DIY: Sunflower Oil Cleanser / Makeup Remover

Hey everyone! After a long day out in the sun, the first thing I want to do when I get home is remove all of my makeup. As we all know, heat tends to make our body sweat. But our pores also produce oil which mixes in with our sweat and makeup. It's gross even just saying it. As much as I love makeup as the next girl, keeping it on your face for longer than necessary can actually harm your skin. It covers your pores which needs to breathe. So cleansing is key!

I realized that the makeup remover I use at home was almost complete used so I thought it would be neat to make my own. One of my favorite cleansers out there that removes heavy makeup is Shu Uemura's cleansing oil! I'm a big Shu Uemura fan, and a lot of products that I use are by Shu Uemura. Though going out to buy a bottle can range from $30 to $80. I'm going to show you how to make your own for under $20.

 Oil cleansing is amazing because it helps get rid of the oil in your face, intensely moisturize and gets rid of all residue. :) A lot of people are scared to try oil cleansing because they think the oil is going to clog your pores and leave your skin greasy and end up breaking out. I'm here to convince you why you should at least try it!

BENEFITS OF OIL CLEANSING

It is suitable for ALL skin types. Acne, oily, combination, dry. Just because it's oil, doesn't mean it will leave your skin oily. Oil removes oil!

It won't dry out your skin! I used to have really oily skin and used a lot of clay cleansers which ended up drying out my skin. I had flaky patches which would become irritated and itchy. Oil is a natural moisturizer used for your face, your hair, and basically anywhere.

Leaves no residue. The oil will pick up the makeup products off your face and mix it into the oil. Once you wash it off, all the makeup product will be washed off too.

You're using ALL NATURAL ingredients! Some people may have problems with what's in their cleanser or even products. You're using an all natural product and you can even pick out organic oils.

HOW TO USE OIL CLEANSERS

Because an oil cleanser is obviously oil based, you apply it on DRY skin. Not damp and obviously not wet. The oil will lose all it's effects if it is applied onto a wet face. Start from the center of your face and rub in a circular motion towards the edge of your face. Be gentle with your skin! It's delicate, you don't want to be harsh with it and damage it. After you feel that or see that all your makeup has been removed, rinse your face with WARM water. Make sure you're using warm water, not cold. The difference is, warm water will clean away the insides of your pores and the oil will come out. If you use cold water, your pores will close shut and oil will be trapped under your skin. You don't want that happening. Next, although not entirely necessary if your face is already clean, use a warm damp washcloth and let it sit on your face for a minute. Then gently rub your skin and remove any excess oil. Your skin should be feeling refreshed and clean afterwards!

WHAT TYPE OF OIL SHOULD I USE?

First, I want to point out the types of oil you SHOULD and SHOULD NOT be using.

Try to avoid olive oil or coconut oil. Olive oil tends to make your skin break out and coconut oil can clog your pores! Obviously, don't go to your local supermarket and just pick out a pint of vegetable oil. That's cooking oil. Don't use an oil if it's not organic or cold pressed. I like to use castor oil because it helps keep the skin supple, fight infection, reduce the appearance of wrinkles and inflammation. It also has essential fatty acids, vitamin E and soothes your skin.

Other oils I would recommend mixing with Castor Oil: 

• Sunflower Oil
• Hazelnut Oil
• Avocado Oil
• Jojoba Oil
• Apricot Kernel Oil
• Sweet Almond Oil
• Grape seed Oil

If you find your oil cleanser too heavy for your liking, I do suggest replacing the castor oil witch hazel or aloe juice. Oil has a lower density than witch hazel so it will float on top of it. Remember to shake your oil before using it. Castor oil can also seem 'drying' to some peoples skin, so if that's the case, just remove it all together. 

HOW TO MAKE MY OWN OIL CLEANSER

For Oily Skin: 1/3 Castor Oil or Witch Hazel and 2/3 Oil of your choice

For Combination Skin: 1/4 Castor Oil or Witch Hazel and 3/4 Oil of your choice

For Dry Skin: Skip the Castor Oil and just go for any other oil.

 Here I found a small travel size bottle. I cleaned the inside to get rid of any bacteria.

 I believe I have combination skin so I first mixed in my 1/4 castor oil. From the line's, I'm just guesstimating. My Castor oil is cold pressed. I also saw 100% organic castor oil but it was about another $5 more, so I figured it didn't really make a difference. The bottle I bought was about $9.

 Next I poured in my 3/4 share of 100 % Organic Sunflower Oil. It didn't really smell like the flower itself, more like the seeds. I bought it for $6 at a local Whole Foods. You can buy your oils at your local drug store or supermarket.

 You can tell the difference between the two oils. This is why we must shake vigorously before use.

 I cleansed pretty much all of my face other than my right eye. I wanted to take a picture to show you the effects. My blush and foundation is all gone and even most of my lip color is gone.

 All clean! So refreshing :)

 Next I wanted to do the residue test. One of my favorite toners is witch hazel. I just bought myself a new bottle of rose witch hazel with aloe vera. It smells amazing, filled with roses! Toning after washing your face is important. It restores your skins pH balance and removes any remaining residue your cleanser may not have picked up.

 I used cotton balls to wipe my face. In the beginning there wasn't anything on my cotton balls. It wasn't until I got to my neck area where it started picking up residue. It wasn't the oils fault, it was more my fault because I didn't remember to clean my neck. :( Otherwise the oil was amazing and got pretty much everything!

Splashed some toner on my face and moisturized. That's some healthy glowing skin! All clean and shiny :) 

 I finished by relaxing with some sparkling rose green tea. :D I hope you guys will give oil cleansing a shot. See you next time!

Crystal ♥