One of the first things I realized when I started using natural skin care was that most facial cleansers and soap are way too drying. They will remove dirt and makeup but they also strip the skin of natural oils and moisture which we don't want to lose. This holds true for all skin types. Using a cleansing method that strips natural oils will make dry skin dryer and oily skin oilier. Even worse it can create “combination skin” with patches of dry skin and oily skin on different parts of your face – which is even harder to deal with.
Natural cleansers are gentle on the skin and only remove the dirt and makeup that we don't want on our skin. They won't strip your face of it's natural moisture and leave it feeling tight and flaky. In my search for the perfect natural face cleanser I tried many store bought brands and also tested homemade cleanser recipes. Most of the store bought options were still to drying and still had some ingredients in them that I wasn't too pleased with.
Since you are probably a busy Mom like me, making your face cleanser might seem like another annoying thing on the to do list! Don't worry, my top three favorite homemade face cleansers have three ingredients or less and take 5 minutes to make.
Oil Cleansing Method
The oil cleansing method involves two main ingredients – Castor oil and olive oil. The castor oil is an extremely good cleanser. It will remove dirt and dead skin cells from your pores without stripping the natural oil balance of your skin. The olive oil is a great skin nourishing oil that provides lots of anti-oxidants. Olive oil is my choice oil for the oil cleansing method but it can be done with many other oils like sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil, grapeseed oil, or any of the other skin nourishing oils in this book.
The amount of extra virgin olive oil and castor oil will depend on your skin type. Personally, I use a ratio of 3:1 (3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon of castor oil). The first time I made it I used a ratio of 1:1 because I wasn’t sure how much to use and I found my skin to be slightly dry so I switched it up to this ratio and it works great. Here are the general rules for mixing the oil according to skin type:
| Skin Type | Extra Virgin Olive Oil | Castor Oil |
| Dry | 3 tablespoons | 1 tablespoon |
| Normal | 2 tablespoons | 2 tablespoons |
| Oily | 1 tablespoon | 3 tablespoons |
You can also add essential oils to the mixture for other healing properties like tea tree oil, lavender oil, or any other essential oil you like. I add a few drops of tea tree oil to my cleanser which is great if you have acne prone skin. To read more details about how the Oil Cleansing Method works, read my detailed post here.
Honey Cleansing
How to wash your face with honey:
- Pour ½ teaspoon of honey into the palm of your hand.
- Rub the honey over a slightly damp face.
- Leave this on for 5‐10 minutes or rinse off right away – it should only take 3‐4 rinses of water to get all the honey off.
The honey cleanser is great if you have any breakouts because it is anti-bacterial so it will help to clear up existing breakouts while preventing new ones.
Facial Scrub (three ways)
- 1 tbsp. baking soda or sea salt or sugar
- 1 tbsp. oil
- 1 drop essential oil
This scrub can be made three different ways. Experiment and see which one works best for your skin. Mix together and store in a jar. Massage in gentle circular motion on your face and rinse. Pat dry with a towel.
Even though these face cleansers are super simple to make, I know sometimes it's just another thing to do…so if you are interested in the Oil Cleansing Method it is available in my online skin care shop already mixed and ready to go. Visit the shop here.
I like using honey in the morning and the oil cleansing method at night.
I’d like to go back to oil cleansing but found it very difficult to get the oil off my face, and it would usually end up getting my hairline oily which was very annoying because I don’t like to wash my hair too often. Using a fresh wash rag was not very easy for me because I can’t do laundry that often (don’t have my own machines) and don’t have that many washrags. I used wipes to get the oil off when I was into it, but I also don’t like creating that much waste. SO, it was a bust for me….how do you get the oil off? And how do you protect your hairline from getting oily?
I apply everything with a paint brush. I mean you can get one at home depot for 50 cents. I bought a natural bristle one for a buck. 1″
I use a hot wash cloth and lightly scrub it off. I find it gets off just the perfect amount of oil. Also, maybe it depends on which oils you are using. I don’t wash my hair often either so I’m just careful not to get it into my hair or I use an elastic headband to keep my hair back. I hear you about the laundry concern too, it does add up.
In the meantime, I skip traditional face wash and saturate a cotton pad with micellar water, swipe all over, and repeat until I get a clean one.
Do you use an astringent or toner after cleansing and before moisturizing. I’ve heard apple cider vinegar is good. Do you recommend that? Thank you.