Jojoba: The Holy Grail of Oils.

*Picture from http://askanesthetician.wordpress.com/category/ingredients/

Dramatic? Yes. True statement though, IMO.

I just started the OCM routine last Friday, utilizing a 70/30 mixture of castor and golden jojoba oils and using the jojoba separately as my skin "moisturizer". Let me tell you....this mixture has done what no other OTC or specialized cleanser has been able to do for me in YEARS. I haven't had a new pimple(white head, or otherwise), and my skin has been luminescent. And let me add I started using it during my monthly cycle. Nuff said. LMAO!

Now you're probably saying, well.....the title of this blog posting is specifically about jojoba oil(which is actually a wax), so WHY is it the "holy grail" of oils? Well, jojoba is one of the few oils that mimics the sebum that is naturally produced by our skin and scalp, which means that it serves as a protective barrier for both. It's also hypo-allergenic and an anti-inflammatory , which means it can be used on oily skin(and really ALL skin types) without causing breakouts and helping to minimize them!

As some of you may have read, I've had issues with my scalp being dry and flaky. While my henna definitely helps to kill the bacteria that can cause the flakiness, THIS has been able to lubricate my scalp and protect it from the elements naturally. I'm on day 5 of my twists and normally, my scalp is SCREAMING with dryness. I've oiled it with jojoba for the last 3 days and guess what? No major flaking. Literally NONE. One stubborn area that is always SUPER flaky/dry had just a few tiny flakes but NOTHING like I've experienced in the most recent past.

Oh, and did I mention my skin? I suffer from moderate acne on my face, arms, and back. For as long as I can remember(since 4th grade), this has always been an issue. And since working with animals and touching all types of surfaces and cleaning all type of fluids (ick, I know), I've found myself touching my face more(unintentionally), and my skin suffering as a result. OCM and jojoba oil has literally reversed about 2 months worth of damage.

I'm going to document my results starting today to show how my skin has progressed since utilizing this method. And for those unfamiliar, OCM is an acronym for the 'oil cleansing method'. You're utilizing this method to REMOVE excess oil and debris from your skin since oil actually helps to DISSOLVE it, not by attempting drying it out with abrasive surfactants that really don't work that well. I oil-cleanse at night, and cleanse with my other favorite clay-based cleanser by Lush, Angels on Bare Skin, in the morning. I may up the oil-cleansing to twice a day after I use up my Lush cleanser, but time will tell.

So if you have a dry scalp, use an oil that replicates the sebum naturally produced and you will see in a difference. And if you have oily skin and have found yourself frustrated, give OCM a try. I was a skeptic, but I've been proven wrong in ONLY a week. How awesome is that!?

Natural Urbanista