Thursday, March 21, 2013

My Journey to Wellness: Beauty Discoveries I Found In My Kitchen!

I have not been this passionate about something since I don't even know when so you're going to have to put up with this blog taking a serious turn to green!  Some of my favourite discoveries so far have been found in my very own kitchen cupboards! These are my top 4 but I'll keep em coming as I find more...

1. Organic Coconut Oil - There is a reason this is number one. This stuff is AMAZING!  Thank-god for coconuts! I use it for cooking, I use it as a dry scalp treatment (by heating some up and rubbing it into my scalp and leaving it on for as long as I can stand it before washing out and it's been the only thing to clear up my unsightly flakes), a moisturizer for my hands, feet, and body, a cheek highlighter (it makes them shimmer better than any highlighter cream I've tried) , and most recently a facial cleanser! Yes, you heard me correctly.  I cleansed my oily skin with oil last night.  It was scary and I was skeptical but I think I may have discovered that oil cleansing is going to change my life.  Maybe. The verdict is still out so I'm not going to make any rash statements here but I'll let you know how it goes... It's definitely a great eye make up remover though, so get rid of the stuff you're currently using... like now.  It likely contains carcinogenic chemicals and endocrine disruptors.  Thanks again Lancome!  Really appreciate it.

2. Raw Organic Honey - Hmmm…it's not just delicious, it's also antibacterial and great as a face wash!  It's not going to take any makeup off, you'll have to do that first but it's lovely for a gentle morning cleanse or a weekend face mask.  Just wet your face to open up your pours and rub a tbsp of honey in your hands and then massage it in. It smells incredible and I like to lick my lips the whole time.  I even added a little bit of baking soda once to give it some exfoliating suds and my skin loved it.  This is where I got the idea and I trust anything these women say.  I'll say it again…. No More Dirty Looks changed my mother f$%&^ing life! Why do we use harsh chemically filled cleanser to strip our face of all it's natural oils only to put the oils back onto our face with moisturizer that also contains toxic sludge? Why not skip the harsh cleanser?

3. Aloe Gel -  It soothed my itchy scalp and calmed my frizzy hair... It's a miracle plant with so many uses...everyone should have one.

4. Corn Starch - A natural dry shampoo that works just as well as the toxic store bought ones.  This stuff is key in my routine! I think it actually works better than my Klorane Dry Shampoo (that by the way has propane in it which isn't even the worst part).  I'm trying to limit my hair washing to a couple times a week and this stuff really makes that possible.  I sprinkle it all over my roots..rub in, and brush…  Instant shine, no grease, and a volume boost!  I experimented with the "no 'poo" method of washing with water and baking soda and rinsing with apple cider vinegar and I think it was a good thing to do for a few weeks as a sort of detox for your hair but I like shampoo too much to cut it out altogether. Not a big fan of the scent of vinegar in the morning... There are lots of clean shampoos out there but make sure you read the ingredients cos a lot of them aren't what they claim to be…even at health food stores I've seen 'parfum' or 'fragrance' on the label which is often just a code name for a hundred toxic ingredients that they won't disclose. SHAME! You'd have to call the manufacturer to be sure...but I just avoid them cos I'm too lazy to make the call and if you're keeping ingredients from me I'm not interested in your product.


So much fun right? Right?? I love sticking it to the man! The cosmetic industry would never tell you that you can get the results that your hundred dollar face cream gives you with a jar of coconut oil! Give some of these a try and let me know how it goes… : )  Do you have any natural remedies we should know about??? Post them in the comments below. : )

Thanks for reading... : )
Love Desiree Pin It

4 comments:

  1. How did you use coconut oil as a cleanser? Just literally put the stuff on, lather, and rinse? And as cheek lightener - just put it on? I've heard amazing things about coconut oil but don't know quite how to use it! I love your "green beauty" posts - now that I'm pregnant I've been paying so much more attention to what I'm putting on and in my body!

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    1. I've only done this for a couple days so I don't want to suggest it just yet just in case I get a billion pimples, but so far so good. You could try the honey wash too...that's a good one. For the coconut oil, you put a tsp or so in the palm of your hand (make sure it's raw organic), rub it in until it turns to liquid and then you rub it on your face like you would a cleanser making sure you get all areas with lots of makeup... Then take a really warm wet washcloth and put it on your face, leave it for a few seconds and then use it to wipe the oil and dirt off. Rinse the washcloth and do it again. You could rinse afterwards too if you want but it's not really necessary after the washcloth. I'll do a post on my experience with it once I do it for a week...For the cheek highlighter, you just put a little on your finger and lightly brush your cheeks. Congrats on the pregnancy! Perfect timing to start a new beauty routine!

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  2. I should also add that your coconut oil should be organic and it is solid before it warms up...just scrape some out and warm it up in your hands and it will turn into the oil substance you were expecting. : )

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  3. The Farmer recalls the old story of the cowboy riding into town covered in dust from riding the range. He leaps from his horse and ties him off to the rail in front of the saloon. He then walks to the back of the horse lifts its tail and sticks his finger right in where the sun don't shine. Pulls it out and rubs his lips. The old codger sitting by the saloon door can't believe what he just witnessed. What the hell you doing sonny he hollers out. Chapped lips came the reply. YEE HAW sonny boy that won't cure chapped lips he laughed back. The cowboy just shrugged and mumbled as he passed by I know that but sure as hell stops me from licking them.

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