Oil Cleansing Method & No 'Poo Update

(If you don't care to know about the Oil Cleansing Method but ARE interested in my No 'Poo update then scroll to the bottom!)

I'm jumping in with both feet so to speak and I'm getting crunchier by the minute!  What's the deal?  I'll tell you.

Back during the summer, my adorable North Carolina bloggy friend Same Sweet Girl blogged about this new skincare method she was trying called the Oil Cleansing Method.  Now I, being a believer in all things natural, was intrigued.  However, I had become somewhat of a skincare snob so I bookmarked the blog post and the website and then promptly forgot about it.

When I was doing my research into the No 'Poo thing, I came across several No 'Poo-ers that also use the OCM.  I thought, why not?  Especially since the first week I was No 'Poo-ing, my skin began acting out of character.  I think it had something to do with the baking soda (which is basic) changing the pH of my skin.

I guess I should start with a little background.  Up until late 2007, I had no skin care regimen.  I used plain old water to "wash" my face and didn't use any sort of moisturizer.  And you know what?  I had the nicest skin of anyone I know.  Seriously.  My skin was beautiful and aside from a day or two adjustment period when the seasons changed, I had no problems.  I would get like 1 pimple maybe once a year.  I also only wore eye makeup back then too (probably because I didn't need to wear anything else with that glorious skin!).  But then I went to an Aloette show hosted by my Nanny.  My family had already started using Aloette and were all raving about it.  They were really seeing a difference and they were loving it.  So, I began using it as well.

To be honest, I have loved Aloette.  The products in their Platinum (anti-aging) line feel amazing on my face and the enzyme peel is THE BEST!  Their make-up is mineral based, is long-lasting, and the eye shadow doesn't crease.  It's great.  And it worked great for me for a long time.  But then I don't know if my skin changed, or maybe my stress level increased but I began to get two or so pesky bumps about once every two weeks.  Now that, for someone who has had blemish-free skin all her life, is like the world coming to an end.  I'm sure a lot of you are probably sucking your teeth and saying "that's nothing!" but for me it was/is something.  After customizing my own little regimen with the products (I was a consultant for about a year and learned the ins and outs of their lines, skincare in general, etc.) and not really seeing too much improvement, I figured it was just my age.  As we get older, our skin changes.  And, to be honest, my stress level has increased tenfold because of work.  So, I just decided to manage it.

Then, when I started no 'poo-ing, it made my forehead and around my mouth break out a bit.  And this time I knew the culprit.  I wasn't following the baking soda wash with the apple cider vinegar rinse every time and therefore was altering the pH of my scalp and face.  BIG NO-NO!

So, with this whole changing of my ways, I decided to go ahead and just dive right on in.  I decided that I would give OCM a try.  Last night was my first night doing OCM and oh my stars it was HEAVENLY!  You start out with castor oil.  This is your "cleansing" oil.  You add to it a thinner oil.  Most people start out with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, but there are other nice alternatives such as sunflower seed oil or jojoba oil, etc.  You mix up your blend according to the ratio recommended for you skin type.  Then you pour about a quarter-size amount in your hand, rub your hands together to warm it slightly, then begin massaging your face.  And there is no need to clean your face beforehand.  Actually, it is better if you don't b/c you don't want to over-cleanse.  Olive oil has been used by a lot of women to remove make-up (and let me tell you, it works fabulously) so you can do this right on top of your face full of make-up.
I wore make-up to work yesterday because we had an important visitor come to our facility, but I normally don't wear make-up during the week.  So, I mixed up my oil blend (80% EVOO & 20% CO) and began massaging away my make-up.  I did this for about 20 minutes.  I felt so good that I didn't want to stop!  You don't have to do it for this long but it was so nice to just sit back and relax while I gave myself a nice facial.  The oil warms under your fingers and it really feels wonderful!

A couple of minutes in, I noticed some hard stuff under my fingertips.  It was sort of hard white pieces.  I'm not certain, but I am guessing these are "impurities"?  When my arms finally started to get tired (around the 20 minute mark) I decided I might as well move on to the next step although I was REALLY enjoying my facial massage!

The next step is to take a clean washcloth and soak it in hot steamy water (but not scalding hot).  Wring it out and cover your face with it.  You want to steam your face to open your pores.  Allow it to sit until cloth gets cold.  Then gently wipe the oil from your face.  Repeat this two or three times, it's up to you (although some people only do it once and are satisfied).  I can tell you I steamed 3 times total and I would have continued but hubby was off last night and wanted some snuggle time!  The steaming was almost as enjoyable as the massage and it was just as relaxing.  Definitely a fabulous way to unwind before bed!

And honestly, it was easier for me to go to sleep last night and I stayed asleep.  It was magnificent!

This morning, I simply rinsed my face with hot water in the shower and then splashed it with cold (to shrink the pores), gently towel-dried, and applied just a smidge of my Aloette daytime moisturizer (it has SPF 15).  I'm hoping to eventually not need any moisturizer at all but we will see.  My face is super soft and glowy today.  Will definitely keep you updated on my progress with this!

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Now for the 'No Poo update.  Last week my hair felt like doll hair.  Yes, DOLL HAIR!  It felt so gross.  That entire week I wore my hair up in a bun.  Part of the way through the week, I realized what I had been doing wrong.  I had shied away from the ACV because I thought I had used to much in those first few days and it was making my hair oilier.  So, I was only using BS+H2O on my hair and it was drying it out and making it feel weird.  Plus, I was using it every day and wasn't supposed to.  Oops!  I guess my brain didn't register the part about only "washing" your hair 2x per week in the beginning.  So I fixed that problem in a hurry and let my hair rest for a few days.  Then, on Sunday I did a white vinegar + water pre-rinse, washed with BS + water, rinsed with ACV + water, "plopped" my hair (and did NOT use any products), then let it air dry.

Friends, let me tell you.  I was amazed as I was washing my hair because it felt normal again!  Then, when my hair dried, it wasn't frizzy!  My hair is ALWAYS frizzy unless it is a dry day and I flat iron it at 450 degrees.  Seriously.  But Sunday, it wasn't frizzy.  When I normally air dry my hair, I look like a Chia pet on steroids.  But not Sunday!  It was sort of messy-wavy (think beach hair) and I was pretty happy with it.  And the fact that it is supposed to only get better from here makes me ecstatic.

Sunday night I braided my hair before bed.  I read somewhere that it helps if you do this to prevent breakage while you sleep.  So I tried it and it was ok.  I woke up, took down my hair, and went to work. I didn't bother rinsing my hair and it was too soon to wash it.  The ends looked weird from the braid but otherwise it was ok. 

Tuesday, we had an important visitor at work so I felt like I needed to wash it.  I did the BS wash, ACV rinse, put a bit of EVOO on my ends (although I think I used too much) and then blow-dried it on the coolest setting.  It took forever but it wasn't so bad.  Then I flat ironed it on 300.  It didn't get all of the waves out but it was passable.  I was pretty happy with it.  It looks a lot fuller and thicker than normal.  My ends were sort of clumped which I think was due to the EVOO.

Wednesday, I just rinsed my hair with hot water, then with cold, and repeated the drying & flat-ironing routine from Tuesday.  I was happy with it.  It looked pretty similar to the day before except the ends weren't as clumped.  I eventually pulled it back because my hair is REALLY long right now and was getting in the way!

Today I rinsed my hair with just water again.  I decided to try plopping again and then let it air dry.  My roots are a tad bit oily but I don't think it's too bad and my hair isn't the least bit frizzy (hallelujah!).  It's sort of messy wavy.

I was hoping to hold out on washing it until Saturday but I may end up having to wash it tomorrow morning.  Either that or it will go into a ponytail tomorrow.  I'm planning on sticking with washing it 2x per week but will judge it based on the condition of my roots on a daily basis.

Suffice it to say that so far I am really happy!  Oh, and I also wanted to mention something I noticed.  Hubby was washing his hair with regular shampoo and conditioner last weekend, and the smell was so overpowering to me that I thought I might pass out.  You don't realize how chemical-ly shampoo and conditioner smell until you stop using them.