BEAUTY: Is this the key to a pimple-free face?

By MAMAMIA STYLE

We’ve seen what happens when you don’t take off your make-up for 30 days (clogged pores, dryness, irritation, premature ageing) and now one US writer has said not washing her face has cured her acne.

Carrie Murphy says she has always had problem skin, blackheads, whiteheads, pimples and cystic acne as teenager, and tried everything from Retin-A to Mario Badescu’s cult drying treatment and has now given up on washing her face altogether.

And it’s worked.

“My blackheads are apparently here to stay forever and ever! But poppable pimples? Whiteheads and the like? They’ve taken a leave of absence,” writes Murphy on The Gloss.

The 27-year-old started using the oil cleansing method (washing your face with an oil like jojoba, rosehip etc) but when that became too time consuming she discovered the key to glowy, shiny skin was actually doing nothing at all.

“I got really lazy with it (all that waiting with the hot washcloth on my face seemed to take up a lot of time I could be spending laying in bed with my iPad and pinning crafts I’ll never do), so I just kinda…stopped. I stopped doing the oil cleansing method at night, I stopped washing my face at night, and I stopped washing it in the morning,” says Murphy.

“After about 15 years of washing and washing, applying creams and gels and visiting the dermatologist, all I had to do was just back the hell off? Wow.”

Similarly, The Huffington Post published an article this week about Sara Wells who says her number one skincare rule is never washing her face. She also uses the oil cleansing method, opting for an apricot oil to remove her makeup at the end of the day but that’s it. And also? She has amazing skin.

But Emma Hobson, Education Manager for the International Dermal Institute in Australia, says don’t get too excited about ditching the cleanser just yet.

“If this writer was using a cleanser that was comedogenic (meaning this product contained congesting, breakout causing ingredients) that were stripping the skin of its natural oils, stimulating the skin to produce more sebum and therefore resulting in breakouts, yes an improvement would be experienced by not cleansing with this product.,” says Hobson.

“I would certainly not recommend anybody omit cleansing the skin, as poor or no cleansing of a skin that frequently experiences breakouts can only lead to one thing- more breakouts.”

“Source a skin care range that has active ingredients that address acne breakouts in adults, clears the skin and helps repair it to a state of health.”

What is the oil cleansing method and what type of skins should be using it?

Emma Hobson: Cleansing oils are a fantastic first cleanse option as they facilitate an effective, thorough cleansing of the skin. They work on the principle that like attracts like with the oil formulation attracting sebum as well as the dirt, make-up and debris found on the skin’s surface. This ensures a true second cleanse with your PH balanced cleanser, designed specifically for your skin type. Another advantage of cleansing oils are their ability to remove sun screens, stubborn lipsticks and waterproof mascara.

Have you tried the oil cleansing method? What products work for your skin? 

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