All Natural Skin Care:
On a regular basis I use coconut oil as a moisturizer and aloe as well at least once a day and many times twice. I never use soap or any other products on my face. The oil will remove impurities that get into your pores and I always recommend showering with a shower filter, with links and explanations below.
For Shaving:
1. First wash with baking soda:
– Baking soda (As a prep for shaving or shaving gel) – Exfoliates your skin or takes the dead skin away giving your skin a look of new life. – After rinsing your face, use 1 to 2 teaspoons of baking soda and add water to make a paste but if you put too much water just rub it on your face it’s fine.
One 16 oz Bob’s Red Mill Baking Soda
2. Rinse baking soda off with water and rub on a small amount of Jojoba oil, then shave as normal.
– Jojoba Oil (as a shaving gel) – Great for your skin because it has almost the exact make up of sebum, the fatty acid our body produces to protect our skin. It has a lot of vitamin e in it so it’s great for the skin and draws impurities out of your skin without stripping it, similar to how oil pulling works. Click here if you don’t know about Oil Pulling.
Jojoba oil is one of the few things that will penetrate your skin without clogging pores. Coconut oil will do the same but I like the way this shaves better because technically it’s a wax. It’s hypoallergenic meaning it’s highly unlikely it will cause an allergic reaction, it’s also good for eczema, acne, and hair. (Regarding my rule of only putting on your face what you would eat, you can eat jojoba oil but it adds no nutritional value to you, since it will pass right through your system, but will also do no harm.)
Hobacare Jojoba Oil 8.45oz oil
3. After shaving use Aloe leaves to rub onto your skin as an after-shave.
– Aloe leaves (As an after shave) – Renowned for its medicinal properties, aloe vera has been utilized for thousands of years to treat numerous medical conditions ranging from skin irritations, sun burn and herpes to constipation and diabetes. This plant was one of the most frequently prescribed medicines throughout the 18th and 19th centuries and still remains popular today.
This alone can be used as a shaving gel, the only reason I don’t is because to use it every day would require a lot of leaves and I like to use it the way I describe in the video above just as much requiring less gel for a simple after shave. I also use the aloe juice from the leaves as a kind of hair gel with the coconut oil, since it is great for your hair and acts as a kind of sticky gel for styling purpose.
Learn more benefits of aloe and exactly how to cut and extract the aloe here:
If you can’t purchase an aloe plant at your local nursery here is a good option at amazon:
2 – Aloe Vera Plants 8 Inches Tall with Strong Roots.
4. Then put on Coconut oil as a Moisturizer
Coconut oil (As a moisturizer) – Also similar to your natural sebum and make a great natural moisturizer. I also put this on every night before bed and use as a sun screen since it is said to have an SPF of 4. I also use it as a kind of hair gel. I also make this sun block easily myself with SPF up to 45
Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil, Virgin, 29 oz
I have also tried almond oil, vegetable glycerin, avocado oil and grape seed oil, but I don’t like them nearly as much as the jojoba oil or my second favorite coconut oil for the purpose of shaving. As mentioned this is also great for shaving any other areas such as head or legs.
If you really want to use shaving
cream try Dr. Bonners shaving lotion (click photo for link :
Make-Up Remover
Aloe, jojoba oil and coconut oil are also good options for removing make-up for women and are much better than soap or other harsh or toxic commercial make-up removers typically used.
*Shower Filter
Shower Filters are important to remove toxins from your water that go into your skin and age you especially from the chlorine, heavy metals and other contaminants in tap water, said to be 10 times worse than drinking it. For more info see my blog on shower filters here:
(click the picture below to go to the site)
Sleep with Mulberry Silk on your face (Not Cotton)
– Face Mask
(important to block out light allowing the production of Melatonin) (click photo for link)
• Unlike cotton it prevents moisture leaching from the skin during the night. This leaves your eyes looking fresh and alert in the morning. Skin remains taut and free of wrinkles. The holistic silk eye mask is the ideal eye mask for sleeping. Studies have shown that pure silk contains many amazing properties that prevent sleep lines from forming as well as hair falling out.
• It’s Super comfortable and works.
• An Ancient Beauty Secret – Eastern Anti-Aging- Silk proteins are shown to improve skin regeneration, increase skin hydration and prevent moisture loss.
• Silk is also hypoallergenic, antibacterial & anifungal.
• I recommend the black one.
– Pillow Cases
• 100% mulberry silk, (click photo for link) super soft and smooth, hypoallergenic, natural and breathable fibers
• Anti-Aging & Hair Frizz – anti wrinkle skin care product which stop your face and hair from drying out.
Experts say your pillowcase can take moisture away from your body which, in turn, can age skin. A silk pillowcase can fight this problem. Silk contains amino acids that are very similar to those found in moisturizers. They actually don’t draw moisture from your face the way other pillowcases can.
And! Silk pillowcases do good things for your hair too. It keeps your blow-dries longer, prevents hair styles from becoming a mess, and prevents tangles and knots with curls. Silk is known to cause less breakage of hair (which can cause split ends) because it is naturally a smoother surface. Cotton is said to make your hair static-ey and cause bunching and knots.
Ess ential Oils For Skin
E.O.’s at a pure therapeutic grade are great for your skin:
There are a few different oils that are great for your skin. I love this toner to keep moisturized. I put it on before I put on aloe in the morning and at night. A great homeopathic aesthetician gave it to me.
In a blue glass bottle (click photo for link) put:
5/8 Distilled water and the rest Witch Hazel. Then add:
3 drops Lavender Oil
2 Frankincense
1 Geranium
1 Helichrysum
1 Sandalwood
1 Melaleuca (teatree)
(if you want to make it less expensive just use the Lavender, frankincense, and Melaleuca)
For Therapeutic grade Edible Essen tial Oils email info@theartofunity.com for links, since the only company I use has requested me not to post their links directly in my blog.
Lavender Oil Application
You can put it directly on your face as I do, especially good on top of acme or rash or dilute it in a spray bottle with pure water. For a simpler toner, you can try 10 drops in 8 ounces of pure water. Spray that every night before bed. Benefits include In addition to it’s soothing qualities and beautiful smell it is great for acne, burns, dandruff, rash, herpes, stretch marks and more
To Prevent wrinkles I can send you a link for a powerful ess ential oil blend that is an Anti-Aging formula to protect and nourish skin while helping to reduce inflammation―a major contributor to the aging process. Supporting skin health at the cellular level, these oils sustain smoother, more radiant and youthful skin. email info@theartofunity.com for info and links
For Acme or rash I like a blend of Ess ential Oils that helps balance overactive sebaceous glands and Promotes clear, smooth skin by targeting the site of blemishes. Roll on topically to infected areas. email info@theartofunity.com for links.
For Black Heads:
In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of sea salt, 1/2 a teaspoon of lemon juice (or 3 drops Lemon Ess ential Oil) and 1 teaspoon of warm pure water. Apply the mixture to your whole face, but apply more to the area with blackheads. Take a warm, wet washrag and slowly work the mixture into your skin in a circular motion like you’re waxing a car. OR – roll out some cotton balls and put them on your face with the mixture and lay down for 15 minutes with them and a warm towel on top.
After – Massage your skin with the warm rag for 5 minutes. Rewarm the rag if it starts cooling off. Allow the mix to sit on your skin for another 5 minutes, then wash your face off with cold water. Might help to squeeze out remaining blackheads before cold water.
You may need to apply it a few times in a week, but works. How? Salt is an antibacterial agent that helps cleanse and unclog the pores. Lemon juice contains citric acid which helps fight off germs and bacteria, thus cleaning the skin. The warm water helps open up your pores as well. All together, it’s like an expensive chemical peel but not nearly as bad for you.
For full body skin care techniques check out my blog on dry brushing here.
A Note About Coconut Oil and Skin
Everyone’s skin is different. Those who have acne prone skin may have problems with virgin coconut oil. I’ve heard using expeller pressed coconut oil as moisturizer may help, but it might be better to leave it out, or use what is called “Fractionated Coconut Oil” aka Liquid coconut oil.
This is because virgin coconut oil has comedogenic properties when used topically. That means that it will clog your pores. The reason this happens is because of the lauric acid in it, which although is super healthy for human consumption (also found in breast milk), may not be great for topical skin application. It works great for my skin for years, but I know that’s not the case for everyone. Virgin coconut oil might even work for a person for months, and then suddenly a change and their skin develops acne. Other safe oils are sunflower and safflower, and Jojoba.
What to Do if You Suffer from Stubborn Acne
The product mentioned above “Clear Skin” may do wonders for you, I have seen it help many. If you have been struggling with getting your breakouts under control, take a look at everything you have been using on your skin and check for comedogenic ingredients, (wiserootsnutrition.com/skin-clogging-ingredients/) including skin care, face wash, moisturizer, masks, shaving cream, lip balms and lipsticks, sunscreen, toner, scrubs, foundation, face powder and any other makeup. When choosing products to buy, make sure that the company discloses a full list of ingredients on their label (not just the active ingredients) and check all of them against the comedogenic list before buying
Dangers of products typically used for Shaving
Shaving cream – lots of toxic ingredients such as propylene glycol (frequently found in brake fluid, Triethanolamine (TEA), Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), triclosan, thalates, isobutene and more. This is bad to put on your skin cause it absorbs into your blood but also if you cut your skin and goes to your blood that way too. It also clogs your pores. Look at the ingredients, if you can’t pronounce them, never heard of them and wouldn’t eat them, then don’t put it on your skin. Same with soap or any other products you put on your skin.
Soap – There are many bad ingredients, especially in commercial soap, and it also dries your skin removing your sebum, or the fatty acid your body makes to protect your skin. Soap is shown to dry and age your skin. In addition to the ingredients mentioned in shaving cream to avoid, here are some ingredients in commercial soaps to avoid – Triclosan, Ben zethonium chloride (especially in antibacterial cleansers) – These get into your blood stream and kill your important gut bacteria. Also Artificial colorants such as FD & C Yellow, which contain lead and other heavy metals. BHA and BHT, toxic to immune, respiratory, liver and neurologic systems. Also Benzene, Alcohol, Cacamidoprophy, DEA/TEA, dimethecone, parabens, fragrances, talc, and many more.
After Shave –Just like soaps and shaving creams after shaves have many toxic ingredients in them and this can be even worse considering the skin is often cut or top layer removed after shaving. In addition to the above mentioned that are also in after shave there are many toxic fragrances, ethyl and isopropyl alcohol, polyquaternium and more. “Aftershave poisoning” can cause abdominal pain, irritation, headache, nausea, rapid heart rate, low blood pressure and temperature, and more.