until it cools. You will feel your pores releasing the impurities. Wipe the oil gently away and rinse the washcloth well in hot, running water. Hold the washcloth to your face again, allowing it to cool. Wipe gently, rinse well, and repeat two or three more times. Avoid any temptation to scrub, as you'll find it's completely unnecessary and your skin will be soft, smooth, and free of flakes without the additional manual exfoliation and irritation that will result. Impurities, dead skin cells, and bacteria will be gently swept away.
- Have no fear of the oil, as the steamy washcloth will remove it. The Castor Oil, though it is an oil, will help with the removal of the other oils, as well. It is our main cleansing oil and is easily removed with warm water.
- If your skin feels tight, take a tiny drop of your oil blend, rub it between your clean, damp palms and pat it onto your damp skin. Gently massage any oil residue into your skin so there is no film of oil left sitting on the surface. Your skin should now glow!
This is all on THIS WEBSITE. Not taking credit for this I am just trying to narrow down the steps for anyone interested
Natural Deodorant, works fine for me. This is probably the only thing I will write about it. I am not a very sweaty or odorous person, so I can get away with just about anything. During winter months ( ha that's a laugh in So Cal ) I could probably get away with not wearing any deodorant at all. I will give you an update on a hot day. I will say this much it smells yummy ( coconut oil) :)
Don't worry I won't show you any pictures of my armpit...
Recipe for this one:
Natural Deodorant
2-3 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1/8 Cup Baking Soda
1/8 Cup Arrowroot Powder or Cornstarch ( I used Cornstarch )
I doubled it all and it made enough to fill an old deodorant container with a little left over.
Another Recipe not trying to take credit for I got it off THIS WEBSITE
The No Poo. This one is tricky, because on EVERY website I read about this, everyone said there is a transition period. That my hair will be oily, and Oh Boy are they right...ewww! The first night I mixed 1TBS of Baking Soda to 1 cup of water and it was really hard to wash my hair with that because it was basically like trying to wash your hair with just water, it felt like I wasn't washing enough.. I dont know. Last night I tried the second method which was adding just enough water to the baking soda to make it into a paste. This made it easier to tell what parts of my hair were actually "washed". At this point I will tell you I was able to get away with this because, like my face, my hair is EXTREMELY oily. I can not go more then 24 hours without washing ( with shampoo) my hair, as a matter of fact at about 18 hours after I wash my hair it already looks like I haven't washed it in a week... gross I know. Silver lining... I don't really have any split ends :) Baking Soda is very drying, so I was told. Since my hair is as oily as it is I didn't mind trying the paste method. If your hair is dry to begin with I wouldn't try this. I want to try this one next: Lemon and cucumber shampoothie but this looks like a little more work... not sure if I willing to go there, just yet. After I washed my hair I rinsed out all the baking soda mixture, and then I did the Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) rinse also. Now there is mixed things about this some people say to use it as a conditioner but only once a week... isn't a conditioner supposed to be used after every shampoo?I'll have to play with this a little bit more. Per another site, I rinsed my hair with cold water after the ACV
Recipe: ( and you can find this on any "no poo" site)
Shampoo ( no poo)
1tbs baking soda - 1 cup of water, but you really have to play with this to see what works for you
Conditioner ( ?)
1tbs apple cider vinegar - 1 cup of water
Picture after Day 1 & Day 2:
I put my hair right back up after I took this picture. I hope I can withstand another 1.5 months of this... From what I have read it takes your body 6 weeks to realize you are no longer trying to strip it of its natural oils, so it quits over producing oils.