If you want to achieve a clear and dewy complexion free from blemishes, congestion, and dehydration; cleansing with oils can help remove dirt, moisturise, and treat your skin naturally and gently. Incorporating oils, especially olive oil, into your daily skincare routine can help moisturise dehydrated skin, reduce free radicals, kill bacteria, and relieve irritated, sensitive, or sunburnt skin.
Extra virgin olive oil has an anti-inflammatory effect on the skin, using it as a cleanser can help new skin cells to regenerate, neutralise free radicals, preserve youthfulness, and fight against acne. Massaged into your skin as a cleanser, olive oil will draw out and dissolve impurities without the need for harsher skin care products.
After switching to more eco-friendly household products and wanting to take a simpler, more natural approach in my skin care routine, I decided to create my own cleanser. I avoided using the traditional castor oil as a base due to environmental reasons and instead picked rosehip oil, which works well for sensitive skin types. Alternatively you could switch this out for sweet almond, coconut, hazelnut, grapeseed, or avocado oil.
The Recipe
75ml (Extra Virgin) Olive Oil
25ml Rosehip Oil
Glass pump bottle
Be mindful to store the glass bottle out of direct sunlight especially if you choose to include essential oils in your mix. Speaking of essential oils...
A Note On Essential Oils
Traditionally essentials oils such as tea tree, clary sage, lavender, ylang ylang, frankincense, basil, lemongrass, chamomile, and neroli are added to cleansing oils to treat skin ailments including redness, irritation, eczema, inflammation, sensitive skin, and rosacea, and to help stimulate cell growth, tone and tighten the skin, and reduce the signs of aging. I’d recommend avoiding adding essential oils to your cleanser altogether. Essential oils are highly concentrated and mixing the ratios correctly can be tricky, which can result in nasty skin reactions causing skin irritation, chemical burns, and sun sensitivity. Be cautious when adding these to any homemade skin care remedies.