Adventure in the bathroom: Part IV

In this next blog, I’m going to talk about my favorite masks and facials!

Most masks and facials on the market contain Alcohol, paraben waxes, and dyes. They will also add “token” ingredients; small portions of recognizable well-known healthful ingredients to make you BELIEVE they are natural. For example, a lot of skin products claim they contain aloe vera, avocado, or fruit extracts. Just because they contain natural ingredients, does not mean they are worth the price jump, or the effects they have on your skin. They include very small overly processed amounts of natural ingredients. Because of all the added chemicals, this pretty much destroys and cancels out any properties these ingredients may have. The best thing to do, is to buy your own from the grocery store, and make them yourself!

What will you need in your cupboard, ready and handy for an emergency skin care?

$10-20lb Bentonite Clay:
This is a MUST for a major skin detoxer! This is grayish white clay; it is not too harsh on the skin, like red and brown clays. You can pick this up at your natural health food store; you only need a few ounces, and it lasts months. Take a small amount(about ¼ tsp)and mix w/ a few drops of water. Spread onto face, and let dry, then wash off. You may notice a bit of redness for up to an hour if you have never used it before. Do not be alarmed, your face will return to its natural color, and your pores will be clean and small! Use once a week, if needed. I recommend moisturizing w/ Jojoba oil after the redness fades.

Egg whites:
Use one raw egg white, spread onto face and let dry, then wash off. You will notice your skin feels an increase in breathing, softness, and pore shrinkage!

$3.00 lb Raw honey mask:
You can pick up raw honey from your local grocer, or specialty health food store. Spread onto face thinly, let sit for 15-30 minutes, and wash off. Your skin will be cleansed and hydrated! It’s an awesome moisturizer!

$3-7 Aloe Vera:
You can buy a fresh piece of aloe, from your grocer or specialty store! It is awesome for scars, calming blemishes, and moisturizing. Slice off a small piece, rub onto face, let dry and rinse.

What are your favorite natural masks?

An adventure in the bathroom: Part II

In this next blog you will learn how to make your own exfoliators and scrubs, and which products are safe to buy.

Now why are the body washes/face washes w/ exfoliating beads so bad for your skin?
Well first off, most of them contain petroleum based wax, as the exfoliating "beads." What this does, is polish your skin with the wax, giving it the appearance that you have just exfoliated and now your skin is "smooth and soft". In actuality these waxes spread bacteria and trap it under the skin, causing blackheads, or ingrown hairs. This is because the pores are filled w/ wax and can't breath. Ladies, if you've just exfoliated, your skin is going to be bright red, as much as this sucks, it doesn't last long, and your skin stays soft much longer!
Once again these products generally contain Mineral oil(effects described in An adventure in the bathroom PT I)

The solution:

Loofahs! You can buy them at your local health-food store, spa, or online for about $5-15 dollars depending on size. They are great exfoliators and all natural.

$11.99 Trillium Organics body polish
This brand guarantees they do not use parabens.
It contains a blend of salt and sunflower oil, as well as sage essential oil.

Now if your a DIY'er like me, you'll love my personal home recipe for soothing body polish, great for using right before you shave!

Sky's Body scrub
1 cup of redmond sea salt/or course salt(you can usually get scented salt in spa supply stores in bulk)
1/4 cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
4 drops lavender essential oil(if your salt is unscented)

Grind salt in coffee grinder, until medium grind, not too big, not too fine. Pour in olive oil, and essential oil, stir until it is a fine paste, add more olive oil if it is too dry.
Then take a washcloth and spread your mixture on, gently scrub, and voila! Keep stored in your fridge so that the olive oil doesn't go rancid. I don't reccommend using it on your face, as it is too rough.

Face exfoliators:

I love sugar:
Try mixing about a tablespoon of sugar, and half a teaspoon of olive oil into a paste, spread over your face, and gently rotate your fingers in tight circles. Wash your face w/ a light soap to remove excess olive oil. The sugar acts as a mild acid to eat away the dead skin, and the olive oil lubricates it off of your face, while moisturizing.

Foot scrub:
Dip your feet in warm olive oil for a few minutes, then buff your feet w/ course salt, rinse afterwards.

Dry lips?
Take an old soft toothbrush, apply a small amount of olive oil to the bristles, brush lips gently to slew off any dead skin.
You can also rub olive oil on them before you go to sleep, and wake up w/ soft lips!

In my next blog I will talk about awesome blemish remedies, and face washes!
Stay tuned ladies, cause you won't want to miss this next one :)

An Adventure in the Bathroom: Part I

Get your minds out of the gutter ladies!
If your a typical woman, like me; your bathroom is probably filled w/ varying brands of shampoos and conditioners, lotions, face masks, cleansers, exfoliators, detoxers, scrubs, moisturizers, and different deoderant scents...I think you get the point! All of these products you probably rotate through, finding that as soon as you find a product that actually WORKS it starts doing the opposite a month later, and you find yourself staring at dead ends and an overused flat-iron. Or; tired dry skin, wondering WHEN your going to give it a break and let it breath.
I used to have a bathroom filled w/ "Wonder Products". Things like Clearisil Icy foaming cleanser, Got2b In Your Face masks and scrubs, Oil of Olay moisturizers and make-up removers, Pantene Pro-V, etc. There's always the "Exfoliating" body washes like Tone, and Caress.
I'm here to tell you that these amazing wonder cures that stop working, or cause an increase of your problem, are actually the root of all evil, BUT not your last source of salvation. In the following series of blogs, I'm going to teach you how to eliminate the majority of your bathroom space stealing products; so get ready to clean your shelves!

About a year ago, I started to go "Au Natural"(No not giving up on shaving my legs and washing my hair EW!) I slowly threw away all my bathroom products, until I was left w/ an almost barren shelf(I had more bathroom products then my whole family combined) I replaced all of my products w/ natural home remedies and natural products.

Now why are the Pharmacy brands of body care products so bad for you?

Moisturizers:
Most of the moisturizers on the market, contain Mineral Oil.
Mineral oil:(a petroleum product) is basically an illusory quick fix for dry skin, but over time your skin can no longer produce its natural oil, and relies on the mineral oil. After awhile your skin becomes immune to the oil and dries out. So; you end up buying WAY more lotion, and switching brands to fight off this over-dried skin problem.

The other main ingredient of lotion, is Alchohol; no matter what name they put in front of it, its still a petroleum product. They add this nifty little ingredient to DRY OUT the skin, so that you don't break out from all the skin irritating chemicals they add.
(If your really curious about all those big words on the back of your products, you can always get this book from your local library: A consumers dictionary of cosmetic ingredients By Ruth Winter)

The solution: Try Organic Jojoba oil, $7-9 dollars a bottle; it mimics the skin's natural oil, great for acne prone skin! It soaks in quickly w/out that icky oily feeling, and you only need a few drops. One bottle lasts months, and it doesn't go rancid! Jojoba oil is also a carrier oil, so you can even buy a little bottle of your favorite essential oil for about $3 bucks at Whole Foods, and add about 5 drops to your bottle of jojoba oil, and have a scented moisturizer.
Where can you buy it? Whole foods, Trader Joes, or the Natural section of your regular grocery store. Don't be discouraged by the price, your skin will love you!

You can also try Raw Cold Pressed coconut oil, about $12 bucks a jar at Whole Foods, or online. It will get rid of stretch marks, smells awesome, GREAT for tanning; it is practically indestructible to heat, so its an awesome skin protector.

Next time I'll give you some great tips on exfoliators and scrubs!