by Maria Luci, editor at Maria’s Farm Country Kitchen and Rodale’s
Cleanse Like An Egyptian
Let’s take a trip back in time. Allow your mind to wander back thousands of years to ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. What do you see? Can you imagine the structures, the rulers, and the people of the civilizations that dramatically shaped our history and culture? These empires ignited far-reaching advancements in art, literature, architecture, mathematics, philosophy, and government that have continued to be relevant to this day.
And beyond these immeasurable cultural achievements and developments, these civilizations also left their mark (or shall we say beauty mark?) on how we care for our skin today. Far before the times of synthetic chemicals and toxins in beauty products—and even predating the widespread availability of soap—citizens of these ancient civilizations used botanical oils to naturally cleanse their skin.
It’s even believed that Cleopatra, known for her striking beauty, used oils and lime to care for her face and body. Likewise, ancient Greeks and Romans often used natural oils before and after bathing to keep their bodies clean. Now, millennia later, those in search of natural beauty solutions are rediscovering the nourishing benefits of cleansing with oil and are taking their skincare routines back in time.
How To Cleanse Naturally With Oil
Oil cleansing is a luxurious and natural way to cleanse, heal, moisturize, and soften of skin, as well as a safe and easy way to remove makeup. The best way to start an oil cleansing routine is to select the right organic and natural oil for your particular skin type (see below).
Once you have your chosen oil, select a time of day that works for you on a regular basis. Nights are typically a good time for oil cleansing, as you can remove the day’s makeup and cleanse simultaneously.
To begin, wash and dry your hands. Place a few drops of your oil into the palm of your hand and gently massage the oil in circles onto your face. Softly wipe away with a damp facial cloth. Pat dry. Follow with an organic facial oil serum.
The Right Oil For Your Skin
Every cleansing oil will not work for everyone. Just as there’s no one-size-fits-all natural deodorant, there’s no one miracle cleansing oil. This is because everyone’s skin chemistry is unique and reacts differently to ingredients. However, there are a number of botanical oil combinations available, for all different skin types, meaning the right oil cleansing product is out there just waiting for your lovely face.
To help you out, here are a few of our favorite natural oils along with the skin types they typically work best on:
For dry/sensitive skin: Blue Labelle’s Chamomile + Avocado Cleansing Oil can help. It’s a gentle yet effective cleansing oil that melts away the day’s makeup and grime with ease. With organic chamomile to calm and vitamin-rich organic avocado oil for nourishment, it won’t strip or dry the skin like other cleansers.
For normal/oily skin: Blue Labelle’s Petitgrain + Tamanu Cleansing Oil is a good choice. This hard working cleansing oil works to nourish, balance, and clear skin of excess sebum oils and grime. It melts away makeup, including waterproof mascara. This oil is made for normal to oily skin and offers deeper cleansing with detoxifying petitgrain oil and unique wonder-oil tamanu, which has been used to clean and clear the skin for thousands of years.
For combination and/or aging skin: Gypsy Juice’s Jasmine Rose Vetiver Cleansing Oil blends three powerful floral ingredients together to help fight the signs of aging and both hydrate and calm your skin.
For normal and/or mature skin: Gypsy Juice’s Neroli Immortelle Cleansing Oil combines the flower of the bitter orange tree with a flower known for its natural anti-aging properties to restore, cleanse, and balance skin.
Good To Know
It’s important to note that it can take up to a week for skin to adjust to oil cleansing. This is normal—your face most likely has become used to years of soaps and creams—but once you’ve found the right oil and give your body time to adapt… glowing, healthy, naturally-clean skin awaits!
Maria Luci is the manager and editor at Maria’s Farm Country Kitchen and content creator and editor at Rodale’s. She grew up in Virginia, but now lives in Philly with her husband, a black cat, and a good deal of houseplants. When not writing/editing, she’s often cooking up organic recipes or running… or eating when she should be running.
This story was originally published on R.Blog.
No comments yet.