The Basics: Step 1, and There Aren't Many More

Olive Oil, from the fruit of peace.When we in the Western world think of olive oil, cooking is what comes to mind. Whether it is dribbled over salad greens or used to dunk some crusty bread, Olive oil is a staple in most modern kitchens, just as it was thousands of years ago.

It too, as it was in ancient times is a cleanser, a moisturizer, an all-purpose beauty liquid.

While it might seem counter intuitive to say, put oil on oily skin, on merely dirty skin, olive oil does quite the opposite. The oil helps whisk away impurities, dead skin cells and holds in valuable moisture without being greasy.

This is the basic cleanse.

All you need is one bottle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO). Decanting it into a plastic bottle is recommended for bathroom safety,unless you buy the kind in a large can. You don't have to have the top of the line EVOO, but a nice deep green fruity oil, from the first pressings can be found for under ten dollars. Virgin and Light can work, but while I am not a scientist, I do think using anything other than the EVOO is akin to fresh green beans vs. canned. The nutrients won't be all intact.

Put a dime to a quarter sized drop of the oil into your palm. Emulsify between both palms and gentle rub all over your face. It is a miracle makeup remover, especially for tough waterproof mascaras. Massage for a minute or so. You, if you're prone to blackheads like myself, feel some of them dislodge. Make sure to also get your neck (why have a pretty head balanced on a less attractive neck?)

At this point you can do one of two things:

A. If you have oily skin, or plan on wearing makeup
Wash off the oil with a warm washcloth

or

B. If you have dry skin and/or would like to hold some extra moisture in:
Wash off the oil with a soft, dry washcloth

If you're doing this in the morning, don't forget to use a sunscreen with a high SPF. All the work in the bathroom will be for naught if you expose your face to the primary source of wrinkles--the Sun.

A few times a week, when you have time, you can hold a warm washcloth over your face for a few minutes. It should help loosen a bit more of the impurities, and, if anything is relaxing.

From my personal experience, and from the feedback I have recieved from friend's I've turned on to the Olive Oil Clease, within a week their skin was softer, and clearer.