DIY Facial Cleansing Oil For Blemish Prone Skin

Oil cleansing can be the perfect antidote for dry or winter ravaged skin. But what about those breakouts? Acne doesn't discriminate against oil depleted skin.

I've been on the lookout for products that contain thyme ever since the study came out suggesting it was just as effective, and less harsh, than benzoyl peroxide. Nothing caught my eye. Granted, I had many requirements: it had to be clean, thyme had to be high on the ingredients list, the product should be designed for the face (I found a lot of shower gels, interestingly enough), and it had to be gentle. Nothing measured up.

So I decided to make my own. My forays into DIY have not been too successful (and include pans that had to be trashed, and screaming fire alarms). So this time I started small. I've read that castor oil is a great base for oil cleansing, but I didn't have castor oil. I wandered into my kitchen. Olive! I had olive oil.

My garden has a little thyme bush (no, I didn't plant it, but luckily I haven't killed it yet) in the back. So I picked a few sprigs. I just wanted two ingredients in my little experiment, so I tied the sprigs of thyme together and dipped them into a sterilized jar filled with olive oil. I left the mixture in the fridge overnight to steep. In the morning I removed the herbs and capped it.

Over the next few weeks I used my potion to wash my face. It was moisturizing and calming for my winter skin. And somehow, at the same time, I didn't see a blemish for my entire trial period. We are so programmed to think that we need to dry out our skin to see results in the fight against acne. But that's all a myth.

Olive oil, while convenient and probably laying around in your kitchen too, is great for all skin types. Studies show that it doesn't cause reactions in even the most sensitive skin types. Extra virgin olive oil has also been shown to protect skin against UVB rays when applied topically.

In case you want to get fancy, here are some oil choices for various skin types from our friends over at Crunchy Betty:

• Jojoba (all skin types, especially acne-prone skin)
• Sweet almond (all skin types, especially oily)
• Grapeseed (all skin types, especially oily)
• Avocado (dry and aging skin)
  
• Sunflower Seed (all skin types)
  
• Olive (all skin types)
  
• Apricot Kernel (dry, aging, and normal skin)
  
• Argan (all skin types, especially aging skin … very pricey)
• Tamanu (all skin types … very pricey)
  

Ratios:

• Oily skin: Use 2/3 castor oil to 1/3 carrier oil
• Normal skin: Use equal parts castor oil and carrier oil
• Dry skin: Use 1/3 castor oil and 2/3 carrier oil

Give this thyme infused oil a try and let me know how it works for your skin.

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Images courtesy of:

1. Me

2. Me