This post comes to us from our engagement intern, Katerina!
Switching to all natural beauty products is no easy endeavor. Believe me when I tell you, there is such an incredible amount of information out there on natural beauty products that it can seem like an impossible task to find the right products for you. I have spent the past few months faithfully following natural beauty bloggers, scrolling through Pinterest, and reading all the articles I could get my hands on that were penned by natural beauty gurus. Although it has been plenty of trial and error, my efforts have paid off.
One great advantage of switching to natural beauty products is that many of the best ones are sitting right there in your pantry. For girls on a tight budget, me included, what could be better than that? My first step after my initial investigation was to search my home to find products I already had that could be re-purposed as an effective beauty product. I also found that when making my own beauty products, it’s best to limit the ingredients to as few as possible. This makes it easier to weed out the ones that you find irritating to your skin, and pretty much eliminates any room for nasty chemicals to be lurking inside.
I quickly found out that I am a huge fan of oil. My all-time favorite is the currently very popular coconut oil. Believe me, the hype is all true. I swear by it! Coconut oil is the perfect moisturizer for any type of skin. From super dry to oily, you just need to determine the amount that’s right for you. I have also used this extremely versatile oil as a deep conditioner. Once again, you just need to find the amount that works for your hair type. It may take a bit of trial and error, but it is definitely worth the effort in the end. Did I mention one of the best things about coconut oil? It smells amazing.
Another oil that I love, yet isn’t as popular, is castor oil. Once a week, I dip a cotton swab in a cap-full and dab it on my eyebrows. It has helped to make them look fuller and they have become far more manageable. I may sound crazy, but I swear that they appear thicker and fuller! I would wholeheartedly recommend this product to anyone who wants to get into the bushy eyebrow trend!
Last but not least (in my pantry anyway) is baking soda. I have always used baking soda to improve my oral health and to whiten my teeth, and it makes a great natural toothpaste. All you have to do is put a little on your toothbrush and brush your teeth like you normally do. This helped to whiten my teeth dramatically! Then just follow that up with a gargle of coconut oil and your breath is fresh and you’re good to go!
+ I love hearing from others about the great natural beauty products they have found and fell in love with. What types of natural beauty products do you use? Do you have any simple tricks you’d like to share?
More inspiring posts from our #FPEarthMonth series!
This is awesome – natural products I use are essential oils and coconut oil :)
Warm Regards,
Alexandra
http://www.littlewildheart.com
Coconut oil is my fave! I also love avocado face masks!
I love using coconut oil for beauty needs. It melts the second it hits your skin, which makes for an all-natural and no-mess way to absorb the product!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Saphoona
ive started using oils too, going to try the castor oil for the brows! ive been trying to grow them thicker but its been a slow progress. Love the post :)
http://trulyaddia.wordpress.com/
Love this post! So simple & pure, these ideas are great! I’ve been using coconut oil for years & especially love it as a balm for dry lips! So excited to try the castor oil.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/breathesun
Witch hazel, aloe, rose water, neem oil, there are so many one-ingredient natural beauty products I use on a regular basis.
Coconut oil is also one of my favorites because of its versatility. I use it for my hair, skin and oral health. It is also a kitchen staple.
Castor oil is great for thickening brows and eyelashes. I recommend trying Jamaican black castor oil. I’ve used this for a while now on my sparse eyebrows and short eyelashes and seen them grow — slowly but steadily. It can also be used on the scalp to promote hair growth.
Dee | http://www.daundra.com/blog
My biggest natural discoveries of all time that I wish I’d known growing up are tee trea oil for acne (that stuff is amazing!) and arrowroot powder as a dry shampoo.
Great post! I love coconut oil so much, it’s so versatile!
I really enjoy using a tea tree oil toner (5 drops for 100ml) – it’s antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal and balances my skin’s oil perfectly. Sometimes I use some faceoil as a moisturizer, but most of the time I don’t even need it, because my tea tree oil toner does the trick :)
I love castor oil at my lash line (being very careful not to get any in my eyes) as it helps my lashes look bigger and thicker. I love coconut oil as a body moisturizer, deep conditioning pre-shampoo treatment and another tiny bit after washing my hair to combat frizz.
I love tea tree oil as a spot pimple treatment. Jojoba oil is my go-to makeup remover before washing my face, since it behaves similarly to sebum.
Coconut oil is fantastic as a moisturizer, but I can’t put it anywhere near my face, as it’s highly comedogenic and will make me break out if I use it as a facial moisturizer.
I adore coconut oil as a moisturizer! Will definitely try baking soda to whiten my teeth and jojoba oil as a make up remover, thanks for the tips!
I use corn starch as dry shampoo. No nasty perfumes and works like magic! Just dab a little bit on your fingertips, shake the excess off and run your fingertips through the roots of your hair. Brush out your hair, and voila!
Using baking soda to brush your teeth is a really bad idea! It is abrasive and can destroy the enamel on your teeth. I used to use it for brushing my teeth, but stopped as it was wearing away my enamel and has created lasting problems for me. Anyone who is thinking of doing this, please check with your dentist first and follow his/her recommendation for how often it is safe to brush with baking soda (definitely not every day though).
Love your other ideas though, and your commitment to natural beauty :)
I love all your natural product posts! I’ve made so many now.
Witch hazel has become my best friend. I use it as a toner and makeup remover, then follow up with sweet almond oil for moisturizer
Great Post! I always feel so much better about putting natural products on my skin and hair. Baking soda mixed with orange juice makes an AMAZING once a week face mask. I also like to use cornstarch as a replacement for dry shampoo!
http://www.whattodowithlemons.com
I swear by essential oils. I use lavender and tea tree oil all the time. Lavender has a million uses, and tea tree oil is great for skin (even oily!)
Baking soda makes a great deodorant as well…I mix it half & half with cornstarch so it’s not quite as abrasive, and keep some in a little tin with a powder puff.
I make a 2 parts sweet almond oil / 1 part castor oil mix and use it as a cleanser everyday. Castor oil has great anti bacterial properties. This combo calms my psoriasis right down.
Second what someone said re baking soda, be really careful with baking sode, not for daily use on teeth and please dont use it on your hair more than a couple of times. Its PH level is akin to bleaching your hair…. Do some research before you start using it. I only wash my hair with water, did the baking soda / apple cider thing for a week or two and then stopped.
A great hair cleanser is 2 egg yolks, half a lemon. On cool, towel dried hair for 10 mins and then rinse with cool water (so the eggs dont cook on your head :) ). Hair gets a clean and a protein boost as well. If its dry, just use the yolks, you can add a tablespoon of coconut oil as well for a really deep condition, I dont as you have to then use shampoos to get it out.
Shea Butter has natural antibacterial properties and is great for preventing stretch marks, for wound healing, and as an anti-aging treatment for skin.
Coconut oil is brilliant! best moisturiser ever.
Beetroot juice makes an excellent blusher! I faffed around for ages drying and grinding betteroot to make a powder and really had trouble with it. But then i tried the juice! We got a bunch of beetroot and I just juiced the stalks, then we also could eat the beetroot. (I used a garlic press then seived the juice that I collected) I realised that if you keep it in a tub in the freezer you can just dip your fingers into it (a bit cold though so be careful of freezer burn!) and get enough on your fingers to use. This way you dont need to worry about the shelf life! :)