The verdict is still out on this one. My skin is super sensitive and I break out with EVERYTHING!!! After reading about the OCM and what to use I tried it. I had no issues when using jojoba oil alone. In fact, my skin was great! But, then I read that you should be using Castor Oil. So, I bought some...cold pressed hexane free Castor Oil. After one use, my face is starting to break out. I used a 1/3 Castor Oil, 1/3 Sweet Almond and 1/3 Jojoba...whereas before it was Jojoba only. This morning, my skin was fine...right now (9:32pm EST) I can feel 3 large pimples forming. I AM NOT HAPPY. When using just the jojoba oil..no zits, pimples, blackheads...nothing!!! After reading a few reveiws...it seems the Castor Oil (no matter what kind) is the culprit. So, I'm going to stop and go back to my Jojoba Oil, Rose Water Toner and Raw Honey wash (am only for the Honey) routine to clear things up.

I've been OCM'ing for 7 years now and I love it. Gets off dirt, grime, mmu, mascara... all of it. It's so trial and error though, I'll admit. took me a year to get just the right ratio of castor to almond and grapeseed oil. Plus it's a little more time consuming than using a store bought cleanser. I have to massage it in for a minute or so then leave it on while I'm in a hot shower to let my pores open up and let that oil do it's magic... and then massage again... then wipe off w/ a washcloth. and make sure you get all of it off! when i first tried it, i left a bunch of oil to collect at my jawline and it broke me out. It's tricky but once you get the hang of it, it'll be HG.

I had run out of my usual Liz Earle C & P I don't like ordering just one product, its a waste of pp, I digress. I needed something that would remove makeup, cleanse n exfoliate my confused combination oily/dry sensitive skin. I like 1 step processes. OCM checks all those boxes. Except the water issue. I live in London, England & we have some wmessed up water, it's not just hard, it is full of stuff that sensitive skins don't like.
As the OCM doesn't have any emulsifiers u have 2 use hot water 2 take the oil off with, otherwise ur left with an oily film that my skin would translate in acne of epic proportions. That's the rub, the water is so harsh 2 use this method twice a day. But this cleans everything off like nothin else, sebum plugs n all. It's like car crash tv, it is gross but u just want 2 keep going 2 c what else u can get. So I am down to 2 - 3 times a week and I use cool water and a neutrogena dry skin facial bar (only a small amount) 2 emulsify. Rest of week use micellar cleansing water which I love. my oil combo I finally settled on was 40% castor oil & 60% melon seed oil with a few drops of EO 2 take away the castor smell. continued >>

I've been using this method for cleansing for about 2 years. I have mature skin so I'm guessing that they may be why it works so well for me. My skin (since menopause) is sensitive and I've had rosacea for about 5 years (which thanks to this method of cleansing has disappeared except for occassional rosy cheeks).
I adjust my mixture according to the weather/change of season but basically I've found that a combo of Rose Hips Oil (30%), Tamanu Oil (20%), Apricot Kernal Oil (30%) and Sunflower Seed Oil (20%) works well except in the hottest months and then I add a bit of Castor Oil. I also add a bit (a few drops of each) of bergamot and lavendar essential oil for the aroma therepy benefits. Once you invest in these oils they last for about 1 year if stored properly. I purchase them from Mountain Rose Herbs for their organic purity.
I store my mixture in cobalt blue glass bottles in small supplies (2oz.) so I make new batches often to keep it fresh. I use a fresh washcloth nightly. I steam my face with a hot wet washcloth and then I apply ample amounts of the oil mixture and massage for about 2 minutes. I then remove the oil from my face with three or four rounds wiping it off with the rinsed hot wet washcloth. Afterwards I rub a bit of Vitamin E and Rosehip Oil mixture in and that's it.
My face does not have a single blemish or blackhead. It is smooth, rosy and glows. I get compliments weekly and have shared my regime with all my girlfriends.
I hope this gives you some help in your researching this amazing secret cleansing. I try and share the method with everyone I know. We all want amazing skin and this has worked for me for a couple of years running and I think its helped kept the clock standing still.

Best thing I have done for my mostly non-inflammatory acne and oily skin. It took me a number of tries (over a number of years) to get this right, and the aftermath of those failed attempts was not pretty, but it was worth it! My face is practically flawless with almost blackheads and flesh colored bumps, and no redness or irritation that I had when I was using "gentle" cleansers (i.e., Cerave, Fresh soy cleanser, etc.). I've been using the following method every night for the past 6 months.
My version of OCM is sunflower oil only with a few drops of manuka and/or regular tea tree oil. I don't usually steam my face first, but if I do it helps unseat even more comedones than usual. I massage the oil into my face for a good 15+ minutes while I'm watching TV at night. Then, I jump into a steamy shower and massage my face with water. Finally, I wet a muslin cloth and wipe down my face thoroughly. After I get out, I squeeze out a tiny drop of the same oil mixture (which I keep in a nalgene brand travel bottle made for oils), spread it over my hands and gently pat it onto my face. That completes my entire facial regimen. In the morning, I just rinse my face with water.
Things to note:
I make sure to soak my used muslin cloths in boiling water before washing them on the hottest setting my washing machine has to kill bacteria.
I use a lot of oil to make sure my face is slippery, so I am not pulling my skin as I massage.
Thoughts on other oils:
Olive oil clogged my pores, which shouldn't be surprising since it is listed as a comedogenic oil and I am clog prone.
Jojoba oil also clogged my pores and didn't provide good slip for massage.
Castor oil dried out my skin, even at a 10% concentration with various base oils.
Castor oil also exacerbated my acne, even though it is not listed as comedogenic. My guess is because it is so thick that even at low concentrations it makes the cleansing oil very difficult to remove. The thin layer of oil inevitably left on my face acted occlusively and sealed off my naturally oily skin, causing the sebum and bacteria to fester and cause acne. I have seen castor oil listed as an occlusive oil on some websites, but I can't verify their accuracy.

I've decided to use this method for my dry skin as I am always on the look out for the natural alternative. It's great I use 30% castor oil about 50% sweet almond oil and 10% each of avocado oil and vitamin e oil. All this cost under a rennet and it will last ages!! I rub the oil on my face at the end of the day put on my hot flannel and steam, wipe the oil off with the flannel dry and tone with rose water. If I feel a bit dry I will lightly moisturise. My skin looks hydrated, my expression lines r plumped out. Fab!!

I started out very excited about he oil cleansing method. I liked the way the process felt & the way my skin felt afterwards and it actually seemed to darken my skin color (which I liked because I am very pale naturally)
However, in my case, there were some real negatives two - I suddenly gained new white bumps around my eyes, and despite everyone else's experiences that say it reduces wrinkles - my skin actually seemed more stretched out and there was an obvious increase in the appearance of wrinkles on my face.
I really wanted to stick with it but the degree in which wrinkles became more evident was quite disturbing.
I am thrilled for those this works for but doesn't seem to work for me.
P.S. I used a combination of EVOO, Castor Oil, and a bit of Coconut Oil. My skin felt great - did not dry out or break out but negatives above don't seem worth it. continued >>

I found out about the OCM online and through MUA. Because I already had mild but persistent acne I thought I'd give it a try as I had nothing to lose.
How wrong was I.
This protocol landed me in the dermatologists office with a break out unlike anything I have experienced since my teens. I could easily qualify as a "Before" candidate on one of those Proactiv commercials. We're not talking mild acne anymore.
I didn't give up right away: I went online, did my due diligence....tried different oils, doing it every other day, steaming vs. not steaming, etc.
It didn't make a difference.
Castor oil and olive combined gave me hard waxy plugs. Castor and grapeseed gave me severe cystic acne.
Castor alone didn't do much.
I also think the trial and error nature of the method makes it less cost effective than most would have you believe. One oil doesn't work so you buy another. *That* one only comes in a jumbo sized bottle etc. My vanity is now a cluttered wasteland of OCM duds.
If you've never tried this method before and you have oily, sensitive or acne prone skin, my advice would be to proceed with extreme caution.

I am currently take Vitamin B5 for my acne & noticed it starting to work after this first month. However, using the OCM completely set me back! I was blaming my cystic breakout on everything else I could think of because I really wanted this to work me & yes my skin did feel rather soft. I am in complete horror as to what this has done to my skin. HUGE CYSTIC UNDER THE SKIN ACNE THAT WILL NOT GO AWAY! I am doing everything in my power to clear up what this has done to my skin. continued >>

Well the jury's still out on this one. I've been doing the ocm for a few weeks now. I have good days and bad days, but I've had really bad skin for the last year or so, so thats nothing new. On the good days, my skin looks better than I can ever remember it, plump, glowing & smooth and its taken away a lot of the redness and irritation I get. On the bad days I have a few spots. Now this could be nothing to do with the ocm at all as my skin was bad anyway. For the benefits i've had from this I'm definatley going to keep going with it as overall there's been a definate improvement and my face looks much calmer than it did (even my bf commented on it and he never notices anything). I've been using an aromatherapy blend which contains grapeseed oil, chamomile, vitamin E and mandarin oil. I was terrified of putting oil on my face but after reading all the good and bad reviews I decided things couldn't really get much worse and I'm glad I decided to give it a go but I am worried that the good effects I've had wont last forever. I might update this in a few weeks. continued >>

If this method works for any one- you are very lucky!! I will NEVER try this madness again as I had a breakout that was so massive that I didn't want to leave my house... ever! or at least the madness went away!

Okay, so let me just start out by saying that I have tried just about every cleanser known to woman kind. I never got the results I desired so badly; I remember Laura Mercier cleansing oil working very well with my skin, which is sensitive and pretty normal for the most part. I had clogged pores always though, just looked blah, no glow. Enter OCM, WOW is all I have to say!! You have to be smart about this though and listen to your skin, as well as take care of it from the inside out. I use what most everyone else here uses 1/3 cold pressed castor oil, 1/3 EVOO, but also 1/3 almond oil as well. I have't read people using the almond oil as much. My skin just drinks it, my pores are cleared out (serious sebum plugs first few washes) and through out the day my skin GLOWS and is so dewy! All I need is moisturizer (CeraVe) because oil does't moisturizer it just locks in the moisture already there. I do choose to use a little Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Daily All-In-One B.B, for that added protection. I also use a diluted mix of distilled water and ACV on my face in the morning after I splash with warm water and pat dry. It just seems to shrink my pores, even my skin tone even more and make sure there is no build up of oils in my pores. I think that's where a lot of people make a mistake with this, and think it's breaking them out. Use the ACV and a nice balanced mixture, always LESS castor oil, and massage, massage, massage. I also do a brown sugar EVOO scrub all over including my face once a week, and a turmeric and lemon paste for spot treatment (hyperpigmentation from hormones after having my baby.) If you do this right it works beautifully. Coconut oil is a great mix for OCM, virgin, cold pressed, as all the oils should be if used for cosmetic purposes. I also oil pull with it, and take a tablespoon a day internally. I drink "golden tea" twice a day. Never had better skin, I have skin I have only dreamed about as of now.
*Edit* I can only use this method twice a week. Also I can ONLY use organic hemp seed oil, camellia oil broke me out so bad, as well as EVOO, and apricot kernal oil, just about every oil actually. I had gorgeous glowing skin for 2 weeks, then BAM cystic acne, and all around my jawline and neck. I haven't had skin that awful since I was 16. I thought my acne days were behind me, and then I went to OCM and realized yes, I do still have acne prone sensitive skin. I was just so use to not having problems with my skin I thought I could use anything I wanted on it and play around with oils, and glycerin, and masks everyday. WOW how wrong I was. Now my skin is slowly recovering thanks to Chagrin Valley grapeseed and shea complexion soap, hemp seed oil (only twice a week with ocm) and asprin toner daytime. But what really turned my skin around is Wallgreens alpha hydroxy 8% cream (will write a separate review.) If I can call anything my hg it is that! So I guess it just goes to show, once you have sensitive skin you'll always have sensitive skin. I hope this helps if you had this same experience with ocm and thought you were doomed!

AHHHH! This expresses my current frustration with the worst breakout I've had in over a decade.
To be fair, it started out beautifully. I figured that since I am in my 30s I should start adding a little more oils and lotions to my routine. I have always had breakouts, but they have been mainly clogged pores in my late 20s and 30's. The first two weeks were wonderful, I experimented with EVOO, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil. They all worked out well.

I finally stopped using OCM last week, about 4 weeks in because I started noticing red bumps on my forehead. And this week, all hell broke lose...and then some. Really bad inflamed breakouts all over my face, but especially my forehead. I don't know if I was too zealous or if I am purging, but I am not ok with this! If I need to purge for weeks on end, then I simply can't do it. The acne stresses me out too much.
For now, I am just struggling to get rid of this breakout. Maybe after this traumatic experience is behind me I might attempt it in small does again, because I loved my skin feeling so soft....but so not worth it for me if it causes me to breakout this badly again!
Glad it worked for some people....but unfortunately not for me =(

I have found my new perfect way to 'wash' my face - with OIL! Who knew!
I am 35 with dryish skin and a few fine lines. I have never had acne and I have found that sweet almond oil alone works best for me, there is no need for me to use castor oil. This is because castor oil is very drying, and also good for drawing out spots (which I don't have). Castor oil is recommended for oily, blemished skin, however.
I did try the OCM with a drop of castor oil, but SAO alone is good for me, as I have mature dry skin. I have also used avocado oil, but I prefer the thinner consistency of SAO. I buy me sweet almond oil in Asda for about £2 in the cosmetics aisle. I bought my avocado oil in Booths for about £5.
I do not pre-mix batches, instead I merely pour it out of the bottle into clean hands, warm it in my hands slightly, then massage my face for about 20 minutes.
This is very relaxing and I do feel the tiny plugs popping out - they feel like grains of sand. I wipe them on the back of my hand as they appear and keep massaging. It is very satisfying to see instant results!
As I have redness on my cheeks, I do not use a boiling hot washcloth to steam my face, I use a lukewarm one. After 2 steams, all the oil is removed. I do not rub, but wipe the oil off my face. The OCM is cheap and wonderfully relaxing.
Afterwards, my skin feels like it does when I have had a salon facial, soft, plump and hydrated. I do the OCM a couple of times a week, and I and others have noticed my skin is more radiant. I haven't yet noticed any reduction in my cheek redness/rosacea/thread veins yet, so am planning on trying adding rosehip oil or hempseed oil to the mix.

OCM is the best skin care secret on the market, mostly because it's the reverse of what we are told about our skin and its needs. OCM changed the way I look at skin and definitely gave me a new perspective on not spending a fortune and still getting the best possible results.
See this blog for a bit more info:
http://soapofftherope.blogspot.com/p/oil-of-gods.html

I have been using the OCM for a little over 4 months. I use a mixture of equal parts castor oil and extra virgin olive oil. I mix it up, keep it in a pretty jar, in a dark cool place. When I first started I had awful acne all over my face. I didn't have a ton of cystic acne, but when I did get some every few months, it would leave deep scars. I had tried everything, and switched to completely organic store bought products before trying this. Nothing worked.
Now, once a day, I do the OCM. A lot of articles I read said to use a generous amount of oil, but I've found if I use a smaller amount it works better. I spread it over my face and then massage for a minute, and then let it sit for about 5. I massage for another 5 and then wash my hands. I use thick wash cloths, and run them in the hottest water I can stand. I drape it over my face and lean back, letting the cloth cool. I massage again for about 30 seconds, and this is usually when I feel my face getting clean. I steam again, and before wiping, clean and warm the rag again. If I feel any residual oil I will just get the rag warm again and wipe. Steaming more than 2 times usually dries my skin out.
I've tried other oil mixtures before, but this seems to be the best fit for me. I have pretty normal skin that leans towards the sensitive side if I'm not careful. 4 months later, my skin is almost completely clear. I have a few clogged blackheads on my chin, but they're clearing up over time. My skin tone has evened out (I also do a honey/aspirin mask & yogurt mask twice a week) and I rarely wear any actual foundation or concealer.
This method has changed my life. Before I always felt gross and dirty, and it seemed like every time a pimple cleared 3 new ones would show up. I tend to avoid moisturizer just to keep my skin as clear as possible, and I don't have dry patches or feel tight.
I think the most important things are to make sure you don't over steam, to massage for more than 30 seconds, and to use a clean rag every single time. continued >>

This cleansing method has been the saving of my skin. I am 40 and was just beginning to see the sudden loss of hydration and skin texture which seemingly comes along with this age. My skin got in such a state that it had dry scaly patches and the beginnings of dhydration lines on the cheeks. My skin had also recently become sensitive to many skin care ingredients I had previously used with impunity. I have also had lifeling bkackheads on nose and My foreheqd between the eyes. Although I was able to control them with diet Ive never been completely free of them.
First things first. The oil you use makes or breaks this routine. If you have dry skin like me occassional use of just 10% castor oil will make your dryness worse. So will using this cleasing method as an everyday routine. I use straight extra Virgin olive oil only and it works very well. Castor, rice bran, apricot and almond oils were all to djying on my skin. Any oil has the power to dissolve sebum so castor oil isnt necessary.
I also only steam my face a few times a week. On my off days I use the extra virgin olive oil as a makeup remover on a cotton pad and then use a warm wet facecloth to gently wipe any excess off. More isnt better, an steaming your face daily could lead to surface capillaries if you have sensitive skin.
Now the results Ive receved from using the oil cleansing method....
Clarification of my black heads. They didnt all pop out or clear up. But I have seen a giod reduction in their appearance.
Skin dryness if no longer an issue.
The texture of my skin has improved. Enlarged pores are shrinking and oerall the skin has a dewy sheen.
Reduction in the appearamce of fine lines. My skin is much better hydrated now and Ive lost crepey-ness under the eyes and a softenng of crows feet.
This cleansing moethodnproves just how terrible commercial cleamsers are on the skin. A lot of the skin problems Id put down to aging have been helped tremendously with this cleansing method.

This review is for the OCM - personally I use grapeseed oil/castor oil. approx. 50/50. - I HAVE COMBINATION SKIN - THIS MAY NOT BE THE BEST OIL FOR DRY SKIN.
It's best to buy the bottles and tranfer is into smaller travel size bottles for contamination purposes. I got my grapeseed oil for $3.99 CAD and castor oil for $9.99 CAD.
A lot of people are saying that they HATE this method because they're saying how it worked great and their skin was glowing and bright and clear and then a couple days/weeks later, BOOM, their face breaks out.
Some possible causes for your breakouts could be:
-Not using non-comedogenic oils (give jojaba oil a try)
-Not massaging your face long enough (the dirt and oil is only half way out and then you stop, causing a blockage)
-Not rinsing the oil off completely *use a warm baby washcloth(try not to rub your face too much(this will cause irritation) Hold the washcloth onto your face then gently wipe off the oil in a downward/outward motion(pushing up will push the oil into your pores). Don't forget to wipe around your hairline!!! Repeat- wet the washcloth a few times and do this. *
Last but not least, TIME! You need to give your face time to adjust and time to purge. The oil(especially castor) is sucking/dissolving the sebum from your pores. Thats why people say that they are feeling tiny grain like pieces on their face when they massage. Those are blackheads/impurities/dead skin cells popping out from the oil.
Your skin will purge before it gets better. The reason that you get pimples from this is because the oil is pulling up the oil from the deeper layers of the skin(causing a cyst, or a pustule). BUT with continued use, you will eventually pull that pimple to the surface(the top layer of skin).
* Another reviewer suggested using a clay mask after doing this method- I think thats a great idea! this will help absorb excess oil. My dermatologist always suggests masks because they stay on longer that cleansers so you really benefit from them*
Overall, I think this is a great method for deep cleansing/removing makeup. I do not use this method everyday. Every second of third day is better for me because the castor oil can dry out my skin. *ALWAYS USE A MOISTURIZER, EVEN AFTER THIS METHOD + EVEN FOR OILY SKIN TYPES* OIL DOES NOT MEAN MOISTURE! :)
Hope this helps! P.S. Check out my notepad for my cleansing method and masks, along with tips and tricks for a healthier, clearer complexion :)
UPDATE: For some people, depending on the kind of oil used, they may need to add an emulsifier since Water does NOT dissolve oil. Other people may not need it. It's completely personal preference. A lot of people are adding 5% Polysorbate 80(an emulsifier) to the mix. :)

Day One: Last night I tried the ocm using 100% castor oil. I massaged it onto my skin for about 7 minutes and I felt about 2 little "sand" like particles come out from my skin. Then I used a clean wash cloth soaked in hot-ish water and wiped away some oil. Then, I filled up my bathroom sink with hot water and steamed my face for about 10 minutes. Wet my wash cloth again, and wiped away again. Then I used my Purpose facial cleanser to mildly "clean" my wash cloth. I soaked it in hot-ish water again, and buffed my skin with it this time. Maybe once more just to make sure that I got as most oil as I could off my face.
I woke up to beautiful, glowing skin. I touched my chin and nose area, which are always rough to the touch because of clogged pores, and dang it felt SO smooth. My one blemish that I have didn't go away, just became less red. All I did in the morning was rinse my face with warm water, then splashed some cold water on it to close my pores. Then I sprayed my beloved rosewater on. Throughout my day I wasn't less oily, sad to say, but I think because the castor oil dries out my skin, causing me to still produce all the oil that I usually do, so I might add another thinner oil. I'm also debating on weather or not to wash my face in the morning with a facial wash, because I don't want that to interrupt the effects of ocm. I will start to use baby wash cloths because those are a lot more gentle than wash cloths.
I will update after my first week of using the ocm. (:

OK, Ladies.
Let me make something clear about the OCM method.
First of all, I don't think that it's suitable for everybody. My sister for example has been using it for 5 months and her skin is like baby's bottom (and she's 30). For me it wasn't great, at least to say. I have ended up with cystic acne after using it.
Yes, you should use castor oil for this method, but bare in mind that you should castor oil should make AT MOST only quarter of your oil blends. Why? Because it has been proved by science, that castor oil has the most similar formula to our natural sebum. What does that mean? It means that the more castor oil you will use, the more sebum you will remove from your skin. Most of you will think,oh that's great, it will make my skin clear. WRONG!!!!! Your skin will think, that something is not right and will start to produce more and more sebum, as it's function is to protect your skin. So remember: the more sebum you will try to remove, the more sebum your organism will produce.
So for example you can make blend, which contains 75% of apricot kernel oil and 25% of castor oil. NO MORE
ANOTHER THING
You will not remove this oil blend from your skin simply by rinsing it off with water. Use muslin cloth. It will exfoliate your skin gently.
How to do it?
Rub you oil blend on your face. In the meantime, soak the muslin cloth in hot water. Squeeze excess of water and place the muslin cloth on your face. Leave for about half a minute. The heat from the muslin cloth will open your pores. NO RUBBING AT THIS STAGE!!!!
Rinse the muslin cloth in hot water and place it on your face again, pressing it gently, then you can start rubbing. Repeat.
At the end rinse your muslin cloth in cold water and place it on your face. By doing so, you will make sure that your pores will close.
After that you can apply rose water tonic and moisturizer, or just leave it.
As I have said, I really don't think that this method is for everybody. It may work for some, and some people may end up with the worst acne ever.