Coconut Oil v. Olive Oil (skin care)

Do any of you use either of these oils for cleansing/moisutrizing? I've recently tried using coconut oil (EV, cold-pressed, and organic) to cleanse, but oddly enough, I feel it is drying out my skin, or perhaps my skin is going through a dry spell and it is a coincidence that it has coincided with my switching to coconut oil. I've also heard that you can use olive oil (perhaps infused with lavender EO). So if you use these oils, which is better for cleansing? Which is more moisturizing? And if you use as your moisturizer, do you combine it with anything else? Can you really use the same ingredient as both a cleanser and a moisturizer for the face? And what about as a body moisturizer?

If you have any other ideas for cleansing/moisturizing using simple, natural ingredients, I'd love to hear them!

TIA!

I have to mix coconut oil with regular lotion (I try to use the most natural one I can find). It's some of the other ingredients in lotion that help it penetrate the skin that my skin misses and makes it still feel dry.
I've never been a fan of using olive oil on my skin, I walk around smelling it all day.
I make lotion bars with equal parts coconut oil, beeswax, and cocoa butter. I use that on my heels, elbows, knees, hands, lips, but find it too thick to use on my whole body.

I had a similar experience with coconut oil. Actually, it worked for a long time and then stopped using it for a while and when I went back, it seemed to make my skin even drier. I figured it was a sensitivity. I still use it on my body, but not on my face anymore or I flake badly.

Well I'm glad I'm not crazy - I never thought oil would be drying! Maybe I'll keep using it to cleanse, but then find something else as a moisturizer. I had no idea about the other ingredients being there to help the skin absorb the moisture better - I guess that explains why more people don't just use coconut oil or olive oil alone.

I did the oil cleansing for a long time and my skin was never better.

http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com/

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Originally Posted by Bridget

I did the oil cleansing for a long time and my skin was never better.

http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com/

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Thanks for the info! Did you stop for any particular reason (i.e. is there something I need to look out for)?

Um...laziness. lol! I am ashamed to even say but I was doing it regularly while pregnant with Sawyer (though not every night,as per the advice in that article I believe) and then after I had him I just fell out of the habit. I am SO tired at night I ususally just fall asleep while nursing Sawyer or watching movie.

I forgot about the cleansing oil- I tried that too and my skin did not like it. I was battling some pretty severe eczema on my face during tht time and hoped the oil would help calm it down, but it made it worse for some reason. The oil also didn't exfoliate enough, which may actually be why my skin was worse. If you have sensitive skin I don't know that I would recommend cleansing oil.

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Originally Posted by Bridget

Um...laziness. lol! I am ashamed to even say but I was doing it regularly while pregnant with Sawyer (though not every night,as per the advice in that article I believe) and then after I had him I just fell out of the habit. I am SO tired at night I ususally just fall asleep while nursing Sawyer or watching movie.

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Lol you get no judgment here! 9 times out of 10 I go to bed without washing my face, too. :(

Hmm, my skin IS a bit on the sensitive side, though it is much better than it once was. What to do, what to do!

You could still give it a shot, but maybe start out with the dry skin blend. I think it's the castor oil that was too harsh (for lack of a better word) for my skin, but it might work for you. You coul increase the blend from there if you felt you needed to and your skin tolerates it well.

Thanks - I may give it a try and see how it goes - I don't lose anything by trying!

When I hear castor oil, all I can think of is horror stories I've heard from people drinking it to bring on labor! :p

I do oil cleansing. I don't use castor oil as I find it too harsh for my dry skin -- I use a combo of olive and almond oil with a teensy bit of tea tree (one or two drops per 4 oz). My skin looks fantastic when I remember to use it regularly (and even when I only do it once a week or so, I really notice a difference for a couple of days). For exfoliation I use a rough washcloth, generally following the directions on the oil cleansing website (lay the hot damp cloth on my face for a minute to steam, rub in the oil for about two minutes, then remove the oil with the washcloth. I make sure to scrub pretty firmly, especially on areas where my skin is a little more rough, like the sides of my nose and my chin.

I usually follow up with a face lotion afterward to add even more moisture, although on occasion I've just moisturized with almond oil and it works pretty well.
I feel like coconut oil is too heavy for my face. I do use it on my elbows, hands, knees and legs. Also cocoa and shea butter work well on my crazy-dry legs and feet.