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Natural Beauty Routine

Natural Beauty Routine: What Do I Use?

Let’s face it.  Being holistic and natural about external beauty is difficult.  So many products say that they are “organic” and “natural,” but for products that are not being consumed many of these claims are false.  False is probably too soft of a word.  Really . . . these products straight up lie.  Some of them have nothing natural about them, but perhaps they contain a drop of aloe or a smidge of clay and so a company calls them natural.  Really?  Are we really so gullible?  We are.  We are just that gullible.  We don’t know any better.  I’m confused.  You are confused.  We can’t decipher the information being fed to us by companies and the information that we are learning about taking care of our body in a holistic way.

How can we be fashionable and natural?  Is it possible?

I’ve begun to find an answer to this question, but it’s a gradual answer.  I’ve had to try and fail.  I’m still not using the products that I’d like to use because they do not offer me the benefit that I desire.  However, I’d LOVE to pass on the success that I have had in beauty and fashion.  Today, I’m going to let you know my “External Beauty: What Do I Use?”  These are the products that I am currently using and I’ll let you know how I like them.  I’ll even let you know what products I’m not using and why.

Ready to be challenged in your view of external beauty?

Hair

For the past three months, I have not been using shampoo.  A year ago I tried the backing soda and vinegar “no-poo” and I failed miserably.  My head itched.  I wanted to tear my scalp from my head.  Perhaps it works for some . . . but not me.

After returning to organic shampoos in the Fall of 2013, I was so dissatisfied with my hair care.  I shampooed once every two days, but my hair would go from dry to oily so fast.  I remembered what I learned from Mary Kay about your face and oil, if you take away all of the oil from your face then you will end up over producing oil to compensate for the lack of oil creating oily skin.  Most people with oily skin are actually taking off too much oil and not moisturizing enough.  So apply that same principle to your hair.

If you hair gets oily after just a day . . . you are stripping your hair of too much of it’s natural oils.  This summer, I finally came up with a viable option to clean my hair without removing all of its oils.

I clean my hair with egg yolk.

An egg yolk is an emulsifier.  It bonds with water and oil.  This will actually pull the oil off your hair and egg yolk has wonderful Vitamin E to help condition and strengthen hair.  As if that wasn’t enough to encourage you to try this natural cocktail, egg yolk is also pH balanced.  This means that it will cleanse your hair, leave it pH balanced, and strengthen your hair.  What more could you ask?

After using egg yolks for three months, I now only have to cleanse my hair once every four to five days.  It doesn’t get oily right away.  My hair is fantastic after two to three days.  On the fourth day it’s starting to build up the oils and on the fifth day I normally want to use the egg yolk emulsifier to pull out the excess oils.

My next attempt will be using a boar hair brush on the third, fourth, and fifth days to distribute the oils throughout my hair to see if I can make it to a week before cleansings.  People used to say to brush your hair 100 times a day.  These days, that seems ridiculous!  However, with a boar hair brush, brushing distributes the natural oils from your scalp to the rest of your hair.  This actually nourishes your hair and lessens the need for removing the oil from your scalp.  Remember, oil isn’t dirty, it’s natural.

  • Update: I have been using an egg yolk to wash my hair for three years now.  I love it!

Face

What if I told you that I don’t use a step 1, a step 2, or a step 3 any more for facial care?  I don’t use a foaming cleanser, I don’t use an astringent, and I don’t use a moisturizer.  I rebel against the companies that insist that this is the norm for face care.  It isn’t.

Why should you cleanse your face to strip your face of it’s natural oils and bacteria that reside on your face?  Then use an astringent to remove any last remaining bit of natural oils and pull out any bacteria down in every pore.  Then add back the moisture that you just removed from your face by force because if you didn’t your face would feel like a rubber band that has been stretched too far.  It doesn’t feel right.  It isn’t right.  It’s damaging to your face and not manageable long term.

There is another option.  You can actually cleanse your face with oils.  When you use oil to loosen the dirty or old oil on your face, you gently remove excess bacteria, dirt, and makeup and the new oil keeps your face moisturized in the process.  There is no need to cleanse with a foaming cleanser.  There is no need to use an alcohol or witch hazel on your face.  There’s no need to use an extra moisturizer.  Just like when you are cleaning an oil stain off of a pair of pants, you use oil to clean oil.

My face is a medium balance so I use 1 part olive oil to 1 part castor oil.  If you are more dry, then you may want to use more olive oil to castor oil.  If you are more oily, then you may want to use more castor oil to olive oil.  I also like to add a few drops of Young Living Essential Oils to my face oil.  Sometimes I use a few drops of Lavender, or Frankincense, or Lemon.  If you add Essential Oils, then be sure to keep the oil away from  your eyes.

Eyes

Don’t bother buying another bottle of eye make up remover.  It’s so not necessary.  Go out and grab yourself a bottle of –> organic coconut oil and rub it on your eye with some warm water.  Rinse it off and you are good to go!

 

Make Up

I’ll be honest with you.  I have not (Update: I’m all natural now!) gotten my make up completely natural yet.  I sought to buy from a company that says they are natural, but my eyes absolutely itch whenever I use their mascara and eye liner.  I used to sell Mary Kay so I am currently using up my old supply until I am all through with my old hoard of make up.  I assure you, I will not buy from Mary Kay any more.  Their make up is not natural.  Here is the make up that I plan to try once my old make up is all used up:

I would like to try Younique’s Mascara. (Update: I tried Younique’s Mascara.  They use artificial fibers to extend lashes and they fell into my eye and caused irritation.)

I would like to try a mineral powder without the extra ingredients. (Update: I found so many “natural” mineral powders that had nanoparticles.  Nanoparticles go into the bloodstream and are not safe.)

I would like to find a lip gloss or make a lip gloss that is safe and natural. (Update: I did find a lip gloss that is natural!)

Until then, I will continue to look beautiful wearing make up and doing my best to be holistic, natural, and organic in every other way that I can.  At this time, I see no reason to sacrifice looking put together for being holistic.  I believe that looking good helps you to do your best to stay healthy.  If you feel awful about yourself, then you don’t put your best foot forward.  Do what you can and don’t sweat what you can’t yet do.

  • Update: My new makeup?  100% Pure.  I’m thrilled to have a choice that is completely from plants.  They even say you could eat their product.  Nice.

Perfume

I used to wear perfume.  I still have a few bottles hanging out in my underwear drawer.  However, I would always spray a puff of perfume . . . and sneeze.  I didn’t feel great about my perfume.

This is because most perfume out there on the market are artificial.  The scents are made in a laboratory and are not healthy.  I was allergic to all of these smells and they would often leave me with a headache.  How awful!  I wanted to smell pretty and I ended up feeling yuck.

Now I go all natural.  I wear Essential Oils which make me feel great and also make me smell fantastic.  Depending on the oil I use, they have characteristics that can promote your mood, have an anti-inflammatory affect, or even open up your nose.  Each one is unique.  As a perfume, especially when I’m trying to look nice and smell nice for my husband, I put on Joy Essential Oil Blend.  It is a great perfume replacement and it always makes me feel like I’m going to have a great time!

Bra

I wouldn’t be thorough unless I mentioned the brassiere.  With so many choices out there for what type of bra to get, how can you choose?  I started out with basic bras, then I thought I had upgraded by shopping at the wondrous Victoria Secret.  I finally realized that I felt so much worse wearing these tight, wired bras that didn’t let me breath.  In fact, they are starting to find correlations between underwire bras and cancer.  Circulation is important for letting cells regenerate.

I decided I wanted something to hold me up, but not squish me so I decided to try a Coobie bra (–> my favorite style).  They are elastic, but not overly tight.  I believe they now come in two sizes.  I pretty much wear them all the time.  Let the girlies breath and consider a bra that is not as restrictive.  You won’t regret it!

Belly Ring

Confession.  I have a belly ring.

It was really that one last rebellious act at 18 to show that I truly could make my own decisions.  Well, that and my best friend wanted to get hers done too.

I tried to let my belly ring hole heal up while I was pregnant with my son, but it never did.  So I wanted a ring that wouldn’t catch on everything like the poles with the two round ends seemed to do.  Finally, I found the brand Tummy Toys that were silver and I hardly ever notice that it’s there.  It’s cute, round, and out of my way.

Jewelry

Update: Silpada went out of business.  I know they plan to open back up online, but I have decided to buy much of my silver from Novica or other fair trade sellers.  It is good to know that the people making your jewelry are getting paid well.

I love jewelry.  I’m just sick of buying jewelry that falls apart after I’m hopelessly in love with it.  So I joined Silpada.  Silpada has beautiful sterling silver jewelry.  I love the shiny sheen of the metal in the sun.  They even have a brass line for those bohemian gals who don’t prefer silver.  If you want to check them out, you can find my site here.  If not, consider finding a company that has real metals that last so you can buy jewelry that is sustainable and is a good investment.  Why pay money for junk jewelry?

Deodorant

Um.  So . . . I don’t wear deodorant.  I’ve never really worn it much, but I actually had to fight to maintain that decision two years ago.  I was the “non-smelly” girl.  I would work out and I wouldn’t stink.  How great for me, right?  Two years ago all of that changed.

I was introduced to a new environment and all of the sudden, I stink, stank, stunk.  It was terrible.  I’d take a shower and in less that a few hours I’d take a whiff and gag.  I was desperate!!!  What caused this putrid smell and how could I escape from this evil predator?

–> I studied.  I learned that the bacteria that produce BO (body odor) actually love a base environment.  Even more so, they love the base environment created by soap . . . oh, and they like to eat soap.  They also like to eat deodorant.  Soap removes a lot of the bacteria, but those remaining thrive in the alkaline environment created by the base soap.  The deodorant comes along and encourages the alkaline environment and provides more munchies.  The smell of the deodorant masks the smell of the bacteria, but nothing ever gives.  They bacteria remain, thrive, and are in a constant battle for your armpits.  I’m not sure about you, but that sounds pretty stupid to me.

I stopped using soap on my armpits.  No soap, no alkaline environment, no munchies for the bacteria.  Then I started using –> apple cider vinegar with water on my arm pits.  This concoction is an acid and the ACV (apple cider vinegar) has its own bacteria to fight the intruders.  After struggling with this BO for over 6 months, I was finally relieved of my battle.  I didn’t stink.  I didn’t smell.  Occasionally if I worked out a lot or got a bit sweaty, I could get a whiff of ACV.  I’ll take ACV any day if I can get rid of the onion BO for the rest of time.  And you?

Soap

I used to use soap.  I still use soap if I’m really dirty, but I just don’t use it all the time.  I have this beautiful layer on my body called the acid mantle and I protect it.  It keeps me safe from outside bacteria.  It discourages dirt and debris from remaining on my skin.  It keeps me from smelling nasty.  I love my acid mantle.  When I use soap on my acid mantle, it isn’t acidic any more.  It has a layer of soap that makes my skin alkaline.  It is a breeding ground for the wrong bacteria.  It doesn’t protect my skin.  I don’t want to have alkaline skin.

I rinse.  I use –> ACV and water if I need a really good cleanse.  If I need a scrub, I scrub on some Epsom Salts.  But I rarely use soap.  I’m not against it, but I don’t always need it.  It’s great for dirt.  It’s great for cleaning off raw meat.  However, I’m not always covered with gross dirtiness.  Many times, water is sufficient.

Besides the fact that I don’t use all that much soap, I manage my skin health in other ways besides the conventional methods of cleansing.  I brush my skin to increase circulation and to brush off dead skin.  I also consume coconut oil regularly which helps to keep my skin moisturized and radiant.  Find your own skin brush –> here.

Pads and Tampons

I don’t use disposable pads.  I was sick of getting infections from having no air flow and lots of bacteria congregating.  They are actually pretty gross.  Why put a pad full of chemicals down there?

Reusable pads don’t stink.  They air out.  They let you breath.  They are absorbent and I rarely have messes.  I love saving money and not being at the mercy of a company that cares nothing for my vaginal health.  They want you dependent on them, but the truth is ladies, we don’t need them.  We are women.  We have periods.  They happen monthly.  They aren’t gross.  God made us this way and we can learn to be at peace with our bodies.

I buy Lillapads (Update: This seller has been inhibited by the FDA who has restricted the selling of cloth pads by labeling them as medical devices).  This little Etsy Shop has some great finds when it comes to organic pads.  They can be machine washed, they hold up, and they are comfortable.  Check them out!

Find other sources for cloth pads –> here.

We don’t need to be scared of our own bodies.  Reusable pads allow us to be in charge of our own periods.

If you are an avid tampon user, the natural world also has an option for you.  You have two options.  You can purchase a Diva Cup menstrual cup (Gabriella Rosa from Natural Fertility Breakthrough suggests that menstrual cups can cause stagnancy in your uterus and cause endometriosis.  Due to this, I no longer suggest using menstrual cups.) made of silicone that collects your period until you have an opportunity to empty the cup.  Or you can actually buy sea sponge as a natural tampon.  The –> Sea Pearls sea sponges are pretty neat.  You insert the sea sponge and clean it out at least once a day.  Again, your period is natural, not gross.  You can manage your period without shelling out endless dollars.

Underwear

I wear cotton.  Synthetic cloth is not meant to go on your tush.  It isn’t breathable and it helps to breed bacteria.  If you want to discourage infections and promote a happy tush (etc.), then consider finding yourself a great collection of cotton panties.  My favorite is –> Jockey Elance Bikini.  These cover, don’t hike up, and keep you happy and healthy.

Shoes

Update: I desperately want more fair trade shoe options!  I found Oliberte, but there are so few sources for shoes that are made ethically.  Slaves make our shoes.  I ought to go barefoot just to make a statement.  You know.  I just might.

For running or walking shoes, I tend to go for Asics.  My husband is a big fan of their shoes and I must admit my feet have felt a lot better since I began to wear Asics.  If you are running or working out, you need an athletic shoe to keep your feet safe.  If you run in the wrong shoe, you can do your body a ton of damage.

For dressing up, I wear low heals.  My favorites are about one and a half inches.  It isn’t natural to wear stilettos even if they do make our calves look glorious.  When we wear high heels, we damage our feet and the pain can extend to our backs as well.  Heels curve our lower backs inward towards our stomach, but our lower backs should be relatively flat.  If you need to get your body into alignment, consider visiting a Pilates studio or a chiropractor to get some great advice.

Any Other Natural Beauty Options

I have covered most of the external beauty products and concerns that most women have.  I am still learning and growing in my boholistic journey, so if you have some awesome product suggestions let me know!  I’d love to discover new options.  Also, if you have any questions about external beauty products or “what do I use” for any other beauty concern, let me know!  I’d be happy to answer your question.

Ciao!

Brooke – THE Boholistic Mom

 

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