Homemade Facial and Body Scrubs

So to continue my earlier post about skincare, today I want to talk about something equally important as moisturizer... a scrub! Its all good and fine to have your organic Dr. Bronner's as a face wash and coconut/shea butter moisturizer, but you need to exfoliate! Exfoliation removes the top layer of dead skin cells that cause rough, dull skin. By doing this, it also helps all the goodness from your moisturizer sink in! And for those of us predisposed to acne, exfoliating helps cleansers get deeper and work better to remove acne-causing bacteria, dirt, etc. You should be using manual exfoliation (through the use of a scrub) once a week.

Another topic to discuss is salt vs. sugar scrub. Here and Here are some articles you can refer to.

Salt scrubs are more abrasive due to the jagged edges of the salt. On the plus side, salt, especially sea salt and Himalayan salt, provide trace minerals. However, because they are so harsh, they are better used on rougher areas of the body like elbows, feet, and callouses. Now, if you can find a fine grain sea salt, this may be a good facial scrub option for acne prone skin. Salt inhibits bacterial growth and absorbs oil very well.

Sugar Scrubs are more gentle on skin because sugar granules are round. For this reason, it is generally the go-to choice for facial scrubs. Sugar also contains glycolic acid, which is used in commercial peels. Here is more information regarding concerns over bacteria growth in sugar scrubs. Although, I usually make my facial scrubs in small batches immediately prior to using.

Recipe 1- Facial Sugar Scrub

1 Tbs Brown Sugar
2 tsp Honey
1/2 Tbs Olive Oil
2 tsp Lemon Juice

These amounts don't need to be precise. I just generally eye ball it until I have a smooth mixture. I use it on a clean face, and after applying and  gently massaging in, I let it sit for 10 minutes before washing off with warm water. This will make your skin feel incredibly smooth and soft! Absolutely amazing. I don't know where I got this recipe... I think it is a combination of recipes that I developed years and years ago. Each one of these ingredients offers amazing skin benefits and after using it, it is not hard to believe!

Recipe 2- Sugar Scrubs from Wellness Mama

These recipes are basically made with:
2 parts sugar (white or brown)
1 part oil (almond, coconut, olive, or jojoba are great options)

You can also add other ingredients such as a few drops of vitamin E or essential oils. It is important to note that if you're going to make a recipe to put in a jar for multiple uses, you need to make some substitutions. For example, using lemon essential oil instead of lemon juice. And adding some vitamin E for preservation.

Here are some great essential oils for your skin (adapted from here and here):
1. Bergamot (great for acne prone or oily skin)
2. Rosehip seed oil (great for sensitive or aging skin, it helps fade scars and fine lines, and rejuvenate skin. Contains Omega 3,6 and 9, vitamin C, lycopene and linoleic acid. It also moisturizes and boosts collagen production)
3. Clary Sage (reduces inflammation and helps balance your skin's natural oil production)
4. Geranium (helps fade scars and promotes cell growth)
5. Sandalwood (rejuvenating, calming, moisturizing, and fades scars and fine lines)
6. Eucalyptus (great for acne. Antimicrobial, calming, and fights inflammation)
7. Tea Tree (also great for acne, pretty much for the same reasons as eucalyptus. It is as effective as benzoyl peroxide without the side effects. Also has healing properties)
8. Carrot Seed (great for dry, damaged, or mature skin)
9. Lemongrass (detoxifying, regenerative, and minimizes pores)
10. Lavender (calming and antimicrobial; great for mature or acne prone skin)

Recipe 3: Salt Body Scrub

Again, the basic recipe is:
2 parts sea salt (This is a whole other post, but it is important to use sea salt for the benefit of the trace minerals. There are a ton of different kinds from Pink Himalayan salt to Red Hawaiian Sea Salt. Each kind has something to offer)
1 part oil (almond, coconut, olive, or jojoba are great options)

In addition to essential oils, you can add lemon zest, thyme leaves, or rosemary leaves to the scrub for added benefits. An example can be found here

Another idea is to use 2 parts sea salt with 1 part coconut oil and add lime essential oil or lime zest for a coconut lime scrub that smells amazing. I'm using this one currently :)

Anyway I hope this was coherent (Past my bedtime) and helpful! Let me know if ya'll have any other tips, ideas, or comments!

Best Homemade face cream!

First blog entry... hmm... What do I say? I'm creating this page because I have decided to use my time off after recently graduating from Nursing School by going DIY-natural-solutions-crazy. Seriously. Luckily my husband is out of town for the week or I would be getting strange looks every day. The only family members left to observe my new obsession are my two year old and my dogs. The dogs couldn't care less. They just sigh and find a quiet corner to curl up in. My two year old, however, has decided it is time to really step up in the role of Mommy's Little Helper. Unfortunately, some of these recipes are less than kid friendly so many have been created post-bedtime or during nap time. If you happen to also have a Little Helper at home, I will incorporate tips for what they can help with and what needs to be avoided :)

So without further adieu, here is my first recipe: Homemade face cream/face lotion (and basic skin care routine). I got this recipe from The Elliot Homestead. Usually I have to add or change recipes but let me tell you, this one is perfect. I suppose if you don't like the thickness you can change up the oils I little bit, but overall this cream has been a Godsend for me! I have combination skin with plenty of acne and acne scars. Since I started this routine a little over a month ago, my skin is a LOT clearer, a LOT smoother, and my scars are fading. It is magical. Truly. Here it is:

1 Tbs Coconut oil

3 Tbs Shea butter

2-3 drops essential oil. 

- Just mash the coconut oil and butter together using the back of a spoon and add the essential oil. Mix thoroughly and add to jar. It. is. that. simple. And wonderful. This one is pretty Little Helper friendly, I let my daughter help measure and mix :)

Essential oils: the original recipe calls for tea tree oil and this is how I made mine. And I love it. Tea tree oil has plenty of wonderful benefits for skin. It is antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, and great for treating acne. (you can read more about the benefits of tea tree oil here)

Great alternatives are lavender (calming, acne relief, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-fungal), lemongrass (detoxifying, regenerative, and smells amazing), and Rose (good for dry skin and acne). A great chart I found has a longer list :)

One thing to note when using this cream, is that it is very thick and when you first use it you will probably put on too much. But guess what? It absorbs amazingly well and is non-comedegenic (doesn't clog pores). Just use a tiny bit and smooth it out over your skin with your fingertips. Your skin will never be smoother or softer! I promise! If you do not like the thickness, you can switch out one of the Tbs of shea butter for sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, or another Tbs of coconut oil. 

I use this cream morning and night after cleansing my face with a diluted Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castille Soap solution (1 part Dr Bronner's to 3 parts water. I use the Peppermint for my face because it feels so refreshing. More on Dr. Bronner's later!). In the morning, I use Thayer's Rose Petal Witch Hazel as an astringent prior to applying the face cream. And at night, I have recently applying 2 drops of Rosehip seed oil to my face before putting on a small amount of the face cream (mostly because Rosehip seed oil smells awful and this face cream smells amazing). Click here for an article I found that gives the basics behind why Rosehip seed oil is amazing for your face. 

I will write another post with more information about my skin care (I haven't even gotten into my homemade scrubs and whipped body butter!) soon. I will also be posting my homemade recipes so check back soon!

Enjoy!