Oil Cleansing Method (OCM): How-to with Bump Gloss

If you've been following natural beauty blogs, you've probably heard about the Oil Cleansing Method. The process is as old as Cleopatra and even Hollywood cuties Ginnifer Goodwin and Zooey Deschanel swear by it. Well, what is OCM? It's cleansing your face -- brace yourself -- with oil. Now don't raise that judgmental brow at me. This age-old beauty routine has proven itself time and time again. And upon my own investigation, I'm now a believer! My skin, usually dry and a bit dull, has been LOVING this nurturing oil treatment. OCM lovers credit the ritual with clearing up greasy, rough and pimply skin, as well as unclogging pores and blackheads. What's left is clean, rejuvenated, glowing skin -- and who doesn't want that! So what's the magic behind this? The Oil Cleansing Method rests on this simple principle:

Oil dissolves oil.

By massaging oil into the skin, the formula breaks down dirt, makeup and excess oils your skin may be producing. Instead of boring you with how-to's that have been so well documented at sites like Almost Exactly, I'm going to focus on why the gentle, nutrient-packed Bump Gloss stretch mark oil is actually the perfect OCM blend for your face!

While some beauties use simple olive oil or a castor oil mixed with a carrier oil, advanced oil blends give you a host of additional nutrients and benefits.

Here's what you get with our oil blend for OCM (and why it'll rock your world!)

First off, always choose the best organic, cold-pressed and unrefined oils you can your hands on. Refined oils are a big no-no because heat destroys all the awesome stuff you want to put on your skin. Here's the breakdown of Bump Gloss: Organic Olive Oil - Full of antioxidants that help repair skin damage from sun exposure, cigarette smoke, and other pollutants. Adds elasticity and promotes soft, supple skin. Organic Jojoba Oil - Great for all skin types, especially acne-prone, sunburned or chapped skin. Rich in natural fats that mimic those in the outer layer of skin. Reduces natural moisture loss from skin. Quick absorption. Organic Borage Seed Oil - Restores dry or damaged skin. Improves the health and appearance of skin. Treats redness, inflammation and moisture loss. Organic Rosehip Oil - Great for sensitive, normal or dry skin.  Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, non-greasy and easily absorbed. Natural acne and eczema treatment. Organic Tamanu Oil - Great for all skin types. Tamanu oil helps heal scars (including acne scars!), encourages new skin cell growth and is an effective treatment for sunburns and dry skin. Has anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-oxidant properties. This stuff is the best! (And the price tag reflects that.) Organic Calendula Oil - Naturally brightens skin and protects from blemishes. Anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiseptic. Treats dermatitis, eczema and dry skin. Organic Avocado Oil - Great for dry and aging skin. Easily absorbed into the skin, and great for eczema and psoriasis. Shea Oil - Full of nutrients, including vitamin A, which helps treat blemishes, wrinkles, eczema, and dermatitis. Anti-inflammatory. Apricot Oil - Perfect for dry, aging, oily or normal skin. Light, easily absorbable. Rich in gamma linoleic acid, which helps maintain skin's moisture balance. Firms and tones skin. Organic Vitamin E Oil - Moisturizes, adds elasticity and promotes new skin cell growth. Nourishing, nutritive and perfect for dry, damaged or aging skin.

Now on to the essential oils!

When using the oil cleansing method, essential oils provide a further enhanced and therapeutic skin treatment. Essential oils are teeny tiny in molecular size, so they can easily absorb into the skin and work their magic. When shopping for essential oils, you'll want the purest stuff you can find. Since organic skin care is sort of our thing, we only purchase from ethical suppliers that offer organic essential oils grown without icky pesticides. As for Bump Gloss, we mix this trio to create our pregnancy stretch mark oil's signature therapeutic fragrance: Lavender essential oil - Great for oily, aging or acne-prone skin. Promotes relaxation and serenity when used for aromatherapy. Chamomile essential oil - Soothes sensitive, dry and aging skin. Neroli essential oil - Regenerates skin cells for dry and aging skin. Promotes smoother skin; anti-microbial.

A few more notes on the Oil Cleansing Method:

• Many use castor oil in their OCM blend; however, the jury is out on whether topical application of castor oil is OK during pregnancy. Castor oil makes the OCM blend easier to remove; however, it's not necessary for an oil cleanse. As always, ask your doctor if you're unsure.

• Try Bump Gloss on a small patch of your face to make sure your skin doesn't react adversely. While the oil blend is great for sensitive skin, everyone reacts differently.

• If you're just beginning, do the oil cleansing method every other day to see how your skin reacts. Many do it every night, while others do it once a week. If you have extremely oily or acne-prone skin, you may cleanse every night and taper it off to every few days as your skin clears. The rule here is PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR SKIN!

• After washing off the oil, many find they don't need to moisturize. However, if your skin is still a bit dry (like mine), add a couple drops of oil to your face to moisturize.

• OCM isn't for everyone. If you decide it's not for you, Bump Gloss is still perfectly awesome as a facial oil, stretch mark oil or perineal massage oil -- a win-win if you ask me!

Have you tried the Oil Cleansing Method? What's in your OCM recipe? Share below!