Clean your face with Oil?!

Yep, that's what I said....clean your face with oil.

I found this wonderful product quite a few years back that I absolutely love.  It is simply called 'Deep Cleansing Oil' from DHC.  You apply this product to your dry face, then rinse off with cool water.  It cleanses your skin, getting rid of dirt, virtually dissolving make up (waterproof mascara too!)  and makes your face clean and fresh-feeling.  Because it is an olive oil based cleanser, it doesn't dry out your skin.

I'm not just writing about this product because I'm a fan, although I am, I'm writing because I've introduced this product to my 14 year old daughter and her 14 year old breakout skin.   Ever since these major breakouts began, It's been a challenge to find what acne product is going to help her through this emotionally, hormonal, middle-school-aged face.  Everything we tried made her face noticeably dry, with continuing breakouts.

Why use an oil based product like this Deep Cleansing Oil to help clear up my daughter's breakouts?
I've done some research on this mindset and it makes sense to me.  Here's my thinking and what I found out.  Our faces naturally produce oil, intended to moisturize our skin.  When my daughter uses soap, facial cleanser or a 'breakouts' product line, it removes the oil and overly dries her skin.  What does her face say?  'Oh boy, let me produce even more oil because I'm apparently not producing enough because this kid's face is dry dry dry and lacking my natural moisturizer!!'  Therefore, your body overproduces.

Now, oily skin is not the only culprit in the blemish game.  Hormones, diet, water consumption, skin care and stress plays a roll as well.

Here's our face-cleansing ritual.   In the evening we cleanse with the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil.  What does this do?  It cleans the skin of excess oil, dirt and makeup but because it's an oil base, it leaves the skin smooth and moisturized with a quality oil product.  (note:  this is not just olive oil from the bottle, it's water soluble).  Several times a week, we exfoliate, cleansing our face of dead skin cells (no face scrubbing on this one, just a gentle touch is needed).  In the morning, no cleansing with soap, just a rinse of the face with tepid water only,  using the skin's natural oil as a moisturizer.  This way, we're not stripping our faces of the natural emollients, which would prompt skin to overproduce oil.  This I learned from a skin care professional who uses this method and had the most beautiful skin I have ever seen!  If there are any breakouts, a spot-dab of blemish cream, then onto your general make-up routine.  Then...in the evening...get all that makeup goo off and let your skin breathe!

This product has been great for both my daughter's 14 year old skin and my....*ahem*  more mature mommy skin.  Does she still gets breakouts?  Yes, but the incidences and quantity of those breakouts are noticeably less since she's been using this product.  Will this product work on your skin?  That is the unknown variable. You can go to DHC at http://www.dhccare.com  to  get a free sample of their deep cleansing oil and give it a try.

Note:  DHC does not promote this product as a blemish product, this is simply something that we tried here at home to see if it would benefit my daughter.