**REVIEW** Hyaluronic Acid Q & A

Most of us ladies have at least heard of Hyaluronic Acid. It's been the trending anti-aging product for probably the last few years. I only recently started looking for and using products that included H.A. but I  immediately had questions. I found some answers (internet answers, anyway) so I decided to do most of this post in a Q & A format with a link in the "Answer"  to the source:

Q: What exactly is hyaluronic acid?
Answer: "Hyaluronic acid is a substance that is naturally present in the human body. It is found in the highest concentrations in fluids in the eyes and joints. The hyaluronic acid that is used as medicine is extracted from rooster combs or made by bacteria in the laboratory."

Q: What is it used for?
Answer: "People use hyaluronic acid for various joint disorders, urinary tract infections (UTIs), acid reflux, dry eyes, vaginal pain, aging, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses."

Q: How does it work, in general?
Answer: "by acting as a cushion and lubricant in the joints and other tissues. In addition, it might affect the way the body responds to injury."

Q: How does it help specifically with "aging"?
Answer: Is possibly effective for "Aging skin. Some research shows that injecting a specific hyaluronic acid product (Juvéderm Ultra Plus, Allergan) into facial wrinkles can reduce wrinkles for up to one year. Also taking a product containing hyaluronic acid and other ingredients (GliSODin Skin Nutrients Advanced Anti-Aging Formula) by mouth seems to decrease wrinkles and damage from the sun when used for 3 months."

Q: What is the difference in molecular weight? I have found a source for Hyaluronic Acid SLMW  (super low molecular weight) and Hyaluronic Acid MMW (medium molecular weight).
Answer: "The difference of the regular, high-molecular hyaluronic acid (HA) and low-molecular-weight HA is that the low-molecular-weight HA has been split into smaller fragments. Thereby, these smaller fragments can no longer form a gel with water like the large molecules, but they can penetrate the skin much easier and have actually a better anti-irritant and regenerating effect once absorbed by skin. The high molecular form of HA has a better hydrating effect than the low-molecular form of HA."

(Here is a page that really breaks down the differences and what to look for based on your personal needs. It got a bit deep for me and I had to have a friend help me digest the info.) I highly suggest reading the comments as they are very helpful.

I did purchase a tube of hyaluronic "serum" and it was good - not long-lasting, but good. It was pricey though and that's when I went to my DIY source and found some H.A. on the 2 different weights.

The product page informs that mixing this would be tricky as it might clump. The suggestion was to use a bit of glycerin and some kind of mixing apparatus. I used what I had on hand and it worked well enough; I used some of the glycerin that I always keep around to use on my hair and skin I used one of the glass bottles that I use for mixing my vape juices and I happened to have some metal beads used to agitate nail polish and other cosmetic liquids. When you DIY a bunch of stuff to save money, you usually have something from one project on hand to use in another!

I used bottled drinking water for my liquid and because I still had some of the OTC H.A. around, I added what was left in the tube to the batch of DIY stuff and also added a little bit of my regular moisturizing cream. The glass bottles are only frosted and I want to protect the product from light so I wrapped tape around it and keep the bottle in a dark place in the bathroom medicine shelf.

What I found interesting is how different the 2 types of H.A. powder look.

This is the Medium Weight (MWW)

This is the SLMW 

I made sure to mix this up as well as I could. I used some this morning and it felt okay. I don't have any irritation so far. My skin feels hydrated - which it normally does after using my daily moisturizer. All in all, I am happy with this. The H.A. from Making Cosmetics came in 10-gram jars with the SLMW being the more expensive at $17 and the MMW costing $14.30. For me, that is still pricey to think about but I only added the smallest amounts - as you can see here:

I used 3 of these "scoops" for the bottle

These are the beads I use for this and my DIY vape juice and my DIY foundations. They are cheap and handy.

Of course, I am not a medical professional. I am not even licensed to work on the hair, skin, or nails in a salon! So do your own research and before you ever try using DIY products, be careful. I am my own guinea pig here; you be your own and take responsibility. All I can do is share what I have used and how it works for me. Speaking of...

This does work very well for me. I can't give you my long-term results but I can tell you a few things.

1. Without any type of hyaluronic acid, most of my moisturizers last about 6 hours on a dry day.
2. Using a Vitamin C Serum with hyaluronic acid (from a very well-known skincare brand) for at least 3 weeks, it softened my skin and primed it for applying other moisturizers but the moisture only lasts for 9 or maybe 10 hours before I had to reapply something to relieve dryness.
3. Using my DIY serum, my face and neck stayed moisturized from morning to morning. I literally only had to apply the serum once a day. I also discovered that perfumes that I applied to my neck last longer. Now, of course, I apply a bit of the serum to my bosom and wrists!

I want to be fair and give credit to that OTC serum from the well-known brand. I used some of it in my DIY bottle. I also used some of my usual moisturizer, a tiny bit of glycerin, and some purified drinking water.

If anyone else has a source for buying hyaluronic acid, do let me know.

Peace

--Free

**Quick Post** Duping It For Myself

I could have sworn that I posted this a few days back, but according to Blogger,

that's a big nope. So here it is.

Here we are, at the tail end of the saga of my makeup journey. I told you all that I was going to make use of all the foundations I've tried. I used one of my good brain days to practice making dupes. Thanks to the color pigments I picked up at Making Cosmetics, I was able to pretty much dupe the Nars Sheer Glow Khartoum shade that is discontinued (and too expensive).

My very own
"Fars Near Glow" LOL

I got some cheapo lip balm containers and I already had some cheapo empty cosmetic pots that I had been using to blend my own lip gloss colors. There were 50 of those things and I only have 1 pair of lips and about 7 glosses to work with. So.

I managed to dupe the heck out of that $47 Sheer Glow. 40 + 7 dollars, people. For some face paint. Listen, I was sitting there at the table, singing "Sisters are duping it for themselves" and  Aretha is probably going to haunt me for messing up her song.

Since I had been on that adventure of trying to find an OTC foundation that works for me, and since I already had some foundations lying around, I had a lot to work with. Most of my foundations are in the same shade ranges - with a few of them being either slightly too light or too dark. There were 2 that were WAY too light or dark.

For the ones that nearly matched my tone but was lacking some depth, I added the M.C. pigment for my daily use. For the lighter/darker shades, I added a little bit of my face cream and will be using them to contour/highlight. For the shade that was way too light for me, I added a different pigment and will use it on the rare occasions that I wear color on my eyelids. The shade that was way too dark is one that I am using to tone down the other slightly lighter shades.

The blending and mixing are pretty easy. It's messy as all get out but... My tools are simple: the makeup spatulas I told you all about, some toothpicks from the kitchen, and patience. To protect the bathroom floor from getting stained, I put down some of the many, many news flyers that are always lying on my mail pile. I cut up an old t-shirt to wipe off the spatulas and I kept small dishes of soapy water and some alcohol around to keep everything as sterile as I could. As I finish each tube, I am trying to label it with the date on a piece of tape.

It took only about 5 minutes to mix up the first tube's worth of makeup. The best thing of all is I have barely used up any of the teaspoons of the pigments.

Here is me wearing the first batch of what I am calling my Fars Near Glow B.T. (Fake Nars Sheer Glow by Trudy!)

I used the flash to
show every part of my face

Not too shabby, right? And the finish is more what I like because I had a mix of matte, sheer, and dewy textures to work with. The pigment has a little drying effect so everything really balanced out.

Here are the finished batches that I have ready to use in tubes with pump dispensing (also from Making Cosmetics).

So, I managed to do it. Now I just have to work on making more batches and getting them tubed up. I want to do some blush with the red pigment I got. By the way, I am getting most of my red tint in the foundation with the brown pigment, not the red. Weird, huh?

I will be making a little hobby of DIY cosmetics. I want to work on some lip gloss and body butter. I will, of course, keep you guys posted.

Peace
--Free

Taking Control of Your (money) Hair & Skincare Products

Everybody is probably tight on money sometimes, but we still want to look and feel as good as we can. I'm a big believer in part of the holistic theory of health: it really is all connected. If you look good, you feel better and if you feel better, you look better. Or maybe that's just me.

Since I know that money is tight for me, and I still do like looking and feeling as good as I can, I really like finding ways to balance all that. One way I've found to save money is to stop buying pricier hair and skincare stuff. I also have been happy for the last few years in getting back to a more natural way of taking care of myself. 

With all that in mind, I want to talk about ways to take better care of ourselves and save money at the same time. I'm too lazy tonight to do anything but a bullet list type of post. Here goes with my rambling list of ways to save money and do right by ourselves in our pursuit of beauty:

Stop buying expensive shampoos and conditioner and lotions just because they promise something good. If, for example, you use a pricey shampoo because it does something great for your hair, why not find out which ingredient causes that? Some of us black women like what proteins to for our hair. We'll pay more for Shampoo X when we could be buying the cheaper Shampoo Y and just adding protein to it.

Making Cosmetics is my go-to for finding base ingredients that brand name items use. I think you guys remember how I went from paying so much for a store-bought "blurring" product because I found the much cheaper base ingredient. That was this product from Making Cosmetics.



Just for kicks, go over and browse this page at their site.

If I wanted, I could probably whip up a liquid version of Garnier's  Second Blur. Once again, I'm lazy. I prefer to just use the M.C. Blur powder under or over my foundation.

Another example of using base products to amp up a cheaper store brand item is to buy Collagen Protein or *** or *** and add it that less expensive product. You could get the same results (at a cheaper cost) of some salon version product. So, why the heck not?

By the way, I hype Making Cosmetics because they are one of the companies out there offering base products that I know who have excellent customer service to go with their quality products.

Perfumes are another feel-good item that can rip a budget right to shreds. I know because I am a fragrance freak. Love, love, love to smell good. In the past few years though I've been substituting oils for brand name scents. Also, I love taking advantage of the Travalo refill from Perfumania. But, better yet, there are places like The Fragrance Shop, where you can get really good imitations of popular perfumes. You can also pick up some nice E.O. blends there, but they tend to be pricey. (And, I notice that, as I've gotten out of my 30s, I need oil-based scents if I want lasting effects of a fragrance. Hormonal changes are a sonofagun!)

Another way to smell wonderful without smelling broke is to do a little research on mixing oils to create nice scents.

Source

Source

• Some general info on making EO perfumes
• Goes with the "Start Making Scents" graphic above
• This EO perfume post goes a little bit deeper
• Scroll down to see categories of EOs in this post
• This is probably the most informative on details

I like checking Pinterest for some of the best charts and info, like this one:

Source

One thing that I still haven't ventured into yet is actually mixing and making my own cosmetics. Well, that's not really true. Anyone who has trouble finding shades in lipsticks and foundations has probably done a little blending and mixing to get what they need. What I'm talking about here though is actually making a product from scratch.

• Mind, Body, Green has some great recipes for makeup (right out of the pantry)
• Not exactly cosmetics with this link, but Wellness Mama is a great info resource
• Make your own aluminum-free deodorant (love the name Pit Paste!)
• This is a gathering of links and recipes
• A charcoal powder/coconut oil eyeliner
• Since I love Pinterest, just go over and go wild

I love the idea of this blush that you can deepen in color...

Check source for more

Making your own B.O. fighter?
More recipes at the Pin page

As far as taking care of your skin and hair, I've adopted the policy of "If I can't safely eat it, why would I want it on my hair or skin?" (Did I do that right?) Seriously, I think it's fine to use some chemically enhanced things to care for our hair and skin, but I just don't want to be lathering myself with layers of chemicals and toxins. I'm starting to wonder if all the years of processing my hair and spraying myself with deodorants and other things didn't help lead to this chronic disease I now have. At any rate, I figure I can stop and do better now. So I'm trying to. I've pretty much stopped using anything but dye on my hair (and that might be over with), and I try to use natural rocks and other forms of deodorant. I'm even brushing my teeth with natural oils and butters.

I'm really curious about ways that other people find to "hack" their health and beauty routines. I spoke with one lady in a store recently and she told me that she replaces fancy foot files for sanding blocks from Lowe's and Home Depot. What are some ways that you all find to save money and deal with your beauty needs?

Yesterday, a woman told me that she refreshes her eye-shadows and other such cosmetics by spraying them with rubbing alcohol. I'd never heard of that before now, but, yep, it's a thing. A serious thing.

Another tip I picked up somewhere online was to add a little Lavender EO to your mascaras. I guess it helps lash health and growth. Who knew? I didn't.

I did know about adding a little bit of oil to the tips of pencil type eyeliners to make them easier to use. Back when I was using them as a teenager, we'd either warm the ends with a cigarette lighter or tap the end in a bit of Crisco or olive oil from the kitchen.

What I need is for you guys to share your little beauty tips and secrets with the rest of us!

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Making Cosmetics

Because I prefer keeping my beauty products as natural as possible, I like scouring the Internet for affordable places to shop. I use lots of oils and butters for my skin and hair, and I like to find ingredients that give me options with my makeup.

Amazon is great for finding things that aren't available locally. I was looking for an alternative to brand name - and brand priced - "blurring" and smoothing products  (think Garnier's 5 Sec Blur and Maybelline's Pore Eraser). What I found was a cheaper and more effective product:

Price = around 6 bucks + s/h for 1.0oz
Price for 5 Sec Blur = around 17 dollars for 1.0oz (here in Alaska, but I've heard it's about $15 in Lower 48)

I mentioned Wrinkle Blur in a post from last summer. When I fell in love with that product, I was curous about where it originated. I'm glad I stumbled upon the site because I am a regular customer now.

I'll just go ahead and make a list of all the things I like about Making Cosmetics:

• M.C. lists detailed information about every one of their products, including Description; CAS #; INCI Name; Properties (of the product); Use (ex: iin DIY formulas); Applications; Documents (recipes, Cert. of Analysis, and even more detailed info, such as Safety Data ); and then they list some commercial items that the item resembles or shares usage with.
• Aside from all that information, they even provide the Harmonized Tariff Code for the item (in case of shipping). Anyone working in freight or supply chain logisitics will appreciate the heck out of that.
• The site has a lot of resources for DIY cosmetic kitchenistas. You can find answers to common questions about making your own cosmetics, troubleshoot formulating issues. There is a Video Library and a formulating service, in case you are skittish or just want to have someone else do the mixing.
• For those of you who really want to put together your own products, you can find the recipes for shampoos and conditioners, face powders, shower gels, lotions, balms, creams for different skin types, and men products.  I could swear that, at one time, there was a section for products aimed at the "ethnic" skin and hair care market. 
• If you aren't in full DIY mode, but still want some control over your beauty products, M.C. has complete kits (for lipsticks, eyeshadows, hair masks, etc.) If you are seriously DIY, there's everything from beakers to microbial test kits.  For someone just approaching the idea of DIY beauty and skin care, there are books on basics and advanced topics.
• Prices are outstanding. I've ordered oils and powders and I've always been able to choose a size to fit my meager budget. 
• The customer service is top notch. I have never had a problem with anything, but I did screw up one of my orders. I contacted M.C. and they fixed my mistake pronto.
• If you create an account, you earn points redeemable for gift certificates that can be used to purchase M.C. products on site
• You have alternatives to just paying for expensive, OTC products that skimpy on the main ingredient and often have a ton of additives. Also, they sell quite a few things in bulk sizes. For example, I got the the M.C."Blur" from Amazon in April of last year. After using some at least twice a week (sometimes every day even, I still have 2/3 left. The store brand item goes much faster. At just about 3 times the price...
•  My shipments have always come very quickly and protected very well. A HUGE plus for me is that M.C. doesn't try to gouge Alaska customers with crazy S&H charges. Matter of fact, they don't even charge for "handling" on domestic orders.

In my opinion, I think that more people ought to be flocking to sites like Making Cosmetics. I hear so many people of different groups who aren't always satisfied with brand products. Think I'm lying? How many times have you heard someone saying something about products like...

• "I can never find a (foundation, lipstick, eyeshadow, blush, etc.) that (I like, is in my shade, lasts long enough, doesn't break me out, etc.)"
• "My hair is too (thin, thick, nappy, curly, straight, dry, oily, etc) for most shampoos and/or conditioners."
• "This is my favorite (lipstick, mascara, etc.) but it's just too expensive and doesn't last long enough."
• "I'd like something without any/less (fragrance, chemicals,etc.)"

Then there are just those people who have researched products and know what works on their hair or skin, but stuggle to find OTC products with those things included. I experience this a lot when it comes to my natural hair. I hear all about certain ingredients that are good for my 4b/4c dry and breakage-prone hair. The problem is finding products that contain the things I need without the bad stuff - and for an affordable price.

So there are a lot of reasons that more of us should be taking control of which ingredients we use in our beauty routine.  

I've learned a few things ever since I started going more "natural" and DIY with my skin and hair care. One thing is that consumers can save a lot of money by finding other resources. When I buy something like, for example, a "blurring" product at the store, I'm mostly paying more for marketing than I am for ingredients and formulation.  Another thing is that, I love having control over what I'm using on my hair and skin. There are so many times I've bought brand products - mainly for my hair - without understanding all the ingredients. It's nice that I have some choices with what I use. I can either keep fully natural (or, at least, non-toxic) or I can control the ingredients list.

Since I've been using basic products or just mixing up my own instead of giving my money to brand name companies, my life is the reverse of this:

Now, I'm not the most talented at DIY projects (my niece, +Gabrielle B owns that honor), but I can figure out how to take care of my skin, hair and beauty needs without major mishaps. Making Cosmetics is a huge benefit to people like me.  Go check them out.

Peace

--Free

P.S.: Nope, this is NOT a sponsored post. I received nothing from Amazon or Making Cosmetics for sharing my opinion. This was just one of those times when I had to share a good thing with the rest of you.

**Pre-REVIEW Post** Shampoo Bars

Since I have had mixed results with the last few purchases I've reviewed, I thought I would try something different. Instead of just reviewing my next beauty product, I decided to give a little preliminary information.

I am going to be reviewing a shampoo bar soon. Maybe I'm just late to the party, but I had never heard of shampoo bars before. Unless you count the times that I had to use an actual bar of bath soap in place of shampoo. (Long story. Traveling, Bad motel. No shampoo... Yeah.) Anyway.

The other day when I was shopping on Amazon with the very last bit of my birthday money, I ran across this:

Sulfate- and detergent-free

(Interesting read: 5 Benefits of Sulfate Free Shampoo)

                                                                                
Huh. Interesting, right? I mean, have you ever heard of this brand - or any other brand - of a shampoo bar? Me either.

For the last hair product I tried, I ended up feeling duped by the reviews I read prior to making the purchase. Too many glowing reviews for such a ho-hum product. This time, I read the reviews and still can't decide if I can hope for good, bad or just plain ugly results.

Some of the reviews (on Amazon as well as on other sites) are plain rude. There are people saying that the product made  their hair feel, look and smell horrible. Most of the rest of the reviews aren't bad. I keep gravitating toward the ones that claim the product will soften the hair and eliminate the need for using a conditioner. So... sign me up!

The most candid review I read was one that advised using the product for a while. The reviewer stated that it took her hair time to "get used to" the shampoo bar. A similar reviewer said that they hated the way their hair felt while wet (after using the bar) but that, once dried, their hair felt pretty amazing.

I'm kind of excited to try the product (or, rather, both formulas of it) because I do need a change in shampoos. Because, like a lot of women with my type of hair (4B/4C - or nappy/kinky/dry) I try not to strip the natural oils from it. It's for this reason that I don't wash my hair as much as I rinse or "co-wash" it.

The shampoo bars come in different formulations. I can't, of course, try all of them for now, so I have just ordered 2 of them.

This is the description for the Original Formula:

Refresh your shower and shave routine with this amazing bar shampoo original formula from J.R. Liggett. This old-fashioned formula was discovered in an old New England cookbook by the Liggett family who has since been creating these all-natural, safe-to-use bath products. Its unique formulation lathers and quickly cleans, leaving you with healthy, beautiful results. This sulfate-free product is safe to use on all hair and skin types with no risk of irritation. Enjoy this old-fashioned recipe with your family.

And this is for the Damaged Hair Formula:

Refresh your shower and shave routine with this amazing bar shampoo damaged hair formula from J.R. Liggett. This old-fashioned formula was discovered in an old New England cookbook by the Liggett family who has since been creating these all-natural, safe-to-use bath products. Its unique formulation lathers and quickly cleans, leaving you with healthy, beautiful results. This sulfate-free product is safe to use on all hair and skin types with no risk of irritation. Enjoy this old-fashioned recipe with your family.

The Damaged Hair Formula is also labeled on Amazon as a "Moisturizing Hair Formula". That's the main reason I wanted to try that one. Just in case the original one is not enough for this dry nappy mess of hair that I have. Also, I was thinking of the product reviews. I wanted to review at least 2 of the formulas until I can do more.

Yeah, so I'm pretty excited to see how these are going to work out and let the blog readers know about them. In the meantime, if you are interested in making your own shampoo bars, here are a few links I ran across:

• From Candle & Soap
• Some FAQ's (from a soap site)
• 7 Recipes from Simple Life Mom
• Some info & recipes from Wellness Mama

Peace
--Free