The Logic Behind Oil Cleansing: Why It’s So Magical

Facebook

As crazy as it might sound, cleansing with oil is the way of the future. The oil cleaning method has so many benefits that you’ll wonder why you never did it before.

This post contains affiliate links.

I recently discovered the cleansing oil method, honestly through scrolling through Instagram – and the rest is history. I can’t even imagine going back to cleaning with any other type of cleanser because the changes to my skin using oil cleansing have been that significant.

RELATED: 5 Reasons You Have Adult Acne

Join my Clean Beauty Group Here!

What is oil cleansing?

There is no denying that oil cleansing is going mainstream, so you might as well take this opportunity to educate yourself and even give it a try. Oil cleansing is really as simple as it sounds: you are using an oil, in place of your regular facial cleanser to clean your skin. And yes – it will actually clean your face.

There are two different ways that you can use oil to clean your face. The first is to drop 1-2 tsp of the cleansing oil into your hand and gently massage it onto your dry skin, working it in for about 60 seconds. Then, slowly wet your hands and continue to massage for a few more seconds and you will notice the oil sort of turn to a milk color. Then you simply wash it off with a warm wash cloth and continue with the rest of your routine.

The second method has been made popular by different k-beauty brands (which is where this process started to begin with) involves the same steps in the first method, but you would proceed to cleanse again with a gentle cleanser like our Nourishing Cream Cleanser. As always, when trying something new, test the cleansing oil on a small patch of your skin for a couple of days to see how your skin reacts.

The Logic Behind The Oil Cleansing Method

Whenever we cleanse our face, the goal is to remove any build up, impurities, or makeup. However, with regular cleansing, you can also strip your face of necessary oils that it needs to be healthy and protect against break outs, aging, fine lines, etc. As crazy as it sounds to use oil, whenever we have been told to use oil-free everything for basically ever, it can seem a little nuts, but just stay with me here.

Using oils instead of regular soap or cleansers can help protect the natural lipid layer of the skin and the good bacteria that live there. According to a recent study on the subject, “Human skin acts as a primary barrier between the body and its environment. Crucial for this skin barrier function is the lipid matrix in the outermost layer of the skin, the stratum corneum (SC). Two of its functions are (1) to prevent excessive water loss through the epidermis and (2) to avoid that compounds from the environment permeate into the viable epidermal and dermal layers and thereby provoke an immune response. The composition of the SC lipid matrix is dominated by three lipid classes: cholesterol, free fatty acids and ceramides. These lipids adopt a highly ordered, 3-dimensional structure of stacked densely packed lipid layers (lipid lamellae): the lateral and lamellar lipid organization. The way in which these lipids are ordered depends on the composition of the lipids.”

So we still have a lot to learn about the microbiome on our skin, research has shown that the bacteria that lives on our skin can help protect us against infections like acne, so washing them away with traditional cleansers can be a huge mistake.

How to choose the best cleansing oil

You can use many different oils to cleanse your skin such as sweet almond oil, jajoba oil, castor oil, and more. However, I recommend using our Beautycounter Countertime Lipid Defense Cleansing Oil. First of all, it smells amazing and will last you forever.

But what makes this different? It gently yet effectively removes makeup and impurities without stripping essential lipids from the skin. Rich in vitamin E, fatty acids, and our plant-derived Retinatural Complex, the formula reinforces the skin’s fragile moisture barrier for a soothed, nourished complexion. So it will majorly help with your anti-aging efforts using the Bakuchiol and also help if you are having acne issues. Win, win!

Shop with me at Beautycounter Here!