Yes, it’s true, I’ve decided to give up my OCM routine. I’ve definitely overloaded my face too much and need to give it a rest and time to calm down. It’s been about 5 days since I stopped using it and already the pimples that wouldn’t go away are drying up and healing.

My period started two days ago, but I’ve only got a couple of the usual hormonal bumps. After the explosion of pimples from the OCM, this is actually heaven - I never thought I’d be saying that! I guess it just goes to show how everything is relative and while I might view my PMT acne as bad sometimes, it could certainly be a lot worse.

Anyway, I’m really sorry to report such a negative outcome. I’m not saying the OCM doesn’t work, I just think I went about it wrong. I still stand by my earlier advice that the right oils can make all the difference - perhaps one day I’ll try again and use the sunflower oil that Kloggers and Helen suggested in a previous post.

Interestingly, I think the Camellia & Copaiba oil I’m using as moisturiser may be doing a bit of OCM on it’s own and perhaps the combination of this and the other oils was simply too much. This is one product I will be sticking with, as I still don’t need to exfoliate, my skin is rarely greasy and it doesn’t aggravate my acne.

Well this is very weird. For the last couple of days, my face has been much oilier than usual. I don’t know if it’s the OCM doing some kind of rebalancing, but I’m going to have to quit using my Camellia & Copaiba oil for a few days to see if it dies down. I’ll be gutted if I have to stop using it permanantly, especially as I forked out £20 for a full-size bottle only three weeks ago.

Not only am I oilier, but my skin feels a bit rough too, like I need to exfoliate. My acne isn’t giving up either, although at least the whiteheads are small and I’m not getting the nasty boil-like bumps I tend to suffer from. I’m going to try using my facial cleanser after the OCM just to make sure the oils are definitely being removed - it’s very gentle (and all-natural of course) so it shouldn’t do any harm. I also tried using the Angel Face Scrub yesterday with apple cider vinegar instead of water, but I applied the Camellia & Copaiba oil straight after so I may have negated any positive effect. Will try that again tomorrow I think.

I also bought some Agnus Castus (chasteberry) capsules from Holland & Barratt today. Not sure I should be starting these in the midst of a skin crisis, but they’re supposed to help with hormonal problems and I’d like to get them well into my system before my period starts.  As my acne does seem to be primarily hormonal, I’m hoping they’ll help. I’m trying to increase my water intake too - so far that’s just resulted in lots of trips to the loo!

Apologies for the lack of recent updates BTW. I’ve had speed issues with my ISP all week and dared not use the computer lest I throw the cable modem at the wall in annoyance.

About three weeks ago, I decided to start the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM). I haven’t posted my progress until now as I wasn’t entirely happy with the products I was using. Firstly I had trouble sourcing castor oil, then I didn’t feel particularly happy with my choice of secondary oils. I tried walnut and extra virgin olive oil and both felt too thick and greasy for my liking. I wasn’t experiencing the after-cleansing “glow” that many people report and my skin just didn’t seem any different at all, if anything it made it a tad oilier and I had a small breakout around the edge of my face.

I must admit, I started wondering if the OCM simply wasn’t suited to me. As I was deciding what to order from Anita Grant this month, I came across her Carrot & Wheat Germ Cleansing Oil which she markets specifically as an OCM routine and is labelled as being suitable for combination skin. Doing some research online didn’t really reveal anything about using these particular oils as part of the OCM, but being the curious shopaholic that I am, I decided to take a risk and try it. I plumped for the full-size bottle as I knew the sampler wouldn’t last me if I liked it.

I’m happy to say that I get on much better with this combination of oils. For a start, they are much lighter than the ones I had been using and generally feel nicer to apply. My face feels lovely and clean afterwards and my complexion is very even. I have had a couple of spots appear here and there, but they aren’t too big and seem to clear up reasonably quickly. I’m not going to let this deter me as I understand that any change to my routine can cause a few problems while my skin rebalances itself. I also bought a sample of watermelon oil (supposedly good for oily skin) and I add a few drops of that in as well - not sure if that plays an important part, guess I’ll find out when I’ve used it all up.

One interesting thing I’ve found is that I no longer need to exfoliate - the OCM does a great job of removing build-up which is much kinder to my skin. I don’t need to scrub my face at all and I’ve even quit using my regular facial cleanser. The OCM does the lot!

I used to moisturise up to three times a day, but now I only do so after the OCM. The other two times (morning and evening) I just tone and nothing else. So althought the cleansing oil wasn’t exactly cheap, it looks like it will definitely save me money in the long run.

Overall, I’m very happy with the OCM so far. I can’t stress enough how important it is to find the right oils for your skin - please don’t give up if it doesn’t work the first time, just try a different product. Also, I do want to point out that although castor oil is considered to be the definitive ingredient in the OCM, it may not suit everyone and you can still achieve wonderful results without using it.

I’ll continue to update on my progress as I settle further into my routine over the coming weeks and months.

Update: I’m afraid things haven’t worked out too well - see the post I’m Quitting The OCM for more info.

I’ve suffered from depression and panic disorder for many years and I spent most of my early twenties stuck on a nasty anti-depressant which didn’t really help. After switching to natural skincare products last year, I decided to learn more about essential oils and how they could help my mental state.

I’ve come across many websites discussing the benefits of aromatherapy and discovered that there is an ongoing debate over how helpful it really is. Now I can’t speak for physical ailments, but I do believe that they can have a strong effect on us mentally. How a product smells is very important to me and if I don’t like a certain aroma, no matter how good something might be for me I won’t use it. Conversely, I’ll often buy a product that smells great even if it doesn’t suit me at all. The multi-billion pound perfume industry relies on this, enticing us with fragrances that we probably don’t need but cant resist when they’re wafted in front of our noses. Imagine how dull the world would be if we couldn’t smell!

I’ve always enjoyed using incense sticks and scented candles and will always add something smelly to my bath. Up until recently, it’s been pre-mixed oils in carriers, but now I’m trying essential oils directly. I love how I can mix and match my favourite ones and vary them depending on my mood. I also bought myself an oil burner a couple of weeks ago and am experimenting with that too. This afternoon I was feeling particularly teary and snappy, so I added a couple of drops of bergamot and neroli to the burner, then sat back and relaxed for half an hour. I’m now feeling a lot better, no longer panicky or agitated.

This, to me, is a far better solution to my anxiety issues. Rather than affect my brain chemistry with potentially dangerous medications, I can do it safely the way Mother Nature intended. Sometimes the simplest of solutions really is the best.

I’m so happy, my package from Anita Grant arrived this morning! I was a little worried as the status of my order still says Confirmed instead of Shipped, so it was a lovely surprise to hear the postman knocking on my door.

As mentioned in an earlier post, I bought a full-size bottle of the Camellia Copaiba Bath & Body Oil which is one of the large pump bottles you can see in the picture. The other is a Wheat Germ & Carrot Cleansing Oil which I’m intending to use for my oil cleansing regimen. The two smaller bottles are samples of the Camellia with Ylang-Ylang and Lavender (for my stretchmarks) and Watermelon Oil which I may also use as part of the oil cleansing process.

The block of what looks like marble is actually a shampoo bar - Kelp and Ylang-Ylang Babassu to be precise. Can you see a bit of a ylang-ylang theme here? :D It wasn’t intentional, but it is a favourite oil of mine. Finally, I have a Lemon Lippy Pucker, and delicious it is too.

I’ll no doubt be telling you all how I get on with them at some point in the future, so if you’re interested in these products then please check back over the next few weeks. Alternatively, if you have any direct questions, I’ll be happy to answer, just pop them in the comments area. :)

Sunday was Mother’s Day here in the UK and I had planned to visit my mum and my nan. The day before, I had an acne breakout, so that evening I used my First Aid Lotion from Essential Care instead of my usual Camellia & Copaiba oil. This does a good job of drying out the spots thanks to the tea tree and although it doesn’t make them disappear overnight, they do look less red and glaring.

On the day itself, I discovered why I’d had the breakout (and why I’d been cranky for a few days) - my period started. It couldn’t have waited one more day, oh no, it had to come about three days early this month. I tend to get nasty stomach cramps, plus the usual discomfort for the first few days, so it wasn’t much fun driving around and putting on a happy face for my relatives.

On the plus side, my mum liked the two moisturisers I gave her and the big box of Milk Tray. :D

I got myself a Twitter account yesterday. Still not entirely sure what it’s all about, but I figured I might discover some natural skincare information through other Twitters. I’ve already found Anita Grant’s Twitter page (and wish her all the best for the impending birth!) and am following another focussing on green/eco-friendly blogs.

I’d love to know if any Online Goddess readers have a Twitter account too, especially if you like to Twitter about skincare - feel free to pop your link in the comments so I can follow you. My own page can be found at http://twitter.com/OnlineGoddess.