Paige Harris Why you should ditch chemical-filled soaps and scrubs and switch to oil cleansing for a healthier, clearer, and balanced complexion.
I thought I was doing it all right.
I’ve struggled with acne for around 11 years. And before you ask “have you tried blank?” I can assure you the answer is yes.
Drug store brands? Tried them. My skin still hated me. I would have terrible breakouts on my nose and chin. And no matter how many products I’d use to dry out my skin, it would still be shiny as a penny by noon.
And the under-the-skin pimples were the worst. Nothing like going to itch your face and ending up feeling like you’ve poked yourself with some hot steel rod, right?
ProActiv? Tried it. Made my skin so red and dry that it would flake off when I tried to put on makeup.
Antibiotics? Tried em. And they did work, but they also caused sun sensitivity. One morning I walked 10 minutes to class in the January sun and the backs of my hands burned so badly that they stung. Needless to say I got off of that one really quick.
But no matter how many products I tried, I was always convinced that I wasn’t doing enough. I needed to avoid oils at all cost. I didn’t want my skin to become even oilier, after all.
Even the “cleaner” cleansers like Fré didn’t bring results. Even if the cleanser itself didn’t rub too harshly, I would have to try so hard to get the cleanser off of my face with water that I would still end up red and bloody…
For those of you who are thinking, “Oil?! More oil?! Are you crazy?!“, let me assure you, I thought the same thing.
If my face was so oily and red by the end of the day, why in the world would I add more oil to it?
Answer: If you dry out your skin with harsh cleansers and scrubs, your skin will produce more oil to try and make up for it. Sounds like common sense, right? But that isn’t what all of the skincare product lines want you to think, or you wouldn’t buy their products!
Instead, oils can provide all of the “cleansing” your skin really needs. Because like dissolves like, the cleansing oils can go deep into your pores and pull out all of the dirt and grime that built up throughout the day without harsh scrubbing. And if you suffer from super dry or super oily skin, good news: there’s still a combination of oils that’s right for you!
I know that not using soap on your face sounds like it’s going to make you break out. And I won’t lie to you — it will. But if you push through, I promise that your skin will thank you! It took about two weeks for my skin to really show progress after a hefty zit flare-up.
Now, my skin continues to surprise me each and every day. Instead of having insane breakouts and redness (especially around that time of the month), I only get a few new spots. The big patch of redness and scarring on my left cheek is slowly fading away, too!
And the best part? No more having to run to the bathroom every hour to blot away excess oil!
Since oil cleansing sounds super intimidating and is very different from normal cleansing techniques, here’s a quick rundown of my morning and evening skincare routines!
At Night
Since switching to Primally Pure, I honestly look forward to my oil cleansing routine each night. And considering I used to dread having to scratch up my face with harsh cleansers before, this really means a lot!
I start out by putting a full dropper of the Cleansing Oil for Normal Skin in my palm, rub my hands together, and massage it all over my face. That’s right. No makeup wipes, no makeup remover, it’s all Cleansing Oil. Any and all makeup that you might be wearing will get broken down alongside the rest of the grit and grime!
I use light fingertip circles to massage the oil into my skin and pay special attention to areas where I know zits may be popping up. But I don’t squeeze or pop any zits! (Picking at my skin is one of the reasons it got this bad to begin with, after all.)
After about 60 seconds of massage, I grab a clean washcloth and run it under some warm (but not steaming) water. Then I wring it out and lay it over my face. Honestly, oil cleansing is just like getting a facial!
Next I use that washcloth to gently rinse the excess oil and grime from my face with a little extra water. I don’t scrub. I don’t rub. I’ve learned that being kind to my skin makes it be kind to me, too!
After a quick dab with a towel to dry, I spritz 3-4 sprays of Everything Spray onto my face and lightly pat it in with my fingertips. This. Stuff. Smells. AMAZING. And it does a great job as a toner.
Lastly, I put tiny dabs of Blue Tansy Beauty Cream on each of my cheeks, the tip of my nose, my forehead, and my chin, and gently rub it in until all of the blue coloring fades away.
The Blue Tansy in the cream does smell a little funny if you’ve never used it before, but I promise if you’re anything like me, you’ll grow to love it! Blue Tansy is great at soothing inflamed skin.
Also be aware that the Blue Tansy cream uses tallow from grass-fed cows. Once again, I know it sounds weird, but it works! Tallow has a super similar makeup to our skin cells; both have about 50% saturated fat. The tallow also nourishes skin with vitamins A, D, E, and K — which are super hard to get from plant oils alone.
And that’s that! Three products are all I need!
In the Morning
This is going to sound even crazier, but please please please, hear me out.
I don’t wash my face in the morning.
Nope. Not even after the gym.
What do I do?
I rinse my face off with water every morning at the end of my shower and pat it dry. Next, I spritz some Everything Spray onto a cotton ball and lightly wipe it all over to collect any excess dirt. Lastly, I use a bit of Blue Tansy Beauty Cream in any spot that seems like it needs some moisture.
That’s it.
Quick FAQ
But I need soaps and bubbles and foams to get my skin clean!
No, no you don’t. A lot of the ingredients in those facial foams and cleansers are actually super irritating to your skin and actually cause more breakouts. I’m talking parabens, fragrances, and even formaldehyde. Yup. The same stuff used to preserve bodies is shoved into some skincare products.
And even if the cleansers you choose are made with clean ingredients, they still can dry out your skin and leave it crying for moisture.
But won’t adding more oil clog my pores?
Nope. That’s the biggest lie that the skincare industry has ever told. Yeah sure, you shouldn’t go around and rub canola oil on your face, but many oils (like the ones found in Primally Pure products) benefit your skin in so many ways. They reduce inflammation, balance your skin’s pH levels, and even strengthen your skin’s natural barrier.
But you’re really only oil cleansing once a day? And that’s enough?
Yes. I promise. After years of abusing my skin with so much scrubbing, it deserves a break. And I bet yours does, too!
Wrapping Up
After removing every single soap and cleanser from my routine, my skin has never been better. Sure, I still break out, and sure, it still gets to me sometimes, but it’s absolutely incredible how much healthier it really is.
So now that you’re armed with all this new knowledge, I encourage you to give it a try! And be sure to drop me a comment with any questions or comments you have!
Disclaimer as of August 2020: I am now affiliated with Primally Pure and receive commission if you choose to purchase their products. I believe in them, and you can use the link above OR code “IPW10” at checkout to get 10% off your order! After seeing how well they worked for me, I just had to work with them and share!
