Oils for Face Cleansing

Olive Oil for your face

Oil for your face! That doesn't sound right at all, but yes, yes, yes, it really works. 
Yes, it may sound very contrary to clean your face with the very thing that you want to remove from your face but read on and be amazed.

This Oil Cleansing Method is gentle enough for the whole family but take extra care of you have acne or other sensitive type skin. Do your research because I am sure there is a blend that works for all skin types.

Here is a quote from The Simple Mom which was taken from acne.org

http://simplemom.net/oil-cleansing-method/

Oil dissolves oil. One of the most basic principals of chemistry is that “like dissolves like.” The best way to desolve a non-polar solvent like sebum/oil, is by using another non-polar solvent similar in composition: other oils. By using the right oils, you can cleanse your pores of dirt and bacteria naturally, gently and effectively, while replacing the dirty oil with beneficial ones extracted from natural botanicals, vegetables and fruit that heal, protect and nourish your skin. When done properly and consistently, the OCM can clear the skin from issues like oily skin, dry skin, sensitive skin, blackheads, whiteheads and other problems caused by mild to moderate acne–while leaving your skin healthy, balanced and properly moisturized.”

I couldn't explain it better myself, so how is it done?
I use two main oils: Castor oil and Olive Oil, any brand of extra virgin unrefined will do.
Castor oil pulls out all the toxins, oil build up, blackheads and surface dirt from the skin and is actually quite drying. This makes sense as it is a laxative when taken internally so when applied to the skin it does the same drawing and cleansing role. 
Olive Oil is a rich moisturising oil which hydrates and nourishes the skin. Its like liquid love on your skin, soothing, balancing and enriching to bring your skin to an awesome glow. 

What do you need?
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: 1l @£7.00 available in local supermarket
Castor Oil: 150ml bottle @ £2 in local beauty supply stores
Recycled pump bottle or a dark glass bottle
Clean face cloth: I suggest a clean face cloth for every day so buy a bundle!

To start, you may just want to experiment with a teaspoon of each to see how your skin responds and to get the ratios right. Try to be consistent for a 7 day period and note the results.

To Make
Fill three quarters of empty bottle with olive oil and the rest with castor oil. 
Put the lid on and shake to blend the oils
Label the bottle 
To Use
Use about a 50 pence sized piece in your hand and massage onto your dry face
You do not have to remove makeup as this will do it for you
Massage onto your face as this brings the blood flowing to your skin while you are cleansing with the oils.
Soak the face cloth in water that is as hot as you can take it. Warm to hot is fine.
Cover your face with the face cloth and allow the heat to saturate your skin for a few minutes. This is quite enjoyable as you can feel your skin responding.
Wipe off with the face cloth. Actually, rub off to help with the exfoliation and cleansing process. Rinse and repeat until you have removed all the oil blend.

No moisturiser is needed but some have been known to spritz with rose water or use a small amount of oil afterwards, especially at night.
Do this twice a day and you will see a difference in 7 days

Other blends include Coconut oil, Jojoba oil, Avocado oil and Grapeseed oil. So ditch the expensive brands which I have relied on myself til now, save money and glow naturally. 
Have you tried this method? Which oils do you use and with what results?
Leave your comments below.

I have no preference for any brand, I am not paid to advertise any of them and use whichever is the best price at the time. Just so you know! 
Be Awesome Naturally!

Shea Moisture for your Skin

Shea Moisture for your Skin

Today I made a body butter and I am so excited to share this with you. Yes it can be done and made in your very own kitchen.
It's so wonderful to know that what you are putting on your skin contains the very best nutrients without any harsh  chemical additions. The skin is your largest organ and as such we should be very aware of what we put on it, as everything is absorbed directly into the blood stream. At least when you eat something, it will be broken down and eliminated if unwanted but through the skin, its straight to our blood system. Wow! 

I love trying commercial body butters in the store and it gives me thrills to now begin to make my own. I hope that you too will be encouraged to try this at home and begin experimenting.
 I am no expert but I love sharing awesome natural goodness with you.
You really can't go wrong as the ingredients are all so nourishing and good for you. 
The rule of thumb is to use a ratio of 75% solid to 25% oils; this is a guide so experiment and enjoy the process.

I used

• 1 cup Shea Butter 100% Pure Organic Shea Butter Unrefined purchased from an Amazon supplier

• Half Cup Cold pressed Jojoba Oil 

• Half Cup Sweet Almond Oil

• A touch of Vitamin E

Method:Using a double boiler method. I melted the Shea Butter. I did not even have to use the cooker, as I put the solid Shea Butter into a small metal pan which I then placed in a bigger pan filled with hot water. It melted the Shea Butter in a matter of minutes.
While the Shea Butter melted, I measured out the two other oils, which can be any oil of your choice, including Olive Oil, Avocado Oil and Coconut Oil.


I then combined the two oils into a larger metal container (easier to clean after wards) and left it to cool. You can speed this up by placing in the freezer if needed.
When the mixture looks a bit cloudy as if becoming solid, use a hand blender to mix at high speeds for 5 to 10 minutes until you get the lovely frosting like consistency.
It really looks beautiful at this stage. It reminded me of when my Dad made ice-cream the old fashioned way, for those of us who remember having to churn the ice-cream. Yummy!

Pour or scoop the mixture into a container of choice, with a secure lid and place in the fridge for 5 minutes.
The Body Butter should be ready for use having a firm consistency which melts as you touch it. 
All that goodness is now ready to moisturise and nourish your skin. 

Pat yourself on the back now. You have just made your first Awesome Naturelle Body Butter!!

Awesome Tips: 

1. Add Essential Oils of your choice while blending the cool mixture. Some examples are lavender, orange, rosemary, vanilla. I didn't add any to this mixture as I didn't have any manly scents for my tribe and it smells great naturally anyway, in my opinion. 

1. You can replace shea butter with mango butter and a range of other butters when you are experimenting

1. These make great gifts for friends so think ahead and whip up a batch to give away to special people in your life.

Have you made your own body butters yet? Feel free to share your tips! 

Ayurveda 2013

 Say hello to Ayurveda!
Pleased to meet you, I'm sure! Well I hope you will be encouraged to try this and introduce some of it into your hair care regimen 2013 as your time permits.
Be creative always and mix what your hair needs.
Over the past few months of being intentional about my hair growth, I slowly noticed that my hair hates commercial shampoos and conditioners. I was having huge itchiness and unhappy hair just hours after a wash day. As described in another post I began to use a coconutty oil shampoo which worked well but through research I came across Ayurvedic treatments which have been used for years in India. Sometimes we may be using great products but we always have to ensure that we are achieving our hair goals. Mine is growth, first and foremost!
We can see what beautiful and healthy hair Indian women have, so the proof is evident.
As always do your own research and I hope this guides you along the way.

What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is a from of alternative medicine that began in India over 5000 years ago. i found it as I was researching hair loss and thinning for which they have a wealth of information. According to this practice, the quality of our hair depends on our bone makeup as the hair is the last part of our body to receive nutrients along with our nails. If we have too much heat or fire in us through stress, a consistently poor diet, smoking or drinking we will possibly experience hair loss at some point. If our bones are not strong and need nutrients then there is little chance that our hair will get any to grow. All other things being well, of course! There are other causes of hair loss such as hormonal and genetic influences which should also be considered as part of your research which you should definitely do if you are on this post. The Ayurvedic practice uses herbs, powders, teas to support hair growth, strength and shine. All of which we are seeking to achieve.

What should we use?
Each of us is so uniquely individual that we must understand that what works for one may not work for another, so be ready for trial and error. Have fun!!
So here goes for what I have found so far

For cleansing: Shikaki, Aritha
For Conditioning: Amla, Brahmi
For strengthening: henna

In mixing the powders, you would benefit more from mixing 1 part cleanser to 2 parts conditioner so that your hair is not left feeling too dry from being over cleansed. You could choose one cleansing powder to one conditioning powder as a start and then swap at the next wash day. This will give you a better understanding of what your hair likes as you go along. Then you can begin to build up a hair regime that uses as many powders as your hair needs and your time allows.
Another great powder is Neem which helps relieve itchiness and dandruff and is also great for treating lice. It can be included in your powder mix for wash day.
Also recommended is Vatika Coconut Oil and Bhringraj Oil. Bhringraj means 'king of hair' and is recommended for hair growth and to reduce premature graying to be applied as a scalp massage twice a week; Vatika Coconut Oil is used as a pre poo overnight treatment the night before your wash day.
Where do you buy it?
Head down to your local Indian shop where in the UK, a box generally retails for around £1. I suggest you pick up a box of each to begin to build your hair regime. If you choose to continue with this you can easily stock up on supplies so you never run out without even breaking the bank. One box goes a long way! The prices of the oils vary. I have only purchased Virgin Coconut oil from Amazon but have just sourced some from my local health food store.

What are the benefits?
As mentioned above, these powders all contain herbs which reduce hair loss by stimulating the hair follicle hence allowing your hair to grow. They all work to clean and nourish the scalp natures way without stripping away your hair shaft. That are anti-fungal and anti- bacterial. Coconut oil is awesome as it contains lauric acid which is able to penetrate the hair shaft and do wonders to restore our hair to brilliance.

How do you use them?
When you have decided the combinations to use, of which there are millions, start with 1 or 2 tsps of the cleanser to double the amount of conditioner, add enough water to mix to the consistency of mashed potato.
Some mixstresses use herbal tea, like green tea, for their mix.
If using henna, then you could add honey for even more moisturising goodness. Confused?! I hope not, it's well worth learning.

An example without henna
Brew 3 green tea bags in a cup with hot water and leave to cool
Put 1 tsp Shikaki ( cleanser); 1 tsp of Brahmi and 1 tsp Aritha ( both conditioning) in a bowl
Add enough green tea to mix the paste using a wooden or plastic spoon
Apply the paste to your hair in sections to cover the whole head.
Wrap in plastic bag and leave for at least an hour or more, as your hair needs to be happy.

With henna
Add a 10g pack of henna to the mix ( more for long hair, of course)
When you have mixed to a paste, then add 1 tbsp PDF honey and mix thoroughly.
Apply to hair as above.

So I hope this encourages you to include some or all of these and even more into your hair regime.
The cost is great and not bank breaking while the benefits are huge.
You can control exactly what you feed your hair.
If you want a break from shampoos this is a great beneficial alternative.
So go on, give it a try and ask me whatever you need to know and I will try my best to answer, not because I'm an expert but because I love to share.
Be awesome!

Four Natural Hair Care tips that worked for me

Four things I absolutely recommend:

 Moisturise, Moisturise, Moisturise.
This word always appears in 3s for emphasis and with good reason. If you think you are moisturising your hair enough, double your efforts. If you are not moisturising at all, then triple your efforts. Water is the way to go to introduce moisture to our hair. Purchase a spray bottle from a local beauty supply store or a B&Q store or use an old spray bottle from another product (clean it first). Fill it with water and spray it on your hair before styling or handling our hair. You can add your favourite conditioners or essential oils to the water. We have to learn that oil or hair grease is not moisture, water and anything water based does the job. That's the truth!
Check out Curlynikki.com, blackhairinformation information.com for help with this.

Baggy method
My hair is really dry with an itchy scalp and it thoroughly enjoys soaking up some nutritious oils overnight or during the day. Doing this at least 3 times a week has helped my hair by strengthening, softening my hair and energising my scalp. I use coconut oil, avocado oil and jojoba oil mixture for this and have recently added rosemary essential oil. The itchiness has reduced but not gone completely as yet so I have moved on to the next favourite thing that is working for me. So save up all the bags from the supermarkets for future use. I even keep a supply upstairs in my bathroom.

No more shampooing.
I tried Herbal essence blue bottle shampoo which was one of the favourites on YouTube together with Tresemme Naturals conditioner. After each use while my hair felt soft and clean, my scalp was itching like nobodies business. I then stopped the shampoo and used the conditioner only method. No problem but my scalp just itched after a few hours. Next I have now most recently used a mixture of wheatgerm oil, avocado oil, coconut milk and aloe vera as a shampoo mixture. This does not lather but it sure does clean and my scalp has stopped itching.
My first application was quarter cup each of wheatgerm oil, coconut milk and aloe vera shaken together in a glass jar and applied to wet hair. Section the hair and apply to hair strands and the scalp. Let it sit for five minutes and then wash out with warm water. Take your time with the rinsing to get all the oil out.


I found that this mixture left my hair too greasy so I put less oil the next time, especially the wheatgerm. I replaced some wheatgerm with avocado oil. This was an improvement for me.
After rinsing out the shampoo, I rinsed with a quarter cup of apple cider vinegar diluted in enough water to wash through my hair. I let that sit in my hair for 5 minutes before washing out.
I then gently dried my hair with a cotton tshirt. While still damp, I applied shea butter to the ends, braided my hair and tied with a satin scarf.
This is the mixture that worked for me:
1 tsp each of wheatgerm and avocado oil; quarter cup of coconut milk and same of aloe vera gel.
You can adapt and change oils according to your supplies and hair needs.

Let my fingers do the work
I have stopped using combs at present as my hair is manageable enough to do this. The reason for this is that it makes me have to be gentle with my hair and achieve my aim of being more intimate so I can get to know my hair. Because I have been regularly moisturising my hair I find it easier to detangle using shea butter on the ends when necessary. After melting some shea butter between my fingers I then apply mainly to damp ends, massaging it onto my hair at the same time gently separating the hair strands, working through every section of my hair. As I don't leave my hair out, I braid my hair after each section is detangled. Of course, I then stylishly wrap my hair in an awesome satin scarf to wow my family and friends.