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

A few days ago, I was pleasantly surprised to find a comment from Helen James, the Founder of Innocent Oils, on my post regarding shopping for skincare products.

Innocent Oils is a natural skincare company based in the UK, specialising in hemp seed oil products, which has gone from strength to strength since its inception 2 and a half years ago.

I thought it would be fascinating to learn about the inner workings of such a company and so Helen very kindly agreed to answer a few questions for the readers of Online Goddess:
Read more »

I can’t remember exactly how I came across this, but I was looking at a natural health site somewhere and saw these cute little candlelit salt lamps. The whole lamp is made entirely of Himalayan rock salt and when you place a tealight inside, it lights up with a nice orange glow.

Now I adore mood lighting, so this really caught my eye and I decided to investigate further. That’s when I discovered that these lamps come not only in “candle-powered” form, but mains-powered as well utilising a small 15w lightbulb. I was also excited to find that they come in many different shapes, sizes and colours. The most common variety is a classic slab shape, but I fell in love with the firebowl – a gorgeous salt bowl full of salt rocks. The photo here is just like mine.

I bought mine from this eBay shop, but Googling for Himalayan Salt Lamps will bring up a whole variety of online stores. I chose eBay because the lamps are much cheaper than elsewhere, but be aware of delivery costs as they are heavy items – mine weighs about 5Kgs!

Anyway, what is it about these lamps that makes them worthy of mention in this blog? Well, it wasn’t just the attractiveness of the lamps that appealed to me. Apparantly, the salt gives off negative ions when heated by either the candle or the bulb, which negate the effects of positive ions emitted from household appliances. Why does this matter? Well, positive ions are actually very bad for us and can cause us to feel stressed, tired, and even compromise our immune system causing a higher susceptibility to illness and a slower recovery time. Many users of salt lamps have revealed that they feel more alert, happier and healthier after being around them – these benefits include healthier skin!

Himalayan Salt can also be used in the bath as a detoxifier, pulling toxins out of the skin and into the water. I have a few rocks bought for this very purpose, but you do have to soak in the bath for a good half an hour so that they can do their magic. Akamuti sums up the beneficial properties quite nicely:

Salt baths can reduce fever and promote healing of soft tissue injuries and joint problems. The cleansing effects of a 30-minute salt bath are believed to equal that of a 3-day detox. The toxins are released into the bath water through osmosis, while the minerals from the salt are absorbed through the skin. This reduces the acidity in our body and balances the pH factor of our skin.

There is a very detailed article here on the various benefits of Himalayan Salt and how it works. Also, do check out the incredible photos and learn about the history of the Khewra salt mines in this article – the mines are even open to the public if you wish to visit someday.

As there is currently no scientific proof available, it’s possible that the perceived benefits of salt lamps may in fact be our own minds telling us that it’s doing something good. I have definitely noticed that I’m feeling a lot less stressed lately, but whether it’s my mind playing tricks or the lamp making a difference doesn’t really matter to me. Something has happened and I’m grateful for it. If nothing else, the lamp is a beautiful feature-piece in my home and I fully intend to buy a few more in the near future.

A little background before I detail all the drama - a few days ago I learned about the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM) thanks to Fran over at High On Health, an interesting (and simple) way of cleansing the skin by using certain oils to counteract and breakdown the existing oil that clogs up pores. I’m surprised I’ve never heard of it before, especially as it has quite a good following and the majority of users find it works extremely well. I’ll be going into more detail on this in a future post.

The key ingredient is castor oil, a basic and cheap product which has been used topically and internally for all sorts of ailments over the years. So yesterday, I headed down to a nearby pharmacy to grab a bottle and try it out. Except they didn’t have any, and they’ve never stocked it in the past.

Undeterred, I decided to stop off at Tesco’s on the way home. They didn’t have any either – not in the cooking oils section or the pharmacy. The lady behind the counter wanted to sell me a zinc and castor oil cream instead, until I explained what it was for.

At this point, I started wondering what was going on. How is it that a large, modern pharmacy and a national supermarket don’t have this most basic item? Perhaps it was just a coincidence, so I had a look in my local Sainsbury’s too. Nope, nothing there either.

It was a little after 6pm, so too late to check any other pharmacies. I went back home and did a little research and discovered that castor oil is often taken by pregnant women wanting to induce labour. As this practice is questionable, it seems that stores don’t like to sell it.

There are two other supermarkets in my area, and I was getting more and more determined to find the darn oil, so I decided to check them out just in case. Nope, that’s Asda and Morrisons off the list as well.

Today, I got my husband to ring around a few pharmacies (I asked him to do it in case they assumed I was pregnant). He called five places in total – three independant stores and two national chain stores (Superdrug and Boots) and nobody had any. However, there is some good news – Boots have arranged to order some in and it should be ready for collection tomorrow.

Interestingly, one of the pharmacies we contacted said that castor oil isn’t readily available because no one currently holds the licence to distribute it in this country. I find that rather strange, especially as Boots are able to get some, but it would certainly explain things.

The other alternative is to buy online, Googling castor oil brings up several UK-based companies selling it in sizes from 50ml to 1 litre. Assuming I like the OCM, I think that’s how I’ll be buying my castor oil from now on. 

Update: My husband works for the NHS, so I asked him to look for castor oil in the British National Formulary (BNF) – this is the official guide to all licensed medications in the UK for health professionals. It seems that it was once available as a laxative, but has been replaced with other products and is now considered obsolete. Amazing, eh? He also nipped into Boots this afternoon and one of the bottles we’d ordered had come in – I say only one as that’s all their supplier had. Looks like I’ll definitely have to order online if I stick with the OCM…..

It’s rapidly approaching the time of the month I fondly know as payday and therefore it’s time to think about what I’ll be buying for my skin. I tend to spend the whole month beforehand researching products and discovering new things to try, then gradually make a final list. Even that is subject to change at the last minute as I have a (bad) habit of impulse buying.

This month, I’m going to ease up on those impulses and try to be more practical. Over the last year, I’ve amassed a lot of products, all of them lovely, but many not suitable for me. I’ve tried to use them in whatever way I can, but I’m realising that it’s just not good for me – if something doesn’t work, I can’t force it to.

To help me let go, I’ve decided to pass on a few things to my mum. I was intending to buy her a nice moisturiser for Mother’s Day on March 2nd, but instead I’m going to give her a few creams that I haven’t been able to use, including my Mother Earth Orange Flower Moisturiser. I’ve only ever used them after thoroughly cleaning my hands, so I’m not worried about them being secondhand. And if she doesn’t like any of them, then I’ll buy her something new instead, no biggie.

As for what I’m going to buy for myself, I’m being very strict. I’ve decided to go for Anita Grant’s Camellia Copaiba Bath & Body Oil and another of her lip butters (a girl can’t have too many of those ;) ) I think the lemon one sounds nice. I have also sent her an email today asking if the plain Camellia Kissi or the plain Copaiba Balsam would be better suited to my skin, so it’s possible my choice may change. But ultimately, I am only going to be buying the one oil.

I also need to put in an order at Pure Skincare for some more Liquid Black Soap as I’ve managed to use over half the bottle this month, and a refill for my Angel Face Scrub. I’m also debating trying a new (and cheaper) shampoo now that my dandruff has cleared up. If my mum doesn’t like the moisturisers I give her, I will need to buy her something as well.

I’ve decided to ditch the Coconut and Rosewood dry oil (at least for the time being) as I keep breaking out shortly after I use it. I initially read that coconut oil can cause breakouts when newly introduced, but that it’s due to toxins being brought to the surface and should subside within a few days. I guess I’m just a little nervous, especially as the author of the aforementioned post wrote a few days later that things actually seemed to get worse and so she scrapped it. I’ve decided to go with the Camellia and Copaiba Bath & Body Oil instead, which hasn’t caused any breakouts so far and smells fantastic.

I’ve also adjusted my stretchmark routine. Basically, I was getting annoyed at how greasy the Monoi Oil and the Whipped Butter were leaving my legs, so I’m solely using the Camellia and Copaiba Oil for that as well. There’s been no obvious improvement in my stretchmarks, but it’s only been a few days and the general opinion is that it takes months of daily use before scars are visibly reduced. I’m not really bothered by how long it takes, I just wish I knew for certain that it will work for me. Nothing is more disheartening than spending a lot of time and money on something only to find it didn’t do any good.

Oh, one final thing. I’m sad to say that I won’t be using the Whipped Butter in my hair either. I used a tiny amount yesterday and, though it did leave my hair luxuriously soft and smoothed out my split ends (briefly), it also left an oily sheen and needed washing again within a couple of hours.   

On my About page, I wrote that I’ve spent most of my life believing I have dry skin, but now realise that I actually have oily skin. How could I have made such a seemingly obvious mistake?

Like most people, I had a flawless complexion until puberty was in full swing at about age 12. I actually started my period when I was 9, but luckily the skin problems didn’t emerge until later. Anyway, I had spots, as most teens do, but what really concerned me was the development of a flaky red rash on my chest. After seeing my (unsympathetic) GP several times and many months of waiting, I was finally able to see a specialist at the hospital. He diagnosed me with eczema and sent me away with a big tub of aqueous cream and a topical corticosteroid. The aqueous cream wasn’t very pleasant to use, but I did find the corticosteroid helped the rash. During a flare-up, I could apply it before bed and the rash was either gone or significantly toned down by morning.

Unfortunately, as I hit my mid-teens and beyond, the rash began to extend to my face, mainly around my cheeks and I developed a general redness that looked as if I’d been rubbing my face vigorously. I couldn’t apply the corticosteroid there as my GP had warned me not to and I didn’t dare leave the house without a thick coating of foundation to cover it. To top it all off, my acne was as bad as ever. I also had dreadful dandruff which made me incredibly self-conscious, especially as my school uniform was largely black. I was thoroughly miserable and suffered from depression as a result.

During my early twenties, I read about corticosteroids online and realised – with horror – that long-term use can cause the skin to thin. I instantly decided to discontinue use and find some other solution to my problem. At that point, the rash on my chest wasn’t as bad as it had been during my teens, so I didn’t feel too insecure without my safety net. My face, however, was another story. I tried all sorts of acne creams, but most made the condition worse. Then I happened to come across a soap made by Palmolive containing starflower oil. It was amazing. After only a few uses, the reddening on my cheeks had lessened considerably and the acne was so much better.

As my luck turns out, Palmolive discontinued the soap within a couple of years. I tried an evening primrose one instead, which was still helpful but not as good as the starflower. I continued this way until early 2007, when my rash decided to make an aggressive re-appearance. I gave the corticosteroid another try and was shocked to find that it no longer worked! I trotted back to the GP who this time said I had a fungal infection. Though I agreed with him that it looked like one, I wasn’t convinced as this was the same rash I’d been suffering from all along, just much worse than usual. He gave me a topical antifungal, which made the rash go bright red, itchy and inflamed!

My dandruff was an equally hopeless situation, I’d been using medicated shampoos over the years which never worked. Head & Shoulders – the favourite anti-dandruff shampoo of many – only made me itchier and flakier. The nearest thing to relief I got was Nizoral shampoo, but it’s incredibly expensive and didn’t come close to eliminating the problem.

At this point, I decided that conventional skincare just wasn’t helping. I was doing a lot of research online about chemicals and skin irritants and this is when I found out about SLS/SLES and parabens and how much damage they can cause. I decided to try cutting all these nasty chemicals out of my skincare routine and this is when I began to realise that my skin wasn’t actually dry. I was buying virgin cocoa butters and shea butters and finding that they left my skin soft, but way too greasy. Reading online reviews and forums revealed that people with dry skin found these products nourishing and could slather them on without any problems.

Reading further on acne, blemished skin and dandruff, I began to see that these conditions are often caused by an over-production of sebum. The seemingly dry and flaky patches on my skin and scalp were actually a build-up of dead skin, not lack of moisture. All these years I had been compounding the situation, not making it better!

Though I have only been aware of my true skin type for about 9 months, I have already seen massive improvements from using the right products. The rash on my chest is all but gone and I no longer suffer from redness and blemishes on my face. I’ve recently found an amazing (and simple!) treatment for my dandruff. I’m still battling the acne, though I am making progress and it does take time to see results. Most importantly, I now feel confident that these problems will someday go away.

So that’s it, in a slightly long-winded nutshell. It really is important to know your skintype before you attempt to treat any problems. Don’t assume that the medical professionals always get it right. Do your research and talk to others. After all, nobody can know your skin better than you do.