FTM Friday: DIY Face Wash (and make-up remover!)

by Janelle Hanchett

Yay, FTM Friday on a Saturday! I love you!ftm

I’m happy to back. I hate studying for comprehensive exams. I’m never reading another piece of literature. ever ever as long as I live. I hate literature.

And…I’m baack.

So good to see you.

Soon, as you may have noticed, the FTM situation is a little different on the blog. The FTM posts now publish on a separate page, which you can access in the menu on the left. It’s a long story, but I thank my friend Katie, who blogs here, for making that story happen.

And now. Face wash.

Check it out, one of the things that threw me into the world of renegade body products (Where do I come up with this shit? I mean seriously, renegade body products? I embarrass myself.) is the fact that face wash is SO expensive, and it just seems to result in the need for MORE products. Ya feel me? I mean you need one product to remove mascara/make-up. You need another product to wash your face. You need moisturizer. BUT, if you’re like me, your skin is always changing; read: sometimes I have acne. Other times it’s dry like the damn Mojave.

So you end up with like seventy five products, all of which are expensive.

But not now. Now I have 2, maybe 3 products, but I rarely use them all and they are cheap. Cheap. Cheap.

When I tell you this you may freak out, and that’s cool. This is freak-out safe zone. We’re all friends here.

I wash my face with a mixture of olive oil and castor oil. And it works. It works as well as the expensive stuff I bought. Maybe better. But definitely as good and it’s chemical free, and probably an 1/8 of the price.

So I read this post at Crunchy Betty (she’s like amazeballs, by the way) and I’m all “Wow, that sounds weird. That chick’s weird.” But I had already determined to get all hardcore up in here, so I made a mixture of 1/2 olive oil and 1/2 castor oil, then I threw in some tea tree because I have acne-prone skin, and I starte

d using it at night.

I lightly wet my face. I put about a quarter-sized amount of the wash in my palm then massage it into my face while running the super hot water. When it’s hot, I wet a washcloth completely, wring it out a bit, and lay it on my face for 20 seconds or so, then I gently rub the oil off my face.

ingredients, sans the boy

ingredients, sans the boy

My face is clean, moisturized, soft, and it removes my eye make-up.

Apparently this is called the “oil cleansing method.” I would like to call it the “Fuck Yeah Cleansing Method.”

I do this at night, when I really want that “deep clean” (to remove make-up, dirt, sweat, depression and general malaise). When I’m washing my face quickly (because yes, sometimes 1 minute is too long of a face-washing commitment), I use a coconut body/face wash I’m going to share with you next week. PROMISE.

So people, try it. But first, read the post by Crunchy Betty (yes, I linked it TWICE). It explains all the different types of oils you can use and the benefits of each for different types of skin. I use olive as my “carrier oil,” and the castor oil is critical – you have to have it. I buy mine on Amazon. But you can use jojoba, almond, avocado, and many more. But you have to use the castor. That’s what’s really cleaning your face.

 

And you adjust the ratio based on your skin type: more castor for oilier skin, less for dryer skin. So I’ve actually made a couple variations to use during different times of the month, when my, um, fucking horrible hormones ruin my mood, body, skin, and life.photo(34)

So here you go. Try it. You’ll love it. Or you won’t. But if you do you’ll have found a chemical-free, inexpensive, super effective  make-up remover/face-cleansing method. (Also, did you know you can just use coconut oil or olive oil to remove eye make-up? I will NEVER buy make-up remover again. Ever. Oil works so much better.)

“Fuck Yeah Face Wash”

Oily skin: 2/3 castor oil in whatever container, 1/3 olive or other carrier oil (almond, jojoba, grapeseed, etc.)

Dry skin: 1/3 castor oil; 2/3 olive oil (or other carrier)

“Normal” skin: ½ and ½ baby!

 

Not gonna lie, I feel like I’m going something nice for myself when I do this. It feels like a mini-facial. Only cheaper. And more green.

Whatever. It’s rad. Try it.

Let me know what you think.

 

 

photo(36)

10 Comments | Posted in FTM Friday, Uncategorized | April 13, 2013
  • Shan

    I love this for the fact that you said “amazeballs.” I’ll put FYFW on my list of things to do. But up near the top. Definitely above “organize the garage.”

  • sara

    Can you use drug store castor oil? Or is that different?

    • admin

      I think it’s the same, but you’ll need more. I’d just get it off Amazon. You do have Amazon prime, RIGHT?

  • Regina

    Can’t wait for the other face wash recipe! Definitely going to try this. 🙂

  • AC

    I’m loving this FTM “journey.” One question: When you use this method to clean your face, do you do it every night? And in the morning, what do you do? Do you clean your face in anyway? (I have moody-ass skin, too. Sometimes dry, other times oily, rarely normal.)

    • admin

      I don’t do it every night. I’m too lazy. I’m about to post a recipe for a coconut milk body wash…I use that often on my face, particularly because it’s quicker than the oil. When I really want a deep clean I do the oil cleansing….

  • Jennifer

    I’ve been doing this for about a year and still love it!

  • Kendra

    Yes! I found this via Crunchy Betty too & LOVE it. For about 6 months now, I do the oil at night (or 75% of the nights – the other 25% I’m falling into bed, just grateful to be alive after a day with the two small crazy people that live with me) & ‘wash’ with honey in the morning – and it’s definitely working as well as the crazy-expensive sh*t I couldn’t afford, but was buying anyway…

  • Kiriko

    Hey, sooo I plan to never have children, but your blog here is now one of my favorites. You are so fucking funny and smart.

    You might like How-To Hair Girl’s advice when you try washing your hair with BS and vinegar again. (BS & Vinegar. Somebody trademark that.) I’ve been doing it for 6 months now and my hair and scalp have never been healthier, easier, or cheaper.

  • Mary

    I love how you write. I’m going DIY for all my beauty products for dire unrelenting financial reasons. Thanks!