Tag Archives: natural skin care
April 10, 2012 

Natural Skin Care: The Cane Sugar Scrub

This weekend, I spent some time with my girlfriends doing something I haven’t done in a LONG time – window shop. In between a delicious lunch at Diner’s Corner (one of my favourite Jamaican restaurants) and a screening of Better Mus’ Come at the University of Toronto (yes, my 2nd time watching), we strolled down Bloor Street, popping into Holt Renfrew and Sephora to see what was new.

This post isn’t about makeup, but inspired by it. At the one of the makeup counters in Holt Renfrew, I fell in love with two of the bronzers/blushes, and realized I had to have them. I don’t wear foundation or a ton of other makeup, but was looking for something to give me a bit of an extra glow and twinkle. The product mix I sampled accomplished that perfectly, however, when I took a look in the 20x magnifying glass to see the rep’s handiwork, I cringed. Blemishes and enlarged pores were right there in high-definition, and I realized that before I could beautify with any makeup, I would have to get my skin right.

For about the last year or so, I’ve been cleansing my skin with the Oil Cleansing Method, which I wrote about here. Right now, I use a mixture of 50% castor oil, 25% grapeseed oil, and 25% jojoba oil – slather it on my face and massage it in, then wipe off with a warm washcloth. I follow up by moisturizing with a few drops of avocado oil, and boom – I’m good to go. I love the OCM, and have had amazing results with it – my skin is smoother, my tone is even, and I’ve only had a few hormone-related pimples in the past year. My excess oil production is no more, which proves that yes, people with oily skin can use the OCM with success.

What I realized over the weekend was that I’ve been forgetting a key step in my skin care regimen: a good exfoliator. On a late night run to the drug store, I thought of grabbing something off the shelf – but then a lightbulb went off and I realized I had everything I needed at home to create a nice natural scrub!

When I first started the OCM, I used a natural exfoliator in conjunction. I think somewhere along the way, I ran out of sugar or honey, and the practice dropped off. I looked back at some pics from when I was doing the scrub, and the motivation to begin again was in full force. Allow me to introduce you to the Cane Sugar Scrub:

  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup of Cane Sugar
  • 1 tsp of Raw Honey
  • 3 tbsp of Jojoba Oil
  • 3 tbsp of Grapeseed Oil

Ingredient benefits:

Cane Sugar - chock full of glycolic acid, which helps slough away dead skin cells and protects skin from toxins

Raw Honey – increases skin’s ability to absorb and retain moisture, and improves collagen production in the skin

Jojoba Oil – a non-comodegenic (= does not block pores) wax ester, not actually an “oil” – it is theorized that it mimics the skin’s natural sebum, so it tricks the skin into thinking it’s creating enough oil, and reduces excess oil production

Grapeseed Oil – rich in antioxidants, slightly astringent (works to tone the skin), and helps to even skin tone

In the past, I found that I was using too much cane sugar at first, which led me to more irritation than anything. Don’t hesitate to use a bit less sugar and see how your skin responds, or grind your cane sugar up a bit to make it finer.

I used this scrub 3 times a week on my face, knees, and elbows – and any time I was stepping out with exposed skin (especially chest/shoulders/back), I’d rub a bit there to help add to my glow. Summer weather calls for all things strapless and backless and tastefully exposed to allow for maximum sunkissing. So, next time I decide to step out in a dress like this:

Photo courtesy of iShotYa Photography

…I’ll be sure to scrub!

Do you exfoliate? Have you tried any natural scrub mixtures? Let me know what has worked for you! Also, for optimal skin care, DO NOT FORGET YOUR H2O! Sigh. Water is so boring, yet so vital…let me go get my glass now!

September 27, 2011 

Skin Care The Natural Way

Photo: jasonchristopher.com

Over the weekend, my homegirl came over to visit. I had been home all day, was in sweats with my bantu knots tied down with a satin scarf, and I didn’t give an eff. If it was anyone else, I would have apologized for my appearance (didn’t have to – she’s one of my besties), but she still paid me a compliment by asking: “What are you using on your face? Your skin looks amazing!”

I’ve made two major changes in my skin care routine over the past few weeks, and I guess things are paying off. Change #1: Drinking a lot more water. Change #2: Using an oil cleansing method.

Now, the first change is pretty straightforward. Water is vital to our bodies, and you can never have too much (actually, that’s a lie. See water intoxication). Anyways, our bodies are made up of approximately 60% H2O, so it is definitely necessary for cell functioning, nourishing the skin and hair, and flushing out our internal systems. Unfortunately, even knowing all of that, water is boring. That’s what has always made it hard for me to drink consistently. However, over the past little while, I’ve seen the difference in my skin, and that motivates me to continue. I can’t say I drink x amount of litres a day, but I try to reach for a water bottle instead of a Coke/juice anytime I’m thirsty. Crystal Light or even a slice of lemon can help to excite your water a bit, but do what you can to get it into your system on a regular basis. You’ll definitely see and feel the results.

As for the second change, this is a little bit more interesting. Oil cleansing is a method that I had heard about, but always avoided due to the fact that I have oily skin myself. I thought, oil + oil = gross, but the more I read, the more I realized I was wrong. Oil actually dissolves oil, so I learned that this method would likely balance out my oily skin instead of overwhelm it. I thought back to all of the harsh products I previously used to strip oil from my face, and remembered how it always seemed like my pores went into overdrive in protest. I figured I might as well give the OCM a try.

As I read on various sites like this and this, all skin types can use the OCM. You’ll just need to tailor your mixture to your skin type. At the heart of the OCM is castor oil. Castor oil has incredible cleansing and softening properties, but can be a bit thick for some. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to dilute CO with another oil, like jojoba, grapeseed, extra virgin olive oil or sunflower.

My (oily skin) mixture: 60% castor oil + 20% grapeseed oil + 20% jojoba oil      

Dry skin? Try 40% castor oil + 40% olive oil + 20% avocado oil

Sensitive skin? Try 50% castor oil + 25% apricot kernel oil + 25% rosehip oil

The great thing about this method is that if you buy pure oils, you’re using natural elements to cleanse your skin, versus harsh chemicals with ingredients no one can pronounce.

How do I do the OCM? It’s pretty simple:

1. After mixing my oils (in a bottle or cup), I’ll take a quarter or loonie sized amount, and massage into my face.

2. I’ll take a washcloth, run it under hot water, and wring it out.

3. I place the washcloth over my face like a mini steam treatment (opens pores to allow oils to cleanse deeply), then gently rub the oil off.

I always wash the cloth out with soap to remove oil buildup, then I moisturize my face with a bit of grapeseed oil when I’m finished.

Simple, natural, and healthy for my skin. With my water + OCM practice, I’m seeing the results! I find that this method is much cheaper for me, because the oils last a LONG time. In Toronto, I buy my oils at Healthy Planet (castor, jojoba), Danforth Market (rosehip, apricot), or just the local grocery store (olive, grapeseed). If you’re looking for a new skin care regimen, up your water intake and  research the OCM – it just might work for you too!

Have you tried the OCM? If so, what is your favourite mixture? If you don’t use the OCM, what is your tried and true cleansing method? And please, someone tell me what you do to make water more appetizing…I’m stuck in a water rut!