OCM Update: Fail !!

So I haven't Updated in awhile and that's because my skin was slowly getting more and more blemishes! I got too scared to continue the OCM. I gave it up! I went back to my Proactiv and my skin cleared instantly. However; I do still plan on using the OCM for mini facials every once in a while. I just think my acne prone skin needed more help especially in the summer. 
Whenever I run out of Proactiv, I'm going to try the Acne.org formula. I hear its pretty amazing!

HOWEVER; I would not call the OCM a  fail... I failed! I just think I didn't have the balls to stick with it long enough. I folded.

OCM: Update 5 & Peter Thomas Roth VIZ-1000; 75% Hyaluronic Acid Complex

So it's been about week using the Oil Cleansing Method...

Not only did I remain my clear complexion with switching from Proactiv, but my skin just looks so much healthier. It's more supple and my skin tone has evened out quite a bit. My blackheads are slowly vanishing.


Peter Thomas Roth
VIZ-1000 75% Hyaluronic Acid Complex



 I also wanted to mention that I have been using Peter Thomas Roth's VIZ-1000; 75% Hyaluronic Acid Complex around my eyes for some time. The last few days, I have been applying all over my face. Hyaluronic Acid has the capability to suck in moisture from the air and hold up to 1000x its weight. It's really great alternative to ordinary moisturizers. It absorbs instantly, and leaves absolutely no oily/greasy residue. I'm really in love with it. All the added moisture is excellent at keeping skin youthful and preventing premature aging as well!





I still haven't made it to buy my lavender oil; but I still plan on getting that to add to my oil blend.

There's definitely still time for a sudden breakout to occur before I can say the OCM is a keeper...

OCM: Update 4

HMM...
I continue to research the Oil Cleansing Method: Read articles, Watch Vlogs. etc.
I'm realizing that most suggest using 30% Castor Oil at  most. If more is used, you can dry out your skin, which is obviously going to make your skin want to produce more oil and cause acne. I think, though, that my skin is used to being dried out from the Proactiv. I am hoping that with the right amount of moisturizer, I won't have to worry about my skin over producing oil. BUT, maybe that's why my face felt so oily this morning and it wasn't the fact of the weather. 
I've completely stopped using the EVOO: Only because the Jojoba Oil is known to be most like our own oils. The idea is for your skin to realize it's got enough oils and does not need to produce so much. Therefore, less acne. 

Today.. The regimen is obviously helping blackheads to loosen. I can tell because I have a horrible habit of picking at them. And they're not even that bad! I just like to pick.. so bad. Anyway, I can see a few clogged pores, but not anything inflammatory or even considered a blemish.. can't even be seen if it wasn't for my 8x magnifying mirror. I was extremely tempted to just start back the Proactiv tonight. BUT i didn't.

Quick Reminder: The cleansing takes time! You cannot rush through it. You really need to let the cloth sit and open your pores in order for it pull the impurities. The rinsing is also time consuming... wipe face, rinse cloth; Wipe face, rinse cloth; wipe face, rinse cloth.

Another GREAT tip:
Just watched a YouTube video (by vivacious1083) and the girl says she made a toner consisting of 1 part Apple Cider Vinegar : 2-3 parts water.
She says that even witch hazel made her skin too dry. So if you're having that issue, keep this in mind!
You can watch the video>> here <<.


PS I will be posting my other things soon.. I'm just slightly obsessed with my face right now out of sheer terror of this change.

OCM: Update 3

(I've been posting a day behind so this post and the prior post are posted together so I can back on track!)
So, Short & Sweet...

My blemish didn't get any worse and I actually think the Tea Tree Oil is diminishing it already.
I did end up using the OCM this morning because my face felt oily when I woke up. I'm pretty sure it's because the weather is getting warmer and yesterday and today were the first nice days this year.

Still using the same Ratios. I hope it remains the same so I can mix together a pre-blended bottle. I'm just afraid of mixing up a concoction and having to change it. But what I could do is just make it and add a few drops of something extra if needed.

Tonight I applied a teeny weeny drop of Jojoba Oil after the Witch Hazel rather than my actual moisturizer.. Hoping for a clear morning!

:)

OCM: Update 2

I said that I wouldn't post for a few days..  unless I felt a blemish coming on.
: /


Night 2 of OCM:
I noticed a pimple coming... Keep in mind that I have very rarely gotten any pimples when using my Proactiv. This is a bummer, but I'm definitely not throwing in the towel. I'm sure my skin is going to have to adapt to this regimen. And like I said. Others' post have said that the method can take a lot of trial & error to find what makes your skin happy.


Because I felt the pimple coming, I also adjusted my ratios:

• 75% Castor
• 25% Jojoba
• +  drop of Tea Tree

I also used the Tea Tree Oil as a spot treatment on the little bugger after the Witch Hazel Toner. My face is feeling slightly dry probably from the increased amount of Castor Oil. (Castor is what really pulls out the dirt & impurities.) So, I went ahead and applied a small amount of my Korres moisturizer. In the future, I think I will try taking an extremely small amount of the oil and patting it on the dry areas until absorbed. I do love my moisturizer, but how wonderful will it be to be free of buying high-end pricey skin care products all together!? Plus, the natural oils are so much healthier than any moisturizer.

Here's a site that's useful in choosing Essential Oils to add to your oil blend. All the oils on this page are great for acne. >> Essential Oils <<
For example, Lavender oil is good for preventing future breakouts! Once I get to my local Vitamin Shoppe, I'll definitely be adding this into my blend! :)

OCM: Update 1

Last night was the first night of attempting the OCM....
I did use the ratios as I planned:

• 50% Castor
• 25% Jojoba
• 25% EVOO
• + few drops of Tea Tree

(Again; I did not go into any depth of the Oil Cleansing Method or the reasoning behind these specific oils, only because there are so many blogs, forums, and Youtube videos that already do an amazing job of explaining all that. If you do have questions, however; I would be more than happy to explain!)

So.. how was it?!
To my surprise, my skin did not feel greasy/oily afterwards. I followed with applying Thayer's Witch Hazel toner. My skin actually felt slightly dry. I think the key to avoiding a sudden breakout is going to be spending the time to thoroughly rinse the oils with the warm water repeatedly & the witch hazel afterwards. Soft today and not oily. I did not use the OCM this morning. I feel that it's only necessary every 24 hours. So, this morning I simply splashed with water & applied Thayer's Witch Hazel toner.
If my skin does start to feel dry after the using the Witch Hazel; I will follow with my trusty balancing moisturizer. I use Korres Pomegranate Balancing Cream Gel for Oily/Combination skin. I've posted about this stuff before and it's just really great at balancing the moisture in your skin and does not cause breakouts. Plus, Korres products are more natural than others!

I admit: I'm completely beside myself. As if giving up my Proactiv isn't terrifying enough; I'm now rubbing oils all over my face! Still can't believe I'm attempting this. 
I consider myself lucky to be so young and have the knowledge of how important it is to take care of my skin now. My mom was just telling me how she wish she knew how it important it was to take care of her skin at a young age before environmental damage had developed. Oh, how she loved the sun!:)

Because the next few nights would be repetitive, boring posts; I will only update if I happen to change the ratios for any reason, or if I start to get a blemish. Otherwise, I'll post back about the OCM within 5-7 days.

OCM: Oil Cleansing Method

The Oil Cleansing Method: (OCM)
If you know what the OCM is, skip this paragraph. If you're wondering what it is... it's the scariest thing that you'll think you've ever heard. Basically, it's cleaning your face with oil. .. Yes, cleansing your face with oil.
How and why this works is thoroughly explained on a forum I found at acne.org. >> here <<

The science behind this is sensible and the success stories are convincing. Think about it... There's nothing to sell here and no one to be affiliated with, so the stories must be true?!

Then there's other stories. People that get the courage to try it... Love it, rave about it... and BAM!  3-4 weeks into they're regimen they breakout.. and BAD. As in 'the-worst-breakout-they've-ever-had' bad.

So what's the deal?! I've read (and like to believe) that these people are not doing it correctly. They're either not using the correct oils or not rinsing the oils off their face well enough. If you've read others' post about OCM, you should know that Castor oil is crucial. The ratio to the other oils depends on your skin's needs. I know that it can take a lot of trial and error to find what suits your own skin. 

SO without further ado: I'm going to borrow a really good idea from a girl who tried this method and planned on documenting everything about it.
Her blog is >> here <<.

Oils I Plan on Using:

• Castor Oil
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Jojoba Oil
• Tea Tree Oil

*I've also purchased Thayer's Alcohol Free Witch Hazel to use as a toner/astringent after washing. (I've read forums (also at acne.org) of people raving about this stuff.) By applying this afterwards, it should remove any excess oil without stripping your skin of a healthy amount of oil. I really think this will avoid any horror story 2-4 weeks from now.


Ratio I plan on Using:

• 50% Castor
• 25% Jojoba
• 25% Extra Virgin Olive
• + few drops of Tea Tree

I think I will stick to straight EVOO for my eye makeup removal.

*There are reasons for each oil. Feel free to comment with questions!*

A lot of people that try this method have absolutely nothing to lose. They are desperate and willing to try just about anything.
Myself, on the hand, have practically no blemishes whatsoever. I've been using Proactiv for quite some time with great success...
So why the bleep am I giving that up?!

1. The price. If the OCM works, I will no longer have to buy: The Cleanser, The Toner, The Repairing Lotion, The Refining Mask. Nor will I have to purchase a high-end moisturizer that doesn't break me out. This method claims to balance the moisture in your skin so well, that you won't need an extra product to moisturize.
2. Aging/Wrinkles. The harsh chemicals in Proactive dry out your skin so much, which is most definitely not going to help my skin age beautifully. The chemicals make your skin more prone to sun damage which is the number one offender of premature aging. 

If you've been considering this method and are really scared... follow me and hopefully not only I will learn from this, but you can as well! 

Really scared=| Fingers crossed.

Sunscreens: Will they REALLY prevent wrinkles?

Think that you can slap on any high SPF sunscreen and be protected? Maybe from burns, but what about wrinkles, and sun spots? ..NO!

I've recently came across the Environmental Working Group's website, where I found baffling information about the sunscreen we put on our skin.

In an extremely short summery:  The FDA's standards for sunscreen is approximately 40 YEARS behind European Standards! In the US, sunscreen, is measured in SPF, which only deals with UVB rays. It has nothing to do with UVA rays, which are the ones that cause Photo aging! Ever since this has been pointed out, more companies are now labeling their products as "Broad Spectrum." But that doesn't necessarily give you good UVA protection. It just means that there is some sort of ingredient in there that is known to protect against UVA rays, but you have no idea how much or how effective it is.


How can you find a sunscreen with ample UVA protection?

• Look for sunscreens that not only have an SPF rating, but also a "PA" rating. The rating will follow with plus signs. For example: PA+, PA++, PA+++. The more plus signs; the greater the UVA protection.

This isn't even touching the amount of important information about sunscreens. They also talk about sunscreens that have chemicals known to increase the risk of cancer... Umm, isn't that what we're trying to avoid? While there's not much we can do about the FDA, we can learn how to choose the "best" of the crap they sell us. The website has a list of the safest sunscreens along with a list called "The Hall of Shame." You won't believe the popular sunscreens that fall into that list!

Check out their website and learn how to not only protect your skin, but keep it looking young! -->   http://breakingnews.ewg.org/2011sunscreen/

Hall of Shame Page -->   >> HallofShame<<

*BEST WRINKLE PREVENTATIVE...
Wear a sunscreen with high UVA protection

EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR!


Which sunscreens have you been trusting?!
Thanks for your comments!

Help Proactiv Help You

I was using Proactiv Solutions for quite some time before I decided that the results were not worth the money. A few years later I gave Proactiv another try. I cannot say that I am 100% acne free, but there is NO cure for acne; however, my skin looks better than it EVER has! I very rarely get any major blemishes and when I do they go away so quickly with this skin care routine. I have compiled a few tips that make a HUGE difference when using Proactiv.

• *Ladies* Remove all of your makeup prior to washing your face with the Renewing Cleanser. If you don't, you're basically rubbing all the makeup over your face and your just not going to get as clean as if you were to remove your makeup first.
• Wash as it says on the bottle: "Massage onto damp face for 1-2 minutes." First thing here: Your face does not need to be soaking wet. If it is it's going to rinse all the little exfoliating beads away. Second: Massage into face for the entire 2 Minutes! If you think about it, do you really stand there and rub your face for 2 minutes? Probably not, but it will work way better if you do! Also, you don't need to rub the skin off your face... If you do it for the full 2 minutes, it will get clean by gently rubbing.
• When drying your face... PAT, DON'T RUB. Proactiv can really dry out your skin. Patting your face dry will help your skin retain moisture. It takes a few moments longer to completely dry your skin, but it's worth it. Always use a CLEAN towel! (Duh.)
• If you use the Refining Mask, apply right after washing (before the Toner.) Don't dry your face all the way if plan on using the mask. It says to apply to dampened face. Leave on for 10-15 minutes & rinse thoroughly.  Some people want to sleep in the mask. I feel like this would be absolutely horrible for your face; not to mention smelling the sulfur all night long would kill my throat. However, I have used this over night as a spot treatment for cystic-type blemishes. (The ones that are huge underneath the skin and hurt!)
• Revitalizing Toner: You don't want to soak your face with this stuff... Just enough to lightly dampen. I like to squeeze the cotton ball/pad to get any excess liquid out, then apply to face.
• Make sure your toner is COMPLETELY DRY & ABSORBED before applying the repairing lotion. It's very important. (I usually flap my hands in front of my face to help along the process.) I usually give it about 2-3 minutes.
• When applying the Repairing Lotion: LESS IS MORE! I can't stress this enough. It even says on the back of the bottle to "Apply a thin layer." This stuff dries/absorbs quickly so work fast to get your entire face covered! You literally only need a pea-size amount. Maybe a big pea, but Still... Very Little! I will usually put some on my finger tips & apply to everything under eyes. Then take a TINY bit more and apply to forehead.. (Only because it absorbs so quickly.) Do whatever works for you; as long as you only apply a very thin layer.


• Advanced Blemish Treatment: If you are using this or have tried this, and you find it not working that well: I HIGHLY suggest switching to Acnefree Terminator 10. It's sold at Walmart, Target, etc. This works MUCH better than the Proactiv one; (in my opinion.) The reasoning: The Proactiv Advance Blemish Treatment contains 6% Benzoyl Peroxide. The Acnefree Brand contains 10%. Plus, it's much cheaper!



Korres

• MOISTURIZE!!!!!!!!!!!! I know what some of you are thinking: "There is NO way I'm putting a moisturizer all over my already oily pimply skin." I thought that too! BUT you HAVE to, and I'll tell you why. Proactiv WILL dry your skin out.. Your skin is saying, "Holy Crap.. I'm so dry! I better start producing more Sebum(oils)!!" Your skin will start working overtime to try and replace the oils you have stripped from it; which in return, will cause more breakouts! (Which is why the Refining mask is only intended for 2-3x weekly.) You need to find a good balancing moisturizer. Wait about 5 minutes for your Repairing Lotion to absorb before putting on moisturizer. I use Korres Pomegranate Balancing Moisturizer at Ulta.  It targets moisture where you need it and doesn't clog pores. Again, you don't need a lot of this. It  will feel slightly heavy at first if you're not used to moisturizers, but absorbs really well within 10-15 minutes. It's intended for oily-combination skin. It also acts like a mattifying agent so i can work really well under makeup.
• SUNSCREEN?? I actually only want to use the Korres one at night because I like to use a moisturizer with slightly higher SPF during the day. Finding a good sunscreen that won't make you break out is difficult.  After ample research, I've chosen to buy La Roche-Posay Anthelios SX Daily Moisturizer SPF 15. (<-also available at Ulta.com) It is NONACNEGENIC: Won't cause breakouts. YAY! I have yet to try it, but once I receive it, I will do a quick review. (I'm also putting together a post on some baffling info about sunscreens, which (hopefully) will be posted soon!)

The most important part of using Proactiv is commitment. You must use it EVERY morning and EVERY night. If you want to see results, you can't be slacking! There's no "I'm just too tired tonight." Make your skin care routine a habit and try not to rush through it. Also, If you just started using Proactiv or have tried it and gave up on it: Give it 6-8 weeks before giving up! Acne starts forming weeks under the skin before they come to the surface. Give it time for those blemishes to come out.

Additional tips for preventing acne:

• Don't touch your face so much. Lots of people touch their face without even realizing it. Try to get out of the habit. If you find yourself still touching your face a lot: wash your hands or use sanitizer often. Hands are dirty!
• Change your pillow case often! You sweat and shed skin cells while you sleep. I usually change mine every other night and flip the pillow over for the following night.
• Use an anti-bacterial soap (Original Dial is perfect) on your hands directly before applying makeup! Even if you just washed your face 15 minutes ago. Stop and think about all the stuff you touched since you washed your face.. (door knob? cell phone? etc.)
• Disinfect your phone! We play and hold our phones constantly and continue to hold it against our face.
• I'm going to be a hypocrite here and tell you not to pick. I know it's hard. For me, it's impossible. Know when to stop. If the pus is out and is just leaking clear fluid.. leave it alone! The clear fluid is excess sebum from being irritated. If you can't resist the urge to pick, wash your hands with Dial Soap before and wash your face  immediately after.

~

What extra measures do you take to prevent breakouts?!Thanks for your comments!