Jojoba Oil Cleansing & Moisturizing

I love the idea of the single-ingredient beauty product, which appeals to my yin side (the yang side loves to make a curry with a list of spices as long as my arm and wants to wear thirteen colors of eyeshadow all at once). So when I read about the practice of oil cleansing, I thought I'd try it with a bottle of organic jojoba oil I picked up for $5 at Trader Joe's. I've been using it as a moisturizer for a couple of weeks now, and am liking it. It's not oily once it soaks in, and feels clean and virtuous on my dry, sensitive skin.

Here's how oil cleansing works: taking your time, massage a liberal amount of oil into your skin, and then steam your face by tenting it with a piping hot wet washcloth. After the cloth cools, use it to remove the excess oil, giving an extra massage while you're at it. 

This sounds like it would leave your skin oily, but it doesn't at all. In fact, I have to put a few drops of oil on my face after this procedure, or it is too dry. But boy, oh boy, is it ever clean, and without that tightness you get from soap. Just don't get the oil on your clothes, and tie your hair back if you're not getting in the shower after.

This is the gentlest kind of deep cleansing, and seems to work as well on oily skin or dry. The oil loosens the oil-based stuff clogging pores, and jojoba oil is purportedly very close in structure to the skin's own sebum, so it works particularly well at removing gunk from pores. Lots of people do this with olive oil or castor oil, or both, and some do it with coconut oil, which I have and will try next.

Comments

[von]

That sounds really cool, I may have to try it :-) Thanks for the tip

[maggie]

Actually the hot washcloth treatment can bring on problems for rosacea or pre-rosacrea (ruddy) skin. Heat bad! You can still get good results by wiping the oil on with a cotton ball, letting it sit, then rinsing with lukewarm water. The jojoba oil gave me milia around the eyes, but I've had great luck with olive oil for a couple of years now.

[Jackie Danicki]

Eve Lom, considered the world's top facialist, advises the same exact heat method (but she uses a muslin instead).

[MJ]

The oil works wonderfully for removing waterproof sunscreen.

I use jojoba too (thank you MUA for that tidbit) but first thought it had to be OK when I started getting massages and facials at a local crunchy Aveda salon - regardless of the amount of jojoba massaged in (including to my face) I didn't feel greasy or break out.

[Crystal - Beauty or Bust]

I've been using jojoba for a while now (on and off as I have to constantly change my skincare regimen) and its great! I love using something that doesn't contain a ton of chemicals on my sensitive, acne-prone skin.

[Kaolee]

I'm trying out Cetaphil now. I used Aveeno facewash before, but I'll have to try this one. I feel like my face is changing every so often and I keep having to change facial cleaners.

What cleansers does everyone use and how long have you used it for?

Thanks!

[MJ]

I've used the oil before but the massage and hot cloth worked remarkably well last night - granted I've had a number of peels over the last months to deep exfoliate, but this really cleaned out a lot of remainders. Must keep refining my technique.

[Isa]

I actually bought the same Desert Essence Organic Jojoba Oil five days ago and have been using it to remove my eye makeup... IT IS AMAZING!! I have oily skin and it doesn't make me break out at all. I've been leaving it on at nights on my lips and around my eyes... and I don't know if it is my imagination but I could swear it made my under eye circles less noticeable and lighten up my upper lip (it is a bit darker than the lower.) Also Organic Tea Tree Oil is amazing for acne prone skin because it kills the bacteria that causes it.. It has cleared up my skin over night!

[Jeff]

Great Oil. I used it on my own.
Also my wife is happy about it.
Don't miss it! It is fantastic!

[dgm]

Chiming in as well. I just bought the Dessert Essence jojoba oil and have been cleansing with it for the past four days. I cannot believe the difference in makes in pore size and softness of my skin, without leaving me shiny. I had been using Cetaphil for years, and I liked it because it is very gentle, but the jojoba oil is a whole different ballgame.

Highly recommended!

[Brown Girl]

WOW! I had extremely congested, extremely dry acne skin. The first time I massaged in the jojoba I could actually feel all the hard clogged pores. The more I rubbed it in the looser they became and suddenly I could feel the clogs releasing all over my face! My face is completely unclogged and I can't remember the last time my face looked this healthy. One all natural organic product that cleanses and moisturizes. It's perfect. I recommend the oil cleansing method with jojoba for anyone with problem skin.

[Ping]

I used olive oil before as a skin care product. Never heard of Jojoba Oil though. I might give it a try sometime.

[YVONNE]

An oil that is a great staple for sure! So many uses and ways to blend it...

[Sharifa]

This sounds really great. i really want to try it. I write for a large blog network and wouldn't mind trying this out and writing an article about it. I'll make sure to give you cred and reference your site. Thanks for the insight.

PS. I LOVE Trader Joe's!