About a month and a half ago I stopped using traditional products of any kind on my face. This is an area I have always struggled in. I have combination skin that even estheticians comment on and, while not as bad as in high school, prone to breakouts. I figured that I had nothing to lose when I came up with the idea for my green tea, honey, and apple cider vinegar (acv) face wash. I do not know exactly where the idea came from other than all my reading. You can only see the same things recommended over and over until you start to think that maybe there is something to it. So I started combining.
I knew honey was good for your skin. Cleopatra anyone? I had also been reading up on the pros of acv on the skin. My thinking was maybe I could mix them together to clean my skin. I then had the thought that it might be too much straight vinegar and my raw local honey is very, very think so I needed something to thin them out with. Why use just water when maybe there was something that would work and add something of its own, but what? Maybe green tea would be good. It is good for you if drink it. What if you put it on your skin? Let's see what the land of Google has to say about it. It turns out I was on to something so on to the lab, I mean kitchen, I go.
I also started using an acv/water mix as my toner that I got from here and a baking soda scrub that I got from here. I have not found a need to moisturize but I do put some avocado oil around my eyes. Chalk one up for vanity.
How did it work? Pretty darn well if I do say so myself. I have had very few breakouts, even hormonal shifty ones. The few I have had have been different. They do not hurt, are smaller and heal more quickly than previous ones. Well as long as I do not pick. My face seems to be less oily and not as dry all at the same time too.
The recipes
Face wash
1 part acv
2 parts honey
2 parts green tea
I just used the green tea I had in my cupboard, brewed a cup and mixed everything in a shaker bottle. My tea was still warm when I put the honey in because I needed to help melt it. It is ok if you need to do this but let the tea cool as much as you can and it still work. If the tea is too hot is will kill off the good stuff in the honey. If this happens you can still use it but you will lose some of the benefit from the honey.
Toner
1 part water
1 part acv
Scrub
1-2 tbsp baking soda
just enough water to moisten
The process
Morning
In the shower I pour wash into my hand and splash it on my face then use a washing motion with my hands. It normally takes two splashes for me to feel like the job is done. You could also pour some on a damp wash cloth and rub it around your face. There is no right way so find what works for you.
This is the point I scrub if needed. I intend to scrub twice a week but it never happens that often. All I do is put the baking soda in a little dish, your hand would work too, and the drip in just enough water to get it wet Then I gently scrub it all over my face and neck. You should treat your neck the same way you do your face.
After the shower I put some toner on a cotton ball and wipe it all over my face and neck. When I remember I also put one to two drops of avocado oil on my finger tips and rub it around my eyes, even the lids. You can use any moisturizing oil such as sweet almond, grape seed, or olive, yep the stuff you buy at the grocery store. There are many options.
Night
All I do here is wipe my face and neck off with a warm, wet wash cloth and then wipe down with a toner laced cotton ball.
Special
I will experiment with masks from time to time as well. So far my favorite is a simple honey and yogurt mask. All you need is a little honey and some real unflavored yogurt. I do not measure this. I just go with small amounts that looks right. You may need to melt the honey just a bit to get it to mix. If so try putting it in a heat proof bowl over a a small pan of boiling water, stirring until it melts just enough to mix with the yogurt. Apply a thin layer to your face and leave on as long as you like.
I hope this gives you some ideas to try for yourself. As always if you try something out let me know what you think, be it good, bad or ugly.
Saturday, 20 April 2013
Saturday, 13 April 2013
Not So 'Poo
I am happy to say that I have found a shampoo alternative that works for me. The are many options out there such as the no 'poo method, which consist putting cornstarch and baking soda in your hair then brushing it out, or a gentle soap such as castile. While people all over the internet swear by the no 'poo method I wanted something more of a liquid but not to the point of soap, even a safe and gentle one. So what is a girl to do?
The answer I have found that works for me is soap nut/berry liquid and baking soda. Soap nuts are a berry that grows on a tree in the southwest Asia region. The flesh of the berries have a natural soap like property. I will dedicate a post to soap nuts in the future but there is tons of info out there if you want to look them up in the mean time.
My process is pretty simple.
Ingredients
15 soap nuts (they come pitted and dried)
4 cups water
1 cup baking soda
You can make smaller or larger batches but I would stick with the 4 parts liquid to 1 part baking soda ratio as it is the ratio that I, so far, have found works best.
Step 1
Bring the water to a boil in a pan with plenty of extra room. Trust me, from experience you will be glad for the extra room when the suds start.
Step 2
Put the soap nuts in the water turn the heat down to a simmer and cover with a vented lid. Let the soap nuts simmer for 30 minutes.
There will be a soap nut scent that at least fills the kitchen. The like-ability of the scent tends to very much depend on the person. I find it different but not good or bad.
Step 3
Uncover and remove the pan from the heat. Let the liquid cool until it is room temperature. Strain out the soap nut pieces and store in whatever container you like. I use mason jars and then put it my shampoo bottle as needed, but anything should work.
Step 4
Add in the baking soda. This will not dissolve. I just shake to mix before putting it on my hair. I also find this creates a little bit of suds that keep the not so 'poo from running off my head as much.
Step 5
Wash your hair. You should not need to wash your hair as much as normal with the not so 'poo. I suggest just waiting until you hit a day when you think (when looking at your hair) maybe today was the next day I should have washed it. Do this a couple of time and you will get a feel of how long you can go in-between washings.
Tips
This does not lather. There is very little that suds or lathers in nature. What you get out of traditional products are chemicals that have been added to produce the effect we have been told to expect.
Put whatever not so 'poo you will not use in a week or two in the freezer. From what I have read soap nut liquid will spoil. I tend to trust this advise and do not chance it. If you want to try it out for yourself it apparently will smell like it has gone bad when it has and that is how you know.
Traditional shampoo of course has tons of scary stuff in it. Even the "natural" brands are not so good. There is another reason to stop using regular shampoo though. It strips all the natural oils from your scalp and hair. You might be thinking, well yeah that is why I shampoo, but those oils are created by our bodies for a reason and you hair needs them. The more you over strip those oils away the more your body freaks out and over produces more.
With traditional shampoo I had to wash everyday as I have an oily scalp. There was no getting around it. With the not so 'poo I am only washing every other day. This may still seem like a lot but think about it. I cut my washing in half. I can even push a third day with only looking a little oily and it not being to the point my hair is flat and weighed down by oil.
I do not condition but if you feel you need something try apple cider vinegar. You can just poor it on and leave it or rinse it out. The vinegar scent should go away as it dries if you decide to not rinse it out.
I purchased my soap nuts as the local natural food store and you should be able to find them at yours. If not you can always find them online. I do not recommend the powders and they normally have other things added to them.
If you try this please leave a comment and let me know how it goes. No matter if it is good, bad or ugly.
The answer I have found that works for me is soap nut/berry liquid and baking soda. Soap nuts are a berry that grows on a tree in the southwest Asia region. The flesh of the berries have a natural soap like property. I will dedicate a post to soap nuts in the future but there is tons of info out there if you want to look them up in the mean time.
My process is pretty simple.
Ingredients
15 soap nuts (they come pitted and dried)
4 cups water
1 cup baking soda
You can make smaller or larger batches but I would stick with the 4 parts liquid to 1 part baking soda ratio as it is the ratio that I, so far, have found works best.
Step 1
Bring the water to a boil in a pan with plenty of extra room. Trust me, from experience you will be glad for the extra room when the suds start.
Step 2
Put the soap nuts in the water turn the heat down to a simmer and cover with a vented lid. Let the soap nuts simmer for 30 minutes.
There will be a soap nut scent that at least fills the kitchen. The like-ability of the scent tends to very much depend on the person. I find it different but not good or bad.
Step 3
Uncover and remove the pan from the heat. Let the liquid cool until it is room temperature. Strain out the soap nut pieces and store in whatever container you like. I use mason jars and then put it my shampoo bottle as needed, but anything should work.
Step 4
Add in the baking soda. This will not dissolve. I just shake to mix before putting it on my hair. I also find this creates a little bit of suds that keep the not so 'poo from running off my head as much.
Step 5
Wash your hair. You should not need to wash your hair as much as normal with the not so 'poo. I suggest just waiting until you hit a day when you think (when looking at your hair) maybe today was the next day I should have washed it. Do this a couple of time and you will get a feel of how long you can go in-between washings.
Tips
This does not lather. There is very little that suds or lathers in nature. What you get out of traditional products are chemicals that have been added to produce the effect we have been told to expect.
Put whatever not so 'poo you will not use in a week or two in the freezer. From what I have read soap nut liquid will spoil. I tend to trust this advise and do not chance it. If you want to try it out for yourself it apparently will smell like it has gone bad when it has and that is how you know.
Traditional shampoo of course has tons of scary stuff in it. Even the "natural" brands are not so good. There is another reason to stop using regular shampoo though. It strips all the natural oils from your scalp and hair. You might be thinking, well yeah that is why I shampoo, but those oils are created by our bodies for a reason and you hair needs them. The more you over strip those oils away the more your body freaks out and over produces more.
With traditional shampoo I had to wash everyday as I have an oily scalp. There was no getting around it. With the not so 'poo I am only washing every other day. This may still seem like a lot but think about it. I cut my washing in half. I can even push a third day with only looking a little oily and it not being to the point my hair is flat and weighed down by oil.
I do not condition but if you feel you need something try apple cider vinegar. You can just poor it on and leave it or rinse it out. The vinegar scent should go away as it dries if you decide to not rinse it out.
I purchased my soap nuts as the local natural food store and you should be able to find them at yours. If not you can always find them online. I do not recommend the powders and they normally have other things added to them.
If you try this please leave a comment and let me know how it goes. No matter if it is good, bad or ugly.
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