Skin Type Solution: Acne Prone Skin

Do you have acne prone skin? Try this regime of do it yourself skincare to calm redness and inflammation, extract impurities, and prevent scarring.

Cleansing:

Toning: 

Option 1- Green tea toner:

• Brew 2 green tea bags in 1 cup of water for 6-8 minutes. Let cool.
• Put the mixture in a spray bottle. Mist face after cleansing.

Option 2: Apply witch hazel to a cotton pad and apply to face after cleansing.

Moisturizing: 

A common mistake that people with acne prone or oily skin make is to skip moisturizing, however moisturizing is an important part of everyone's skin care routine. Here are some good options to calm redness and replenish the skins moisture.

Option 1: Aloe Vera gel. Apply after toning as a gentle moisturizer and to heal acne scars.
Option 2: Use a few drops of almond oil or jojoba oil and massage into skin. These are good non-greasy options that won't clog your pores.

Treatments:

1. Once a week make a mixture of lemon juice and raw(unpasteurised) honey, 2 parts lemon juice to 1 part honey. Apply to face and let sit like a mask for 4-5min. Do not get this in your eyes, anyone who has been looking the wrong way while slicing a lemon knows that it burns!

2.

Recipe: Hand and Nail Cream

After posting the Do It Yourself: Natural Hand and Nail Care video I got a request for the recipe for the Hand and Nail Cream. There are several variations that you can make, and I plan on making a how-to video, but in the meantime here is the basic recipe that I used in the video.

1 tablespoons almond oil
2 1/2 tablespoons cocoa butter
1 tablespoon jojoba oil
1 tablespoon beeswax (you can buy it in a small brick and use a cheese grater or lemon zester to shave off the amount you need)
40 drops of your favourite essential oil, or oil mix. I love using lemon or rosemary.

Over a double boiler (I use two saucepans, with water in the bottom one) or in a small saucepan over low heat, warm everything except the essential oil until the wax and oils are melted.
Take the pan off the heat and stir in your essential oil.
Carefully pour the mixture into a small storage container (I like to use sterilized mini jam jars).
The recipe yields a bit more than a 1/2 cup.
Let cool before putting the lid on.

Because of the different oils, especially the cocoa butter, it can take a while for the mixture to set. I set the jars out overnight to solidify before use. Depending how warm/cold it is your cream may set to a different consistency, but it will warm on contact with your skin.

When making this recipe be sure to be careful around hot oil.
Enjoy!

Earth Day Resolutions

Earth Day is a good time to take stock of your personal impact on the environment and what you can do to better the planet. In terms of makeup and the beauty industry in general there is a huge amount of waste. Looking just at makeup we expose problems such as animal testing and animal rights, production of non-biodegradeable synthetic materials, excess packaging entering landfills, dangerous chemicals, and more.
There are a few things you can do to clean up your beauty habits and clean up the planet:

•  Do some research into the products you use regularly: Are they certified cruelty free? 
• Look for products that come in biodegradable or recycled packaging. 
• Recycle packaging wherever you can, look on the bottom of the package to find out. It may be as simple as rinsing out your empty foundation bottle and putting it in the recycling.  
• Make beauty products yourself whenever you can! 
• Try bamboo or vegan makeup brushes.

Happy Earth Day!

Review: Suncoat Gel Nail Polish Remover

Everyone knows that nail polish remover is full of chemicals. You know the minute you unscrew the lid and are hit with the acrid smell of acetone. Even brands that are labeled as being acetone free can contain ingredients such as toluene (a neurotoxin), phthalic anhydride, and petroleum byproducts. Inhalation of these fumes is bad for your health and can cause headaches, nausea, and throat or eye irritation. 


When I saw this product I was hesitant to try it because it wasn't clear if the product would remove all nail polish or only Suncoat brand. I'm happy to say that this product does remove all types of nail polish both natural and not. The packaging is mess-free, unlike many nail polish removers and the gel spreads easily on each nail. The product is corn and soy based and removes polish well, though on tough polish you may need to repeat the process. Best of all there is no chemical smell!

Review: Zuii Organic Eyeshadow- Sunflower

As someone who loves the artistry of eye makeup I am always on the watch for natural or organic eyeshadows. The problem with so many natural eyeshadows is that the colours are usually dull, the shadow fades and creases, and they are very expensive. This Zuii Organic Eyeshadow in Sunflower is one of my favourite organic eyeshadows. It has a bright iridescent gold colour that doesn't fade or crease throughout the day.

 This eyeshadow is also talc free.  Though recognized as safe by the FDA it is speculated that talc has fibres similar to those found in asbestos, a material that is widely known to be carcinogenic.

Review: Thayers Alcohol-Free Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner

     Many people overlook toners because they find them harsh and drying. However this witch hazel toner is gentle, refreshing, and does not strip the skin. This toner is great to use in the summer months, when the skin tends to be oilier, or as a refreshing pick-up after exercising. It has a pleasant scent and makes the skin feel clear and smooth. Though it is remarkably moisturizing for a toner I would recommend that individuals with very dry skin abstain from using this product at times such as winter, where their skin is already battling dryness.

Ingredients: Purified Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf (Certified Organic Filet Of Aloe Vera), Glycerin (Vegetable), Fragrance (Natural Rose) Hamamelis Virginiana (THAYERS® proprietary un-distilled Witch Hazel) Extract, Rosa Centifolia (Rose) Flower Water, Citric Acid, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Tocopheryl (Vitamin E) Acetate.

                                          

Ingredient of the Moment: Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is one of the top natural beauty ingredients. It is known for it’s anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, cooling, moisturizing, and soothing properties. Here are some uses for aloe vera that you might not have known about: 

-Use to sooth sunburns and aid in the healing of minor cuts and scrapes.

-Use to calm rashes and skin inflammation such as acne.

-Use as a gentle moisturizer for lips and skin.

-Keep an aloe vera plant in your kitchen and snap off a leaf for those untimely burns.

-Use as a more moisturising alternative to water when making homemade masks and scrubs.

-Try a bit overnight for under eye puffiness. 

-Use as a hair treatment; simply mix with ¼ cup lemon juice, apply to hair in the shower, let sit for 4min and then rinse well.

-Use a dab as eyebrow gel to keep stray hairs in place. 

Aloe Vera plants can be easily grown yourself, simply squeeze the gel from the plant's leaves, but it should also be commercially available from your local drugstore.