The Oil Cleansing Method

For the moment, I am going to start with a review of skin care. It is so important that you have a good base on which to apply your makeup, as a bad base leads to a bad face (see what I just did there? I know, I'm so goddamn clever). As someone who has suffered from bad skin right from the age of 13, I can say that I have learned a thing or two about what is and isn't a good skincare routine.

My first review is for The Oil Cleansing Method. 

This was a last-ditch attempt to try and sort out my skin and come up with a long-term solution. I have tried everything from Clearasil to Proactive to Panoxyl and finally to this, with many other products in between. But hey, the sun is due to explode within about a million years so I'm on limited time here. 


It seems weird that putting oil onto an already oily face would actually be of benefit. I admit that I was skeptical but thought that if it was good enough for the Ancient Egyptians (who used to receive some of their wages in olive oil), then it's good enough for me.

First, I massage a generous amount of Extra Virgin Olive Oil into my skin and leave it for a couple of minutes, whilst I brush my teeth, brush my hair, mooch about on Facebook etc. It feels a little weird the first time that you do it but you soon get used to it and the oil is strong enough to dissolve makeup, even waterproof mascara (be careful around the eyes, as although it won't sting, things will get a little blurry for a while).

Next, I apply about 5 drops of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap Pure-Castile Hemp Soap onto wet hands, foam it up and cleanse my face. This stuff is a little bottle of miracles! You seriously only need a few drops to get a good lather, it's designed for babies so is also ideal for sensitive skin and one bottle goes a long way. Once I have cleansed, I then remove everything with a natural sea sponge before giving my face a good dousing with a couple of handfuls of warm water.

To finish, just pat your face dry and apply a light layer of moisturiser. That's it!

It can take about a week before you notice a difference in your acne and you may even find that things get much worse before they get better. Persevere and you shall be rewarded! I first noticed that my dry patches were gone and my skin no longer felt oily during the day. Although I still get spots (as mine seem to be dictated by hormones), they are smaller, heal quicker and the oil helps to reduce any scarring that may occur. You can always help things along with a nightly application of Sudocrem to get rid of any bacterial nasties.

Another product which I would like to quickly review is 'Lush Mint Julips Lip Scrub'. I am a lip-chewer and often end up with dry, flaky lips. This little pot, although at first seemingly expensive, is worth buying as it's a treat for the lips. It's a sugar scrub with peppermint, chocolate and organic jojoba oil and it really is good enough to eat. I cannot resist licking mine off. I know, gross! Lips are often overlooked in a skincare routine but the skin is thin and delicate so needs TLC. Treat yours with this, followed by a lip-balm of your choice at night and an SPF lip-balm for the day. Gorgeous!