Wednesday, March 12, 2014

natural beauty

This post requires audience participation......the more we hear from YOU guys out there in internet-land, the better this post will be. We can all learn from each other. 
natural beauty products // the little red house
Over the past few years we have become much more conscious about what we put IN our bodies. Real ingredients, no pesticides, no hormones, no "fake stuff".
We aren't perfect, but we try our best to keep the bad stuff out when we can.

The better we got at paying attention to what goes in our bodies, the more I became interested in what we put ON our bodies. My 6 year old has very sensitive skin, and it really got me searching for the right products, without harmful and irritating ingredients.

We aren't 100% natural.....just like our food--we try to do our best--but I don't stress out about not being "all natural, all the time".

Let's dive right in and start out talking about our armpits. (yay!)
Fun fact: I sweat like a beast--I always have. I'd like to think it's because I'm so active......but I'm most likely also sweating when I'm watching TV in the wintertime, it's just how I was made
(so feminine, right?)
I've always sought out the most potent antiperspirants available, but maybe you've recently read one of the [many] reports over the last few years about links between the aluminum in antiperspirant and breast cancer....it just makes me think. alot. I have tried a few "natural" brands of deodorant and hated them all--they felt weird, smelled weird, and did nothing.
And then I found Jungleman All-Natural Deodorant  
I mean.....it's called Jungleman! I have never seen so many reviews for a deodorant. And it only has 4 ingredients! Now here is the thing--if you are switching from an antiperspirant to a deodorant......you are going to sweat. Our bodies are supposed to sweat, but I promise this stuff keeps you from being stinky (did I ask my husband to smell my armpits....yes I did). We will see how I feel about it when summer temperatures start to make me drip....but for now I am a believer.
(ps for some reason the price shows up as $9something. There are a few other sellers on that same page that list it for less expensive)

Moving on.
I never thought I'd talk about makeup on the blog, I am pretty clueless when it comes to the stuff, but I use Bare Minerals Makeup. It's easy to apply, and the ingredients list is a fraction of what you'll find in some of the more popular drug store brands.

homemade coconut body butter
www.inthelittleredhouse.blogspot.com
For everything!!
Remember my homemade body butter? I live in this stuff. If I don't have a batch made, I just use straight coconut oil as lotion--it feels good and you can't beat the smell.
I also take my mascara off with coconut oil, and whenever I straighten my hair I smooth it down with just a little bit. (I have very thick, very coarse hair. If you have fine hair, go easy on the oil)
Another way to use coconut oil that has become really popular over the past few years is Oil Pulling. Have you heard of it? I tried it last year and I have a craaaaazy gag reflex.....so I struggled with it.
The more I hear about it though....I think I might have to give it another try. 

Hair.
If you are hardcore, maybe you use Apple Cider Vinegar instead of shampoo? I have waaaaaaaay too much hair and need my shampoo, but luckily I was recently introduced to Devacurl Hair ProductsThey are free of sulfates and parabens and help keep your hair healthy. Also--if you have curly hair I promise you THESE are the products you want to be using. My hair is so much easier to manage, and SO much healthier since I've switched over.
If you don't need curly specific products, check out Loma Organics for another great option.
Speaking of Apple Cider Vinegar....what do you use it for? (and I highly recommend the Bragg brand--I've tried a few different brands and this one by far tastes the best). I feel like everyone has their own tips and tricks. I've recently been using it a few times a week [diluted with water] as a toner on my face. We take a spoonful daily during this cold and flu season [and by daily I mean we try for daily but half the days we forget.] Check out THESE uses for ACV.


from Canada two summers ago....just because I needed some kind of "natural" photo....you know.
www.inthelittleredhouse.blogspot.com

Let's talk about our faces. Most of you know I was on antibiotics on and off for three years for Lyme disease. While they did their job for lyme (yay!) they also realllllllly messed me up. My face has never ever been the same. My skin wasn't perfect before, but it's a constant mess now, and over the past few years I have tried just about everything on the market--natural--and far from it. I haven't found anything that works (sad face). It's frustrating when I eat fairly clean, drink TONS of water, and really try my best to take care of myself.....and I am constantly pizza face. Last summer I started reading up on the Oil Cleansing Method, and researched, researched, researched, and it pretty much sounded like the miracle I'd been waiting for. After much research, I used a combination of Jojoba OilRosehip OilCastor Oil. I tried it for about 2 months....and nothing.....I actually felt like my skin was [oddly] more dry, and my acne stayed the same. 
Yet I STILL hear about it's wondrous miracles all the time--people SWEAR by it. Are you a believer? Teach me your ways! I really want it to work. I still love the jojoba and rosehip oil and will put a few drops on before bedtime a couple nights a week during this dry winter.
Any one else out there acne prone? 
I'd love to hear what works for you. 

For my kids--I used to get away with just using Dr Bronner's Soap for everything--head to toe. We still use the soap (we always have it in the shower), but they both have too much hair and I don't love it as a shampoo for big kids. Like I mentioned above, my daughter is very sensitive to everything, so I really have to be careful about what she uses. We have loved Kiss My Face Whenever Shampoo and Kiss My Face Whenever Conditioner. I was hesitant at first spending $15 for shampoo for my kids, but I just made sure they knew to only use a little bit, and this bottle is so big it has lasted forever. And it has been great for my sensitive gal and her crazy tangly hair.

I asked on Facebook what some of YOUR favorites were. I was happy to see that many of you shared my favorites, but here are a few suggestions that I am really interested in.
Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay. This has 1700+ reviews! Have you tried this? I think I need to. 
Grape Seed Oil. I have heard so much about the benefits of grape seed oil for your skin.
Shea Moisture. I had never heard of this line (also carried by Target) but just the scents alone have me intrigued.

Helpful Tips: 
*I found this website last year--Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep. I've enjoyed checking some of the products that we use and see how they rate--some not so awesome, and I know I can look for better options, and some things we love rate very well.
*Check out Elisabeth's blog--I especially like these 6 simple steps. I love the idea of not rushing out and replacing everything all at once--just use up what you have and then look for better replacements. Baby steps.
*Don't stress. I don't see us ever living a 100% natural life, and I am 100% ok with that. Don't let someone else make you feel bad because they "use more natural products" than you do. Who cares. I saw a "recipe" for natural toothpaste the other day, and it had coal it. It made me need to go brush my teeth over and over with my minty un-natural toothpaste. oh well.


What would you add to the list? Tell us your favorites!



42 comments:

Aurélie said...

Hi Sheena, I read your blog but do not often comment but I struggle with the same problems as you with my skin and ACV is a must, as you said. I do use it on my face to balance PH and spray lavender water (astringent so good for acne).(I also use it to clean my brush with some sodium bicarbonate). For acne, I moisturise with nigella oil every morning (and hemp oil around the eyes) and use tea-tree esssential oil on spots (I find slightly diluted is better). My skin is a LOT better now.
As for my body, I don't "wash" I use a sisal glove to brush my body and alep soap on dirty "parts" and then moisturise whenever needed with Macadamia oil.
Hope it helps if you try!

Kelly Jo said...

Ahh, so refreshing to hear someone else say that they are ok with not being 100% natural all of the time. It can be easy to start having those guilty feelings and it's something I have been thinking about a lot lately.

I have curly hair and have yet to find a product I love so I'm excited to check out DevaCurl. And the Jungleman Deoderant sounds interesting, as a fellow sweater I have tried every deoderant under the sun. I love the fact that there only 4 ingredients in it!

Becky said...

Hi Sheena! I absolutely love your blog. We made the jump over a year ago to more natural hygiene products. For deoderant I really like the crystal, I buy the one without aluminum. My husband makes his out of tea tree and everclear. When I do Crossfit I spray some of his on and it works it's magic!

I use Bare Minerals as well but also really like Mineral Fusion eye shadow and eye liner.

I swear by the oil cleansing method. I use olive oil and castor oil. I also moisturize with argon oil during the dry and cold months instead of coconut oil. It has made a huge difference for me. I love apple cider vinegar and use it as a toner.

I also have curly hair and swear by the Deva products. I do not use shampoo but use Wen cleaning. I believe it does not have sulfates, parabens, and all that crazy stuff. It's not 100% natural but with my hair, I need something! It has never been more manageable and conditioned. There is a Wen line for kids without any crazy stuff (soy, gluten, etc.- my kids have allergies). My daughters' hair has, again, never been so easy to manage.

I really like Shea Moisture from Target. I use it during the winter.

I also really like products from this website
http://www.primallifeorganics.com/
and have found this guide perfect for our family.
http://purelyprimalskincare.com/
It is a bit pricy but I refer to it all the time.
(We do lean more Paleo with a few sprouted grains for the kids.)

Sorry for the novel! I love this stuff! Thank you for being such an uplifting, happy person!!!

Anonymous said...

We have Green Beaver products up here in Canada that are amazing and very clean.....worth checking out. They have an apres-ski hand cream that I absolutely swear by.

Natalie said...

I used to have really annoying breakouts and oily skin. (Having babies changed that though. Now I only occasionally break out and I tend to run normal to dry. Yay, hormones.) While I'm more relaxed what what I use to wash and moisturize my face, I always go back to Paula's Choice products(paulaschoice.com). My face is/was most smooth and acne free when using her products. She has good range of products and has written several books on cosmetics and skincare. In her books and on her website she talks about skin and how it works. She also evaluates cosmetics and gives rating based on their ingredients(beautypedia.com). (Whether they're harmful, toxic, or potential irritants etc.) She's the one that fist got me seriously thinking about what I put on my skin. I found her acne products worked very well for me. And while they may not be some sort of exotic-natural-wonder-oil, they're gentle and they work. Best of luck to you in your pursuit of clear skin!

Meg M said...

I am the person who commented about he jojoba oil yesterday on Facebook. I use the oil cleansing method for my face, but when I first started OCM, I was using a mix of olive oil and castor oil and then moisturizing with jojoba. I occasionally still use plain extra virgin olive oil, but I found the castor oil was too harsh and drying for my very sensitive, very dry, very acne-prone skin. Once I switched to using straight jojoba oil for the cleansing, rather than evoo and castor oil, I found a huge difference. One other change I made was the temperature of the washcloth afterwards. In the beginning I was using water that was much too hot. I figured that since I was putting so much oil on, I should also be wiping as much of it off as I could, but this logic is so wrong. Now I only use a warm washcloth and never use a wiping motion, only a dabbing motion. One last change (and this may gross some out, but it works for me) is that I went from washing my face every day to about two times a week. Sure, I splash with water every day to get dirt and sweat off, but I save cleansing for twice a week. I don't wear makeup, just FYI. I still have some dryness sometimes, but I simply use a few drops of that same jojoba oil to moisturize. As for the acne, I will always have a few little whiteheads, but the big cysts I used to get have disappeared. I hope you all can find something that works for you!

Ashley said...

Awesome post! I have been using homemade deodorant for 4+ years now and still love it. It's a simple mixture of coconut oil, arrowroot starch, baking soda, vitamin E oil, and lavender essential oils. Glad you found one that works for you! I'm still on the hunt for a natural daily moisturizer with SPF and broad spectrum that isn't super thick and doesn't make my face white [I think that's from the zinc...?]

Ashley said...

p.s Coconut oil has antibacterial properties which makes it good for a deodorant base. The lavender oil [and some others like clove] has natural antiperspirant qualities. Also, no stains of "funk" [not b.o. just that gross deodorant smell, haha] smell on my clothes

Lauren said...

Hey Sheena,

Both my kids have super sensitive skin and the product I use on both of them is the Everyday hair and body wash and the everyday lotion from California Baby. It's all natural, scent-free and keeps them clean. They have had no issues skin wise thanks to this stuff. They are a bit pricey, but totally worth it in my opinion and you can get it at Target.

Sarah said...

The whole family uses Dr. Bronners as a body wash and we use it to make household cleaners and cloth diaper wipe solution, too!
I use a Desert Essence tea tree and Castile soap blend to wash my acne probe face at night, then moisturize with coconut oil and dot Nelson's acne gel (it has arnica and tea tree oil in it) on blemishes. In the morning, I just use a bit of lavender witch hazel to wipe my face and refresh it- and don't even need moisturizer afterward!
Coconut oil we use for moisturizer, diaper cream, oil pulling, frizzy hair serum, etc.
For my baby's eczema we use calendula creme. We all love Alba Botanica hypoallergenic emollient moisturizer for lotion.
On my crazy curly hair- I only wash every few days. I use Alba Botanica moisturizing mango shampoo and Desert Essence coconut conditioner as both rinse out and leave in conditioner. I used to need a TON of different (chemically based, full of 'cones) hair products to tame my curls. But now I literally just use that conditioner and sometimes a bit of coconut oil on my hair and my curls stay defined, less frizzy, but not crunchy.
I'm still troubleshooting deodorant because I too an a sweater. Homemade stuff has never worked :( I ordered some highly rated Kiss My Face roll on deodorant so we'll see. I'd love to know if your deodorant continues working in the summer months. It's my last non natural beauty product!!

p.s. have you checked out vitacost.com?? really great prices on all the products I mentioned, most of which I can't even find locally. :)

SKCranePhotography said...

For acne I use Melaleuca essential oil a few times a day. For those wonderful deep zits (aka boils) I use Myrrh essential oil. Once you start to feel them coming, I put it on immediately and they will go down. Both oils work great for me. I also starting using Trader Joe's tree tea oil face wash and love it. I feel like it helps keep my breakouts down.

Rachelle said...

Egyptian Magic. Buy it. Now! Best moisturizer out there and its all natural girl.

Cindy said...

I don't buy many products but I absolutely love Angel Face Botanicals on Etsy. I just used their organic lavender shea butter on my son's chapped hands and it works great. Smells great too! I also love from Etsy, Darcys Botanicals. I have curly hair and I have tried so many products that don't work. Her products are amazing and work so well. I usually never comment but these two small companies are wonderful.

Unknown said...

I am slowly switching over to more natural products and for my acne I have started using just plain oatmeal to wash my face. I grind up the oats in my food processor and then put a little in my hand and add water to make a paste. I just wash my face with the paste. It is kind of messy but the more you do it the less mess it makes. I keep mine in a pretty glass bottle. For toner I use 100% natural witch hazel and then this lotion called theraplex. Theraplex isn't natural but it is a lotion that my extremely sensitive, acne prone skin can handle. It seems to be working out really well. Also the Proactive over night mask with sulfur is a really great acne mask and spot treatment. I don't use anything else from Proactive but that mask is AMAZING. One bottle lasted me 3+ years. Acne is the worst! Good luck!

Melissa said...

I need to try that deodorant!

I suffered with acne problems my entire life! I had done every magic potion there was and even would get microdermabrasion and facials regularly..

I've found that taking a pre-natal vitamin works, plus taking a GOOD quality probiotic.. Also, making sure you are getting your B vitamins is important. I also take apple Apple cider vinegar at times.. coconut oil on my face at night helps too.

I recently read that a lot of skin ailments can be linked to yeast and fungus in the body.. so the fact that you were on antibiotics for many years would be a culprit... that can build up the yeast & fungus in the body. There are some anti-fungal herbs you can take like Olive Leaf extract... Tea Tree Oil is an antifungal as well (topically).
I know a lot of people love essential oils, which I've been wanting to invest in.
Good Post! :)

tallia said...

Hey I read your blog but have never commented before. Hi! My skin has always been bad (except when I am pregnant, it is completely perfect when I am pregnant) but lately has been pretty damn near perfect thanks to oil cleansing. I tried bthe castor oil, olive oil, jojoba oil whatever oil route but it did nothing. Then I read about using coconut oil and then rubbing a tiny bit of baking soda over the top of that (don't rub hard it's pretty abrasive, obviously), let it sit for a minute or two and then remove with a warm washcloth ( I like to cover my face and let it steam for a bit). Follow up with acv toner and seriously my skin has never ever been better. Oh and I read somewhere about using zinc to treat zits so I bought a badger brand zinc sunblock stick and it totally helps a ton with the little zits that pop up around the time of my period. I am actually not sure if the oil cleansing or the zinc does more. Anyways that is my super long comment! Love your blog!

Jacqueline said...

Hello! I also have acne-prone skin. It's still not perfect, but there are some products I'm loving & I actually think my skin is starting to heal. As far as specific blemish treatments: Osmia Organics Spot Treatment. Seriously. Buy it. Also can't recommend the line Pollen & Wax enough. I use their Orion Facial Tonic, Sinatra Blue Serum, and Provence Complexion Clay, and...whoa. It took a little while, but I really think it's helping. I feel like my skin is healthier than it's been in years. Recently I've started using Osmia Organics Black Clay Facial Soap & I think it's also a great product for gals like us! I actually blog about my oily skin and acne woes (among other things), so if you'd like to read a little more about my product faves, please pop on over to my site!
http://www.extensionofme.net/green-beauty/

Laura said...

I keep reading about Michael Todd organics being really amazing for skin, but they don't deliver to the UK (I don't think) so I haven't been able to try them yet :(

Tallia's comment about coconut oil/baking soda/toner got me thinking though! I personally use a gentle witch hazel face wash, wash off with a clean washcloth and use a toner for sensitive skin, plus Nivea moisturiser (because it's the only one that makes my skin feel properly moisturised). Whenever I use toner I definitely see a reduction in spots! Also, been trying some Bikram...i swear it's really helping my skin! I haven't been for a week & I'm starting to get a few spots, so I think my body's telling me something!

Valley Girl said...

I have absolutely nothing helpful to add, just thanks for all the great info I'm gleaning....thanks ladies!

Anonymous said...

Hello! I am new to your blog and really enjoyed this post. Acne - I struggled with from age 11 until about 15, when my Mom oddly enough picked a tip up from an Ann Landers column of all places. Try an egg yolk face mask. It's exactly what it sounds like. Yes, it is sticky and uncomfortable and smelly. I found that letting it dry completely and then peeling off as much as possible before rinsing with water was the easiest way to get it off. One egg yolk was good for a couple uses, I would just refrigerate it after using every night. After a week I noticed a difference, and within 2.5 weeks no new breakouts or flare ups, just the signs of healing. It was literally a miracle... I had seen several dermatolists and tried many prescription creams and treatments. It made all the difference in my high school experience because I got my confidence back. It isn't/wasn't the easiest thing to keep up so I would slack, but whenever my skin would act up, I would go back to the nightly egg yolk mask and get pretty good results. I started doing it in advance of special occasions etc to make sure my skin would be at its best. That was almost 20 years ago and while I did eventually outgrow (knock wood) acne problems I continue to recommend this to people and most report back that it has made a difference (if they give it time and are consistent). Good luck!

Anonymous said...

Hello! I am new to your blog and really enjoyed this post. Acne - I struggled with from age 11 until about 15, when my Mom oddly enough picked a tip up from an Ann Landers column of all places. Try an egg yolk face mask. It's exactly what it sounds like. Yes, it is sticky and uncomfortable and smelly. I found that letting it dry completely and then peeling off as much as possible before rinsing with water was the easiest way to get it off. One egg yolk was good for a couple uses, I would just refrigerate it after using every night. After a week I noticed a difference, and within 2.5 weeks no new breakouts or flare ups, just the signs of healing. It was literally a miracle... I had seen several dermatologists and tried many prescription creams and treatments. It made all the difference in my high school experience because I got my confidence back. It isn't/wasn't the easiest thing to keep up so I would slack, but whenever my skin would act up, I would go back to the nightly egg yolk mask and get pretty good results. I started doing it in advance of special occasions etc to make sure my skin would be at its best. That was almost 20 years ago and while I did eventually outgrow (knock wood) acne problems I continue to recommend this to people and most report back that it has made a difference (if they give it time and are consistent). Good luck!

melissa said...

i try to be natural with beauty and hygiene products by......not using any. ha. but seriously, deodorant, mascara, shampoo/conditioner (burts bees mostly) about covers it. i would like some nice sunblock, though...

we tried oil pulling but it didn't stick. we do drink some acv every day though, just for kicks. i don't use it on my face or hair though.

yeah, my comment is lame.

Goddess Huntress said...

For color cosmetics I recommend Alima Pure, RMS, BITE Beauty, Revolution Organics, Jane Iredale. Unfortunately Bare Minerals is not so bare and many products contain retinyl palmitate or retinal acetate, which can mutate into a carcinogen in sunlight.

For skincare I adore Tata Harper, In Fiore, Meow Tweet Tweet, Osmia Organics, La Bella Figura, Graydon, Gunilla Skin Alchemy.

For fragrance I love Lurk, Essence of Vali, and Osmia Organics.

I could go on and on!

I will be publishing my digital magazine later this month on healthy nail lacquers, so visit goddesshuntress.com and sign up for my list to be first to receive the mag when it launches.

Anonymous said...

Here's what I do for my skin, and it works great. I've been following this regime for 25 years, and my skin looks 10-15 years younger than my peers. Every morning, I wash my face with hot, very hot, water and a washcloth. No scrubbing, just pressing my face all over with the hot washcloth. Then I put straight-up coconut oil on it, and that's it. No soap unless I've been sweating, and even then I only wash around my hairline. I think a lot of cleansers, soaps, scrubs, etc., irritate the skin. In the summer I don't use lotion at all since the humidity in the air keeps it OK, and I rarely use sunscreen unless I'm at the beach because I can't stand that mask-like feel of it on my face. I use a visor inside. I've had many friends have good luck with the hot water only method. Also, I don't use make up, powder, or anything else on my face because it always feels heavy and like my face can't breathe.

Unknown said...

Hi! I am also acne-prone and always have some breakout. Via Instagram (I think through the user fivechickswellness) I heard of the etsy seller Happy Homestead Botanicals. There is a face oil blend for oily/acne-prone skin. It is fabulous! It really has helped my skin clear up and it also looks supple... You know, the dewy/healthy shine I'd always wanted instead of the oil slick look :/ I don't usually comment but just felt compelled to share. Love your blog!

Jessy Jones said...

Hey Sheena,

First of all, I love your blog! I live down in SL and it's so awesome to see all those beautiful pictures by your home and know that beauty like that is not far away! Anyway, just wanted to mention an AWESOME shampoo bar i found last summer. I have crazy crazy thick wavy hair, and last spring wanted to try the whole baking soda/acv thing. well it worked for a few weeks, but i started to see the baking soda clearly wasn't getting all the way down to my scalp because i had so much hair. i wanted to keep going with this routine, but didn't know how to get my scalp clean. i also tried dr bronners but it just left my hair really snarly. so i started researching and came across j.r. liggets shampoo bars. I AM IN LOVE! They produce an amazing lather, only have a few ingredients, and leave my hair and scalp as clean as ever, and it almost feels the same as using normal shampoo. they are so easy for traveling, and i swear it has made my hair grow faster, probably a good 4-5 inches since last summer. anyway, you can get them on vitacost for $3.29, and they last forever. they would probably last your kids at least a month and half together, and probably last you a good month! I wouldn't bother telling you about it if I didn't think it would work on your thick hair, becuase i have probably as much hair as you do and it has worked wonders on mine! when i travel the only thing i bring is that bar, and use it for my body too. Let me know if you try it out!!! They are amazing.

Jessy

Clawson Family said...

I've never commented on your blog, but I have enjoyed reading it for the past few years:) Thought I would pass on some amazing products I have found and use. I love Annemarie Gianni skin care, it is absolutely amazing and completely natural and organic. I've never had any major skin issues but I started to notice that my skin was definitely staring to show it's age. I having been using Annemarie for a year now and my skin is healthier than it was in my 20's. I also use the make up line RMS beauty, many of their products are natural and some are organic. Everything I have used so far I have loved! I hope this helps:)

L, Ann and boys said...

vintage tradition makes a tallow based moisturizer that has made my eye lashes grow much healthier/longer. I didn't buy it for that and wasn't watching for it...but I definitely noticed a big difference. I'm hoping to stave off wrinkles with the stuff too as I just turned 30...time will tell, but so far so good. ;) The site give directions on how to make your own...but I'm not sure I'll ever be so adventurous. :D

L, Ann and boys said...

Oh and I love you blog :) You made me want to take my kids camping again...

Lauriann said...

I'd love to read a blog post from you on just acne solutions. I'm a 39 year old life long struggler of acne. And I've tried everything. Maybe your wonderful readers have a solution for those of us that nothing seems to work.
And I eat healthy, drink lots of water and exercise all the time too.

Melissa@Julias Bookbag said...

I can't recall if you are dairy free or not...but hands down the main thing that keeps acne at bay for me is LAYING OFF DAIRY -- almost totally. I eat in baked goods, and the occasional cheese (i love cheese! sigh), but if i were to sit down and drink a whole glass of milk, my face would explode. i have definitively tied my breakouts to the dairy. and as i age, my reactions to dairy have become more extreme. not sure if my teen acne would have improved if i had been dairy free back then.

Katherine said...

Oh acne, I hate it. I still have regular breakouts, but I've noticed much improvement when I can manage not to touch my face e.v.e.r. - which is really hard, hence I still breakout. Some favorite natural brands of mine include Farmaesthetics and Chagrin Valley Soap and Salve. Bar shampoos and acv/baking soda literally destroyed my hair, so I use Nature's Gate which isn't perfect, but better than some and makes my hair happy. I actually make my own foundation : cornstarch, cocoa powder, cinnamon, jojoba oil.

Carin Davis said...

I didn't read through the other comments so this might have been said----but I have received AMAZING benefits from Norwex face cloths!!! You wash your face with water only...they contain silver (antibacterial) and they exfoliate at the same time....and you only use water! I clean my whole house with them (not the face cloths...but their cleaning cloths) now!!! Which means I clean my house with water...no chemicals! It is amazing! I am off the Rx I used to take for clear skin. Check it out!

laney said...

...in the event that this may help just one person...over the years i have discovered that( at least for me)biotin and vitamin b causes systic acne...may try eliminating the two for a while and see if good things happen...

Courtney said...

I have acne-prone skin and am pregnant right now. When I started getting the hormonal breakouts this time, I started rubbing coconut oil on my face at night after washing with my normal face wash. I worked wonders! Finishing my first trimester and no breakouts on my face at all! I haven't tried any actually oil cleansing, because I just really like washing my face. In the past, when I have had deep, cystic zits I have used Enessa Clove oil on them which works absolute wonders. Different things work for different people, but using a cleanser with papaya enzymes (there are many, Alba has one but it may be too harsh for your skin, I use Mario Badescu which isn't all natural) and the coconut oil is the best thing I've found in my life. Good luck!

Alisha said...

I've had bad acne off and on since I was 15 and still have it at 31. Nothing made a huge difference- even apple cider vinegar- until I started using tea tree oil a few years ago. Cleared my face up right away. I still get breakouts around my period (and right now I'm pregnant, and broken out), but nothing crazy and most of the time my face is clear.I wash with Burt's Bees Natural Acne Solutions Purifying Gel Cleanser (although not while pregnant since it has salicylic acid), then pour some tea tree oil on a cotton ball, add a bit of water to that to make it easy to spread, and wipe it all over my face. For tough spots, I let the oil dry then spot treat with AcneFree Terminator 10 cream (again, not while pregnant). Those three together work wonders for me.

Unknown said...

Official YouTube Channel of Karen's Body Beautiful

Karen's Body Beautiful offers a wide array of award-winning natural, luxurious, emollient-rich products for hair, bath and body.
Karen's Body Beautiful products don't contain sulfates, parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, DEA or artificial color. The products are cruelty-free and not tested on animals.
Entrepreneur and educator Karen Tappin-Saunderson founded Karen's Body Beautiful, and in just seven short years, transformed her natural body and hair care line from a modest home-based business to a blossoming enterprise with robust internet sales. Karen decided to create all natural alternatives to incorporate into her gift baskets.
Karen is a highly sought after speaker and has participated in a number of business-related lectures and panels. She's also an active community volunteer and continues to work extensively with urban youth, particularly teenage girls. Her company and products have been profiled in a myriad of publication


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gajismarts said...

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Unknown said...

Hey great stuff nice info your passing on remove acne scars

Unknown said...

One more super food known to me is Noni. Those who are concerned about their health may take help from the Tahitian Noni Juice to maintain good health for longer and healthy life.

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