I exclusively cleansed and moisturized my face with oil for 10 days…

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…and here’s what happened!

For 10 days, I exclusively cleansed and moisturized my face with the Living Libations “Best Skin Ever” Seabuckthorn Oil out of A) curiosity and B) my desire to drastically cut down on the number of beauty products I use. I love the idea of “less is more” when it comes to skincare, so I wondered if I could use one–and only one!–product and get positive results. I was already a firm believer in using oil as a part of my skincare regimen, which I previously wrote about in this post. However, the oil was just one piece of my much larger all-natural regimen, which I detailed in this post. I would still recommend the facial cleanser and moisturizers I outlined in that post because they’re all-natural and great for your skin/body, but my new idea is…why buy/use 5+ products if I can use only one?

Takeaways from my oil routine:

1. The oil completely enhanced my skin tone to the point where I didn’t need to wear any type of foundation, blush, or bronzer.
2. My pores reduced in size.
3. My skin felt (and still feels!) softer than ever. (In fact, I had my makeup done for a wedding and the makeup artist was astounded by my even-toned, crazy-soft complexion.)
4. Multiple people commented that my skin looked/looks better than ever and was/is glowing. One friend even asked if I’d had Botox!
5. Oil really and truly works to remove makeup.
6. When I packed to go on a trip, I felt so liberated only taking one facial cleaning/moisturizing product.

Now that the 10 days are up, do I plan to keep at it? YES!

What about people with oily skin? And, what about men?

My fiancé falls into these two categories; he has always claimed to have “oily” skin. Thus, he was hesitant to add even more oil to his skin. After reading reviews on the Living Libations site in which people with all sorts of “skin types” praised the oils, I convinced him to give it a try. He was pleasantly surprised! Since using the oil, his skin has become less oily, his skin tone has evened out (I’m telling you, the oil’s skin tone-evening properties are outstanding!), and he has gotten fewer blemishes.

Upon further research, I discovered that the naming of different “skin types” as “oily,” “normal,” “sensitive,” “dry,” and “combination” was an invention by Clinique to sell its various skincare lines. In reality, the “oily” or “dry” nature of one’s skin is really just a symptom of diet choices, toxins in products, and environmental factors. The simplicity of an exclusively oil routine can allow any person’s skin to recalibrate, regardless of “skin type.”

Here’s how I use the oil:

Using a sink: When I wash my face over a sink, I wet a small portion of a soft cloth (like this one), squeeze a couple of squirts of the oil onto the damp part of the cloth, and cleanse my face by rubbing in a circular motion. Then, I rinse with warm water, let my skin dry, and apply another couple squirts of oil (using my fingers this time) for added moisture and softness.

In the shower: When I wash my face in the shower, I apply the oil (using my fingers) before I get in, let it soak into my skin for at least a minute, wet the entire soft cloth with hot water, lay it over my face for at least a minute (to open my pores and allow the oil to seep in), and then cleanse my face by rubbing in a circular motion. Then, I rinse with warm water, let my skin dry, and apply another couple squirts of oil (again, using my fingers) for added moisture and softness.

That’s it! I figured it’d feel “freeing” to ditch a number of products for just one, but I had no idea how freeing it’d actually be. I highly recommend trying this!

As mentioned, I used the Living Libations Seabuckthorn Oil for this experiment. Living Libations produces the highest-quality oils, so even though they are pricier than some other oils you could find at random stores or online, they are definitely worth the splurge. And, in the long run, I’m actually saving money because I only need to replace one product when I run out. Living Libations sells a wide variety of “Best Skin Ever” oils; another fan favorite is their Rose Oil. When I run out of my Seabuckthorn, I plan to try the Rose. Read the reviews; no one is ever disappointed in any Living Libations products!

I encourage you to try a 10-day oil challenge yourself to see if you experience similar positive results. If you do, please share your experience in the comments!

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In each blog post, I aim to bring you food for thought (pun intended. Note: my day job is teaching English), but don’t take my word for it! Click on and read all of the links above to become your own expert on this topic; knowledge is power. The more you know and understand the “why” behind each biohack, the easier it will be to stick to it and realize you can’t live without it!

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