It took me a while to fine-hone my technique, so I had to share my results. You can find the post on the basics of oil cleansing here.
I changed my oil blend and dropped the Castor oil. I think my skin doesn´t like Castor, since it is on the dry side. I use mainly olive oil which is very moisturising + a dab of wheatgerm oil -- this is surprising since a year ago I would have thought it is too greasy for my face.
Massaging the oil on my face and wiping it off with a warm, wet microfiber cloth works best. I also tried dipping the cloths into oil, but then most of the oil ends up on the cloth and not on my face. I guess it´s the same when cleaning the home: you spray on the product on the surface and wipe off. Also, microfiber picks up the oil and grime, cotton pads just seem to push it around.
Don´t wipe, just dab. At least in my case. My skin is on the delicate side with fragile blood capillaries. With microfiber patting works just as well as wiping, but is gentler.
Repeating is key. The first round of cleansing removes makeup and grime. The second round cleanses deeper -- I massage the oil into problem areas, letting it dissolve the grime in the pores. My skin has been way cleaner since I have been repeating the cleansing.
Splashing with cool water at the end closes the pores. And feels good.
I don´t use any cleanser to take off remaining oil. There isn´t much left on my skin, and it absorbs in a few minutes.
I don´t usually apply anything on my face after that. I feel that it will run off like water off a duck´s back. If I want to use a serum, I wait an hour till I think my skin is ready to absorb more stuff. Does this make sense or am I just imagining things ?
Of course this routine is specific to me, and might not work for everyone. If you oil-cleanse, how do you tweak your routine ? Do you think freshly oil-cleansed skin can absorb serums ?
