Oil Cleansing and Olay ProX Advanced Cleansing System

While researching for my blog and just general reading about skin routines, I kept seeing something called jojoba oil being mentioned. I finally looked it up and wow! This oil is used for everything from moisturizer to hair conditioner. According to this website, jojoba oil is this:

"Jojoba (pronounced ho-HO-ba) is a botanical extract of the seed of the jojoba tree (Simmondsia chinenis). What’s interesting about it is that it isn’t actually an oil, but rather what they call a wax ester. Why do we care? Because out of all of the compounds in nature, this wax ester is the most similar to human skin oil (sebum). It is theorized that applying jojoba to the skin can “trick” the skin into thinking it is producing enough oil, thus balancing oil production. The bottom line for us is that jojoba oil is non-comedogenic so we can use it without fear."

(non-comedogenic means that it will not clog pores or cause acne)

I have been using it for about a week on my face and in my hair. There is no doubt that both my hair and skin are softer. For my face, I just put about two drops in my hand and massage it into my skin for about a minute. Then I wash my face normally with my cleanser. Easy! For my hair, I just add a couple drops to my conditioner.

Now, I have read that your skin may get better before it gets worse when you start using an oil cleansing regimen. That's because the oil is purging all the bad stuff out. I have broken out slightly but nothing serious. I have noticed that my blackheads are already much better and are coming closer to the surface (I have the deep, hard to reach kind). I'm hoping that jojoba oil will also help with my scalp psoriasis but that is yet to be seen.

Bottom line, there are a lot of different oils that can be used for cleansing (coconut, olive, etc). I think it really just comes down to which one you prefer and your specific skin type. I'd do a little research before buying one but I definitely think that it's worth looking into. I got my jojoba oil from Amazon. It's reasonably priced and my 4 oz bottle will last me quite a while at the rate that I'm going.

I also found this video to be helpful and informational:

Another discovery I've made recently is the Olay ProX Advanced Cleansing System ($30). I have had my eye on the Clarisonic for a while but at a $120-$200 price point, I just couldn't afford it. Both are handheld facial cleansers with removeable/replaceable brush heads. The brush head rotates, giving you a much deeper clean. The two devices are much the same. The Clarisonic does have different, more specialized brush heads that you can buy (sensitive skin, acne, etc), while the Olay ProX has one. For the price difference, however, I think I can handle it. The Olay ProX brush is very soft and it doesn't irritate my skin at all, even on the higher speed. It is water resistant, which is great if you clean your face in the shower. All in all, I've enjoyed using this cleanser. I feel like my face is much cleaner than using my hands alone. I picked mine up at Walgreens and I did notice the replacement brush heads were around $8 (while the Clarisonic heads are $25). If you are looking for a deeper everyday clean, I'd give the Olay ProX a try before you spend all that money on the Clarisonic.