Creating your own cleansing oil: How to do it right.

Cleansing with oil has been a practice for centuries, oil pulling in Ayurveda has grown popularity in the West thanks to it’s ability to brighten teeth gently, but battle others issues like inflammation. (For the record, coconut oil is actually not ideal, we recommend a blend that has a lower molecular weight and better cleansing properties.) Conditioner washing hair in lieu of shampoo has been a common practice for people with coarse and curly hair, but has caught the attention of the masses as well.

Subsequently, cleansing the skin with oils that emulsify dirt and also attach to existing excess oil have been incorporated into beauty routines both oily and dry skin as a way to thoroughly clean the skin without irritating or over stripping skin. The trick is doing it correctly, so you aren’t simply just leaving a film of oil on your skin.

The effective way to oil cleanse: Cleansing oil works by attaching to the lipid molecules on your skin and in your pores, and being washed away with them.

1.    Massage cleansing oil into your skin for 1-2 minutes to emulsify and warm up debris on your skin

2.    Using a warm, clean cloth with steamy water, gently remove in a circular motion, rinse, and repeat if necessary.

3.    Your skin should feel clean and soft. You can ideally use a toner after (such as Phyto Glow in the evening, or unfragranced micellar water in the morning).

 If your skin feels like it has a film after these steps, chances are you are using an oil that does not work well for cleansing. Not all oils are created equal, and cleansing oils work best if they are simple. These oils work well:

Sunflower Oil: This vitamin E rich oil is light weight, non-comedogenic, and full of irritation fighting antioxidants. This is a universally effective cleansing oil for all skin, especially dry skin. Always go for cold-pressed organic sunflower oil, as the quality can vary greatly.

Jojoba Oil: Technically a liquified wax, jojoba is a go-to for replacing sebaceous fluid in acne prone skin lacking moisture. Because it’s a liquified wax, it’s the ideal cleansing oil for removing makeup as waxes in cosmetics such as mascara.

Kalahari Melon Seed Oil: This healing oil is omega-6 and omega-9 rich, and it’s lightweight texture make it perfect for cleansing the skin. We use it in Phyto Flora Supreme because it’s extremely high in linoleic acid. It’s ability to dissolve excess sebum make it the perfect cleansing oil.

Adding essential oils: You can add a couple drops of a pure essential or blend if you’d like some additional benefits and a bit of an aroma. Avoid citrus, eucalyptus, tea tree, and mint oils if you are using your cleansing oil around the eye area. Ideally using 1 drop of essential oil per 4 ounces. Ideal oils to add are German chamomile, damask rose, lavender, and frankincense. You can add a couple drops of Phyto Flora per ounce as well.

Be certain to keep high quality oils away from light and heat, if your bathroom gets especially steamy, this can spoil your oil. It’s also best to store natural products in glass, rather than oil. I prefer Miron black glass, or amber Boston round bottles.