Did you check out last week’s blog post and video demo on the Dry Oil Cleansing Method that’s been transforming my dry and wrinkled skin?!
If you don’t know what I’m talking about – pretty much over the past few months I’ve been experimenting with the Dry Oil Cleansing Method of washing my face with oil, and NO water (and the results have been AMAZING!).
If this is all new to you, I recommend checking out last week’s blog post right now because it will go over:
- What the Dry Oil Cleansing Method is (and how it’s different from regular Oil Cleansing Method)
- Step-by-step how to do the Dry Oil Cleansing Method (both written instructions and video demo).
- Special instructions for removing makeup and sunscreen (double cleansing using the Dry Oil Cleansing Method)
- What oils, washcloths, and products I recommend for the Dry Oil Cleansing Method (and what I don’t recommend)
- What skin types would benefit from the Dry Oil Cleansing Method
- What skin types should avoid it
- Special instructions for acne prone skin
And then come back to today’s blog post and video where I will be discussing:
- Oil and water don’t mix, so if I’m applying a serum, moisturizer/lotion, and/or facial oil on my skin (all of which are most likely made with oils), it much more likely to absorb if I used the Dry Oil Cleansing Method as opposed to a cleansing method using water
- If I do use a toner or essence, I only use aloe-based products not water-based, so I’ve never seen an issue absorbing the product (plus many people use mists to set their makeup at the end of their skincare/makeup routine, and they’re misting their faces that are usually layered with a bunch of product containing oils)
- Depending where you live, you might have hard water with a lot of minerals that can leave a buildup or residue on your skin (I live in a location where our water is extremely hard. All the surfaces in our home get a white residue due to the high calcium content in the water. If the surfaces have this residue, imagine what could be coating my skin? Which could in fact be more of barrier and irritant than the water).
- If you are applying product on damp skin, the water already coating your skin could dilute the product, which could be another reason why I found products containing active ingredients worked better in conjunction with the Dry Oil Cleansing Method.
Have you tried the Dry Oil Cleansing Method yet?
Many of you told me last week you were excited to try the Dry Oil Cleansing Method out. If you have been experimenting with it, I’d love to hear what you think and what your results have been so far. Please let us know! (post in the comments below).
- My results doing 30 days of the Dry Oil Cleansing Method (including no water touching my face)
- The benefits and challenges I encountered during the 30 day experiment
- What changes I have since made to my dry oil cleansing skincare routine to get even better results
- How other skincare products work in conjunction with the Dry Oil Cleansing Method
- Your questions answered about the Dry Oil Cleansing Method
20 Responses
Hello there!
Do u use mask before or after cleanser? And do u still continiu your serums and oils at sundays after cleansing?
Hi Salma,
Best to wash your face before using a mask.
Every night I use serums and oils after cleansing, but if my skin is broken out, I might just only use an oil and no serum (unless the serum is formulated to sooth my irritated skin).
Hello Natasha,
I don’t wanna use chemical peels during the week but on sundys i need exfoliation too. I’ve watched your video about how to exfoliate relly gently sensetiv skin with washclothe and oil. To let it working for an hour than take it of with grovia cloth. So now my question: should i do this kinda exfoliation after or befor gel cleanser?- cause if i do it after there will stay some oil resedu on the skin right? I hope u doin well with pregnancy.
Hi Salma,
You can doing the oil exfoliation either after you use the gel cleanser, or skip the gel cleanser completely. With that method of exfoliation using oil, warm water and cloth, the cloth and water will remove the oil, so you won’t have any oil residue. Your skin will feel soft and moisturized afterwards, but definitely not oily.
And one thing i forgot to ask. Do u continiu after exfoliation with toner serum and faceoil?
With the oil exfoliation, you might not need to use toner, serum or face oil after – it really depends what your skin type is. My recommendation is to try the oil exfoliation and see what your skin is like afterwards without any additional products. If your skin feels soft, hydrated and moisturized, no need to use anything else. But if your skin does feel a little dry or tight, then you can use toner, serum and/or facial oil.
Hi There, with the dry oil cleanse method does it work to dry oil exfoliate? or should I use the water for exfoliating? or did you find you needed to exfoliate less with the dry oil cleanse method?
Hi Suraya,
Great question! I continued exfoliating my skin while doing the dry oil cleansing method. I exfoliate once or twice a week with a scrub and rinsing the scrub off with water.
Great read!
I see you’re using toners; when do you put these on since they are aloe/H2O based?
Side note, we both use almost all the same products give or take – have you ever tried Face Food by Graydon (it’s a toner)
I’ve been dry oil cleansing a few weeks now with insanely good results. I’m just trying to figure out when to use a toner. I’ve mostly been steering clear of them so they don’t create any barriers for my serums and oils. Just been using them once every 5 days or so when I actually wash my face to neutralize the water I put on my face. Just curious on your thoughts when to use a toner. Thanks!
Hi Tank Girl,
I use the toner after washing my face, so even after dry oil cleansing, I sometimes use toner after cleansing, before serum/moisturizer. I haven’t tried any Graydon products, you’ve peaked my curiosity. I’m glad to hear the dry oil cleansing is working for you, that’s awesome.
Hello,
Thanks for all the great info! Would you recommend dry OCM for blackheads? I know you do not for pimples. But I have maturing skin and lots of blackheads. Thank you
Hi Amber,
The dry oil cleansing won’t affect the blackheads or cause blackheads, but it won’t get rid of them either. So you can certainly do the dry oil cleansing if you have blackheads. I will warn you that sometimes the shine from facial oil can emphasize the appearance of blackheads, this wouldn’t be a problem doing dry oil cleansing at night before going to bed, but in the morning if you notice the dry oil cleansing leaving a shine on your skin and the blackheads really stand out, just blot the area with a tiny amount of finely milled powder (I recommend RMS “un” powder, this will smooth out your skin and disguise blackheads and enlarged pores without clogging them more).
Here’s an article and video on how to treat blackheads: http://www.inspirebeautyshop.com/blackheads/
I love your blog. A question. Since you don’t use a toner or anything like that, when using the dry oil cleanse, how do you guarantee or make sure you get all the makeup or sunscreen off?? I usually use a toner just to check on the white cotton pad that there was nothing left. Also, the bumpkins flannels, I love them. How do you know when they need to be replaced, like when they’re not as soft?? How long do they usually last before losing the softness?? I keep using mine and I”ve had them for more than a year, lots of washes! Finally, when you swipe over the skin, how do you not irritate it, as I”m super sensitive. Also, I use bumpkins and find I see nothing come off on the flannel, does that mean I”m not using enough oil?? My skin absorbs it all and it feels almost completely dry as though I have no oil on it.
Hi Andrea,
I’m so glad you are enjoying the dry oil cleansing.
At night I do a double cleanse with the dry oil cleansing to ensure I remove all sunscreen and makeup. I find it thoroughly removes everything. To double cleanse, all you do is “wash” your face twice with the oil and cloths (apply the oil to dry skin, remove it with the cloth, apply the oil again, and remove again).
But if you want, you can definitely use a toner. I just prefer having some residue oil left on my skin to moisturize.
As for the cloths, I’ve had them for years. I pretty much use them until they start disintegrating (which takes a few years). I just recently bought new ones, but I still have a few that I bought 7 years ago.
We line dry all our laundry, so no dryer which usually makes everything nice and soft. But I’ve never found the cloths to get too rough. But, if your skin is super sensitive, best to press/dab the cloth on your skin and not swipe. And if you aren’t seeing any oil on the cloth when removing it, try using more oil.
Thank you for letting me know how the dry oil cleansing has been going for you. I’m happy to know it’s been working for you.
Hi Natasha, Thanks for this post! Ive been using SK-II essence for a couple months now and have noticed its brightening effects. Since I pay an arm and a leg for it I’m wondering if using it after the dry oil cleaning method will counteract the effectiveness since SK-II is water based?
Hi April,
Great question! The dry oil cleansing shouldn’t block the absorption of the essence. But, since you are getting great benefits from the essence I recommend using a plain oil for the dry oil cleansing. Sometimes essential oils and botanicals in one product can counter the effectiveness of another, so I would recommend sticking with a plain oil that doesn’t have any added essential oils for the dry oil cleansing, so the essence can continue doing its magic. Do that for a while, and later if you want you can experiment with oil blends to see if they work ok with the essence.
Hi Natasha,
I love your experiment! I definitely agree with you that water could be irritated sometimes! I have tried all the high-end cleanser and cream, but my skin still feels dry after applying layers of serum/oil/cream. I love using Josh Rosebrook dry cleansing oil, however, I am trying to stay away from essential oil, and over time my skin did get clogged. I have a quick question, is there other exfoliating serum that you can recommend to people with sensitive skin? I want to try the dry cleansing oil method again, but just worried about clogging pores. Thank you!
Hi Sabrina,
My favourite exfoliating serum is Drunk Elephant TLC Framboos Glycolic Night Serum. I use 1-2 nights a week and it helps to keep my skin clear. I’m very sensitive to exfoliating acids and this has been my go-to for many years. But I can’t use it every night, only once or twice a week. I’m really curious to try Josh Rosebrook new Daily Acid Toner. I’m going to purchase it soon, I’ll let you know how that works out.
Hi Natasha,
Thank you for your response! Can you provide some details of how you layer your skincare after the dry OCM? You mentioned that the skin will absorb oil-form skincare better after dry oil cleans, so I am curious how you add the Drunk Elephant serum in your routine and in which order?
I started the regular oil cleansing with just jojoba oil, it worked fine the first time, but after a couple of days my skin started to become dry and rough, which I don’t know why.
Do you think this is too harsh on the skin?
I am currently battling with dry and dehydrated skin that none of the expensive serum/creams/cleansers helped at all.
Devastating now but would love to try the dry OCM.
Would like to know your current routine as well!
Hi Sabrina,
With the dry oil cleansing method, I apply serum (like the Drunk Elephant Glycolic Serum) right after cleansing and if I need moisturizer I use an oil or cream afterwards. Our skin is made up of both oil and water, so a little oil leftover from the dry oil cleansing won’t block other products from absorbing (I find it’s the opposite, products absorb better, even water based products).
As for the regular oil cleansing method, maybe the jojoba isn’t nourishing enough for your skin. For dry skin, I recommend trying safflower or sunflower oil. That might be a better option. Do the wash cloths you’re using feels rough? Cause that too can irritate your skin, especially if your skin is dry which makes it more prone to sensitivity.
Another thing you can try for dry and dehydrated skin is apply a moisturizing facial balm to soaking wet skin (after washing your face, don’t towel dry your skin, just apply the balm immediately to wet skin). I like using Josh Rosebrook Vital Balm Cream for this, but you can use any balm. It makes a HUGE difference. I do this at night.
As for my daily skin care routine, it changes a lot because I’m always trying new products to review and for my shop. I post my skin care routine a lot to Instagram Stories. But I will take your question on board and try to do a blog post and video on my current routine.