The Oil-Cleansing Method

I am always looking for ways to eliminate toxic, unnecessary chemicals from my life and using natural beauty products is one of the easiest ways to do this. I'm super excited to share the oil-cleansing method with you because I am convinced it's going to change your life the way it has changed mine. And, it will also save you a ton of money and give you better looking skin in the process!

If you haven't heard of the oil-cleansing method before, it's definitely time you did.  The oil-cleansing method involves washing your face with, well, you guessed it: oil.  Most facial cleansers brag about being "oil-free" and the beauty industry has certainly taught us that "oil-free" make-up and cleansers is the way to go.

Here's the problem though: when our skin is striped of its natural oils, it produces more oil to compensate.  For those with oily skin, this means more breakouts, blackheads, and aggravated skin.  For those with dry skin or sensitive skin, it means the skin is going to get even drier and irritated.

Here's a basic chemistry lesson: like dissolves like.  Hence, oil dissolves oil. The oil-cleansing method is using oil to naturally dissolve the dirty oils on our skin without stripping it or using harsh chemicals. Genius, right?  Not only is it super simple, affordable, and better for your skin, but here is my favorite part: the oil-cleansing method is the best make-up remover I've ever found.  It removes mascara, eyeliner, foundation, everything -- all in one step!  If that's not enough to make you jump for joy, then I just don't know what is.


The key to the oil-cleansing method is castor oil which comes from the castor bean.  Castor oil is a great antibacterial and is the best for cleaning skin.  Depending on your skin-type, you will want to use a different ratio of castor oil to other oils.  Other oils to use include olive (which is perfect for all skin types), jojoba (all skin types), avocado (best for drier skin), and almond oil (best for oily skin). Experiment and see what works best for you.

I have dry skin and have had great results with using a mix of castor oil, olive oil, and avocado oil. I usually mix 2 cups extra-virgin olive oil, 1 cup avocado oil, and 1 cup castor oil in a a glass jar and keep this in my bathroom for easy access. (I would definitely recommend keeping oil for cooking and oil for skincare separate.)

I recommend mixing a small batch and then you can adjust your oil ratio as needed.  Once you discover what works best for your skin type, then you can make a larger batch. I've been using this for over a year now and I've noticed that it's made my dry skin significantly less dry and I've gone from using lotion several times a day to simply once in the morning. This is a huge change for me!

Here's how it works...

Method:

Once you've made your oil mixture, rub a small amount onto DRY skin (as it won't mix well with water), adding more as needed, and massage it around your face for about a minute.

Remember: there's no need to wash or remove make-up before applying the oil. (If you wear makeup, rubbing the oil onto your skin might make a gooey mess, but it gets better in the next step.) If you wear mascara and eye makeup, rub a small amount onto your lids gently to remove any makeup, just as you would use a makeup remover.

The next step is to steam the skin to help remove impurities from your pores. Grab a clean wash cloth and run it under warm/hot water.  Wring it out and place it over your face for about a minute.  Then use the washcloth to wipe away any oil that's left. And that's it!

You only need to do the oil-cleansing method once a day (preferably at night before bed) and then you can splash your face with water in the morning.  It's so simple!

Have you tried the oil-cleansing method before?  What oils work best for your skin?

Don't Fear The Fat

One of the things that interests me the most about nutrition is how people tend to categorize foods as either "good" or "bad." For many years, fat has been seen as the food enemy and is often labeled as "bad," even though it is an essential part of our diet! As a health coach, I often get questions about what the perfect diet looks like or the best ways to lose weight. So, today I thought I would talk a little bit more about fat and why we should be eating it instead of avoiding it. 

Healthy fats steady our metabolism, keep hormone levels even, nourish our skin, hair, and nails, as well as provide lubrication to keep the body functioning fluidly.  Healthy fats are especially important during cold months to help insulate our bodies from the cold as well as provide energy. 

Many people think that they key to losing weight is to eat a low-fat diet. Although it is important to include the right kinds of fat in our diet, often times a low-fat diet can make us gain weight. 

Have you ever bought something at the grocery store that was labeled low-fat? If you check out the nutrition label, you'll usually see that it is loaded with sugar! Fat adds flavor to foods so when companies remove the fat from products (e.g. low-fat granola, fat-free cookies, etc), they add in extra sugar to make it taste better. Excess sugar is one of the keys to gaining weight so what we really need to be watching is the sugar content in our diets, especially if we eat the Standard American Diet with lots of packaged food. 

And, eating good fats is one of the keys to healthy weight loss because healthy fats help us feel satiated after a meal, which actually prevents over-eating.  

However, not all fats are created equal. Heavily processed, hydrogenated, and "trans" fats used in packaged foods can be extremely damaging to the body so please remove these from your diet and avoid them as much as possible. 

Some of my favorite fat sources include:

• Whole nuts and seeds, as well as their butters like almond butter and tahini. 

• Whole foods such as avocados, olives, and coconuts. (I prefer to use whole-food sources of fat, as opposed to oils, as much as possible because they still contain the nutrients in the food.)

• Oils like flaxseed, sesame, olive, walnut and pumpkin seed. These are best used raw for salad dressings.

• Coconut oil, especially for medium to high-heat cooking, as it does not break down when used at higher temperatures. 

When selecting oils, good words to look for on the label are: organic, first-pressed, cold-pressed, extra-virgin and unrefined. Words to avoid are: expeller-pressed, refined and solvent extracted. 

One of my favorite ways to include healthy sources of fat in my diet is by using a variety of nuts and seeds, adding avocado to tacos, or roasting veggies in coconut oil (this oil is my favorite). 

What are your favorite ways to include healthy fats in your diet?