Oil cleansing method causing purging or breakouts?

Using new cleansing techniques like the oil cleaning method is fun. But how do you know when the technique is causing purging or break outs? Here’s whats going on

Using new products or new cleansing techniques can cause breakouts on your skin. You may experience this doing the oil cleansing method. Purging pimples will look and act like your normal pimples, breakout pimples will be more severe, occur in new places and last longer.

The oil cleansing method has become a very popular way to clean your face. This can be a great natural way to keep your skin clean if you do it correctly.

There is a chance that you’ll get pimples when you start the oil cleansing method. This can be because of one of two things.

Either your skin is breaking out or your skin is purging. So is the oil cleansing method causing purging on the skin or breakouts?

There have been mixed reviews about the oil cleansing method. When it’s good it’s really good, when it’s bad it’s really bad.

Your skin can start breaking out in a very bad way, this will be different from purging.

That being said if it’s working well then your skin will improve tremendously after a couple of weeks of oil cleansing.

Oil cleansing method causing purging or breakouts?

What is the oil cleansing method?

Your face produces sebum. This is what keeps the skin hydrated and moisturised. This natural oil produced by the skin is essential for the skin’s health.

Breakouts and oily skin is the result of too much sebum on your skin. You cannot get pimples unless you have excess sebum.

Every blemish, whether it’s a whitehead, blackhead or a pimple happens as a result of the pores being clogged up by sebum.

To remove this excesses sebum and any dirt, bacteria or external impurities on the face you need to cleanse that face.

You can cleanse the face with a face wash or a cleanser, you can even use raw milk or a facial foam whatever you feel will be best for your skin. Or you can use oil.

There are other ways of cleansing your face without having to use soap.

Oil cleansing works off the law that “like dissolves like.” This means that the sebum on the skin will be dissolved by the oil you use to cleanse.

The oil will bind to the sebum and when you wash it off using warm water or a washcloth then the oil will be removed from the face.

Purging vs breakouts

Purging: Purging can seem like a break out until you start to pay attention to what is actually happening on the skin.

This, just like a break out will happen after you start using the new product. The purging pimples will come up in the area that you usually get the breakouts.

These pimples will be similar in size and appearance to your normal breakouts but the purging will only last for 2 weeks.

If they last for longer then it is probably a breakout. This can also happen as a result of using retinols

Breakouts: Breakouts happen when your skin is having a reaction to the product.

If the pimples you get when you start breaking out are more red and angry than the ones you usually have then you should stop using the product.

In addition, if the breakouts are happening in locations that you don’t usually break out then this is not a skin purge.

Breakouts will last longer than the 2 weeks of purging.

Does oil cleansing clog pores?

Oil cleaning shouldn’t clog your pores if you do it correctly and use the correct oil, a good oil to use is jojoba oil or DHC Deep Cleansing Oil.

The oil cleansing should be help dislodge any clogged pores that you might have on your skin. It should also help to moisturise your skin.

Make sure that you know the difference between purging and breakouts, this will help you figure out if you’re using the wrong oil.

Oils used for oil cleansing have been formulated to be lightweight on the skin, non-pore clogging and help unclog pores.

Even people with oily skin can benefit from oil cleansing, oil cleansing will remove pollutants from the skin as well as excess sebum on the skin.

How long does oil cleansing method take to work?

There are very few skincare products that work fast.

Your skin will have to adjust to this new product and the product will take some time to work on your skin.

Once you get past the initial weeks of purging your skin will look amazing. The product may take 2-3 weeks to really have an effect on your skin

Is oil cleansing good for oily skin?

The oil cleansing method is good for oily skin, combination skin, normal skin and dry skin.

You just have to make sure you are using the right oils for your skin type. If not then your skin can start to break out.

These are the oils you need to use for your skin type:

Tip: Coconut oil can be used but is comedogenic, read more about oil cleaning using coconut oil here.

Should I wash my face after oil cleansing?

Well, yes and no, it depends:

Yes: Wash your face if you are doing a double cleanse, do a double cleanse if you are wearing makeup.

The double cleanse is when you use an oil to cleanse your face and right after follow up with a face wash, facial cleanser or facial foam.

The first cleanse with the oil is to remove makeup. The second is to make sure that any remaining makeup is removed

No: If you aren’t wearing makeup then washing your face afterwards isn’t necessary.  

Washing your face again will only be necessary if your skin is still oily after the oil cleanse.

Remember that your face shouldn’t be slick with oil after the oil cleanse, it should be moisturised. If it still has oil then you haven’t removed the oil properly.

How to do the oil cleansing method:

  1. Take a small amount of oil into the palm of your hands (dot use too much, a little goes a long way)
  2. Massage the oil into your skin, be gentle as to not irritate your skin. Massage in for a minute
  3. Have a warm clean, detergent free washcloth ready, gently remove the oil  rubbing the washcloth on your face

You don’t have to moisturise your skin after use, your skin should feel moisturised after this process.

When should I use cleansing oil?

You should use a cleansing oil in the evening before you go to bed.

As we go about our day our skin gets into contact with dirt, bacteria and external pollutants which can irritate and clog our pores.

By the end of the day the sebum on your skin has mixed with all the pollution outside.

In addition, if you wear it your make up has probably been on your face for long enough and you need to remove it.

When you use your cleansing oil at night you can remove all this pollution from your face easily and effectively.

Oil cleansing method causing purging

Can you oil cleanse every day?

Yes, you can cleanse your face will oil every day.

As long as the oil you are using loosens up the excess sebum, dirt and debris that may be on your face.

I recommend oil cleansing during the evening so everything from the day gets washed away.

Your skin works the hardest at night, read more about it here.

Oil cleansing cleans your skin well so your skin can focus on working at an optimum level while you sleep.

If you prefer you can use the oil cleansing method every other day and alternate with another cleanser.

Can you oil cleanse twice a day?

This is not necessary, when you clean your face at night all the gunk from the day is removed.

When you sleep you produce sweat but you aren’t exposed to external pollutants.

This sweat can be removed with a swipe of a cotton pad and some rosewater like this one or a gentle face cleanser such as this one.

Which cleansing oil is best for acne?

If you have acne you’ll need an oil that will break down the excess sebum on your face without leaving any residue that can wind up clogging your pores even more. You also need to find one that doesn’t dry out your skin.

Acne-prone skin needs to stay moisturised and hydrated but not oily, keeping it moisturised will prevent the skin from creating more sebum in an effort to moisturise itself.  

The best cleansing oil for acne is the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, it is a cult favourite for a reason.

It not only removes excess sebum, sunscreen impurities and makeup but it’s packed with olive fruit oil, rosemary leaf oil and vitamin e.

It’s a lightweight oil that glides onto your skin and will leave your skin feeling cleansed but not stripped or dry.

What oil is good for oil cleansing method?

The best commercial oil to use for your cleaning needs is the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil. If you don’t want to use a commercial oil to cleanse your oil you get pick up a bottle of olive oil and castor oil.

The olive oil will help hydrate your skin preventing the dehydration we sometimes get after we clean our face.

Castor oil is an astringent making it great at cleaning the face, it is also antibacterial.

If you have acne-prone skin swap out the olive oil and replace it with jojoba oil (this is my favourite).

Jojoba oil is the closest oil we have to the sebum on the skin and will work best on the face.

Does oil cleansing remove blackheads?

Yes, oil cleansing gets into the pores to clear out blackheads, whiteheads pimples and other skin blemishes caused by clogged pores.

As it enters the pore it breaks up whatever is clogging the pore and flushes it out. I have a more in-depth article on the topic here

Is coconut oil good for oil cleansing method?

There has been a huge hype over coconut oil, people are using it for their face, body, hair and even teeth.

It works wonders for some but is a disaster for others. If you want to use coconut oil for your oil cleanse I suggest you use fractionated coconut oil. (here is a good one)

Fractionated coconut oil is lighter than regular coconut oil and does not leave your skin looking or feeling greasy.

It gives your face a clarifying treatment removing excess oils, dirt and any impurities from your skin.

You’ll know your coconut oil is fractionated because it does not remain solid at room temperature.

Fractioned coconut oil is created by removing the long-chain triglycerides from the oil, this makes it more stable and increases the shelf life of the oil.

Which is better cleansing oil or micellar water?

Micellar water contains tiny balls of cleansing oils suspended in soft water. This product combines the benefits of using an oil on your face and a water cleanser.

In terms of preventing wrinkles and tugging on the skin, the oil cleanser is the better option.

When you use micellar water there is rubbing and tugging (albeit minimal) involved as you remove the makeup or dirt using a cotton round or a cotton ball.

When you use an oil-based cleanser you are loosening the impurities from your face using just your fingers and oil, no tugging involved.

In addition, the oil makes your skin slippery and reduces friction. So the oil is the better of the two options.

How can I remove oil from my face permanently?

If you have naturally oily or combination skin you can’t remove the oil from your skin permanently.

What you can do is maintain your skin in such a way that keeps the oil production on your skin at a minimum.

This will include keeping up a good skincare routine. Read more about you can do that here.

That’s it on my article looking at if the oil cleansing method is causing purging or breakouts.

Remember to pay attention to how your pimples look after you do the oil cleansing method. The size, location and how long the pimples take to heal. This will help you figure out if you are breaking out or purging.

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