I've been giving the OCM a go over the last couple of weeks and thought some of you would like to know how it was going. Nearly a month ago I shared my skin care routine with you. I had a suspision that I was using far too many products and they were making no difference to my skin except, perhaps, making it look a little brighter. Well I have officially scrapped that routine. I don't use any of those products at the moment.
A quick recap on what my skin is like. Since I turned, I'd say 21, I have suffered from the occasional blemish. Gradually things have got worse. I generally have a few blemishes on my face at once. Very rarely do I have a week where I have completely clear skin. I also have a few blackheads on my nose. Only small and not very obvious, but I've always had them, even when I was younger. I also cannot leave spots alone. I feel I have to squeeze them to make them go away. I don't get big pussy zits, generally just little pimples and bumps. But I make them look worse by fiddling with them.
After being recommended the OCM by a follower on Twitter I did some research. I read all these stories about it being a miracle cure for bad skin. How people had completely eradicated their blackheads and didn't need to wear make up anymore because their skin was perfectly clear. Unfortunately I'm starting to think that this was all too good to be true. Saying that, I think I'm starting to see an improvement.
The basic theory behind the OCM is that oil dissolves oil. Your skin naturally produces oil and by using all the facial products we do, we actually strip the skin of its natural oils. Our skin then over-compensates by producing more oil. But oil alone doesn't cause blemishes. Lots of factors are to blame, diet, hormones etc.
The OCM involves massaging and steaming. It's actually really relaxing. You massage the oils into your skin, which in theory dissolves all the hardened impurities in your pores, you then steam your face to open up your pores, so the impurities are easily removed, by laying a hot cloth/flannel over your face. Sit back and relax. Do this a few times and then wipe the oil off with the cloth/flannel.
There are at least two oils you will need to start with. Castor oil being the most important one as this is the oil that cleanses your skin. You then need a secondary oil to dilute the castor oil, as it's actually really drying. I use extra virgin olive oil.
It actually takes some working out to discover your personal oil mixture. But I followed Stephanie's advice as a starting point:
♥Oily Skin: Try a blend of 30% Castor Oil to 70% EEVO.
♥Balanced Skin: Try a blend of 20% Castor Oil to 80% EEVO.
♥Dry Skin: Try a blend of 10% Castor Oil to 90% EEVO.
I started with a 20% castor oil, 50% EEVO, 30% sweet almond oil mixture. The way my skin felt after doing my first 'deep cleanse' was amazing. It looked soft and clean like I had just had a facial. At first I wasn't brave enough to just wash my face with water in the morning and not to use moisturiser, but I soon realised that was defying the point. Moisturising in the morning actually made my skin feel greasy.
After about a week and a half I hadn't seen any difference in my spots, actually things seemed to be getting worse. So I upped the percentage of castor oil I was using to 30%. Then I started getting dry patches so I now have a mixture of 25% castor oil, 25% sweet almond oil and 50% EEVO, I also add a few drops of tea tree oil each time I cleanse. Three weeks on and I think I'm starting to see an improvement. My spots are clearing up slowly so I'm definitely going to keep going with the OCM for a while. My skin doesn't appear to be any worse so I have no issue with keeping trying. I also do this every night and my skin copes fine with this. It's actually really nice to have a relaxing routine in the evening.
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