I swear, I have the oiliest skin on earth. I can't use my Origins Checks & Balances cleanser anymore...way too strong & drying. I guess my skin has gotten sensitive & can only take lotion cleansers, nothing frothy/foamy. I have blackheads all over my face, but since they aren't very black at all, no one notices but me. But boy, are they there. I've read that the OCM will help remove blackheads, but so far, the only way I know of to remove them, is with an extraction tool. So I'm wondering if anyone with oily skin and blackheads has had success in reducing the oil production on their skin, as well as blackheads. In the past, I used pore strips, but only a few times because I heard how bad they were for the skin. You should have seen the amount of blackheads that were pulled out of my skin...from everywhere; nose, chin, forehead...

The science behind oil cleansin is that oil dissolves oil while water does not.Most acne type products strip your skin causing your body to react and produce even more oil.
I have battled with breakouts for years and it can take a period of trial and error to find just the right regime foryourskin.I have found that jojoba oil works best for as it is pretty light.When I am really tired I will just massage my face with the oil to remove all of my make up and then wipe up with a warm cloth.
The worst advice I was ever given when my breakouts were bad was to not moisturize!You need to think of your skin as a living breathing organism b/c it is? I know this wan't entirely informative but I just wanted to share my experience and I highly reccommend you do some research and don't give up!

Thank you. I appreciate your response. I have jojoba oil that I use to remove my eye makeup. I will try using it tonight with warm water & a washcloth. I think I'm going to buy castor oil and/or grapeseed oil, too. I already have extra virgin olive oil at home. I'm very curious to see if my skin is less oily after trying this. I didn't try it for very long the first time around because it was too messy, but I think I have a better idea now of how to do it. I've read that Italians and Greeks use oil to cleanse their skin....I guess it's an age old trick. And you're right, most cleansers strip the skin & are way too harsh. I used to be able to use foaming cleansers with no problems, but not anymore! Even with my intensely oily skin, they are way too drying and harsh.

I also noticed that my skin became even more dry(even though i get horrible breakouts)while being pregnant.When I was between the ages of 13 and 17 I could strip strip strip away and my skin was fine but now it is just too much.I have also read that your body goes through 7 to 10 year cycles where it just changes.I am not an expert nor do i know all the facts so you would have to do some research but it seems to be true for me.
But again keep doing research and don't give up on your quest for beautiful skin!!

Thanks again! I've also heard from at least 2 hairdressers that our bodies and therefore, hair also, change every 7 years or so...must be some truth to that. My skin is less oily today...probably because I used Nocturne last night with a flocked sponge, put on a Brewer's Yeast home-made mask before that, and just used a wet washcloth in the shower this morning, followed by my Aubrey Organics Vegecol moisturizer.

Hi kittycat,

I've been doing some form of the ocm for about a year and although I can't say that I've noticed much difference in the amount of oil my skin produces my blackheads are *considerably* better. Having suffered from them for years and after trying just about everything to get rid of them I am finally just about nose blackhead free!

I started out using a ratio of pure cold pressed castor oil and extra virgin olive oil and then migrated to Clarins pure melt cleansing gel (it goes on as a gel and as you massage it in it turns to an oil and then as you add a little water to a milk which you rinse away) as I'm lazy and I found using the actual oils a bit messy. I only use the gel in the evening and the rest of the time I just water wash (in the shower) with the occasional sensitive face wipe if I'm rushing about and gym bound.

Hope that helps

Thanks, Brianna. I've been doing the OCM for almost 2 weeks now. I think it has reduced my blackheads, too. My skin is definitely producing less oil, but I hope that's not due to the dry windy weather we're having...I don't think so, because the weather wasn't like this last week. I'll have to continue and just cross my fingers! I still have to buy castor oil. I use jojoba and grapeseed right now. The grapeseed seems to be pretty astringent, so I can only use it in small amounts, compared to jojoba or probably castor oil.

Hi Kittycat!

I have no experience in using OCM, but I also have oily skin and battled with acne for a long long time. In the past I have used those acne washes and creams that worked somewhat but also made my skin peel (sounds bad doesn't it?), so in effect I had really dry pimply oily skin....

But I found pure rosehip oil works great for me. It is very very light and easily absorbed and it doesn't irritate my skin. I use it like a serum now (rather than a cleanser), so I put on the rosehip oil and let it absorbe then I put on a layer of nocture before I go to bed. It really works for me. My skin is still slightly oily but no where near what is was like before, and the pimples are only occasional now

Hi Minna,
Yup, those essential fatty acids work wonders on the skin. They really calm the oil glands down. I'm happy for you!

I have decided to jump in and try the OCM. I used to have very oily skin and mild breakouts due to a medical condition (PCOS), but now that I am on medications that control my hormones, my skin is pretty well-behaved. My biggest issue right now is stubborn blackheads and large plugged pores on my nose and cheeks. I've tried pretty much everything to get rid of those tenacious little boogers (including professional extractions-- can we say OUCH?!), so I'm really interested to see if the OCM works for me.

I'm going to start out with a 50/50 mix of EVOO and castor oil (my skin is pretty resistant, so I think it can handle that much castor oil) and tweak the mixture as needed. Thanks so much to Kittycat and everyone else for all of the informative posts and for sharing your experiences w/OCM. Here goes nothing!

Now that the weather's getting warmer, I've been combining my regular OCM oil mix (50% jojoba oil/25% kakui nut oil/24% rose hip seed oil) with castor oil. It's been working great.

Thanks for the tip, Robyn. I hadn't done the OCM in about a week, and I did it again last night. I used 60% jojoba and 40% grapeseed oil. I couldn't believe all the little hardened plugs that I could feel coming out! I tried castor oil about a month ago and I think it irritated my skin and broke me out a little, with a few tiny reddish bumps. Now I'm afraid to try it again. But it seems like my skin loves jojoba oil and the grapeseed oil is a plus, too, so I think I'll stick with those. I also have a feeling that my skin would like sweet almond oil.
Ella, I have the same problem! I've definitely noticed an improvement with the OCM, but I still have blackheads, although they seem like they're improving.

what is this OCM? maybe i need to try it, if you all are having such good results with your oily skin. i too have very very oily skin, and need extra help getting rid of some bumpies on my face.

I second that with calie!

What do you use to apply it and wash it off with? I'm ever so curious.

OCM stands for the Oil Cleansing Method. Here is an article explaining what it is and how to do it, and here is another good link w/photos. I am no expert and haven't even tried it yet, but those are the sites where I started my research. Also the forum has some great threads about OCM, just search for "oil cleansing method" or "OCM."

I'll admit I'm still a little freaked out by the idea of rubbing oil all over my face, but I am willing to give it a try to see if it helps w/clogged nose pores. I might try to do some before & after pix if my computer will cooperate with my camera.

Ella, thanks for posting the links. That really helps.

The OCM is sort of an old fashioned, if you will, method of cleansing. We've all been brainwashed by companies into thinking that NO OIL should be put on oily skin, when in fact certain oils, like plant oils, are excellent for oily skin and help balance it. Before there were any skincare companies, women would use these types of natural or homemade methods, but in the modern world, we're seduced into buying products that will "fix" our skin conditions, when it fact, much of the time, they make it worse. Why do they do animal testing? Because they are using chemicals and harsh ingredients in their products. With sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, olive oil as an only ingredient,for example, no animal testing is needed because potentially harmful ingredients have not been added. I still think, the simpler, the better, when it comes to skincare. Although I've found castor oil to be too thick for my preference, I love jojoba and grapeseed oil. And after a few gentle pads with my very warm washcloth, my face is left soft and dewey, not like an oilslick. So, I hope this appeases anyone who is hesitant to try the OCM. Remember, it's just something that used to be used years ago by people who did not have modern skincare products to purchase in stores and before marketing was invented.

ok i can understand that. like dissolves like, doesnt it, so it only makes sense that oils and fats dissolves oils, which is why soaps work. so then those are the oils that are used for your face? i know there are many types of oils out there, and imagine there are some better for your face and skin than others.

thanks ladies.

i read the links from Ella, and im willing to give this a try. i just have to go pick up some castor oil tomorrow. i guess i should have read those first before the other post i just did. if this works, ill save so much money, proactive is not that cheap.

I've done it for two nights now, once last night with plain EVOO and again tonight after I picked up some castor oil to mix w/the EVOO. My skin feels very good, kind of glowy, actually. It doesn't feel greasy AT ALL. I still cringed the first time I rubbed oil onto my face, but after massaging it in and steaming w/the washcloth a couple of times, it felt really good, kinda like a luxurious spa treatment. I haven't noticed a huge difference in nose blackheads and plugged pores, but I didn't expect a miracle overnight. We'll see if that improves over time. However, the overall feel and look of my skin is noticeably better. Let me know how it works for you if you try it, Calie.