Because I produce many skincare products I have the luxury of always having creams and lotions in large quantities right at my finger tips, but nothing makes me feel like I'm a princess at the spa like using the oil cleansing method.

The oil cleansing method is one of the most amazing ways I have found to clean your face. Even if you have oily skin, … no especially if you have oily skin, I encourage you to at least give this a try once.  You will really be amazed at how simple and effective this method is.

 For this method you will need; Castor oil*, cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, hot water and a face cloth.

FYI

The reason this works is because the oils you are applying are mixing with the oils in your skin to dissolve the dirt in the pores and carry it away when you rinse it off.  The heat from the hot water on the cloth helps to open the pores so it is easier for the oils to come out.  Castor oil is used traditionally to help draw out impurities and olive oil to balance, nurture and moisturize the skin.

If you have oily skin I recommend using a higher proportion of Castor oil as it will have a more drawing effect on the oils in your skin.  If you have dryer or mature skin use a higher proportion of olive oil.  If you are unsure, use half and half the first time to get a feel for how your skin will react.  I have mixed skin (oily in the T-zone) and I like half and half usually.  Sometimes I'll use 2/3 Castor oil if I'm feeling like I need a little detox and have "spots". Conversely I'll use more olive oil if I'm getting red blotchiness due to dryness.

*For all the vegans out there, Castor oil does not come from beavers (castor in french).  Castor oil comes from the Castor bean.  It's a beautiful plant with huge leaves and red flowers.  The beans are quite long and large.  The plant is poisonous but the beans are not.  It does make a beautiful plant in your yard, growing into a large, tree-like plant with huge leaves but be careful if you have pets or little ones. :o)

 So now, without further ado, here's what you do…

 1.  Mix your oils.  Castor oil and cold pressed extra virgin olive oil.  Again, if you're unsure, it's best to start with half Castor oil and half olive oil. 1/2 a teaspoon of each should be enough for the first go and to give you an idea of how much you'll need.  After you've found what you like, feel free to mix them in a small bottle (labeled) to be kept in the bathroom and used regularly.

2.  Heat some water to just before boiling and put a face cloth (or 2) into it.  Be careful!  You're going to want to take the face cloth out with your hands and wring it out to put on your face.  You want it fairly hot but you don't want to burn yourself.  Use your common sense here folks.My tap water gets very hot so I just use that.

3.  Massage the oils into your face.  Try to create a nice routine with this massage.  Massaging the face will help stimulate circulation and improved circulation may help stave off those dreaded fine lines and wrinkles.  Not to mention if you really allow yourself, this feels great.  Once you're satisfied you've massaged everywhere, go to step 4.

4.  Take the face cloth that has been in the hot water, wring it out.  Tilt your head back (or better yet lie down) and lay it over your face until you can feel it start to cool down (about 1 minute).  Mmm I love this part!  It's so comforting and relaxing.  Then put it back into the warm/hot water, wring it out and wipe the oil from your face.  You may need to do this a few times but if you've used the right ratio of Castor oil to olive oil for your skin type it will not be greasy at all.  In fact, if you use a high percentage of castor oil your face might actually feel a little dry.

 And there you have it!  A great, natural, cheap and extremely effective way to clean your face in less than 5 steps!

 Let me know how it went and what you think!  Enjoy, and be beautiful!

mariposa 

 People often ask me "Why the borax?  Isn't that what you use to clean things?".  Again I have to answer yes.

 But the reason borax cleans is because it is very alkaline. (pH approx. 9)

Borax is a natural mineral salt.  It is found in places where lakes have formed seasonally due to heavy rains and then evaporated again.  After many years of this the salt accumulates and can be mined.  Most borax (sodium borate) comes from Turkey, Chile, Tibet or from Boron, California.  Though it is found naturally it can be reproduced in the lab.

 So why is it used in skin care products?

It is an emulsifier. It is generally found in creams where beeswax is used.  Beeswax is not an emulsifier on it's own.  When beeswax and borax are combined in a recipe a reaction occurs similar to that in soap making and a true emulsifier is created.  This is a very tricky process to master because there is no guarantee as to how much emulsifier will be created with each reaction even if the amount of borax and beeswax remains constant.

It is a constant in all bath bombs recipes because without it they would not hold their shape and crumble.  Trust me, without borax your bath bombs simply crumble into fizzing bath salts!

 Now I understand peoples' concern with seeing borax listed on the ingredients.  I also caution people that just because something is natural doesn't mean it's safe.  Borax can most certainly be toxic if enough of it is ingested.  It definitely  needs to be kept out of reach of children and pets.  However, the amount used in your natural skin care products, when used as an emulsifier, in my humble opinion is more than safe.  .Just don't go making a habit out of eating bath bombs for desert.

 Borax also has many other uses you may be interested in

It is used as a food preservative in some countries to preserve caviar.  It is banned in the United States (thankfully) and so they simply use a lot of salt!  So if you're a caviar fan, you might want to check into that!

 You probably already know about the myriad of cleaning options such as mold killer, laundry booster, dishwasher powder and all purpose cleaner.

Use it to prevent fleas from hatching in carpets and other bedding.

Mice really don't like it so sprinkle it around where you suspect the devils to be and they probably won't want to come back to that area.  (Apparently they don't like peppermint essential oil either!)

 So the next time you see borax on the label, think for a moment about the small amount vs. the benefit it creates (without an emulsifier your cream would look like homemade salad dressing) and the natural product vs. the chemical emulsifiers in the nasty skin care products!

I say, bring on the borax!

And now you know.