Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Natural skin care

When it came to skin care when I was younger I didn't care what I put on my face as long as I thought it worked. Now at 21 I know what my skin type is, I know what types of products I need to use, and I know what works best for me. Last year I started learning about natural skin care and how awesome it is. Since then I have been trying to use more natural products and today I would like to share some of the things I have found with you. I can't guarantee that everything listed is 100% natural but it is a LOT better than some things out there.

A little bit of information on my skin. It is combination. My T-zone can get very oily so anything that can tame it is great. As I am getting older it is getting a lot better especially since I treat it better than when I was younger. Every month I get very bad hormonal acne which takes about a week to clear up. My skin can be a little sensitive so I try to use gentle products and only use things that are a bit harsh when I need to use it.

The Body Shop
 
Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask - Combination/Oily skin   $23
Here is the description on their website.
This revitalizing clay mask cleanses skin and controls excess oil
  • Draws out impurities
  • Clarifying
  • Refreshing
I first bought a sample at Ulta and really liked it. The sample lasted me at least 3 uses so I recommend trying it first before buying the full size because it is the priciest item I own. It's really great at soaking up the excess oil without being to drying. I only use this product about once a week so I still have a decent amount and I have had it for almost a year. So what are the benefits of seaweed? Seaweed is anti-inflammatory so it can help reduce the swelling from acne. It also works as a natural exfoliant  removing dead skin cells, which blocks pores.


InstaNatural *I reviewed both of these products. You can read it here.*


Pore Tightening Vitamin C Facial Toner - All skin types   $17.49
Here is the description on their website.
InstaNatural’s Vitamin C Facial Toner is a hydrator infused with anti-aging ingredients that leave your skin feeling fresh and clean with each use. Our formula harnesses the power of Vitamin C which renews the skin and neutralizes free radicals to minimize UV damage. This leaves you with stronger and more protected skin. Witch Hazel’s astringent properties reduce the oil in your skin and tighten your pores while sulfur works with other ingredients to increase your skin’s elasticity. Balance your skin’s natural pH levels with each spray of our toner designed with both men and women in mind.
  • Vitamin C in our formula provides antioxidant power to fight against environmental factors, which restores your skin’s health and youthfulness
  • Preps your pores for serums and moisturizers
  • Fights oily skin by removing excess oil and restoring natural pH levels
  • Gentle formula recommended for all skin types
I really love this toner. I stopped using my proactive toner because this is very gentle on my skin. It also smells really good!


Anti-Aging Hyaluronic Acid Serum    $16.45
Here is the description on their website.
InstaNatural’s Hyaluronic Acid Serum contains botanically derived Hyaluronic Acid along with antioxidants such as Vitamin C, Jojoba Oil and Green Tea. Hyaluronic Acid is known to help the skin retain moisture by sustaining up to 1,000 times its weight in water, making it the perfect hydrator for your skin.
  • Vegan formula
  • Soothes dehydrated and flaky skin
  • Works to keep your skin youthful by increasing strength and firmness
  • Enriched with Vitamin C, Green Tea and Aloe for a boost in antioxidants
  • A perfect companion to your beauty routine to increase moisture and hydration
  • Gel-like texture glides easily into the skin and absorbs in seconds
When I get a new checking account this will be one of the products I buy. I used this product religiously when I first got it now that I am getting low I try to use it once or twice a week. When I used it everyday my skin looked absolutely amazing! My best friend noticed a difference in my skin when I used it for about a week and said my skin was glowing.



Lush
Coalface - Combination/Oily skin   $13.95 I bought mine in the store for $7 because they cut it smaller. *This is the photo from Lush's website. I have just a little sliver now so it wouldn't have been a good picture.*
Here is the description on their website.
Coal Face is ideal for those of you who loving washing your faces with a good, old-fashioned bar of soap. Except, there’s nothing antiquated about this preservative-free facial cleanser. Inspired by the complexion bar in ‘Annie Hall’, we created Coal Face for combination to oily faces. Powdered charcoal absorbs excess sebum and acts as a mild exfoliator, while rosewood and sandalwood oils reduce redness and clear up blemishes. Use Coal Face daily for clear, balanced skin.
I have had this product for almost a year and it will probably last two more months. I recommend finding a Lush store because it's a really fun experience. They will ask you if it's your first time and sit you down to basically give you a free hand massage showing how their products work. For stuff like Coalface they will cut the size you need so one petal is around $7 depending on the weight.


Lush Lip Scrubs   $9.95
We also need to take care of our lips. I got a Lush lip scrub for Christmas and love it. The main ingredients in mine are sugar, extract of cherries and dates. It tastes like Coca-Cola! I really wish I could keep buy this one but they have other great flavors like bubblegum and popcorn.



Witch Hazel - I got this product from Walmart in the medicine section. There are a couple of different brands but they are all reasonably priced. I got the Walmart brand for under $2 because it was my first time using just witch hazel.
 
Witch hazel is amazing for skin. I will use it as another cleanser to remove the makeup I missed and as my toner. Witch hazel is one of the ingredients in a lot of skin care like toner so it is completely safe for the skin. The two main reasons why I really like it are: It is very budget friendly and very gentle on the skin. When I use my proactive toner it can irritate my skin so it's really nice having  toner that won't do that to my skin.
Here are some of the benefits of using witch hazel.
  • Treating acne
  • Removing excess oil
  • Refreshing skin
  • Reducing puffy eyes
  • Pore tightening
  • Blackheads disappearing
Those are just some of the benefits of witch hazel! I didn't even include the medical benefits. If you would like to learn more about the benefits of witch hazel you can read about it here.
 


Honey
 
Benefits of using honey.
  • Anti-bacterial
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Full of antioxidants
  • Moisturizing
  • Soothing
  • Clarifying
I did a LOT of research before buying honey. This is was started my love of natural skin care so I really wanted to make sure I bought the right kind. Make sure it is 100% pure raw honey. If it needs softened put in in the microwave for a couple of seconds. I put a thin layer on my skin and focus mostly on the t-zone. Honey is anti-bacterial so it is great for acne! It even helps with burns! I used nair on my lip and put some honey on afterwards and it helped a lot with the pain. I bought a small jar at a local grocery store in the organic section. I think it will last me a while so start with something small. Some people have asked me if having honey on my face bothers me and it doesn't. Once it's on my face it doesn't feel sticky at all it just feels like a mask. It's extremely easy to remove, all you need is a washcloth and warm water. I have read it's also great for hair so I am going to look into that.
 
 
I hope you enjoyed my natural skin care post. I look forward to finding other products and sharing them with you. If you liked this post comment down below and let me know what you liked and if you plan on buying any of the products.












3 comments:

  1. I enjoyed reading this review...I use witch hazel myself as toner after cleansing my face and pick up the finer dirt/makeup before serum/moisturizer!!

    Ursula aka Blueridge Beauty

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    Replies
    1. Thanks! I wish I started using it sooner I could have saved a lot of money.

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