DIY Oil Cleanser

Identifying The Problem

Are you one of those people who thinks your face cleanser needs to foam up in order to really make your skin feel clean? I was too. For years I struggled with oily, problem skin, and I loved me a good foamy face wash to take all the makeup and grime off at the end of the day. The foamier the better. I actually really enjoyed that nice dry, tight feeling I was left with.

Enter, my forties. Suddenly, I had aging skin which was oily but also dehydrated. Every time I washed my face, it felt like sandpaper. I did not like that tight, uncomfortable feeling I was left with, especially in the winter months.

At that time, oil cleansing was all the rage, but I didn’t want to touch those oil cleansers with a ten foot pole. At the urging of a friend, who also had oily skin, I decided to try a sample of an oil cleanser I was given at Sephora. That night, I slathered the oil all over my face, and used a hot wash cloth to wipe it down. I was AMAZED at how clean yet soft my skin felt. And it doubled as a makeup remover because it broke it down so quickly.

I was converted. The only problem was, the Sephora cleanser had a strong fragrance that I didn’t enjoy, and it was also pretty pricey. Considering this is just going down the drain, how much do I really wanna be spending on a cleanser??

So What Did I Do?

I decided to turn to one of the loves of my life for guidance: Coconut Oil. My love for this amazing, multi purpose oil runs DEEP. I have a jar in my pantry and one in my bathroom, and one of my kids’ first words MAY have been “coco”.

Just sayin.

I’ll talk about all the ways I love coconut oil in another post, but today, I will share that this amazing oil is also an amazing cleanser, especially when you pair it with the right essential oils. After some experimenting, I decided that a liquid carrier oil was better than a solid to mix essential oils into, and so I began to make my own oil cleanser with Fractionated Coconut Oil. Over the years, I go back and forth between jojoba and coconut oil, but really, any carrier oil will do the trick if it’s suited for your skin type.

Here is my favorite recipe for a wintertime oil cleanser (for a 30mL pump bottle)

10 drops Tea Tree oil

10 drops Lavender

10 drops Wild Orange

10 drops Geranium

Top with carrier oil

I like to use oils based on their specific properties. Tea tree is very antiseptic and great for problem skin. Lavender is very calming and soothing. Wild Orange is uplifting, and citrus oils in general are very cleansing!

The beautiful thing is, you can just use what you have!

Connect with me on Instagram to learn how I use oils everyday!

Whether it’s for cooking, skincare, or anything else, I trust and use Doterra Essential Oils. Click here if you would like to get started with the oily life as well!