After
reading Part I and Part II of my Beauty From the Inside Out series you are
hopefully familiar with foods and supplements that you can eat that will
improve the overall appearance of your skin.
In Part III I am going to share with some great inexpensive and
eco-friendly skin care routines and products that I use and hopefully you will
too.
When you look in your bathroom you will most likely find a collection of moisturizers, facial cleaners, toners, shampoo, conditioner, facial scrub, body scrub, deodorant, eye make-up remover, tooth paste, mouth wash, make –up, hair styling products, shaving cream, and the list goes on. We all want to keep up with our personal hygiene, and smell, look, and feel clean. We often to tend to be proud of our collection of beauty and skin care products but what you may not know is that in nearly all of those products most companies add chemicals that aren’t on the labels, approved, or regulated. With the enormous amount of chemicals being made it is very hard to regulate every single one, therefore, there is little research on these chemicals and it is unclear how they play a role in our bodies. We also cause more harm to the environment by buying products with synthetic additives. Use the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Database for a list of ingredients on products. Educate yourself in safer products.
If you take a little bit more time and research eco-friendly personal hygiene alternatives you will not only help out our planet and environment but also your wallet. Many products you buy claim to use oils like coconut, almond, olive oil, etc. in their concoctions. However, they are not the only ingredient and sometimes not the first or “active” ingredient listed on the label (the ingredients listed on labels are listed by amount quantity ; largest to smallest). It is very common to pay for additional ingredients in the product that isn’t even necessary. Keep your routine simple and remember less is more.
I have come across a few items that are eco-friendly and effective. Below is a list of products that I personally use and would recommend to my grandmother, daughter (in the future anyway), friend, client, mom, etc. They do the job, are affordable, and are safe for both my body and the environment.
When you look in your bathroom you will most likely find a collection of moisturizers, facial cleaners, toners, shampoo, conditioner, facial scrub, body scrub, deodorant, eye make-up remover, tooth paste, mouth wash, make –up, hair styling products, shaving cream, and the list goes on. We all want to keep up with our personal hygiene, and smell, look, and feel clean. We often to tend to be proud of our collection of beauty and skin care products but what you may not know is that in nearly all of those products most companies add chemicals that aren’t on the labels, approved, or regulated. With the enormous amount of chemicals being made it is very hard to regulate every single one, therefore, there is little research on these chemicals and it is unclear how they play a role in our bodies. We also cause more harm to the environment by buying products with synthetic additives. Use the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Database for a list of ingredients on products. Educate yourself in safer products.
If you take a little bit more time and research eco-friendly personal hygiene alternatives you will not only help out our planet and environment but also your wallet. Many products you buy claim to use oils like coconut, almond, olive oil, etc. in their concoctions. However, they are not the only ingredient and sometimes not the first or “active” ingredient listed on the label (the ingredients listed on labels are listed by amount quantity ; largest to smallest). It is very common to pay for additional ingredients in the product that isn’t even necessary. Keep your routine simple and remember less is more.
I have come across a few items that are eco-friendly and effective. Below is a list of products that I personally use and would recommend to my grandmother, daughter (in the future anyway), friend, client, mom, etc. They do the job, are affordable, and are safe for both my body and the environment.
1) Crystal
Essence Mineral Deodorant Roll-On. I like the Chamomile & Green Tea
Scent. This deodorant is paraben free, hypoallergenic, and all the active
ingredients are safe. The scent is from
added essential oils. Try to avoid
products that just says, “fragrance” or “perfume”. They are very general and
often means more than one chemical was added to give scent. It is around $4.00 compared to the leading “Dove”
brand that is the same price.
2) Organic
Coconut Oil- I LOVE coconut oil. I
use it as a daily body moisturizer, lip balm, night hair treatment, and a nighttime facial moisturizer. The smell is great! I get the Trader Joe kind
and it is around $6-7 plus you can cook with it! Most body moisturizers are
around the same price but you are limited in its uses.
3) Glycerin
Soaps or handmade soaps without sulfates or other chemicals. I am currently using a local company from
Maryland, Biggs & Featherbelle health conscious body care’s Koala
face & body bare. It has tea tree, eucalyptus,
and mint. It smells very clean! Whole Foods has good a selection of local and mass
produced glycerin and handmade soaps.
4) MyChelles’
Fruit Fiesta Peel. This is a great
mask to do monthly. It has active
enzymes from fruit that will help balance your complexion. This is a bit on the pricey side but it will
last a long time. I think it was like $25 if I remember.
5) Aveeno Positively Smooth Shave Gel.
6) Extra
Virgin Olive Oil and Avocado & Lemon Oil- They are both excellent
natural body moisturizers. My mom
actually taught me to use olive oil on my feet to help treat cracked heels or
dryness. Just like Coconut Oil you can
use it in the kitchen too. I use them
both for make-up remover as well.
7) Essential
Oils- Essential Oils are the way to go if you want fragrance. You can add
them to your body moisturizers and even liquid soaps. I also use them alone to help
relax like lavender or to wake up like eucalyptus. I even read that you could make your own tooth
paste with baking soda and mint essential oil.
I am going to try that next.
8) Apple
Cider Vinegar- I have not done this in awhile because I have colored my
hair. However, you can use apple cider vinegar as shampoo. It will detangle and get all the build up
from sweat and hair product out. It will
also leave your hair shiny. I currently
use a daily shampoo and conditioner that protects colored hair. Tea Tree Oil and Jojoba Oil are other great options
to cleanse hair, shine hair, and get rid of crud.
9) Out of
Africa Shea Butter. I like to use Shea butter as a body moisturizer as well
as coconut oil. It is loaded with antioxidants and helps to prevent aging. It is great for stretch marks J
Bonus:
Additional tips for hair growth and
thickness: Avoid blow drying hair as
much as possible, rinse your conditioner with cold water (it closes the
cuticle), take biotin, folic acid, and
eat lots of fruit and veggies. Once to
every 2 weeks do a nightly treatment with coconut oil. Leave it on while you sleep and rinse it off
when you wake up.
In addition to my
list of highly recommend alternatives to expensive manufactured products I have
added a very special video. In the video
I cover two different ways to clean your face using all eco-friendly products
that are affordable and effective.
Enjoy the organic Lemon Facial Cleanser and the Brown Sugar Facial Scrub!!!
**I use the lemon facial cleanser daily and
the scrub 1-2 per week.
You will need for the
lemon facial cleanser:
1 lemon- not lemon juice
1 tbsp organic plain yogurt
1 tsp honey
1 bowl
Warm, moist towel
Dry towel
What you will need for the brown sugar scrub:
Brown sugar or baker’s sugar (if you have sensitive
skin)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Moist Towel
Dark Dry towel
And for the moisturizer I recommend
applying coconut oil as the finisher.
As an extra bonus I will conclude with an excellent sugar scrub for the entire body.
½ cup of brown sugar or regular sugar
¼ fine sea salt (optional)
¼ olive oil- you can also add a small amount of grape seed oil.
1 tsp honey
1 tsp Vitamin E
2-4 drops of your favorite essential oils.Mix all of the ingredients together until you reach a consistency that you like. Apply liberally on the body in a circular motion working up the body. Hit the feet, legs, knees, and elbows well and be gentle on the belly and avoid the face.
I recommend doing a weekly body scrub to help get rid of dead skin cells and to have sexy, smooth skin that shines! Exfoliation also helps with ingrown hairs and reduces the frequency of the need to shave. Shave before you exfoliate.
Beauty is all about how you feel about yourself. When you take care of yourself by eating real food and nourishing yourself with eco-friendly skin care products you will automatically feel more confident and that self confidence will help you take on your day! You will stand out for more reasons than one :)
XOXO,
Abby
Learn more:
"The Skinny on Fat"
"Food Made Simple"
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