DIY Natural Oil Facial Cleanser

By Alexandra Cochran
Blog Content Contributor

Hey guys! Thanks for checking out another post of mine. This time I decided to share my personal oil cleanser because it has changed my skin dramatically for the best – no more little bumps, less irritation, and overall moisturized, clean and healthy looking skin.

I purchased most of these items at HEB and some of them from Thrive Market. Thrive is free for the first 30 days and have really cheap organic and natural products and that’s where I purchased all my essential oils. It’s totally worth spending the money to make an amazing cleanser without the chemicals, fragrances, and alcohols most brands have.

What you’ll need:

1. Clean, new bottle for your oil – 2 ounces or larger
2. Castor oil – most cleansing, dissolving and highly antibacterial
3. Complimentary oils – jojoba oil (all skin types, great for acne-prone), avocado oil (dry and aging type skin), grapeseed oil (all kind/oily skin), sweet almond oil (great for oily skin), argan oil (all skin types) and even olive oil (all skin types). Of course, all of these are great for dry skin!

You can use either one of two complimentary oils along with your castor oil.

Oily skin – 2/3 castor oil, 1/3 complimentary oil

Dry skin – 1/3 castor oil, 2/3 complimentary oil 

Normal skin – equal parts

1. Coconut oil is a NO! This oil will clog your pores and enlarge blackheads, keep coconut oil for your hair and body, not the face.
2. 100% pure essential oils* / not fragrance oils – Make sure your essential oils are 100% pure. I made my own concoction with the results I was looking for. Many essential oils are antibacterial and highly concentrated. Some oils that are best for cleaning: Tea Tree Oil (healing, antibacterial), Rosemary Oil (oily/acneic skin), Peppermint Oil (oily/acneic), Geranium Oil (all skin types, improves circulation, minimizes inflammation, great smell) Lavender Oil (redness reducer, all skin types), Lemongrass (great for toning and lifting your mood), and Sweet Orange (all skin types, very soothing).

*Remember, what you’re allergic to in food, you will be allergic to with essential oils, I also wouldn’t recommend trying this if you may be pregnant.

When I have a new friend (pimple) surfacing on my skin, I’ll dilute water on a qtip and dispense one drop of tea tree oil on the qtip and dab it on the problem area. Works like magic everytime.

Following the creation of the cleanser, I begin to apply it evenly around my face and décolleté. Circular and upward motions makes sure the oil gets into every pore and replaces the dirty with clean new oil. Leaving this on for about two to three minutes insures that your face is absorbing all the good stuff and will be ready to wash off. I make sure the water is really warm before soaking my hand towel under. I chose white towels because I love to see how much comes off my face at the end of the day; it’s a weird satisfaction.

When the water is warm enough to your standards, dunk the cloth and apply it on your face. “Ahhh, that’s the stuff.” This step literally feels like a spa day; it’s so refreshing. Leave that on for 10 to 15 seconds and wipe away! Keep a light hand because this is already taking care of exfoliating your skin too and you don’t want to apply too much pressure that it leaves your skin bright red.

And voila! Clean and glowy skin!

Yes, it seems time consuming but it’s such a relaxing habit to have. I almost never need to follow up with a moisturizer, and when I wake up in the morning I have even tone skin, ready for the new day. It might take a week or two for your face to adjust from your other regimens but I love this way of cleansing and haven’t looked back since. My skin is glowing and replenished with great, healthy oils. Leave a comment below if you enjoyed this video or try this at home!

Featured image by Alexandra Cochran. 

Video shot and edited by Alexandra Cochran.