Exfoliation and Facial Care

Your facial skin is very sensitive and as such it is important to take good care of it. Most cleansers and exfoliation creams have harsh chemicals in them that can cause more harm than good, especially to sensitive skin. For this reason I have slowly moved to an all natural skin care regime myself. The best part? Well, other than the fact that my skin isn't being exposed to chemicals I mean... I can make everything from items already in my pantry which means its super inexpensive and I don't have any wasted 'products' expiring before I use them. How much does one teaspoon of baking soda cost? Less than a penny typically. A healthy pinch of coconut oil? Usually, less than $0.07... and a single teaspoon of apple cider vinegar costs less than 3 cents. So It costs me AT MOST $0.10/day or $3.00 a month to clean, exfoliate, tone, and remove make-up off of my face... and I don't need to do it every day! How much does your skincare routine cost you each month? A brand name pack of make-up removing cloths will run you $4.50... so that cost can add up very quickly. 

Make-up Remover:
Coconut oil is amazing! You will see it in most of my recipes used for moisturizing just to begin with (and not even touching on cooking!)... from lotions to pre-shave cream to make-up remover this is a very versatile substance. Simply rub a bit on your eye lids in a circular motion and then wipe it off with a soft cloth to remove makeup, including mascara!

Exfoliator #1:
This is a simple mixture of baking soda and water and is ideal for occasional use rather than everyday use. Mix together 1 tsp baking soda, 1 drop lavender (optional) and 1 tsp water. Put mixture on a cleansing pad and rub in gentle circles on your face. Rinse with warm water, pat dry and follow up with toner.

 

Exfoliator #2:
While sugar is not a good choice for your daily nutrition it is a good option to exfoliate your skin. Simply mix sugar and oil in a 1:1 ratio and rub gently on your face. Let it sit for a few minutes before rinsing with warm water and pat your face dry. I have seen this type of recipe used in spas with some added oils as part of a massage or other treatment... you can even purchase sugar scrubs at beauty supply stores. Without fail they are far more expensive than they should be. It will cost you less than $1.00 to mix up a fairly generous amount of this concoction which leaves your skin smooth and glowing. Again, exfoliation isn't something you should do every day as once or twice a week should be plenty.

Toner:
Another super simple beauty item directly out of your pantry... apple cider vinegar. A mix of 4 parts water to 1 part ACV makes an effective toner. Simply pat a bit on after you exfoliate and this pantry staple is now a cheap but effective skin toner. It does, of course, smell like vinegar but the smell dissipates very quickly so should not be a deterrent.

Cleanser:
Cleansing your face is something you do every day most likely so it needs to fairly gentle on your skin. Personally, I typically just cleanse with warm water most days but there are some days that I want something a bit more substantial... like if I get a breakout of acne. Usually acne isn't a problem for me anymore unless I fall off the wagon so to speak but there are indeed times where I eat something I shouldn't or don't realize that there is an ingredient that I shouldn't eat in a dish while I am out to eat. These are the times I rely on my cleanser and some do some extra TLC on my skin. Like all the other recipes on the list here I have the ingredients for my cleanser in my kitchen pantry. Simply mix 2 tsp of coconut oil with 1 tsp of baking soda and you have an effective but gentle cleanser. Rub in gentle circles on your face, wait a few minutes then rinse with warm water and pat dry. Follow up with toner for a complete skincare routine. One note about coconut oil: while it should be liquid at room temperature sometimes your room temperature is a bit cooler so it will be solid. If this is the case it is a little more difficult to mix together. Simply toss it in the microwave for 10 seconds and it is very easy to mix!

I will be discussing lotions and body butter in about a week so check back then for some all-natural but still simple recipes. What other diy all natural recipes would you like to show up in the blog? Until next time, have a healthful day!

Curious where I get my ingredients? I get my ingredients all over the metroplex, on Amazon and through Young Living as a distributor. Don't want to search out stores to pick them up? I'll make it easy! You can place an order through me for any oils you may need and here are some quick links for the rest of the ingredients on Amazon should you wish to order online:

    

Bone Broths

Bone broth is one of the easiest, most versatile and healthy recipes in the Paleo arsenal. It has a plethora of minerals and proteins that your body needs to run optimally and it tastes great too! As I have joint issues it is very important for me to get a lot of gelatin (and other joint supporting nutrition) into my diet so I LOVE using bone broth in my dishes. Personally, I use it as the base of many of my soups but it can also be used to de-glaze pans when making sauces, roast or saute vegetables, add flavor to a variety of main and side dishes or even drink it alone if you are so inclined. My recipes for bone broth is both super simple and works in the crock pot... which means that I do next to no work to get this fabulous broth! I don't often go through enough meat in any one month to have enough bones using only my leftover ones unfortunately but lucky for me there is an Asian market about 10 minutes away that stocks bones by the pound so I can make bone broth whenever I run out. 

A tip for freezing: freeze it in ice trays or other shallow dishes for easy thawing later. I have found that ice trays are perfect as they are pre-measured and small enough to thaw single serving portions fast but I can always grab my bag of broth cubes and make stew quickly as well. 

Here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs of bones (for this example I am using chicken bones acquired from the Asian market)
1-2 celery stalks, rough chopped
2-3 carrots, peeled and rough chopped
1 onions, rough chopped
1-2 Tbsp vinegar (I'm using apple cider vinegar in this example)
garlic cloves to taste
herbs to taste
filtered water

PROCEDURE:
1. Chop the veg and garlic and place in the bottom of the crock pot.

I have an adverse reaction when I chop celery (instant migraine) so I purchase my celery pre-chopped but this isn't necessary nor necessarily optimal. I didn't have access to organic whole carrots today at the store so I used organic peeled baby carrots in about the same amount as 2-3 large carrots.

2. Add the chicken bones to the crock pot.

3. Fill the crock pot the rest of the way with water.

4. Add vinegar.

5. Place top on crock and turn the crock pot on low temperature.

6. Walk away for 24-36 hours.

7. Strain the broth through a fine mesh to remove veg and bones.

8. Cool the broth.

9. Remove layer of fat that solidifies on top of the, now gelled, broth if using non-grass fed/pastured animal bones.

10. Measure out the broth as desired. You can typically keep it in the fridge for about 5 days or freeze part of it if you won't be using it all right away.

Your broth may vary in color from batch to batch depending on the bones you are using, the amount of remaining flesh, whether you roast your bones before using them for broth (good for beef bones especially), and the additional ingredients you add such as veg and herbs. Beef broth, pictured in cubes above, tends to be darker than chicken or fish for instance.

Curious where I get my ingredients? I get my ingredients all over the metroplex, on Amazon and through Young Living as a distributor. Don't want to search out stores to pick them up? I'll make it easy! You can place an order through me for any oils you may need and here are some quick links for the non-perishable ingredients and tools on Amazon should you wish to order online: