A review of natural hair removal products

Ladies, I mustache you a very important question... 

Now that you have totally herbalicious skin,

*Gag*  

I'm sorry.  I won't do it again.

Anyway, let's ask some tough questions: 

1.  Do you have facial hair that needs to be dealt with?  Please be willing to honestly assess this situation, and please don't always trust indoor lighting.  For years now I've kept tweezers in my car.  Why?  Because even if I think I have my eyebrows, etc. under control, when I get in my car and look in the rearview mirror, I almost always see something I missed.

2. If you are using a commercial product to deal with facial hair, have you read the ingredients?  Do you know what they are and can you pronounce them?

For years I used a commercial wax strips product and then I read the ingredients:

Wax Strips Ingredients: C5-6 Alkane/cycloalkane/terpene copolymer, polyisobutene, glyceryl rosinate, ethylene/va copolymer, bisabolol. 

Azulene Finishing Oil Ingredients: Ethylhexyl isononanoate, sesamumindicum (sesame) seed oil, C13-14 isoparaffin, phenoxyethanol, isononanoic acid, menthol, methylparaben, tocopherol, butylparaben, ethylparaben, guaiazulene, isobutylparaben, propylparaben.

The search for a natural alternative began.  At this point I was in the rather unfortunate position of having a hair removal emergency, so I headed to my local Target for an immediate, interim product before I could do more research and here's what I came home with:


Nad's Facial Wax Strips 

Hair Removal Strips - Triethylene Glycol Rosinate, Glyceryl Rosinate, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Parfum (Fragrance), CI 4700 Yellow 11, CI 61565 Green 6.   

Soothing & Finishing Wipes - Isopropyl Myristae, Coco-caprylate/caprate, Isohexadecane, Tocopheryl Acetate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) oil, Calendula Officinalis Oil, Bisabolol, Parfum (Fragrance), Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, BHT.

Verdict:  They worked just fine, and I did rather like their "softer fabric technology."  However, despite marginally better ingredients, many are still unacceptable to me.



Next I tried a sugaring product:

Moom Organic & Natural Hair Remover For Face & Travel 

Cane Sugar (Organic), Lemon Juice (Organic), Chamomilla (Organic), Tea Tree (Melaleuca Alternifolia) Oil (Organic), Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) Leaf Juice, Water

Verdict: The ingredients were great, and I liked that it came with reusable cloth strips, but I didn't find it very effective or easy to use.  In all fairness, I only tried it once, so maybe I could have achieved better results with more practice, but...



Finally I found a winner!

Parissa Wax Strips

Note:  I am not associated with Parissa in any way, nor do I receive any compensation for promoting their products.  I just like them.

wax: glyceryl rosinate (pine resin), ricinus communis (castor oil), cera alba (beeswax), titanium dioxide

azulene oil: isopropyl mystrate (vegetable source), tocopheryl acetate (vitamin e), azulene (chamomilla recutita extract), menthol crystals

Verdict:  Easy to use, effective, and I'm okay with almost every ingredient.  (I'm not a big fan of titanium dioxide, but since this isn't a product I'm leaving on my skin I'm willing to let it slide in this case.)

 What about you?  How do you deal with unwanted facial hair?




This post shared at Frugally Sustainable's Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways #84

Naturally Radiant Skin Care: How to treat yourself to a complete herbal facial!

Once a month treat yourself to a luxurious herbal facial!

Step 1: Cleansing Grains - For the recipe see this post.

Gently cleanse, exfoliate, and nourish your skin with cleansing grains.  Mix 1/2 tsp of grains with water to form a paste and gently massage into your skin, then rinse with warm water.

Step 2: Herbal Facial Steam - For the recipe see this post.

Boil several cups of water in a large pot.  Add 1/4 cup of herbs, cover and simmer for a minute or two, then remove from heat.  Place at a level you can comfortably sit and lean over the pot.  Cover your head and the pot with a towel, breathe in the delicious aroma, and let your pores open and drink in the nourishing plant oils for 5 - 8 minutes. Follow with a cold water rinse.

Step 3: Mask

Try a clay (white, green, rhassoul, bentonite), or raid your kitchen for honey, avocado, banana, yogurt, turmeric and oatmeal, etc.  Be creative!  Mix something up, leave it on until dry, then rinse with warm water.

Step 4: Herbal Toner - For the recipe see this post.

Herbal toner/astringent is used after cleansing to remove all traces of dirt and oil, tighten pores, balance pH, and prepare skin for moisturizing.

Step 5: Moisturizing Oil - For the recipe see this post.

It may seem counter-intuitive to put oil on your skin, but moisturizing with gentle, nourishing oils will most likely make your skin very happy.  Use oils that are lightweight, non-greasy, quick absorbing and luxuriously nourishing and healing.  Dispense 4-5 drops into hand, rub hands together and gently massage oil into skin.

Here's an awkward bathroom selfie so you can see what my skin looks like after an herbal facial.   

 

If you're wondering where to get these ingredients, Mountain Rose Herbs sells high quality herbs and other products, and they are a fair trade company.  (Full disclosure, I do receive a small commission if you click the links on my blog and complete a purchase.)

If you're not a DIY-er, or you're not up for a another project right now, I do have these products available for purchase in my store.


This post shared at Frugally Sustainable's Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways #83

For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Naturally Radiant Skin Care - Make Your Own Moisturizing Oil

Everybody knows that "moisture is the essence of wetness, and wetness is the essence of beauty."  Name that movie.  Hint: mer-MAN! 

Now that you know how to naturally cleanse, tone, and deep clean your pores with an herbal steam, it's time to learn about the final step in a natural skin care system - moisturization.

When I first entered the world of homemade moisturizers, I tried lotions (or emulsions) and had pretty good success.  An emulsion is mixing two or more liquids together that don't like to be mixed together - like oil and water, for example.  Most emulsions are made with an emulsifier to make the process easier - commonly soy lecithin or even borax.  Emulsifiers aren't absolutely necessary, however, and I never used them. The process of emulsification is basically slowly pouring water into a combination of oils and melted beeswax while mixing with a blender or stick blender.  If you've ever tried to make homemade mayonnaise, it's like that.

The first homemade moisturizer I tried was a simple olive oil, beeswax, and water emulsion with some lavender essential oil so it didn't smell so olive-y.  It was simple and it worked well enough, but it tended to separate and left my skin feeling pretty greasy.

The second homemade moisturizer I tried was Frugally Sustainable's Non-Greasy Moisturizing Lotion.  It also worked quite well and didn't separate as much, but still left my skin feeling slightly greasy.  After I applied my translucent face powder, though, it balanced out and I felt like I had the perfect dewy glow.

Now after reading this blog post, I'm using moisturizing oil, and it's my favorite option so far!  It has several advantages over the emulsions.  First, you don't have to emulsify anything or worry about it separating later.  Second, you don't have to worry about refrigerating it or the water making the whole concoction go bad.  Third, I've actually found my skin to be less greasy after using only oil.  In fact, I think my skin feels like velvet after I use it, and once again, after I use my translucent face powder I have the perfect combination of velvety softness and dewy glow.

Moisturizing Oil is also great because it has several other uses.  It makes a great all natural eye makeup remover, a smoothing hair serum, and can even be added to homemade shampoo for extra moisturizing power. 

So, using oil as a moisturizer can be as simple as using one oil alone like grapeseed or jojoba (pronounced ho-HO-ba).  Both of these are lightweight, non-greasy, fast absorbing oils that mimic the sebum your skin naturally produces.  They are also both relatively inexpensive.  There are many other oils, however, that have extra age-fighting, dryness-combating, oil-cutting, or acne-busting properties, so I combined several oils to get the best of all worlds.

I used grapeseed and jojoba as a base and added in smaller amounts of several other oils.  Finally I added several drops of skin-loving essential oils.

Note: Never use oil on un-cleansed skin.  It can trap the dirt and oil in your pores, causing future unpleasantness.

Another note: A very little goes a long way.  If your skin feels greasy, you've used too much.  I keep mine in a dropper bottle, and about 4-5 drops is all you need.  This also means you get a lot of bang for your buck.


 Carrier oils good for dry or aging skin:

• Grapeseed
• Jojoba
• Argan
• Apricot Kernel (which smells scrumptious, by the way)
• Avocado
• Macadamia Nut
• Sweet Almond
• Hemp Seed
• Sea Buckthorn (can temporarily stain skin, so use in small amounts)
• Rosehip Seed (which goes rancid easily and should be kept refrigerated)
• Emu
• Vitamin E

 
Essential oils good for dry or aging skin:

• Frankincense
• Rose geranium
• Rose
• Cedarwood
• Palmarosa
• Roman Chamomile

 

 

Carrier oils good for oily or acne prone skin:

• Grapeseed
• Jojoba
• Argan
• Hazelnut
• Sunflower
• Tamanu
• Sweet Almond
• Hemp Seed
• Borage Seed
• Evening Primrose
• Neem
• Turmeric oil
• Vitamin E oil

 

Essential oils good for oily or acne prone skin:

• Lavender 
• Peppermint
• Lemongrass
• Rosemary
• Sweet basil
• Bergamot
• Tea Tree
• Lemon
• Juniper Berry
• Roman Chamomile
• Rose
• Palmarosa

 

Mountain Rose Herbs is a great resource to learn more about the individual properties of these oils.  It's also a great place to purchase ingredients. They sell high quality organic herbs and other products, and they are a fair trade company.  (Full disclosure, I do receive a small commission if you click the links on my blog and complete a purchase.)

If you're not a DIY-er, or you're not up for a another project right now, I do have moisturizing oils available for purchase in my store.

 

 

 

For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

 

Naturally Radiant Skin Care - Deep Pore Cleansing Herbal Steam

At the end of a stressful week, pamper yourself with an herbal facial steam!  Facial steams are the best possible method for deep pore cleansing.  Moist heat hydrates skin, boosts circulation, brings oxygen to the facial area, and improves skin clarity.  Steam loosens debris and softens skin to help pores unclog and appear less prominent, and the herbs recommended below are rich in nutrients and aromatic oils that nourish and tone the skin.

  

Method:
 
After cleansing, boil 2-3 quarts of water in a large pot.  Add a handful or two of herb mixture, cover and simmer for a couple minutes, then remove from heat.  Place at a level you can comfortably sit and lean over the pot.  Cover your head and the pot with a towel, breathe in the delicious aroma, and let your pores open and drink in the nourishing plant oils for 5 - 8 minutes. Follow with a cold water rinse, then herbal toner, and finally moisturize.

Herbs for oily or acne prone skin

• chamomile
• comfrey
• calendula
• lemongrass
• lavender
• rosemary
• sage
• witch hazel leaves
• rose petals
• strawberry leaves
• raspberry leaves
• blackberry leaves
• eucalyptus leaves if you specifically want to address acne
• licorice herbs, which include anise seed, fennel or licorice root, help rid the skin of impurities   

Note:  If skin is severely broken out or inflamed avoid steaming, as steam may aggravate these symptoms.

Herbs for dry or aging skin

• fennel seeds
• rosemary leaves
• rose petals
• lavender
• peppermint leaves
• chamomile
• calendula
• comfrey root
• comfrey leaves
• comfrey flowers
• borage flowers
• dandelion root
• licorice root
• marshmallow root

Note: To prevent over-drying, don't steam your face for more than five minutes, and use the treatment no more than once a week.

If you're wondering where to get these ingredients, Mountain Rose Herbs sells high quality organic herbs and other products, and they are a fair trade company.  (Full disclosure, I do receive a small commission if you click the links on my blog and complete a purchase.)

If you're not a DIY-er, or you're not up for a another project right now, I do have herbal steams available for purchase in my store.

 

This post shared at Frugally Sustainable's Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways #79, Tilly's Nest Down Home Blog Hop #44, and Sunny Simple Life's From the Farm Blog Hop #40

For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Naturally Radiant Skin Care - How To Make an Herbal Toner

I mentioned in my last post about cleansing grains that I recently celebrated my thirty fifth birthday, but I feel like my skin has never looked better.  I attribute this to switching to homemade products made with natural, high quality ingredients.  I never had really bad skin, but I never would have said I had really good skin either.  I was constantly battling a blemish or six.  Now I rarely get blemishes anymore, my skin is smoother, my complexion is clearer and brighter, and I'm wearing less makeup than ever before.  Most days I skip foundation and concealer entirely and just use a bit of my homemade translucent face powder.

Part of my new skin care regimen is an herbal toner or astringent.  An astringent substance is something that shrinks or constricts body tissues.  In facial care, toners or astringents are used after cleansing to remove all traces of dirt and oil, tighten pores, balance pH, and prepare skin for moisturizing.

Many herbs have astringent properties.

• lemon balm
• chamomile
• roses
• calendula
• comfrey leaf
• lemon peel
• rosemary  
• sage
• peppermint
• yarrow
• lavender

I used a formula found in Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes For Vibrant Health, so I won't share it here.  If you're interested, feel free to look it up.  I've found this book to be a good resource.  If you'd like to experiment with your own formula, any of the herbs listed above will be effective.

When you've come up with an herb mixture you'd like to try,  then you will make a tincture.

1. Fill a wide mouth mason jar about 1/2 to 3/4 full with herb mixture.  If using dried herbs, keep in mind that the herbs will swell when liquid is added, so be sure to leave enough room.

2. Cover the herbs by about 2 inches with apple cider vinegar (organic, raw ACV is ideal) or witch hazel.

3.  Place the lid on the jar and shake.

4.  Put the jar in a warm location, a sunny window is a good spot, and steep for 2 - 4 weeks, shaking at least once daily.

5.  Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth.  Squeeze the cheesecloth to get out all the herby goodness you can.

6.  You want your final ratio to be about 1/2 to 1 part vinegar to 1 part witch hazel, so if you tinctured in witch hazel, add vinegar.  If you tinctured in vinegar, add witch hazel.  If you don't have witch hazel, add distilled water. 

7.  Add skin loving essential oils like lavender, rose geranium, palmarosa, or carrot seed, if desired.  If you have oily skin, rosemary and peppermint are good options.

8.  Hydrosols like rose or lavender can also be added or substituted.

9.  Label and date the bottle.

 
Toner should stay good for up to a year.  Keeping it from heat and light will prolong its life.

If you're wondering where to get these ingredients, Mountain Rose Herbs sells high quality herbs and other products, and they are a fair trade company.  (Full disclosure, I do receive a small commission if you click the links on my blog and complete a purchase.)

If you're not a DIY-er, or you're not up for a another project right now, I do have herbal toner available for purchase in my store.

This post shared at Frugally Sustainable's Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways #78, Sunny Simple Monday, Monday Funday, and

For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Naturally Radiant Skin Care - A Recipe For Cleansing Grains

I recently celebrated my *cough* thirty fifth *mumble* birthday.  The ironic thing is, I honestly feel like my skin has never looked better.  It's not so much about what age I look (people have guessed my age as younger for years) but my skin is clearer, smoother, brighter, and more radiant than it has ever been before.  I believe it's because I have switched to natural products that I make myself from high quality, organic ingredients.

When I think back to all the times I spent in the department store aisle mentally agonizing over which of the myriad brands or products contained the silver bullet that would put a stop to my breakouts and dry skin, I can only shake my head.  The answer is none of them!  I used to think that companies had teams of scientists whose purpose in life was to figure out how to make my skin miraculously better.  Now I realize that, more accurately, they have teams of marketers whose jobs are to more effectively part me from my money in exchange for what are mostly cheap, harsh, synthetic fillers and preservatives whose names I can't even pronounce. 

How was it ever okay to unquestioningly rub that on my face?  I get frustrated with my former self, but these days I try not to put anything on my body that I can't pronounce or wouldn't put in my mouth.  Now I alternate between two natural skin cleansers that I love.

The first is soap.  Real soap.  Not Dove bars or any other kind of soap free bar.  I've used my own homemade soap, Grandma's Lye Soap, and Dr. Bronner's Castile soap in bar form, and I've been happy with all of them.  In fact, since switching to real soap, my skin is better head to toe.  The thing to be careful about when shopping for soap, though, is to watch out for synthetic fragrances.  Many soaps are made with fragrance oils that are not so good for us.

Soap is particularly good for deeper cleansing and makeup removal, but now I mostly use cleansing grains.  The advantage of cleansing grains is that they not only cleanse, but they nourish and exfoliate as well.  It's like a healthy meal for your face!  This recipe is based on a recipe in Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes For Vibrant Health.

The formula:

16 parts white clay

8 parts finely ground oats

2 parts finely ground almonds

1 part finely ground lavender

1 part finely ground roses

1 part rice powder (I use organic brown rice baby cereal)

The breakdown:

White clay or kaolin clay is the mildest of all clays and is suitable for sensitive skin. It helps stimulate circulation to the skin while gently exfoliating and cleansing it. It does not draw oils from the skin, so it can also be used on dry skin types without negative results.

Oats and almonds nourish and exfoliate.  Oats are also emollient, helping to soothe and moisturize the skin.

Lavender and roses have mild astringent properties that tighten and tone skin, and the plant oils contain antioxidants and are commonly believed to have regenerative properties.  Lavender is antimicrobial, helping to clean the skin.

Rice enzymes smooth skin and accelerate cell renewal.

To use, simply mix about 1/2 tsp with water and gently massage into your skin, then rinse with warm water.  Grains may also be used as a mask by mixing with milk, honey, yogurt, or a liquid of your choice and leaving on for several minutes.  I keep mine in a spice bottle with a shaker top in the shower, and I find that it's super convenient that way.

The beauty of making your own products is that you know everything that goes in them, you control the quality of the ingredients, and you can customize them to suit your individual needs.  There's not necessarily anything magic about this particular formula.  Use ingredients you have on hand, substitute or experiment with additions like cornmeal, poppy or chia seeds, seaweeds or other herbs.

If you're wondering where to get these ingredients, Mountain Rose Herbs sells high quality herbs and other products, and they are a fair trade company.  (Full disclosure, I do receive a small commission if you click the links on my blog and complete a purchase.)

If you're not a DIY-er, or you're not up for a another project right now, I do have these cleansing grains available for purchase in my store.

What about you?  What do you use to naturally cleanse your skin?

For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.



 This post shared at: frugallysustainable.com's Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways #77, and  

A Brief and Un-Exciting Family Update

Welp, my parent's house has now been on the market for 6 months, and we have been in this process as a family for 18 months.  The last report was that we had an offer, but her financing fell through so she was going to try to jump through some necessary hoops and make another offer.  I'm not sure exactly what happened, but for whatever reason that has fallen through altogether.  

We are back to square one.  It's a little disappointing, and frankly, the whole process is a bit confusing.  We have packed up and stored boxes of stuff, listed unwanted furniture on Craigslist, and put important purchases on hold in an attempt to be obedient to what we believe the Lord has asked.  His timing is so different than what we would choose.  It encourages (and also scares) me to remember that there was a gap of at least 15 years between the time that David was anointed King of Israel and the time that he actually became King.

We don't know what will happen, or when, but we cling to the hope that He knows what He's doing, and He knows the best way and time.

Brooke Fraser sings, " As I wait for You, maybe I'm made more faithful."  May that be true of us.