Let me be completely honest here: I absolutely loved my Clinique 3-step skincare regimen while I was using it. I don't think I even had one pimple for about seven or eight months straight. It was amazing.
However, my chemical-laden skincare routine was the first to go while I was trying to deal with some health issues. It was horrible. During the adjustment period after years of slathering chemicals on my face and - around the same time - a fluctuation of hormones, my skin was freaking out for at least another eight months straight.
During this time, I was cleansing with BomaSense Face and Body Wash and moisturizing with their Face and Body Lotion. BomaSense is a line of personal care products developed for people with chronic diseases; their products contain natural ingredients that are gentle and contain no irritating chemicals. While I love using their products as body wash and lotion, they did nothing to stop the breakouts, and only made my face extremely oily. At first, I thought it would improve after my skin finished detoxing, but it never did.
So I briefly tried the Oil Cleansing Method, which consists of applying oil (the type you might use for cooking) to your face, and placing a hot, damp washcloth over it to open the pores and remove impurities. Learn more about it here. It is supposed to work for any skin type, and many people have had great success with this method; however, it did nothing for my skin, other than making it feel really soft for a short time immediately afterward. I was still breaking out like crazy.
I didn't want to spend months experimenting to find the right oil combination for my skin, so I decided to move on. And I'm glad I did.
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Before we go any further, let me add a quick disclaimer here: I am not a dermatologist or a medical professional of any kind, and cannot be held responsible for any adverse effects that might occur while using any of these methods. Please try them at your own risk. That said, let's move on to my current natural skincare routine.
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Cleansing
I had previously read about the concept of honey cleansing, but hadn't given it much thought. Then while looking up new ideas for non-toxic facial cleansers, I came across a blog post (which I naturally cannot find again) about the benefits of cleansing with honey. Raw honey not only contains numerous vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, but it also has healing and moisturizing properties. When I learned that it can both dry out acne and moisturize skin, I decided to give it a try.
I saw amazing results within just a week and, after two weeks of honey cleansing, my face was almost back to normal. At first, I noticed a little bit of dryness, but it is winter after all, and the air has been really dry this year.
Best of all, honey cleansing is super easy.
How to wash your face with honey:
- Every morning, rub a small amount of honey in your hands to warm it up, and apply it to your face, taking the time to cover as much of your skin as possible.
- If desired, you can leave the honey on your face for 20 minutes to let it really soak in. Your face will be really sticky, so be careful not to touch it!
- Rinse with warm water (honey comes off surprisingly easily!), pat your face dry, and moisturize. That's all there is to it. Easy peasy!
You can also mix in a little sugar with your honey to make a sugar scrub; gently apply to damp skin in a circular motion and rinse. Your face will feel soft and clean afterward. Limit the scrubs to one time per week, because too much exfoliating can be damaging to the skin.
Where can you find raw honey?
Most of the honey you will find at the grocery store has been processed, which removes all the goodness (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc.), and you will end up paying a little more for the raw stuff. If you aren't able to find it at your local stores, you can always order it online. Here is a link to good quality, organic honey that you can buy through Amazon for a great price:
I am currently washing my face with honey in the mornings, but I have continued to use my BomaSense wash in the evenings (although, when I'm feeling lazy, I'll just place a hot, damp washcloth over my face for half a minute to open my pores, then simply wipe it clean).
Toning
Toner is not a necessary step, in my opinion, but I feel like it helps to remove any lingering gunk after cleansing, especially if you use an extra-gentle cleanser in the evenings like I do. You can apply toner using a cotton ball, a disposable cotton pad, or the greenest option: a reusable cotton facial cleansing pad (my crocheted face pad is pictured at the very top of the page, on top of the jar of homemade toner).
How can you make your own facial toner at home?
There are numerous homemade toner recipes, and you will have to play around until you find one that works for you. Here are a couple ideas to get you started:
- Apple cider vinegar (ACV) and water. Depending on your skin type, you might need a stronger ACV ratio, or a weaker one. I would recommend starting weak to avoid drying out your skin. I used a 4:1 ratio of water (use distilled or filtered) to ACV. It didn't do much for me, but I didn't like the sweaty-foot smell that accompanied it anyway, so I didn't bother trying a stronger ratio.
- Green tea facial toner. The only green tea I had at the time was cranberry-pomegranate flavored, so that's what I used to make this toner - and that's why it looks purple in the picture! I simply steeped a tea bag in one cup of hot water for five minutes, then let it cool in the refrigerator. It actually seems to work pretty well for me, and it smells great! However, the purple does slightly discolor my reusable cotton pads, so I would recommend using a plain green tea if you can.
- ACV/green tea blend. I haven't tried mixing apple cider vinegar and green tea together to make a toner, but you might find that this combination works for you. You can also add a couple drops of tea tree oil to this or either of the above toners if you have oily or acne-prone skin.
The Internet contains dozens of facial toner recipes, and it's just a matter of finding one that works for you. However, I find the above recipes to be easy enough for anyone to make at home, and they are inexpensive.
I'm not sure exactly how long the shelf life is for homemade toners, but make it in small batches - I wouldn't use a batch for longer than a month (I have been tossing mine after a couple weeks). You can store them in the refrigerator to keep them fresh longer, but if they start to look or smell funny, simply make up a new batch.
Spot Treatment
There are a number of spot treatment products on the market, most of them containing harmful ingredients. In the past, I had always used products with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. But because I was trying to get rid of the chemicals in my skincare routine, I needed to find a safe replacement. So I decided to start using Melaleuca oil as a spot treatment.
What is Melaleuca oil?
Otherwise known as tea tree oil, Melaleuca is an essential oil that comes from the Melaleuca alternifolia, and is known for its wide range of uses. It can be used to heal not only acne, but minor cuts and burns, among various other uses. The undiluted oil can be harsh and drying, so be careful to only dab it onto problem areas. Even though Q-tips are disposable and not the greenest option, they provide more application control than a finger can on such a small area.
Does it work as a spot treatment?
Melaleuca oil has been much more effective than anything I have previously bought. It quickly clears up breakouts without the use of dangerous chemicals. And because it is so concentrated, a small bottle of Melaleuca oil goes a long way! I only wish I had thought to start using it sooner.
If you choose to try this as a spot treatment, remember that it can be used to treat other minor skin problems, so you can cut back on the number of different ointments and creams in your house.
Order Melaleuca oil online here:
Hydrating
You might already have something in your kitchen that can be used as a moisturizing face cream. Like with anything, you will have to experiment to find out what works best for your skin type. The downside is that the experimentation process could leave your face an oily, broken-out mess. As I mentioned earlier, I had been using BomaSense Face and Body Lotion to moisturize, which left a thick layer of grease, no matter how little I used. I had also tried coconut oil with the same results. After too many months, I needed to try something different.
But first, let's go over a few natural moisturizers you might find in your kitchen.
Types of natural moisturizers
- Pure, organic coconut oil
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Shea butter
- Argan oil
- Jojoba oil
- Avocado oil
- ...and so on
As always, a little bit goes a long way. Too much will only leave your skin feeling greasy. These ingredients can be mixed with others, or used on their own. Again, it totally depends on your skin.
I decided to go another way after coming upon this blog post about using tallow (rendered beef or mutton fat) as a skin balm, and figured it was worth a shot. It was totally worth it!
What is tallow balm?
It is made with 9 parts tallow and 1 part extra virgin olive oil (to make it spreadable), plus a few drops of various essential oils. Certain essential oils, such as cedarwood, are known for their healing properties. You could make your own tallow balm if you like, although I decided to start out with a jar I ordered from Vintage Traditions. I won't get into too many details, because you can find them at the above linked blog post, but I will tell you that it works for me. As long as I only use a tiny amount (because that's all you need), it moisturizes without turning my face into a shiny mess.
And that's my current chemical-free skincare routine! I may need to change it up with time, but I will continue to use these products as long as they work for me.
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Your challenge: This week, green your skincare routine by replacing one of your skincare products with a non-toxic version, possibly something you find in your own kitchen.
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**Disclosure: Although this post may contain affiliate links, all opinions are my own.
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**This
post is part of a weekly challenge {Go Green in 2014}, during which the
author has challenged herself - and you - to find 52 ways to lead a
greener life in 2014. You can follow the weekly posts on this page.**
Very interesting! I will have to remember this as we have kids just starting to grow into their teenage years!
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