Please help OCM percentages
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free skin care · Thu Mar 02, 2006 3:21 am

Hi, I've been doing OCM for about two weeks now. The last few days I seem to be getting greasy again and have a few, well alot, of bumps. Not many whiteheads, just lots of lumps I can feel with my fingers and I guess still lots of blackheads.

Lately I've really been making sure I have more castor oil than EVOO. Today it occurred to me that perhaps I'm using too much castor oil. My skin is not like others described after using too much CO, it's not tight and red, but it's greasy. I'm wondering if the CO is cleansing my skin too much and therefore the sebum is going into overdrive.

I'm about to steam my face (what do you reckon, two minutes with my head in the microwave, hehe). Then I was going to try more EVOO and less castor oil and was thinking of trying to warm the oil slightly in the microwave.

I've also made up some ACV Toner and will do that afterwards, the follow with my Vitamin C thingy.

I'm hoping for a reply very soon, to see if I can get opinions before I start, but not sure of time differences. I'm in Oz.

Thanks Kylie

free skin care · Thu Mar 02, 2006 3:27 am

An extra thought, I was in the pharmacy buying more castor oil today. I don't think it was cold pressed though, I got the last bottle. I don't have a car at the moment and so can't drive around to find the cold pressed stuff.

Anyways, she recommended Jojoba Oil for my skin. It was $19.95 for a 200ml bottle, so I didn't buy it right there and then, felt I might be able to get it for a better price when I get my car back.

Do you think maybe Jojoba might be better for my skin than EVOO?

Kylie

free skin care · Thu Mar 02, 2006 6:10 am

Hi Starkers,

It might be the EVOO. I found that it was "too heavy" for lack of a better word.

I switched to Grape Seed Oil ... but you could try just about any oil.

I use Jojoba sometimes but for a "moisturizer" not in the OCM ... because jojoba oil is so expensive ... and I'm so cheap! Laughing

However, if you're experiencing bumps, you might consider hemp seed oil, which according to a chart showing the various levels of "pore clogging" attributes indicates that this one doesn't clog pores at all.

I am not fond of the fragrance of hemp seed oil on its own ... but then I do add sweet orange essential oil to my OCM mixture because I just love the smell of orange! Laughing

As for steaming, I would think that a couple of minutes would do ... at least that's the length of time I use when I steam.

When I first started OCM it took about 3 weeks before I noticed that the 50/50 mixture had begun to "normalize" my skin ... and after a month of OCM my skin was "normal" as opposed to "oily".

Another thing you can add to your OCM mix ... or at least something I've added to my OCM mix is salicylic acid. You have to purchase it from the pharmacist ... but if you work on the ratio of

1/4 tsp of salicylic acid to 2 tbls of oil you have a buffered 5% solution ...

The salicylic acid will help to exfoliate the top layers of skin ... which will also help to unclog pores etc ... and it might be just what you need.

I paid a whopping $3.50 for a very healthy amount [well over a cup] of salicylic acid ... and while you have to be careful to measure properly, it's been a brilliant inclusion.

A 5% solution might be too strong for you initially, but by using 1/4 tsp of S.A. and 3 tbls, you'll have a buffered 2.5% mixture and you should be able to handle that on a daily basis. [Be careful not to get it in your eyes!]

So don't be afraid to try different oils ... and don't be afraid to try actives in your mix.

Mary

free skin care · Thu Mar 02, 2006 7:11 am

Thanks so much Mary! I have thought about grapeseed oil, as it's in the supermarket and I'm trying to keep costs down. Wonder where I'd get hempseed oil, maybe the health food shop? I'm in Australia and it seems that our shops/pharmacies etc aren't as well stocked with variety as America.

I wonder if I could get salyic (sp) acid at my chemist (pharmacy). If I couldn't, could I substitute aspirin?

I did an asprin mask tonight and it seems to do wonders for my skin.

Tonight I:

Steamed my face for a few mins
did OCM with 75EVOO/25Castor Oil
Did Aspirin mask with Natural Yoghurt
Toned with ACV Toner
Put on my FaceLift Serum with Vitamin C.

Actually, my pores looked really closed up until after I applied this Facelift Serum. Maybe that's the culprit?

It's main ingredient is Stabilised Vitamin C, but I noticed one of the ingredients is water. I'll have to get the list of ingredients and get you experts to look at it.

I just bought it from the chemist. It's a John Plunkett brand, called Face Lift Serum. Not expensive at $39.95 for 20mL.

I'd really like to make Carekate's Vit C serum, but haven't been lucky yet to find l-ascorbic acid in the shops. I can't get the PG either, but don't really want to use it as I get excema and asthma and would rather use something less harsh. Could I really just use the VitC Powder (l-ascorbic acid) with distilled water and a smidge (cos I'm oily) of glycerine. Or is there another medium I could use to get the Vitamin C to my skin?

Sorry for so many questions. Thanks again for your helpful answers!

Kylie

free skin care · Thu Mar 02, 2006 1:25 pm

Hi Kylie,

I got my hemp seed oil in my local health food store.

As for the salicylic acid ... you should be able to purchase it through a pharmacist/chemist. That's where I got mine ... but I'm in Canada not Australia.

The problem with substituting aspirin is that you'll end up with "bits" of the aspirin in the cleansing oil ... and that wouldn't be great for daily use.

Salicylic Acid is oil soluable ... which means that it dissolves in oil. [It's also alcohol soluable but that's irrelevant for this discussion! Laughing

]

So it completely disappears in your oil mixture ... but it's still there as an active and it gently helps remove/exfoliate those top layers of skin.

If you can't purchase salicylic acid from the chemist/pharmacist ... then you're better off to stick to the aspirin mask and forget about inclusion in the OCM mixture.

As for Vitamin C ... it's too bad you haven't found l-ascorbic acid in your shops. Have you asked the chemist? You might find that they do have it and will sell it to you.

Ascorbic acid [l-ascorbic acid being the active part of ascorbic acid] is water soluable ... meaning that it dissolves in water. This is the form that has been scientifically proven to benefit the skin.

Yes you can mix it with distilled water and a smidge of glycerine. It may not last above a couple of weeks ... but you'll be able to tell as it begins to change colour when it's no longer potent.

It's a brilliant recipe ... and I would never be without it now. It costs just pennies for a good supply ... and I find that it's more effective than the commercial vitamin C serum I'd used before.

HTH

Mary

free skin care · Thu Mar 02, 2006 4:10 pm

Mary,

Thanks heaps, you've been so helpful. I hope to have my car back today, so next week when the kids are at school and kindy I can get out there and have a look for things.

I don't mind if the vitamin C would only last a couple of weeks, if it's that cheap to make, then it's still probably cheaper than a commercial one. I like the idea of it being more "natural" for my skin. I guess too, the benefit is I can vary the strength too.

Thanks Again.

Kylie

free skin care · Thu Mar 02, 2006 4:27 pm

I also add a bit of Salacylic acid from The Personal Formulator. I think the oil mix really needs to be adjusted person to person. Castor oil is needed to get the gump out but
too much bothers some people. I use only about 25% Castor oil and mix in EVOO or grapeseed oil or a mix I have with almond oil and vit E. They all seem to work well for me.
I have a T zone and the few blackhead are history. As someone else said as I massage my nose I can feel the plugs come out.

Test out other oils as well. I like the idea of warming the oil in the micro (I did this one time) but do not overheat or use a paper coffee cup or you'll have a mess and possible fire.

I'd love to steam my face. I used to years ago with an old-fashioned face steamer it feels really good and opens the pores.

free skin care · Fri Mar 03, 2006 6:48 am

Okay, so it was raining outside today and I had no car, but I got on my treddly and went to my work (I work nights at a supermarket) and bought some grapeseed oil and visited the chemist and bought some Ylang Ylang Oil (it's always been one of my faves, before kids I was right into aromatherapy).

So I did my OCM with 50/50 Grapeseed and Castor and a few drops of Ylang Ylang and it felt better. I didn't really feel any plugs come out, but I had done aspirin mask last night too.

I did the same mix tonight to take off my make-up after work and it felt better too. I felt a few grains come out tonight, but I did have make up on, so that probably got in my pores.

I'll continue with this for a bit and see how it goes.

I've whipped up some aspirin and water and just put it on my more desperate blackhead areas tonight. I have these white pores under my nose, I have to lift to see them, but I noticed the aspirin mask had pretty much cleared them, so hit them again tonight as well as nose and chin crease.

I'll finish with ACV Toner and that Vitamin C thingy.

Kylie

free skin care · Fri Mar 03, 2006 7:50 am

Just a note......I began to use apple cider vinegar, since it seems to work for most. For what ever reason, it did not agree with my skin. Large cystic acne "bumps" formed around my chin area. They are only now receding due to Loreal's new adult acne regimine. I completely ceased the ACV routine and my skin has returned to "normal".

free skin care · Fri Mar 03, 2006 8:05 am

hi hpjrt, i'm in Canada too and i was wondering if you get your Salicylic Acid over-the-counter at your Pharmacy?

Do you need a prescrip. for it? and what exactly do you ask for? Is it a powder? Does it have a brand name? Which pharmacy did you get it at? Would any pharmacy give it?

sorry for so many questions, i'm dying to know the answers so thanks in advance Laughing

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