A Glimpse of Glam: natural

Oil Cleansing Method

Hey everyone!

Yes you read correctly, oil cleansing method. No, it is not an oxymoron. I am about to explain how you can use oil to cleanse your skin.

What type of skin do you have? Oily, dry, combination, or sensitive? Or perhaps, the thought of figuring out the type of skin you have perplexes you so much you ironically start to break out. Well, guess what? You're in luck!

Okay, fine. This is not exactly a post to help you figure out which type of skin you have, though I will post one soon don't worry. This is to introduce to everyone *drum roll please* ...the oil cleansing method!

Now, don't go panicking! Yes, indeed I did say oil. And yes, what I meant was oil for cleaning your skin. You didn't read it wrong. I'm serious. Oil can clean your skin. Here, lemme explain.

When you use mainstream facial cleansers, they contain harsh chemicals that strips your skin of the natural oils it should contain. Your skin is the largest organ, thus requires a lot of delicate care. When you strip your skin of its natural oils, its left to regenerate oil. However, most facial cleansers out there tend to over-strip your skin of natural oils, which is why your skin tends to overcompensate and regenerate too much oil. This leaves your skin looking and feeling greasy and gross.

The oil cleansing method uses oil to cleanse the skin. Oil can dissolve other oils, dirt and debris. You may find this idea counter-intuitive, but its true! Good skin needs to have the perfect balance of natural oils to heal, protect and maintain homeostasis. The oil cleansing method does not strip the skin of natural oils, yet it still does cleanse the skin.

So, now you might ask, how exactly do you perform this cleansing method? Well, it's pretty simple! The first thing you want to do is figure out which type of oil you want to use: olive oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, caster oil, the options are endless. But, you need to be patient and figure out which type of oil is best for your skin.

Some oils have antibacterial properties, and some oils can be too drying. Yes, I know, even oils can be drying too.

Types of oils: Argan, Morcoccan, Acai, Flaxseed, Olive, Coconut, Avocado, Tea Tree, Rose Hip Seed, Grape Seed, Peppermint, Chamomile, Black Currant, Evening Primrose, Castor, Safflower, etc

**I will make a separate post on the properties of the oils**

Anyways, here's how to clean your skin.

Wash your hands because the first step to clean skin is using clean hands to wash your face.

Get a clean washcloth and soak it in hot water. I mean, really hot water. The towel will quickly lose its heat, so soaking it in really hot water is okay. I know this sounds silly, but what I do is I hold the towel at its edges and I soak it in hot water rushing from the faucet.

After about a minute or so, wring out the towel and place over your face. Let the warmth of the towel open your pores. What I suggest is to gently press the towel against your face, leaving it there until the towel loses its heat.

Repeat this about twice, until your face is slightly flushed.

Pour a small puddle of oil in your clean hands and gently massage it on your face. I like to massage in small circles around my cheeks then move to my forehead. Take this time to relax and really be patient. When you vigorously rub your face, you are going to cause premature wrinkles and hurt your skin.

Soak your towel in hot water again. Press on your face again. Repeat this once more.

Soak your towel again in hot water. Wring it out and press on your face. Slowly massage away and remove the oil using the washcloth, in gentle circular motions. This helps exfoliate your face too.

Afterwards, soak your washcloth in cold water. I mean really cold water because the towel can lose its coldness fast, since your skin is naturally warm.

Place the cold washcloth on your face, pressing gently. This helps close up your pores after you have opened them with the hot water.

Your skin should feel very refreshed, soft, and clean! You can follow up with some toner (optional) and moisturizer (necessity).

This is a very simple method to cleanse the skin and I find that it is way better, more natural method. Keep in mind, it might turn out differently for everyone. I hope this helps you guys, and please let me know how it turns out for you!

Til next time,

3:41 PM
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All Natural Beauty Product: Coconut Oil ...plus a crazy surprising use!

coconut oil

Hey everyone!

One of my favorite beauty tricks is super cheap and affordable. It barely makes a dent in your wallet. I love using coconut oil in my daily beauty routine. It is so moisturizing and the delicious smell makes it all the more better!

Dr. Bronner's Magic All-One fresh pressed unrefined virgin coconut oil

The type of coconut oil I use is unrefined virgin coconut oil. It only cost around $9-10 for 14 oz. Unrefined virgin coconut oil is one of the best forms because the oil had undergone the least amount of processing, so it still holds most of its nutrients. Coconut oil mainly is made up of lauric acid, which gives it its antibacterial health benefits. There are also many antioxidants in coconut oil that can really nourish your skin.

An empty jar I use to store coconut oil

You can use coconut oil as part of your beauty routine, or you can stick with simply consuming it. I suggest to scoop some out and store it in a different jar, if you were to use it as a beauty product. This will help reduce contamination, in case you plan on using it for cooking as well. I store mine in this old empty jar.

This is how it looks in the jar. At room temperature, coconut oil is in a solid form. I like that because it is way more portable than olive oil. When I travel and bring olive oil, I store it in a tightly sealed container and slip it into a plastic bag. But, somehow that oil loves to leak out and make the entire bag a shiny, slippery mess! Now that I have also integrated coconut oil into my routine, I plan on bringing this with me instead!

Room temperature, solid coconut oil

Coconut oil slowly melting on my finger only after a minute

So, I know what you might be thinking. How can I use this oil if it's all solid? Do I go and heat it up in the microwave to melt it? No! Save yourself that extra work. Here's a magic trick: Coconut oil actually melts when it touches your skin because the warmth of your skin makes the oil melt! (Ooh, ahh) Otherwise, if it is just sitting at room temperature, it will be solid. After barely a minute of having that glob of coconut oil on my finger, the oil was already melting!

I like to use coconut oil as a moisturizer for my skin and my hair. I like to rub the tiniest amount in my fingers then comb it through my freshly-washed wet hair. I also use it on my lips as a lip balm. Some people like to use it as an eye cream for the nighttime because while it has antioxidants and will nourish and moisturize your skin, it is super gentle and good for sensitive skin. I have sensitive skin and this works great for me!

Coconut oil can help heal wounds faster and can help protect your skin. This is a great alternative to many commercial beauty products because it is all natural. If you are feeling daring, you can actually replace most of your beauty products with coconut oil! It can be used as a lip balm (or a base for a DIY lip balm), as a skin moisturizer, as hair conditioner, as a face wash with the Oil Cleansing Method, and more.

There is also something else quite bizarre that you can use coconut oil for. It actually doesn't seem that weird, once you actually think about it.

You can use coconut oil as deodorant. Yes, a deodorant!

I'm guessing you are probably thinking, What?! That is crazy! But, I am serious though! Since coconut oil has antibacterial properties, it can be used as deodorant. The lauric acid helps kill the bacteria that causes you to smell bad when you sweat. Although coconut oil itself is not an antiperspirant, it will help you not smell bad when you sweat. To easily make a DIY deodorant, you can mix in one part baking soda to one part coconut oil to make an antiperspirant deodorant. The baking soda will help absorb the sweat and the coconut oil will prevent you from stinking and scaring away your friends. You can also just simply use coconut oil by itself as a deodorant, for it works too! Unless you sweat buckets, then I suggest adding in the baking soda and perhaps some arrowroot powder to help absorb sweat.

Lemme know what you think about using coconut oil as part of your beauty routine! What other all natural beauty products do you use?

Til next time,

10:58 PM
4 Comments

A Cup of Green Tea a Day Keeps the Zits at Bay

DIY

Hey everyone!

What is your number one go-to beverage that you reach for every day? For me it's green tea. I drink it all the time! It's quite funny because most people my age tend to go for coffee, preferable Starbucks. Confession: I don't think I have actually bought a cup of coffee at Starbucks before. I prefer to drink tea, for the taste is refreshing and there are so many health benefits from this cup of brewed leaves!

One of my favorite types of green tea

Green tea has many great benefits. Since it is the least processed type of tea leaves, it contains an abundant amount of flavonoids - which are essentially, antioxidants. This provides the tea with its anti-inflammatory benefits and anti-carcinogenic effects. This delicious tea is also proven to stimulate your immune system, boost your metabolism and help you burn fat.

I like to just drink it straight up because I like the taste. But, if you are not a tea-drinker, there are other ways to get these benefits. You can always apply this directly to your skin to still obtain all of the good components of the tea and most importantly, get rid of acne!

Brew some green tea in hot water for about 2-3 minutes and then let it cool. You can soak a cotton pad in this liquid and apply it on your face as a toner. All you need to do is soak a cotton pad and then rub it on your face.

You know those mornings when you are super tired and it's just a bad skin day? No problem! Well, I guess as long as you do this beforehand. Make some green tea and freeze it in the fridge overnight. Rather than using plain ol' ice cubes on your face to reduce puffiness and redness, you can use these green tea ice cubes. It gives you all the beneficial antioxidants, while still providing you with some relief and satisfaction from the coolness. Of course, I suggest holding this for no longer than several seconds at a time because having a frostbite is wayyy more painful and unattractive!

Rinsing your hair in green tea also helps boost shine! Leave it on your hair for about 10-15 minutes then shampoo and condition as normal.

I hope you find these helpful! These are just small ways you can add green tea into your daily beauty routine. You can always just drink it too, which is what I do. But, then again, DIY beauty products are way more fun to do! Green tea is all natural, so applying this to your skin is a way better option than relying on those synthetic chemicals that are in commercial face cleansers. Let me know how this works out!

Til next time,
~A

10:24 PM
1 Comments

Pages

A Glimpse of Glam

Oil Cleansing Method

All Natural Beauty Product: Coconut Oil ...plus a crazy surprising use!

A Cup of Green Tea a Day Keeps the Zits at Bay