Oil-Based Face Wash (Yes, Seriously)

Using oil to wash your face sounds disgusting and completely counter-intuitive, right? Well, not exactly. After years of trying to figure out how my skin could possibly be super dry AND acne prone at the same time, I finally got rid of all of my drying acne "solutions" that I've probably spent hundreds of dollars on over the years. As it turns out, drying your skin out won't solve any of your skin problems and caking on chemicals just doesn't sound all that appealing to me. So, after some research, I found that some people are suggesting that some acne issues are exacerbated by products like benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid because the skin has to produce an incredible amount of oil to counteract the drying effects of these ingredients, thus producing more acne. I'm not a dermatologist, but it makes sense to me.

The first time I washed my face with oil, I used pure coconut oil, rubbed it between my palms for a few seconds and rubbed it on my face. Then I ran a clean washcloth under hot water and placed it over my face for about a minute. This is supposed to open the pores and pull out impurities, but I think that if you just apply the oil in a hot shower in the morning, you'll get the same effect. In any case, coconut oil was too heavy for my skin and it didn't seem to absorb very well. Other people swear by it though, so I say give it a try if you're thinking about switching to an oil-based face wash.

After trying a bunch of different oils and mixtures, I finally came up with one that I'm really liking. Even after you rinse it off, your skin feels soft and smooth, but not greasy.

Here's What I Used (Measurements are not exact, at all)
1/8 cup grapeseed oil
1 tsp. castor oil
1 tsp. witch hazel
1 cap-full tea tree oil (about 1/2 tsp...I think)
1-2 drops of peppermint oil

Shake it all up in a bottle and use it to wash your face and remove makeup (yup, you can throw out your synthetic makeup removal products too!). I have incredibly sensitive skin and it doesn't irritate my skin, so I'm thinking this recipe should work for most people with sensitive skin.