The Oil Cleansing Method has been getting some attention on the internet as of late. A quick Google search turns up thousands of blog entries and forum posts, as well as the official website of the OCM. There’s plenty to read about it if you’re in the mood. You’ll find people that love it, people that hate it, and people that think it’s a big fat load of hooey. What did you expect? You’re looking on the internet. Anyhow, I thought I’d add my thoughts to the mix. I’ve been using the OCM since June of 2011, playing around with different recipes, and I think I’ve figured a few things out.
The basic idea of the OCM is the idea that oil dissolves oil—the oils in the OCM solution dissolve and carry away the oils in your pores. I thought it made sense, so I decided to give it a try. All you have to do is mix up a mixture of castor oil (USA / Canada) and a carrier oil, massage a generous amount into your face for five to ten minutes, and then steam it off/out (read the official instructions for more details). It didn’t sound too difficult. And it isn’t. Maybe a bit boring, but that’s easily solved by watching a bit of a movie or some television whilst you massage away.
The official website recommends a 10:90 castor:carrier oil ratio for dry skin, 20:80 for normal skin, and 30:70 for oily skin. Apparently the castor oil (USA / Canada) is the active ingredient, and is quite drying. I have dry skin and live in a very dry city, so I went for something like 8:92. I started using apricot kernel oil for the carrier oil, and have since switched to safflower oil, with an approximate 12:88 ratio.
At first, I can’t say I noticed any astonishing results. I did, however, notice that despite rubbing a tablespoon of oil into my face, my skin was extremely dry after steaming it out, and I suppose that proves the “oil dissolves oil” assertion in the context of my face. After a few months of doing the OCM about twice a week, I started to notice that as I was massaging, what felt like little grains of sand would suddenly appear under my fingertips. Now, seeing as I live quite a ways away from the nearest beach or sand desert, I’m fairly certain that those little granules are bits of nastiness emerging from my pores. Gross. But better that than staying in my skin, I suppose.
I’ve always been blessed with fairly cooperative, mild-mannered skin, so I can’t say I noticed a huge difference in the condition of my skin. It does, however, seem to be clearer, and is certainly no worse off. If you have problem skin, I’d definitely recommend giving it a try.
Here’s the formula I’ve been using of late. I quite like it, and think it works better than the standard recipe, but if all you have is castor oil (USA / Canada) and a carrier oil of choice, don’t let this decked-out recipe discourage you!
OCM Recipe
6–8g castor oil (USA / Canada)
55g safflower oil
5g mixture of buriti, tamanu, black current, kukuinut, and seabuckthorn
A few drops of lavender and tea tree essential oils
First off, I’m REALLY loving your blog (and the fact that you’re Canadian!). I love all things DIY as well and really love the variety you cover. I have a question I’m hoping you might have some insight on about OCM. Sorry in advance for the length… I’m about to be a bit of an over-sharer.
Background: I have extremely temperamental/bizarre skin–sensitive, combo, acne-prone, ghostly-white in colour (minus the lovely red hair, which if I had, I would actually quite like the paleness!), and I’m almost 28 and will soon have fine-lines/wrinkles to add to the bag of fun. Yay! I really hate that I “have” to wear makeup as I’ve always appreciated natural looks, and though I honestly never expect to have perfect skin, I want skin that I don’t need to cover to feel socially comfortable. The one thing I DO like about my skin and avoid covering up is my freckles, which are my only saving grace for allowing people to give me something to compliment, haha. I’ve tried your run of the mill drugstore products (from teen-geared to organic and beyond), was on BC for almost 10 years which I think actually made things worse (my skin was better in my teens), but refuse to try any harsh prescriptions due to my sensitivity. I’ve been hearing a lot about OCM lately and am really intrigued. I’ve been using various EOs/carrier oils (mainly jojoba) as moisturizers for a year with neither great success nor additional problems, but have yet to find a really solid cleansing routine. Of late I’ve been using honey daily, and a tri-weekly scrub of honey/EO/fine pumice, but I’m noticing new breakouts/clogged pores in my usually clearer areas–could be purging (?), a reaction, or even hormones from going off BC 2 months ago…
Long story longer, I’m back to the drawing board but really want to be as natural (and cheap) as possible. OCM seems like it’s worth a shot for sure, and while I realize you can’t attest to its potential success for me given your more fortunate complexion and the fact that everyone is different, I’m wondering if you might still have any suggestions for what oils/ratios MIGHT be a good starting point for me and my delightfully unique situation. I have castor oil already, but have no clue what type of carrier oil is “ideal” for me since it seems everyone has their favourite, and I’d rather not spend a small fortune trying every single one. I currently have jojoba, sweet almond, and tamanu lying around, but would be willing to buy one or two more to give a whirl. It’s truly overwhelming, and I find forums exhausting. I’m hoping I can get some guidance form one girl to another. Thanks for your time and please keep doing what you’re doing! -Sarah from Nova Scotia
Sarah—thanks for stopping by! And thanks for commenting, I’m always glad to meet another Canadian 🙂 I’m happy to pass on more details about my experience with the OCM and natural skin care and join you in the over share camp!
I’ve actually stopped using the OCM, and here’s why: I was doing it fairly religiously, along with clay facial masks, when I first got into all this lovely natural body stuff. Then, I let the face masks drop off and continued with just the OCM for a few months. I didn’t notice any major changes here, but as I’ve said, I’m lucky with my skin. Then, after a few months of OCM with no clay masks, I decided to do a mask on a whim. The next morning I woke up and older blemishes (that I had, err, “encouraged” to stick around…) had healed substantially overnight. I did the OCM that day or the next and could feel a MASSIVE difference in the pores in my chin. With so many hours spent massaging my face I’d become pretty well accustomed with what felt like what, and my chin pores were always fairly bumpy. After this one mask, they were shockingly smooth. So, clearly that one mask had pulled all kinds of crud out of my pores, and encouraged/expedited the healing of blemishes that had refused to go away before.
Since then, I’ve abandoned the OCM in favour of face masks. I do them once a week (rather than twice for the OCM), and you don’t have to get your hands all oily with it. You can just slap on a mask and sit and watch TV or read for 20 minutes. I can really tell when I don’t do a mask; I’ll start to get a zit here or there if I skip one (I even took face mask mixture with me when I travelled the UK and did masks in my hotel room… sorry about the towels, room service!). I now use clay masks for other things like infected piercings and ingrown hairs. I am 100% a mask convert. I’ve done them with all of my girlfriends (and my mom, of course), and they all come back saying their skin has never felt better. Some have said that is has brought some “deep seated” acne to the forefront, but also that it was temporary, and that always happens whenever they do a once-in-a-blue-moon mask (or other deep cleaning).
I always follow up a clay mask with some argan oil, which is the only oil I use on my face. I’ve got my mom, and even old boyfriends, hooked on using argan oil as a facial moisturizer. It’s absolutely amazing.
All that said (phew!), the OCM is still worth a try—I’ve read a lot of positive reviews, so clearly it makes a big difference for some people. I believe I tried safflower, grapeseed, and apricot kernel oils for the carrier oil. From the oils you mentioned, I would definitely use sweet almond, with a bit of tamanu as it is supposed to help with healing. You might also consider adding some antibacterial/healing essential oils (tea tree and lavender come to mind). The ratios are all about how oily your skin is. The official website says “Oily Skin: Try a blend of 30% Castor Oil to 70% Sunflower Seed Oil, Balanced Skin: Try a blend of 20% Castor Oil to 80% Sunflower Seed Oil, Dry Skin: Try a blend of 10% Castor Oil to 90% Sunflower Seed Oil.” I tend to have dry skin and live in a dry place, so I hovered around 10–14% castor oil.
Also, from what I’ve read, hormones from BC leave your system in a matter of days, so that is unlikely to be a problem at this point in time, assuming my source was accurate.
So… yeah. That’s pretty long, but those are my thoughts. Try the mask. Do it for 2 months, at least once a week, and see what you think. You can get 500g of French Green Clay from New Directions Aromatics for ~$13, and since they’re in Canada you don’t have to deal with any cross-border crap. The 500g will last you a good, long while, plenty of time to figure out if you like it or not. If not, you can send it to me, I LOVE it!
Let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
Thanks so much for indulging me and my over-sharing ways I will continue the trend, naturally. Consider yourself warned! Based on what I’ve read and your comments, I’ll probably still give OCM a whirl since I’ve always been one to try something new on my skin. I almost never finish a bottle of product I buy, possibly from product ADD or maybe from being constantly underwhelmed with the [lack of] results. So, either I’ll love it, or I’ll have a giant bottle of castor oil sitting around collecting dust for years.
It’s funny you brought up masks and NDA—I actually got my first NDA order right before Christmas for some DIY gifts (solid lotions, lip balms, solid perfumes, and sugar scrubs). Since I was paying for shipping anyway, along with my EOs, butters, beeswax and jars, I got a few things that intrigued me as well: French pink clay, Australian green clay, seaweed powder and extra-fine ground pumice. Is there a reason you prefer French green clay? The descriptions all kind of left me confused about how different each type really was, and I simply chose based on the fact that I like both pink and green, my family is French, and I had travelled to Australia a few years back… kind of silly logic, I know, but I needed some way to “justify” such a major life decision! Haha.
Since my NDA order, I’ve done 3 masks (about one each week):
1. ½ of each clay type, water and a bit of lavender EO. I guess I was too eager for research, because it wasn’t until afterwards I read to add honey if you don’t want it quite so tightening. Again, my weird skin is oily AND dry, so lesson learned. It didn’t really irritate or anything (a true feat), I just found the tightness/dryness too distracting to notice if I really liked it or not. I’ll retry it with honey soon.
2. ½ a combo of both clays, ½ seaweed powder, lavender EO, honey, and a bit of water. [Fun fact #1: My Google search is actually what linked me up with your site since your seaweed/clay hair mask came up… hooray for happy accidents!] This mask was definitely better and my skin felt soft-ish, but it wasn’t really until the next day that I noticed it had dried out some blemishes but seemed to inflame others that were I guess waiting to emerge. Again, my skin is so befuddling that I usually can’t tell the difference between a true breakout from a negative reaction versus purging from something actually clearing out my pores. Unfortunately for my skin, I’m impatient and I treat both scenarios the same way (like you, “encouraging” them to stick around). Verdict? Better than just clay.
3. Seaweed, aloe gel, honey, and lavender EO. [Fun fact #2: Even though I’m from the East Coast and live happily surrounded by the smell of the ocean, I still find seaweed powder a little too pungent when it’s so close to assaulting my nostrils—it’s also winter, and I don’t like to be reminded of how far away summer/beach season really is. A healthy dose of lavender “masks” (har har) the smell a bit]. I found this one extra softening and it seemed to heal some of the blemishes I had previously angered by the next day. [Fun fact #3: My little shih tzu is terrified of me when I have a mask on. He runs away and barks at me like I’ve morphed into a murderous sea monster/cave troll. Not surprisingly, the cats don’t care. My husband finds it delightfully amusing and tries to make me laugh—I’m sure you know how difficult that is with a drying mask.]
So now, brace yourself a round of 20 Questions :
-You mentioned ~weekly clay marks. Do you think doing a clay once a week, then in between doing a seaweed mask would be a good balance, or might it be better to combine it all once/twice a week like with my second trial? I’m wondering if there’s some reason they’d be better separate vs. together.
-You also mentioned Argan oil as a general/post mask facial moisturizer. I still use jojoba oil (plain in the AM/with lavender and sometimes tea tree EO at night). I chose that only because I had read many times that it most closely mimics the oil in our skin. Sounded promising, but I don’t find it’s helping me out or making things any worse. I’m nearing the end of my 3rd bottle, so I’m open to being converted. Is there any argument on Argan being superior, or is it just personal preference?
Ok, so that was only 2 [long] questions. In my head this whole reply was going to be a normal-person paragraph, but my word vomit struck again. I’d apologize again for the rambling, but I’m admittedly kind of impressed I was unintentionally able to one-up myself from last time! So, thanks again so much for listening, and for your input and time. I’ll be keeping up with your blog for sure! -Sarah
(P.S. Completely unrelated, but I see you’re a Titanic fan. Not sure if you’ve ever been to Halifax, but there are some permanent museum exhibits and cemeteries with lost passengers. The city also hosted a 100 year anniversary ceremony/re-enactment (period costumes, string quartets and all!) last year. I didn’t get to it, but friends say it was pretty cool. Just curious if you had heard much about it on the other side of the country!)
Alright, time to write another novel to keep up with you!
Definitely give the OCM a go—I don’t think it can hurt. Plus, there are lots of other uses for castor oil!
I started with French green clay because the description & reviews on NDS said it’s a good all-around clay (not too drying, not too weak, etc.). I’ve tried plain French red (which I bought for dry shampoo) on my face and found it to be quite irritating, so I just mix it in with French Green and rhassoul (which I’ve never used on its own).
When I first got the powdered seaweed I tried a mask of just that, but I found it to be very irritating—to the point of burning/painful/ow get off my face right now! So, I wouldn’t recommend that, but it seems to work for you (perhaps my skin is more sensitive than I thought?). Lemongrass goes fairly well with the scent, which is definitely overly sea-ish.
The face mask I make is clay with a bit of seaweed powder, powdered honey, bee pollen, aloe vera, bee propolis, a few antibacterial essential oils, dead sea mud, a bit of vitamin C, some vitamin E, and anything else that happens to be around (mango extract, citric acid, whatever). So, it sounds like my masks are kind of a hybrid of all your various versions. I stir up a big batch of everything (enough for a 1 pint mason jar) every couple months and work my way through it. I don’t measure anything specifically, so it’s always a little different, which I figure is a good thing as my skin can’t get too “used” to it (or bored…?).
Since I’ll never put straight seaweed on my face again (ow) I can’t think of any reason to alternate between clay and seaweed. I’d go 50/50 since that works really well for me (though I do way less than 50% seaweed out of fear of the pain returning, which doesn’t seem to be an issue for you). Plus, mathematically, isn’t a 50/50 mix the same as doing 1 clay: 1 seaweed? Perhaps there are other fancy chemical benefits, but they are beyond my high school chemistry and assorted internet readings 😛
I love Argan oil because my face absolutely LOVES Argan oil. It’s high in vitamin E (helps your skin heal), and has been used for centuries by the women in Morocco for their hair and skin. I’ve got my mother, friends, and even an ex-boyfriend hooked on it! My anecdotal tale of verified love is this: Last summer, I ordered a bunch of new ingredients (well, more than just last summer as I do have a bit of a problem, but I digress). Among those was a bottle of Camellia Seed oil and some other fancy type oils (Seabuckthorn, Tamanu, Buriti, etc.). So, armed with the NDA descriptions and enthusiastic product reviews, I set out to make myself a super-ultimate face oil/serum/thing out of all my new ingredients (but no Argan oil). And it was fine. Whatever. And then, after a few months, I happened to use Argan oil again by chance. Overnight a few blemishes healed substantially. I was flabbergasted. While the Camellia etc. blend was doing a find job of moisturizing my skin, it wasn’t doing anything in the healing department. So, since then, I’ve been 100% Argan oil. I sometimes add essential oils of lavender, chamomile, and helichrysum, but it’s always an Argan oil base.
Hope that helps! My friends and family love to laugh at me in my masks, especially because my latest mixture has a distinctly poo-like colour that isn’t nearly as happy looking as straight up French green clay. Ha.
Also, I’ve not been to Halifax for a Titanic tour yet, but it’s on my list! Did you know it’s cheaper to fly to England from Calgary than to fly to Halifax? How dumb.
This is going to seem disappointingly short since I think I’m *GASP* out of questions! Awww, and I really wanted to write a trilogy! I guess we’ll have to settle for a novella. So far, I’ve tried OCM twice (spaced out a few days apart so I don’t shock my skin too much). I can’t say I’m noticing much of anything yet, except that it’s pretty drying and I may have to alter the ratio: I started at 30% castor oil, which I figured would be too much and was right. I think I’ll keep going slowly with it for now until I find a good mixture, then I might go to every second day.
Thanks for the info on Argan oil—I just might give it a try since I’m pretty neutral about jojoba thus far. I found some Argan oil with the cooking oils at Superstore/Loblaws (says cold-pressed, blah blah blah… but it still seems weird to me to put an oil found with cooking oil on my face even though it’s probably the same thing). I’ll probably order from NDA just for peace of mind. I’m certain I’ll find more things to order to make shipping worthwhile.
Based on your reaction to straight seaweed, I’m shocked I didn’t find it more irritating since I’m usually pretty sensitive. Must be my Maritime blood, haha. Aaaaaaaaand I definitely agree on the seaweed/clay mix looking pretty much like poo. Thankfully it smells slightly superior to poo
UGH, Don’t even get me started about flights in Canada. I have so many friends who live “out West” (as we say here) that spend a good month’s salary just to come home for Christmas. I don’t think they’ll be getting a visit from me anytime soon. In any case, I hope you make it here someday! Sadly, it’s probably more likely that someone will finally figure out teleportation before domestic flights become affordable. Thanks again for all your help and shared enthusiasm for all things rambling. I’ll let you know when I’m ready to release my next novel 😉
Ha! I think I did the OCM every 4th day when I was doing it as yes, it is very drying, even at 10% castor oil. If you do try out Argan oil, let me know what you think! I absolutely love it and can’t imagine being without it… never seen it at Superstore, though! Do you remember what the price/volume was?
I look forward to your next novel!
Good to know it’s drying no mater what. I definitely needed moisturizer afterwards… I don’t remember the exact volume price, but I think it was around $13 for 150ml? It’s from their new “fancy” black label line. Here’s a link (sorry, I don’t remember how to embed links in text: http://www.pc.ca/blacklabel/product_details.jsp?productId=prod1390095
It doesn’t give the volume/price, so I’ll verify next time I’m there and let you know! Do you think the quality would be the same as NDA? I’ll definitely let you know my thoughts once I give it a try! I know I need SOME kind of change, because even my husband noticed I was breaking out more lately and he’s pretty unobservant and non-superficial. If not the lack of BC, I’m wondering if it’s the honey? It’s raw/organic, and I thought honey was pretty gentle, but maybe I’m having a reaction? Ugh, it’s never ending saga! I’ll keep you posted 🙂
I was just at Superstore & checked for Argan oil—mine didn’t have it, sadly. I bet the quality is comparable if not higher, given that food grade is held to higher standards than cosmetic grade as it’s intended for consumption (though I believe the differences in standards can vary from product to product).
I doubt it’s the honey causing your skin to break out—my hypothesis is that it’s the face masks drawing out deep-seated acne. A friend of mine who has fairly stubborn acne has told me that the masks do the same thing for her whenever she hasn’t done one in a while. I’d stick with them, though! Once they draw everything out (it seems like this should happen at some point), things should be much better (in theory, at least—they work beautifully for me).
I’m placing another NDA order tonight and it includes several new clays: Multani Mutti, Australian Red Reef, Australian Olive Green, and Zeolite (plus more of my beloved French Green!). Can’t wait to try them out and report back!
Whaaat? That’s a bummer your Superstore didn’t have the Argan oil 🙁 I picked some up today (my guess was close: it was $13.99/150ml), but noticed ALL (5) remaining bottles had an expiry date of this March… I wonder if they’re discontinuing it since it clearly isn’t flying off the shelves here (and maybe just went a little quicker in Calgary?). I’m from Sydney, which barely qualifies as a city, so I doubt our selection would typically be superior to Calgary’s. Is Argan oil known for going rancid easily? Should I be returning this STAT? I opened it out of curiosity, and it’s definitely a strong, nutty smell. I can’t decide if it’s a good smell or not yet. I could be paranoid of the expiry date, or it could just be the natural smell. I stuck it in the fridge in any case. I’m hoping it’s just something I’ll have to get used to–after all, I HATED the smell of lavender the first time I bought the EO. I threw it in a cupboard for almost a year before I bought a lotion with lavender in it that grew on me enough to give the EO another try. Now I use it all the time! Fingers crossed for Argan oil.
Thanks for the advice on the masks. You’re right, it might just be that heinous purging stage that usually scares the crap out of me and makes me stop using a product. I promise to keep at it though and be as nice as humanly possible to my skin in the meantime. It’s. So. Hard! I’m intrigued about how you’ll like your growing assortment of dirts! Haha. I’m sure they’ll all be lovely, and that they’ll look oh-so-pretty and not at ALL like poo when slathered on your face 🙂 Looking forward to your input as always!
There’s a good chance they’re just testing it out in the more heavily populated east and your wee city was included because it’s part of the already-being-used distribution channels. Or something. Who knows. Anyhow, you should be good on the expiry date. I’d recommend keeping it in the fridge and decanting some into a 15mL dark glass bottle with a dropper as needed. It is very shelf stable, and I’ve never had any go bad on me. Keep in mind that the date on that oil is likely a best before date, and not an expiry date, meaning that it may begin to break down and lose nutrients after that time, but it’s not likely to go rancid at that point. That nutty scent you’re describing is definitely just the natural smell of the oil—you will know if it’s gone rancid! Ick. And I find it dissipates quickly and isn’t at all noticeable on your skin.
How are the masks going?
Wait wait wait… “heavily populated east?” Is that a joke, or do Westerners (if you consider Alberta “west,” which I suppose I do) actually think it’s heavily populated here? [Disclaimer: I’m actually not at all meaning to sound snarky or condescending even though it likely comes off that way.] I just find it funny because almost everywhere here feels like, and usually is, the boonies/sticks, so it’s strange to me that other people might see it differently. Unless your definition of “east” places the Maritimes along with Quebec/Ontario, the biggest city east of Quebec City is Halifax, with just under 400 000 peeps. Most Maritimers would in fact be pretty appalled to be lumped together geographically with Quebec/Ontario. To me they were always “central” Canada, and WE were east… though I’m sure to most, central is actually Manitoba/Saskatchewan. Semantics!? Aaaaaaanyway, sorry for the extreme tangent slash rant. I’d like to blame it on that fierce Maritime blood a-stirring to defend its right to the title of East… most of us have Scottish blood, after all 😉 However, as you may have concluded by now, I also just like to talk.
Ahem. What were we talking about? Oh right, sorry Argan oil. Good plan on the decanting and refrigeration. I wonder if it would keep even longer in the freezer? I keep flax oil for smoothies in the freezer since it has a stupidly short shelf life (apparently), so maybe? If freezing would work, I might even stock up if there are still any bottles left by the time Superstore puts those beautiful neon pink 50% off stickers on them. Thoughts? Also, as I suspected, the smell has indeed grown on me. I’m just used to carrier oils being pretty scent-free, so it surprised me initially. It’s definitely not unpleasant, just strong at first. So far I like the oil itself, but where my skin is supposedly purging from what we hope is the masks, I find at least at night I have to mix it with vitamin E oil or something heavier.
Speaking of said masks, my skin is still being annoying, but at least the super weird breakouts on the side of my face and neck seem to be slowing down (knock on wood). My forehead is still pretty angry though (un-knock on wood?). It’s always gone through phases, though this is especially bad. Ironically, my chin, usually where I break out the worst, is doing the best. It’s like my skin flipped. Very strange. Nothing left to do but keep on keeping on, I guess!
Sorry (not really) for monopolizing and pillaging your innocent comments section with all things non-OCM. Say the word and I’ll stop forcing you to answer my myriad of questions. As a gesture of peace, I will devote a blurb to the original topic at hand. I actually kind of dropped the ball on doing the OCM for a while there… it’s been well over a week I’ve done it. Can I please blame you and your mask-pushing ways and not my laziness?? Good. I’ll maybe just do it once a week since clearly any more than that is just too taxing for my memory.
Does this count as the third novel in my trilogy yet?
Ha, yes, I definitely count Toronto and Montreal as part of the “east”. I’d say Saskatchewan out to about Thunder Bay is “central”, and Alberta and BC are the West. Along with my generalization I’m guessing that the Maritimes are included in the supply chains designed mostly for Toronto and Montreal, so perhaps you get products that are being tested on those larger city markets? Perhaps? And perhaps I am also just trying to avoid giving Toronto yet another reason to think itself the center of the universe 😉
The argan probably will keep longer in the freezer… it makes sense that it would. I’ve never tried freezing it, though, and I find it to be very shelf stable as long as it’s cool and dark. Keep me posted! You might try mixing it with some avocado oil or melting in a bit of shea butter for some extra moisturizing oomph in addition to the vitamin E.
Have you read much about hormonal breakouts? I haven’t read a lot, but I have read that breakouts around the chin are generally related to “that time of month”, so perhaps your face cycles are similarly triggered? It could be worth looking into.
Feel free to blame the dropping of the OCM on the face masks—I did exactly the same thing and I haven’t looked back! And now that I have all my new goodies (I think I have… 8… kinds of clay now) I’m delving into masks more than ever before!
I think between the two of us we will soon rival Tolkien in word count!
Ahhh, I’m so ashamed that I consider (Tor)Ontario “central”… I didn’t mean to promote their superiority complex! My bad 😉 As per your approval, my good woman, my Argan oil is not sitting happily in the freezer. Now to wait for the rest of it to go on sale so I can HOARD ALL THE ARGAN OIL EVER. Well, at least all the Argan oil in my city? I’m intrigued by your avocado oil/shea butter suggestions for added moisture. Are both pretty innocuous for acne-prone skin? What do you think would be a good ratio? I have both, but the avocado oil seems like an easier mix-in as no melting would be required.
I have heard that chin/jawline breakouts are often hormonal. I haven’t researched extensively, but it’s entirely possible at least part of my issue is hormonal. Unfortunately for me, the most common recommendation for “fixing” hormonal acne is BC, which if anything only made matters worse. The next best advice is usually a typical regimen of salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, neither of which do anything other make me flake like pastry. So, the jury is still out on whether or not going off BC has caused a surge in hormones as my body adjusts back to the natural variety. Just to complicate matters, I also stopped eating dairy in the fall around the same time as stopping BC (not specifically for acne as I’ve been increasingly lactose-intolerant the past 2 years, but I did hope skin-clearing would also be a bonus). I guess I went on a little lifestyle overhaul. Soooo, now I’m thinking it’s possible my body is still (???) detoxing (if that actually happens) that junk… or something. I obviously have a really hard time narrowing down causes/triggers as I often do a bunch of things that could cause changes at the same time… case in point: stopped BC, stopped dairy/animal products, started “natural” cleansing (honey/OCM/masks). I’m too impatient to try one at a time. My guess is that my acne is caused by a number of things, which would probably explain why it’s so maddeningly persistent yet inconsistent. And so difficult to diagnose/treat.
But enough about me and my ever-growing skin conundrum. How is your new apotheCLAYry going? HA!? Sorry, I can’t resist a corny pun. Have any shining stars yet? Any new mask potions worth sharing? It’ll take me a while to get through my Aussie green/French pink clays, but when I do need more I’d love to know what to try out! Watch out Tolkien, Canadian girls are nipping at your heels!
I’m sure Toronto will never care what we refer to it as either way, so whatever lol.
What you’re looking for in oils for acne is that they’re non-comodogenic. Check out this chart for details: http://illumineat.wordpress.com/2011/06/11/comedogenic-and-non-comedogenic-oils/. Just not mineral oil. Ick. Not sure why that got good ratings. Gross. Anyhow, I’ve had good results with shea on the face when it’s super dry, but as we’ve established, my skin is fairly well mannered. Come to think of it, coconut oil is also a great idea.
I’m definitely guilty of the “introduce 8 variables into my life and then guess about what’s doing what” thing as well. I just like to try stuff, what can I say? Your mention of grown-into dairy intolerance reminds me of a friend’s experience—they had fairly persistent adult acne until they cut out/reduced their wheat/gluten intake, and it cleared right up. Even now, they know if they’ve had too much bread recently as it will flare up again. They also became lactose intolerant as an adult, so perhaps that’s something to consider?
I’ve already got two new mask recipes queued up as blog entries! I’m really loving Multani Mitti Clay (aka Fullers Earth) right now, it really amps up your circulation! In fact, I think I’ll go do another mask right now… 🙂 Also, you should totally try a foot mask once we finally hit sandal wearing weather! Because it’s for feet, and not your face, the recipe has more acid in it, which helps soften callouses 🙂
Thanks for the link for the oils! Good reference to have. It’s funny Argan oil didn’t make the list–I wonder where it falls? I’ve tried organic virgin coconut oil as a spot treatment before but almost found it made things worse, so I never tried it all over my face for that reason. I’ve read good and bad about it, so it sounds like everyone reacts differently. I guess I’m on the negative end, which is sad since I love coconut oil for so many things 🙁
As for the possibility of a gluten intolerance, I thought about that before as well. I’ve never had any (other) symptoms like many people due, so I’m really not sure. I did try going gluten-free for a few weeks back in the late summer, but I’ll admit I didn’t give it a fair shot. I tried baking and had far more failures than successes (bread, especially), so I was a little discouraged and let it fall to the wayside as I generally do in these scenarios. Now I have a pantry of weird flours and gums that I don’t know what to do with! At least if I somehow find out I DO have an actual intolerance, I’m already stocked up? I truly hope it’s something else though, as I LOVE bread/pasta (always whole wheat at least) and found the GF replacements very mediocre, store-bought and homemade. I wish there was an easy way to diagnose these intolerances other than elimination diets. Dairy was surprisingly easy to give up, but I need my gluten!
I got my friend on the mask train by the way! She usually uses those gross packets from Wal-Mart with the creepy girls with foliage and food all over them, and a mask that looks nothing like the packages contents. I was visiting her on the weekend and brought up my mixture, and she loved it! I tried to tell her that I wasn’t a good example of its potential as I currently have “special” issues, so I guess the mask did all the selling since my face didn’t 😛 My next NDA order is going to include a clay for her as well.
I’ll definitely try the foot mask, probably even before sandal season. My heels are soooo dry, especially in the winter. At least in the summer I’m on the beach enough that walks in the sand and the salt water are pretty effortless nature therapy. I don’t think barefoot walks in the snow or a dip in the frigid harbour would really have the same effect 😉
Oh, I just noticed that I didn’t get a response to one of my questions (HOW DARE YOU! j/k. I ask enough questions that I’m impressed you can keep up). If I’m adding avocado oil to my Argan oil, what do you think would be a good ratio for just a moisture boost?
My guess is that Argan oil isn’t mainstream enough to make the list—and it’s probably too awesome for that list, anyways 😛 Too bad you can’t use coconut oil on your face (I’ve never tried, I just love Argan too much!), but I do have an awesome coconut body butter recipe coming up soon 🙂
Fingers crossed that you’re not gluten intolerant/celiac as well! That would be so sad 🙁 I love me some gluten as well! And dairy—not sure how you gave that up.
Eeew, WalMart masks! Ick. The amount of parabens in those things is probably enough to cause face cancer after half a dozen uses 😛 I’ve got all my girlfriends hooked as well, and my mom! Masks are just the bestest lol. I think I have another two or three recipes queued up already as well, so stay tuned!
I am SO jealous of your beach pedicures! The closest thing I’ve got is pebbles and glacial rivers out here 😛 Brrrrrrr.
Have you tested straight avocado oil on your face? If it’s not an issue, I’d start with a 1:5 or 1:4 ratio, and work up or down from there.
Haha, so Argan oil isn’t on the chart because it’s… wait for it… OFF the charts!! Funny? Terrible? Well I laughed. Coconut butter is the best! I’ve made it just by whipping coconut oil to make it nice and fluffy, but it does harden eventually… I’m intrigued by what you’ll come up with!
I’m ashamed to admit I’ve used those WalMart masks in the past as well. Not frequently, but when we’d have girly spa nights it was the easiest/cheapest option. Don’t worry, it’ll never happen again!
Don’t knock the pebble/glacier pedicure just yet… I’m sure somewhere in the world they’ll charge an arm and a leg (or a foot?) for an exotic “spa treatment” that is pretty much just that 😛
I haven’t tried avocado oil at all yet other than on salad, but I probably should before adding it to my Argan in case it’s a bust. One thing I don’t like about avocado oil is that it hardens in the fridge, and I usually keep specialty oils cool since I’m not using them frequently enough… I hope it lasts a while!
I, too, remember the days when I would go to Shoppers Drug Mart with my girl friends and buy things that reeked of “green apple” and other such things (soooo many Lip Smackers!). And we’d go home and have a spa night with those rather questionable ingredients. Plus oatmeal, of course. Ha!
The hot springs up in Banff originally opened as a health/spa thing, so I’m sure if it’s not in the works somewhere, it’s only because it’s already been done! Like Heidi. Mountain air= ability to walk for the first time in 10 years, apparently.
Have you considered keeping your avocado oil in a dark cupboard somewhere cool? I’ve had mine sitting in a cupboard in my basement for at least a year and it’s still a-ok.
OMG, I forgot about Lip Smackers! I probably got at least one of those giant multi-packs for each birthday and holiday, and probably STILL ran out in between holidays at the rate we tweens felt our lips needed to be recoated in that flavoured petroleum. They were damn good, I’ll admit. Ignorance was bliss…
Hot springs, yes. I was all over the geo-thermal pools in Iceland, and I’m pretty sure I’ve been to the ones in Banff (or somewhere) on the same trip I was in Calgary in grade 7/8. I’m ALWAYS cold though, so I don’t think I’d find anything glacier-like to be therapeutic for my cold blood. They have polar bear swims every year here for kicks. You couldn’t pay me enough!
As for the avocado oil, it’s currently in a cupboard, but I wouldn’t call it a cool cupboard as it’s near the stove, and we have a wood stove in the next room. I may have to rethink that location.
Mmm, flavoured sparkly petroleum! I can remember applying it whilst playing volleyball in gym class. I was dedicated! And then a friend gave me one as a gift for my 4th-grade themed 21st birthday party, and I rediscovered that they are awful 🙁 Sad.
I’m definitely with you in the always cold camp! I get laughed at when I’m at work because I keep a thick blanket and a laundromat sweater there to keep toasty. I also always wear long underwear to work, and am frequently wearing down. Because BRRRR. I’m generally just warm enough when it’s about 25°C, so nobody is going to be convincing me into any chilly bodies of water anytime soon!
I wish I had a 4th grade themed 21st birthday party! That sounds amazing (and embarrassing). How fun! Maybe that’ll be my 30th birthday! I remember seeing a NEW (there’s ALWAYS something “new”, isn’t there?) Lip Smackers line recently of “all natural” beeswax-based lip balm. I was intrigued, but still fairly certain it was mostly made of crap. I’m pleased I didn’t cave to my inner-child’s whiny voice begging to buy it.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s perpetually cold. I’m sitting here freezing in front of a waning fire wrapped in a wool tartan (yay!) blanket, and still shivering. I’m strongly considering earmuffs! I suppose this smoothie I’m drinking isn’t helping with my internal temperature… Strangely, I also overheat really easily. My ideal is also 25°C, but once it creeps much over 30 (+sun) I get massive headaches. I think my body just sucks at regulating its temperature on either end of the spectrum. So, where can I move that’s always 25°C? Obviously NOT Calgary. Maybe I’ll go back to Australia and spend the hot season in Tasmania and the “cold” season on the mainland. Yes. Completely flawless plan.
Ok, sort of going back to topic here–shock! I obviously didn’t stick with OCM for long, but one of the reasons I didn’t mention (I wasn’t even sure if it was legit) is that I noticed after the second or third time doing it that my “peach fuzz” and the hair ABOVE my eyebrows was looking darker and longer. I was obviously horrified since although I would love nice skin, I don’t really want to turn into a man in the process… I looked it up to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating, and I guess castor oil is know for helping stimulate hair growth.
Now, I’m sure for most normal women, rubbing castor oil on their face won’t do much of anything since many are fortunate enough to have pretty hairless bodies. Sadly for me, I’m 3/4 French (READ: dark hair) and 1/4 Scottish (READ: red-head pale skin). I have body hair, and what I have isn’t the charming blond stuff that most women have. I clearly don’t look like a boy, but if I WERE a boy I’d definitely be super hairy, lol. Er, I’d be… strapping! Sorry if that’s TMI. So, I’m thinking that because I have the unfortunate genes and hairiness potential, castor oil on my face is not a good idea since it seems to turn my annoying-but-tolerable amount of “girl” facial hair into that of an approaching-puberty teenage boy.
I think that’s pretty much the nail in the coffin for OCM and me. I honestly don’t think anything topical is going to 100% fix my problem anyway, especially if it’s something allergy or hormone related that’s causing my breakouts as I’m slowly starting to accept. I’m completely sure there’s SOMETHING out of the ordinary going on though, so my next step might be to see a naturopath as my DIY attempts are probably not going to get to the root of the problem. I hate these kinds of epiphanies… why can’t self-help and DIY fix all of life’s problems? 😛
Do it! Have yourself a 4th grade themed party! I did “Pin the tail on the beaver” (I was in Australia and thought I should inject some Canadiana), a pinata (with mandatory jello shots before each turn), Twister, and a giant chocolate sheet cake. It was so fun! And yes, I definitely just tried to find the all-natural beeswax Lip Smackers online to creep the ingredients, but I couldn’t find them. I’ll keep an eye out for them at Shopper’s. I find my whiny inner child “buy me” voice has been replaced by a snarky, middle-aged “I can just make that, ugh!” voice. Haha.
We’re currently in the throes of another chinook (yay!), so I’m writing this from a spot of sunshine on the driveway outdoors (the lawn is covered in a 2 foot deep snowbank), enjoying the weather (sans jacket!). It’s probably about 5°, but I’ll take it! My love of 35° weather has me convinced that I should have been Australian. Need a roomie for your climate-perfecting move?
I’m sorry (a little, at least), but I kind of giggled when I read that the castor oil in the OCM was amping up your facial hair! I’ve also read that castor oil is great for hair growth, but I definitely never experienced any such results when I was doing the OCM. I was only using about 10% castor oil, though. I also have a friend who has had amazing results using castor oil to break up some scar tissue in her neck from a car accident, so I’m fairly convinced that castor oil is amazing stuff. Perhaps if your husband begins to bald you can try out a new home remedy?
I definitely feel your pain with the Scottish hair-itage (harharhar… sorry, lol). The stuff on my head does very nicely, but if my brother’s ample beard is any indication, I would make a super hair lad. His beard is seriously impressive—he started it when he was 19 and in 3 months he had a better, fuller beard that most men can grow at any point of their life, let alone late adolescence!
Well, if you decide to visit a naturopath, let me know what they think! Fingers crossed it’s not gluten!
Those birthday suggestions sound super cheesy, in the best possible way! I might up the ante and turn it into a junior high birthday party (sort of a “13 Going on Thirty” thing), so I have an excuse to blast everything from Spice Girls to BSB to Hanson. I will have no mercy and no shame! I’m pretty sure I still have Ouija board (the one I BEGGED my parents to get me then used only once because it was kinda creepy). If Lip Smackers are involved, perhaps they’ll be a homemade version that won’t poison us further 😛 I have 1.5 years to plan it, so I’m sure it’ll be epically lame! If you find yourself in NS in November 2014, i’ll send you an invite 😉
I’m jealous of your Chinooks! We had a warm spell and rain last week that melted the 2 feet of built up snow finally, only to have it drop back below zero and throw us another storm last night. At least the current foot of snow if fluffy and easy for my dog to wade through. The old stuff was wretched. I’m so desperate for Spring to officially make an appearance. The occasional warm day is such a tease. I have so many friends living in Australia right now–it’s a really popular destination with Maritimers I’m noticing. I’m absurdly jealous of their warm weather and only wish I could take my house and its inhabitants and just plunk it all down across the globe. As soon as teleporting is the main mode of transportation, perhaps. That’ll be soon, right? Not sure you’d want me as a roomie though… I DO come with a zoo, which includes such specimens as a cuddly wolf, a cowardly lion, a lazy tiger, a sneaky panther, and a tame gorilla… AKA my dog, 3 cats, and husband. There’d be a lot of fur/hair floating around, I assure you.
You’re allowed to laugh at my misfortunes with castor oil. I would too if it weren’t me 😛 I forget what my castor ratio was, but it was definitely more than 10% (possibly 25%?). I don’t think I’d take the risk again, lol. My husband still seems to be ok in the hair department, but I’ll inform him he has a backup plan should he start to get a little more sparse 😉 My brothers are also pretty skilled in the beard growing department, though my dad is 100% French and he grows a mighty fine beard too. I suppose I get my hairiness from both sides. Thanks, parents! I can’t wait to pass on my unfortunate genetics to my own spawn, muahahaha.
Still waiting on contacting a naturopath, though I’m not sure why… I guess I have it in my head it’ll all clear up on its own, though history tells me that’s not likely. I suppose I’ll have to bite the bullet soon. Funny, I have no problem sharing all this with you or people I know, but for some reason I’ve always been shy with doctors. I know that’s what they’re there for, but I still find it weird.
I never asked, but aside from masks, what do you use as a daily cleanser since you stopped OCM? Do you use your soaps, something purchased, or some other concoction? I’m still using the raw honey in the mornings and the honey/pumice at night, and while I like both well enough, I don’t think either are helping (or hindering) me. Then again, like I said, if my issues ARE hormonal, I don’t know that anything topical will do a whole lot anyway. Just wondering if you had any suggestions on that front that I might try out as a last ditch DIY effort before I go to a doctor. I’ll let you know if I end up going!
If you make homemade Lip Smackers, don’t forget copious quantities of glitter! Wooo glitter! And some sort of overly sweet (definitely fake) fragrance/flavour oil would be necessary to complete the effect, though everything else could be real 😛 Sounds like a super awesome party, though!
It was 16 yesterday! It was amazing! I was wearing shorts! It is now… -2°. And it was snowing earlier. Oh well. That’s Chinooks for you. Though I was just talking to an Australian friend of mine who was complaining about their 18° weather. Hrmph. And the zoo doesn’t sound too bad! I love me some dogs, and I’m totally awesome with awesome cats (cats that hate me generally fail to earn my love).
Hmm… I must confess that I generally do not use a daily cleanser. In the summer I go through a lot of toner as it feels so lovely and refreshing, especially when I’ve just been for a bike ride. In the winter I find masks and make-up remover generally do the trick, plus whatever happens when I’m in the shower 😛 I honestly can’t be bothered to wash my face every single day, and I don’t seem to need to, so yay!
Go call that naturopath! 😛
Oooooo, glitter! I do have micas on my NDA list 😉
Um, 16 degrees? That’s crazy!! It’s so gross out here right now I can’t even imagine summer anymore, let alone spring. We literally got dumped on last night and this morning. The snow is well over my dog’s head (and past my knees is some spots)–the poor thing had a bit of a hard time doing his business, but he was determined! Winter is definitely going out like a lion around here… Please send some of that Chinook warmth my way! I mean, you’re pretty multi-talented. Surely weather manipulation is just one of your many skills?
Ahh, toner! Of course! I generally reserve toner for my lazy days/days I wasn’t wearing any makeup, or when traveling. Usually I just use alcohol-free witch hazel, but I’ve been meaning to make something with more oomph and that doesn’t stink like witch hazel. My skin would probably appreciate being washed only once a day, really. Force of habit, I guess! Your toner recipe looks awesome! I’ll head on over there since I have a few questions, naturally 😉
Yeah, yeah, yeah… naturopath… calling right now. Or next week 😛
Also, I’m a little sad to admit that this comment train may be almost dead 🙁 It’s been a fun ride, haha. Don’t worry though, I’ll be sure to pester you elsewhere in the future, AKA right now about your toner. Adieu, OCM!? I’ll leave you with the eulogy, lol.
Well, it may have been 16° three days ago, but now it’s -11°. Hrmph. Spring is a major tease here, especially since most of the snow is gone thanks to the 16° day, and it’s nice and sunny. So I look outside and think “oooh, spring!”, and then I go outside and it’s hardly balmy out. Alas. Anyhow, I shall see about asking the chinook to keep it up and head all the way east. Sounds like England would enjoy it as well, so perhaps you can give it a good send-off once it’s done in your area?
Plain witch hazel= stink. Yup. That stink is pretty much the #1 reason I’ve gone and developed a variety of different toner recipes that attempt to disguise it. If you keep your toner in the fridge in the summer, it’s extra-super refreshing, and then if you make your own cotton pads that you can wash and re-use, the whole thing is pretty sustainable.
Hmm, yes, eulogy… not really my strong point, I guess. I think this thread lasted almost as long as my dedication to the OCM, though 😛 See you in the toner department!
Look at me, I just can’t stay away!
Don’t you just love Mother Nature’s mood swings? Always such a drama queen, that one 😉 We have fast changing weather here, but generally speaking extreme temperature swings like that are fairly rare. I think it was last year we had a random 20-25C weekend in April and the next week it we had a blizzard. That was just harsh, to say the least.
Reusable cotton pads, eh? Never crossed my mind, but it’s definitely something right up my alley. Add that to the list 🙂 My sewing machine is my mom’s original one from the 60’s, and the pedal just started getting a little dodgy (terrifying, to say the least). She found the same one on Kijiji in Ontario and got my uncle to get it for her, so in the summer I’ll have a new pedal and a backup machine for parts! It’s such a great little machine. I’ve been using Mom’s lately for small projects while I wait for that.
I suppose I’m left to close the casket–who knows though, OCM might rise up from the dead yet in the spirit of Easter, haha. I can’t say I have any eulogy/obituary experience either, but I’ll give it a whirl 😛
Oil Cleansing Method, familiarly known as OCM, was a good, albeit longwinded thread. She could always be counted on for a good story, so it was no surprise that her dream was to one day be a writer. Although OCM was a kind thread, she could often be caught playing silly pranks, such as causing temporary unwanted hair growth or clogging chin pores. Some would say she was an over-sharer, but truly she was just a thread with no secrets and an open mind. She loved to talk, using her gift to give counsel to those in need. This legacy will live on in the hearts of her loved ones. She is survived by her proud and loving parents, Marie and Sarah, who will miss her rambling ways and fickle nature. Her closest friends, Mask, Argan, and Toner, will surely carry on her spirit. Rest in peace, OCM.
Whew, pass the Kleenex? 😉
Well said, Sarah. Sniff, sniff.
I’ve been using the OCM exclusively for months now and my skin is like porcelain! Even my blackheads that I have had since puberty are fading. My initial formula was 1/3 castor oil, 1/3 sunflower seed oil, and 1/3 hazlenut oil. I added more sunflower seed oil though, as it was a bit drying. I also added peppermint, lemon, and tea tree essential oils. It works FABULOUSLY, though the sunflower seed oil is nonorganic and both the sunflower seed and hazelnut oils are refined.. and that worries me. I have always felt that once an oil is refined, basically, all of its good properties are taken out of it (because cold-pressed or not, they are heated to hell and back during the refining process). I am having a lot of trouble finding organic, cold-pressed, unrefined hazelnut oil, and have only found one brand of sunflower seed oil like that (Flora). Do you have any suggestions for me?
Hi Bree! I’m thrilled to hear you’re having such great results with the OCM 🙂 I get most of my oils from NDA, and I noticed both their hazelnut & sunflower seed oils are cold pressed. They don’t have an organic version of the hazelnut oil, but they do of the sunflower. You might consider using grapeseed oil instead of hazelnut as it is also quite light, and available in an organic, cold pressed version.
Have you considered adding clay face masks to your routine? I ended up ditching the OCM in favour of using weekly face masks as I found the masks to be infinitely more effective and far less time consuming.
Hi again, Marie. 🙂
… I’m beginning to feel like a bit of a pest, leaving questions all over your blog… But here’s another one.
I got my order from nda this week and have been playing with recipes for the last two days making birthday gifts for my mom. 🙂 I also put together an argan oil serum for myself and have begun using it.
My question is, when using OCM, do you/is it recommended or discouraged to use another cleanser between OCM’s?
I am gradually trying to cut out what chemicals go on my face, now using St. Ives over Clearasil to handle my acne, and following that with a tea tree soap which has wonderful healed up my poor face. So OCM is something I want to try in the future, but I haven’t seen anything about other cleansers here or on any of the others sites I’ve browsed through… :/
I’ve also already tried your silver power and a couple masks and love them! ^_^
Thank you,
KM
Hi KM! I ended up ditching the OCM—I just found it to be too time consuming and not overly effective for me. But, when I was doing it, I’d still do a weekly face mask, and that didn’t seem to be a problem. I did end up figuring out that the mask was doing the bulk of the cleaning at any rate, haha. These days I’m mostly doing weekly face masks and using my cleansing balm 🙂
Marie I know you ditched the Oil cleansing Method because you got better results with your clay masks but I just had to share this link. i read a blog post on which oils to use for the OCM and I was so shocked… even after hours of falling down black holes on the internet, I had never heard another person even once mention this! this blog was the first i’d seen of this.
It’s the ratio of linoleic acid to oleic acid in a carrier oil. People with naturally clear skin can probably disregard it and use any oil, but people with acne prone skin should read this and take it into consideration when choosing an oil! Linoleic acid is important and helps to soften the globs in a clogged pore.
http://www.minimalistbeauty.com/oils-specifically-for-acne-prone-skin/
Thanks so much, Emily! As somebody with reasonably well behaved skin (and an addiction to clay masks) I’ve never done research in this area 🙂
Thanks for directing me to this post. The oil cleansing method you have described sounds a bit more involved than the oil cleanser I bought. I use it in the shower just like any other face wash. It only feels a little oily and washes off pretty easily. I’d love to try and make my own. I got smart and googled the ingredient list in english (I live in Japan) and was surprised to see so many listed (most I can’t pronounce and not sure what they are). Now I’d really like to try to make my own! Thanks for taking the time to get back to me, I love your site!
Hmm. That sounds like it might be oil + a surfactant/emulsifier (or few)—like a liquid cleansing balm. Does it lather? Can you link me to that ingredient list you mentioned? Now I’m curious! 😉