Can You Wash Your Face With Olive Oil?

You know when you hear about a beauty tip that just sounds a little too crazy to be a real thing? Well, that's exactly what I thought when I heard washing your face with olive oil was the best way to cleanse your face. At first, I thought that couldn't possibly be right, because who wants oily skin? But then I started thinking about how the best thing for your face is usually something that's 100% natural, and olive oil is just that.

I decided to try it out, for as many days as I could manage. Seeing that I have very sensitive skin, I'm usually very hesitant to use anything new on my face. I usually wash my face twice a day with a sensitive foaming wash, and then use three pumps of my favorite light moisturizer. I always use the moisturizer, so I was interested to see if using the oil would minimize dryness.

When I started this little trial, I wanted to go for a whole week. But because my skin never breaks out, I totally freaked out when I noticed something changing and halted my experiment. But rest assured, as soon as I started my regular routine again, all was back to normal. I don't know if this will work for you, but give my experience a read and decide for yourself.

Day 1

I decided to kick off this experiment at night. I had makeup on (which is actually unusual for me), so I was worried about whether or not it would come straight off. After rinsing my face with warm water, I poured more olive oil than I had wanted, into my hand. I tried to rub my hands together, as I would do with soap, but that got a little messy. So I quickly started rubbing the olive oil on my face, using the same circular motion that I do with my regular face wash. The hard part came when I tried to rinse it off. It wouldn't really come off of my hands, or my face, but the result was a face that wasn't so dry. You know how after you wash your face, it can sometimes feel dry and tight? I didn't get that feeling. Out of habit, I used my moisturizer, but only two pumps. My makeup came off better than it ever has, and my eyes were glossy from the oil. All in all, my skin felt really great.

Day 2

The following day, I decided to wash my face in the shower, and boy, did that make it easier. Aside from the fact that I brought a glass bottle into the shower with me, the whole process seemed a lot easier than it did in the sink. Again, it was hard to get all of the oil off of my hands and face, but I feel like I didn't spend as much time with it. I could just stand under the water, and let the pressure do all of the work. All three of the bumps on my face still remained, although they didn't look as red.

When it came time for the night wash, I noticed that my skin wasn't looking so great (in terms of bumps). But my boyfriend did comment on how I had a "nice glow," which I also noticed. Hmm. Maybe washing my face was olive oil was similar to washing your face with honey, where it takes a few days for my skin to get used to it. Although I was ready to give up, I washed my face and went to sleep.

Day 3

Uh oh, the bumps have multiplied. Although they weren't really red or super visible, my skin definitely felt irritated. But still, I had a glow I didn't have before. This was really weird. I decided to lay off on the oil for the day. By the end of the day, I was ready to wash my face with my regular soap again. Although I felt the tightness within seconds of drying my face, it already felt less irritated.

By the next morning, some of the irritation was gone and my skin felt smooth again.

Conclusion

Even though washing my face with olive oil didn't really work for me, I still wonder if it would work for someone with extremely dry skin. The things I noticed to be positive was the fact that my skin emanated a glow and it was also so moisturized. However, now that I think about it, maybe it was a little too moisturized. Perhaps my skin was on the verge of being oily, which is what caused my skin to break out.

I've been trying to rationalize the mishap, and that's the only reason I can think of. That or just the fact that my skin just doesn't like to try new things. I hope this doesn't discourage you from trying it on your own, but for now, the olive oil will remain out of my bathroom, and in my kitchen.

Images: Lauren Turner(2); Giphy(1)