Monday, March 11, 2013

Just Once More

A few weeks ago, I promised a post about clean skincare products.  Today I thought I should make good on that promise. I know how frustrating it can be trying to find beauty products that are non-toxic but don't cost so much that you want to barf when you see the price tag.

To begin, I'll show my own very simple, small stash of stuff. (Aaaaaaah...accidental alliteration :-) I warn you, my stash is quite uninteresting, but more than adequate for me. I'm fairly low maintenance, the kind of girl that every few weeks (ok, sometimes months) looks down at her nails and says, "Oh good heavens, that looks awful!"  After which I may or may not remember to clip and file them, much less bother to put polish on them. Anyhoo...this is a photo of everything I have that goes on my face...
The glass bottle on the right holds my oils for oil cleansing and the jar is coconut oil. I've used the Aztec Secret Clay for years.  I love it and, if I remembered, I would use it once a week.  Of course, I don't. I do try to use it at last a couple of times a month, though. Mixed with apple cider vinegar, it makes a nice green mask and leaves my skin really soft and clear. It's also a great thing to use on a zit, if you happen to get one. The closest thing to foundation that I use is 100% Pure's Tinted Moisturizer.  It is lovely and is really my one splurge.  Honestly, though, a bottle lasts me about 9 months or longer. I use a bit more once winter comes. In the summer, my makeup usually consists of coconut oil and lip balm with the occasional bit of mascara, so I end up barely using any of the tinted moisturizer. I do love it, though...it is fruit pigmented, no yucky chemical colors or fragrances. If I can afford it, I buy their mascara, too, but usually just end up buying Physician's Formula Organic Wear Mascara which isn't a totally clean product. It is better than most, however, and that is acceptable to me. The eyeliner and blush are both from 100% Pure and the lip balm is Alba Botanica.  I keep thinking I should make my own lip balm, but just haven't done it yet. Pinterest overflows with DIY lip balm ideas. Perhaps soon.

These are my hair products. At one time, I tried the No Poo Method, but discovered that it does not work well with hard water. The girls and I were quite delighted to discover the Shea Moisture products.  We can buy them at our local Co-op and also at Target for a reasonable price. Hold and Shine Moisture Mist has been a most wonderful addition for us. Static and fly away hair are a constant pain in our collective rear ends during cold, dry winters and this spray is fantastic for fighting the frizzies!  (Alliteration...again! :-)  Hair spray has been a tough one.  Many of the "natural" hair sprays are just terrible. I've found a couple that work for most things, Giovanni Hair Spritz and Andalou Naturals.  If for some reason, we need a hairspray that really holds, we just use the toxic stuff.  How's that for honesty.

Alrighty. That is pretty much it. If you are looking for products, the No More Dirty Looks Blog has about a gazillion product reviews.  Many of the products are spendy, but it is worth looking into.  It is just a great blog anyway, funny and full of info. Don't forget about the Skin Deep Cosmetics Database which you can use to check out products that you find. Last but not least...remember to not stress about any of this.  Change what you can and don't worry over the rest.  I love y'all.  Blessings.




4 comments:

  1. Thanks for all the info! I am loving the OCM. My skin is still adjusting a bit but it feels good and I think it is going to be great in the long run and so much less costly! Thanks for your willingness to always share info.

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    1. I'm glad it's working for you. I'm always afraid someone is going to call me and yell and me and tell me it gave them cystic acne or something. :-) Glad you aren't that person.

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  2. I was just going to ask you if you all did the no shampoo situation because I'd been thinking about it BUT I also have hard water. Maybe I'll give the shea moisture a try!

    I have started doing a weekly overnight coconut oil mask on my hair and I'm in loooooooooove. (I mean really, what isn't to love about coconut oil???) And I find I don't have to wash my hair as often. Bonus! :)

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    1. The no-poo thing worked for a while until I realized the baking soda was causing build up. It took some digging, but I finally found a blogger who'd had the same problem and she found out that the baking soda doesn't work well in hard water. Not sure why, but it doesn't seem to dissolve or something.

      Kyra and I both do coconut oil masks on our hair. It is lovely. :) None of us use conditioner anymore....just the shea moisture products and coconut oil. Actually, we don't wash our hair as often, either. Mine tends to be dry anyway, so I wash it once a week or so. It's nice. I think we Americans are pretty obsessed with soap and showers. Not that it is always a bad thing, ha!...but I think we may go a bit overboard with hair washing, etc. Not using regular shampoo, etc, has made my hair so much softer and healthier.

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