For the past decade or so, my skin has been very tempermental. While I noticed significant improvement when I cut processed foods out of my diet, it wasn’t until I started giving myself a mini facial every morning and night that I started to feel better. I’ve put together a unique routine that seems to just work for me. Unlike conventional skin care products bought in the store, all of which feature scary chemicals and pricey unfulfilled promises, my routine is simple and natural. Plus, it gives me an excuse to take 3 minutes for myself every morning and evening!
Here’s my morning facial routine:
1. Wet face with warm water.
2. Put a bar of plain unscented glycerin soap into a little dish. Add a little hot water.
3. Lather soap using a boar’s hair barber’s brush. Using the brush, massage soap into face. This seems to work as a gentle exfoliator.
4. Rinse soap from my face and apply a gentle moisturizer.
Here’s my nighttime facial routine:
1. Wet face with warm water.
2. Wet a clean washcloth with warm/almost hot water. Put the cloth on face and enjoy the steam.
3. Massage a small amount of jojoba oil into skin, including around eyes to remove make-up.
4. Mix 3 tablespoons castor oil and 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Gently massage 1/4 teaspoon of this mixture onto face (you’ll have enough left over for a couple weeks). I also rub a little oil mixture onto my lips.
5. Run the washcloth under hot water, and place it on face again. Relax for a minute or two, enjoying the heat.
6. Gently rub off any excess oil. Do NOT rinse your skin. Any residual oil serves as a nighttime moisturizer.
I know the idea of putting oil onto troubled skin sounds crazy, but it works! Jojoba oil is very similar to the oil found naturally in human skin, so it may help balance oil production. And just a little works great as a make-up remover. Olive oil is a wonderful all natural moisturizer – I use it on little Evelyn’s skin instead of conventional baby lotion. Castor oil – which heals and cleanses – also contains anti-inflammatory properties. These three oils seem to do the trick.
My skin is so so soft and my complexion has improved!
Homemade Mothering is a movement that aims to simplify life and foster self-reliance while being kinder to our families and the planet. Its about encouraging people to get back to the basics when it comes to mothering and homekeeping. 
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I just found your blog and this post is very interesting to me! I've always had problem prone skin and have tried just about everything… and always disappointed. I would love to try your whole skin care routine. After clicking on the links for each oil I see it will be a little pricey to start but seems like it will last awhile. I'm excited! Thanks for sharing!
I’m so happy it works for you, too! It does seem crazy to use oil on problem-prone skin, but perhaps what our bodies need is a little TLC instead of harsh soaps and astringents.
I hope this works for you. I was getting desperate and willing to try anything, and finally I ditched all conventional products and opted for a more holistic and simple approach. It seems a bit expensive, but these products last a really, really long time.
Good luck!
Maureen,
Another fun thing to do is mix about 1 cup of sugar with 1 cup of almond oil. I put it in a container by my tub. Rub this combination all over your body as a scrub. It smells good, taste good and your skin loves it!
Love your website! Just wondering if you could tell us a little more about what your skin is like. Would this routine work for oily skin?
Welcome to Homemade Mothering, Hannah!
I have very tempermental and problem-prone skin. After teen years with mostly clear skin, I developed adult acne in my 20s. It was so frustrating. I came up with this system in a desperate attempt to control skin issues that conventional and medical solutions could not help.
I wouldn’t say my skin is necessarily oily – it is most likely combination dry and oily. However, the oils used in this system will not clog pores so you don’t need to worry about that. As long as I stick to this routine, my skin looks WAY better than it used to. Plus, it is nice to take a few minutes every day to tend my myself.
Give it a shot and let me know how it goes!
Awesome! Thanks so much. I will be giving it a go and let you know how it works.
I tried it, but put my own twist on it. Success for sure!
I know it sounds gross, but I skip the soap part and just do the steaming hot wash cloth with the castor oil and olive oil and simply rinse my face in the a.m. I have been doing this since my daughter was born and my skin has never looked better (and I have suffered from terrible acne/oily skin my whole life). Thanks so much for sharing this! Keep up the good work!
Thanks so much for posting this. I started this method about 3 months ago, a little concerned that it would cause breakouts. I have been so pleased that my skin has been clear and completely without the winter dryness that I typically have. Jojoba oil is the new necessity in my home. My husband uses it for dry skin, too.
My friend Liz told me about this method last weekend and I’m thinking about trying it. Does the soap in the morning make your skin dry? Which brand do you use?
I buy an unscented glycerine soap from Whole Foods. I believe it is their 365 Everyday brand. Doesn’t dry my skin out at all. Good luck!
Hi Maureen, I’ve been doing this for quite some time and my skin is really improving. The only thing I struggle with is the moisturizer in the morning. I’ve tried several and haven’t found one that I really liked. What are your recommendation for a gentle moisturizer, that doesn’t cause breakouts. Thank you for your help!
Lately I have been using derma e vitamin A Retinyl Palmitate Creme and I really like it.
Thank you!