Natural Skin Care

     
Hello everyone! I hope you all have had a blessed week!

     Today I have chosen to follow up on my previous article, "My Modesty Journey". Yes, this is the post that I said I would do on what I do without make-up (a.k.a. what I do for acne.)

     First off, you should know that I like to use things that are as natural as possible. Chemicals on your skin can cause bad damage and thus are not the best option. I have learned & am continuing to learn about natural remedies and all natural products to use in daily life. 

     Also, natural things for your skin are cheaper than any chemical-laden thing at the store!

 So, to continue ~
    Did you know that while make-up can "cover-up" imperfections it actually can damage your skin in the long run? Just something to think on ; - )

   *Important ~ let me just say that I am not a doctor or anything close to that. I  am merely sharing this information for the (hopeful) benefit of others. I am also not suggesting that the items below are cures for acne or that they will work for everybody. I am only writing what my personal experiences have been with these products & am giving instructions on how I use them.*

     Before I use any of the natural things below, I make sure I have a clean face. I wash my face at least once a day. Most experts on skin care say to wash your face no more than twice a day. You do need some oil on your skin for protection!

     I believe that these are some really good natural things to use when washing your face:

~ Baking Soda

~ Apple Cider Vinegar

~ Coconut Oil
~ Witch Hazel

~ Palmstones (can be purchased Here)

~ Soaprocks (can be purchased Here)

~ A Honey, Salt, Cinnamon, & Baking Soda Mixture

~ Lavender, Tea Tree, & Purification Essential Oils (Purification oil from Young Living - Here)

~ Burt's Bees Pore-Refining Mask with French Green Clay (I don't have a link for it)

     Well, those are quite a few to get you started! I will now list what each of these have done for my skin & how I use them.

~ Baking Soda ~ is a great exfoliant & it really deep cleans my skin when I use it!
     Just wet your face, apply baking soda on it, & scrub hard! Then wash off & follow with a skin toner such as apple cider vinegar or witch hazel.

~ Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) ~ has been a great skin toner & has helped brighten my skin. The acidic properties in it will perhaps irritate your skin a little and/or redden your face - but with me the redness and irritation has never lasted too long.
     Just wet a cotton ball/cloth & apply all over face and neck. Note that it does have a strong smell and the smell will stay for some minutes.

~ Coconut Oil ~ while most oils can have negative effects on acne, I have found that coconut oil actually helps reduce the redness of mine! I use it every night by applying it all over my face and neck - it helps keep my skin hydrated, soft, and nourished. (With extended use I can see some extra 'glow' in my skin after it has soaked in!)
    You don't need much of this oil & it soaks in fairly quickly! I love coconut oil! It is SO good for many things!

~ Witch Hazel ~ has been a good skin toner for me. It doesn't irritate my skin very much at all & tones nicely.
    Use after washing your face but before using a moisturizer.

~ Palmstone & Soaprocks ~ are made from whole herb extracts, are mild, and long lasting. You can read more about them on the pages I linked above. Each stone we have purchased has had an individual smell!

    Use to wash face and follow with a toner. I usually rub the Palmstone against my hand until I have a good lather, then I apply to my wet face. I then apply baking soda over the soap and scrub. A great combination and it cleans my face really well!

~ A Honey, Salt, Cinnamon, & Baking Soda Mixture ~ this mixture is actually a facial mask. I use it every so often and it does work quite well. It does sting a little, and when I wear it I am playfully called a bear :)
   Recipe is as follows: 21/2 tsp honey, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 2/4 tsp sea salt
   Mix all ingredients together and apply to either whole face or just certain areas. Leave on for 10-15 minutes, then wash off with warm water. Using it up to 3 times a week is good - or even more if you wish.

~ Lavender, Tea Tree, & Purification Essential Oils ~ these essential oils have been very good to use for helping with acne. I have found that lavender helps me best with reducing redness, and tea tree helps me best with drying pimples. Apply the essential oils on a clean face to your problem areas.
   Purification is so strong that I hardly ever use it; it burns my face - bad. Some say to apply almond oil to your face before applying purification; but I do not because I don't think the purification will be able to soak in very well with oil underneath it. So I just let it burn. 
   Purification is one oil that I would not recommend applying all over your face! Be careful with it!

~ Burt's Bees Pore-Refining Mask with French Green Clay ~ If you can find this, I would get it for 'every so often' usages. It has directions on the box it comes in, and it applies dark green and dries light green. My siblings say I look like a monster when I have this on! lol
   Applying the mask once (or twice) a week has been good for me.

   So, these are a few natural things that have helped keep my skin look bright, fresh, clean, and healthful. 

   * On a side note, if you wear, or will be wearing make-up, please consider non-comedogenic make-up (which means that it tends not to clog pore or cause blackheads.) With a little searching, you can find companies that sell such products. 
   Just type in "non-comedogenic"or "natural" make-up in a search engine and it should be able to find multiple sites for you. =)

Query of the Day:

   Do you wear make-up? Why or why not? Please explain.