Friday 15 August 2014

Natural skincare: my routine and favourite products

Another week has gone by without posting, time flies when you're busy!

We've been building a raised garden bed so we can enjoy lots of home grown veggies next year. Once it's finished I'll dedicate a post to the whole building, filling and planting of raised beds.

Here's a picture of the frame so far:












Now for my facial skincare routine...

Since changing to all natural cosmetics, I've been trying out lots of products. I still change between products, depending on what my skincare needs are at the time.

First of all, I have dry, sensitive skin with a lightly oily t-zone and very rarely do I get spots.
For cleansing I generally cleanse in the evening and use the oil cleansing method: with an oil of your choice gently 'wash' your face and then using a soft towel that is wet with warm water give yourself a 'steam' bath. You lay the towel over your face, wait a little while and softly rub your face once and rinse and repeat untill the dirt is on the towel and not your face. Then a final rinse with cold water and you're squeaky clean and your skin is cared for. It's a really deep clean without harsh rubbing or using harsh soaps. Works a like a dream on my skin.

When I have an eczema outbreak on my skin, I use coconut oil for oil cleansing and moisturising.



When I have clear skin, I use my own blended oil cleanser: 1/4 castor oil, 1/4 apricot kernel oil and 1/2 olive oil. This is when my skin behaves normally. For travelling I got a trial sized bottle of jojoba oil from Primavera, and as this bottle closes better than the plastic one with my own blend, it's saver putting into my beauty bag. Sometimes, when the mood strikes I use Martina Gebhart Shea Butter cleanser, it's a lovely lotion cleanser, and I rub this all over my face and remove with a soft towel and afterwards I rinse my face with water. 

After hard work and lots of sweating and grime (working in the garden does this), I sometimes use Dr Bronner's Magic Soap in Neutral-Mild (unfragranced) diluted 10 times in water as a face wash. I do moisturise extra after, as even diluted this much it tends to dry out my skin a little.

I bought lots of the turquoise face towels: I can use a new one every day and only have to wash them once every two weeks. I wash them at 60 degrees with a Sodasan detergent that is unfragranced. 



After cleansing, whether it's morning or night, I like using a toner of some kind on my face. Depending on my mood and skin appearance, I change between rose water, orange flower water and witch hazel water. I bought empty pump diffuser bottles, so I have I just finished my bottle of YUULI Metamorphic Elixir, which is really expensive but so, so nice. I'm definitely getting this again. In fact, I just got paid, so I'm placing an order with Amazingy right after posting here! The facial mist is amazing: it is moisturising, so perfect for an oil free night care regime and for people with oily skin for during the day. I find it really calms the skin, gives a wonderful glow and really improves the general appearance of the skin over time.



After toning, I then layer my care products. Every morning and night, I use Dr Alkaitis Organic Soothing Gel, which is lovely and gentle, and clears up any eczema flare ups I have. (Especially when I moisturise with coconut oil after, it's a magical combination for my skin.) This is all the skin care I do in the evening, I don't use any oily products over night, which seems to have improved the general feel and look of my skin.
In the morning, I do what takes my fancy: I either use Dr. Alkaitis Organic Nourishing Treatment Oil, Pai Rosehip Oil (DO NOT USE IN THE SUN) and depending on the sunshine add a suncare product over the oil once it's gone into the skin. Especially with the Pai Rosehip oil I tend to use the SPF 30 if I know I'm going to be outside for longer than walking from my car to the office. Otherwise I use SPF 15. 

For lip care, I love the Weleda Everon lip care stick. I love the smell, the consistency and the care it gives! I don't need lip care every day. Normally once we get to the colder months I tend to use it.



So that's my skincare routine. I'm not super consistent, but tend to cleanse my face in the evening and only splash with water in the morning. One consistent thing is always the Dr Alkaitis Organic Soothing Gel, I love this a lot. And once I have the YUULI Metamorphic Elixir again, I guess I'll use that regularly too. Everything else really depends on my mood and the condition of my skin.


In the spring BioBox delivery I got this Arnica Gel Cool Lavender from Go&Home. I was initially a little annoyed and couldn't imagine using it at all, but that all changed in the last month: We got mosquitoes! And this gel is wonderful at keeping mosquitoes at bay and for reducing swelling and itchyness from mosquito bites! It now lives on my nightstand, so I have it at hand before I go to sleep. I rub a little onto my arms and legs and since then I've not had a bite. And mosquitoes love me.... 


Next post I'll report about some hair care findings, and I'll post a homemade courgette soup recipe...

xxx, C.

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