Castor Oil: The Miracle Maker

I've had problems with my skin for ages! From Lupus rashes to breakouts, it's been a constant struggle for me since I was a teenager. When I would break out, I thought the way to cure it was with drying agents such as toners, sulfur, or benzoyl peroxide which only made things worse by making my skin flake out and making the problem harder to cover up with make up. I would have never believed you if you told me that putting OIL on my skin would make things better. The truth is quite the opposite. When you dry out your skin, it over compensates by producing even more oil. But really, oil dissolves oil! And when you are using Castor oil, it not only is moisturizing, but it is anti-bacterial and anti inflammatory. The concept behind oil cleansing is that the oil you rub on your face will dissolve the oil and impurities stuck in your pores and the steam of the hot water on the wash clothe will open your pores and help get rid of the bad stuff. For this cleansing method, you only need 3 things: Castor oil, a secondary oil (I use Jojoba) and a wash clothe. The reason for the secondary oil is because Castor oil itself is so thick, it needs another oil in the combo to help it absorb into your skin and moisturize it. The mixture should be 1/3 Castor oil and 2/3 the other oil of your choice...I choose Jojoba oil because it is less likely to cause break outs. Here's the drill:

 { Mix 1/3 Castor oil and 2/3 of the secondary oil in the palm of your hand. Rub them together in your hands, which warms them up }

 { Massage the oil mixtures on your face and neck for about two minutes, rubbing them into the places on your face that are especially oily or have blackheads, such as your nose. Let the mixture of oils sit on your face, doing it's magic, for 5 to 10 minutes }

 { Run hot water and put it on the wash clothes..put it on your face -as hot as you can stand it -to help open your pores and remove the hardened oil  and toxins }

 { Take the ends of the wash clothe and remove the rest of the oil...it's ok if you still feel a tad of oil still on your skin, it wont clog your pores, it will help moisturize it . I also put straight Castor oil on my eyebrows and lashes as it helps stimulate hair growth... I'll blog more about that later }

{ Voila! All finished! }