UPDATE **REVIEW** Monoi Tiki Tahiti Tiare & Vanille

UPDATE to the update: I figured out that this reacts very well to warm skin. The first time I used it, I had been out of the shower for long enough that my skin was cool. When I used this on my warmer skin (warm day, warm home), the scent was much more noticeable and pleasant. So... yeah. 

UPDATE: I received the Vanille and... The positive: it feels and works just like the Tiare scent. The not-so-positive: the vanilla is so faint that I had to hold the bottles side by side and sniff to notice a difference. I was really disappointed by that because I love most things vanilla-scented. Because my skin is "mature", it does not hold or project fragrances as well as when I was younger. Now, if you are younger, your body chemistry will probably enhance the scents better - as with perfume. 

Also, I noticed that the bottle from Piping Rock has a nicer cap. 

Look for this ❤❤❤❤ if you want to bypass my chatter & skip straight to the review.

When I lived in Anchorage, there was a sizeable and growing population of Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders. A lot of my immediate neighbors in the 5 years or so before I moved away were Pacific Islanders. We had a lot in common with our love of family, food, and cooking. Unlike some of our former neighbors, they knew that a large gathering of people at our house didn't necessarily mean we were having a riot or a party. It might just be a night where my sister made collard greens or a night when half our family decided to visit the "main home".

Another thing I loved about my P.I. neighbors was that they shared with us their recipes and cultural life hacks. My sister told them how we fix greens by adding smoked meats (neckbones or turkey pieces) and one of them told her about Monoi oil.

Well.

I have since learned that Monoi (which just means "scented oil") was traditionally used in ways I would never use it for (various religious rites and ceremonies). When I started using what the neighbors gave us, I was just amazed at how much better it worked for me than straight coconut oil. And Monoi is basically just coconut oil with a specific floral added. The Tiare (a type of gardenia) is steeped in the oil to infuse it with whatever properties that make Monoi better than coconut oil by itself.

Here's the thing: I had forgotten about the oil. It's been about 8 years since the neighbor began bringing it to my sister on a regular basis. I was into oils but not obsessive like I have become since then. The other week, I was perusing blogs and forums for something new to use on my skin. It's my opinion that one can never have too many oils and natural butters! 

❤❤❤❤

This is when its not warmed up:

It's warmed in a 75 degree room:

That's Monoi oil from an approved seller. There are lots of fakes out there. And because I didn't want to deal with fakes, this is one time I bypassed Amazon and went elsewhere. It seems that Amazon is becoming a home for fake products. This one is from Piping Rock (where I rarely shop anymore because...) but I have now ordered some for a friend from the actual  U.S. importers of the 'original' Monoi (according to their site).

How is this different from plain coconut oil? 

In my opinion, this has a totally different feel on the skin. I'm not sure why. I did check around online and found some interesting information:

• Wikipedia mentions the strict process for manufacturing Monoi. That involves hand-picking the flowers. Hmmm...
• Also according to Wikipedia, the Tiare is sometimes used in perfumery but is costly.
• According to Eminence Organics Skincare (which is where I learned about the religious uses for Monoi & that there is an actual Monoi Institute) the blossoms have anti-inflammatory properties and are used to cure earaches, some eczema, and to prevent insect bites. That last part made me remember how we used to use Avon's Skin So Soft to repel mosquitos! Going to the (possibly untended) Monoi Institute site, you can even download documentation and technical information about Monoi (I did not).
• When my brain woke up from its nap, I thought to check the importer's site for some information. Hah! I learned more about the flower; more than I ever thought to know about the coconut tree; why the rules of processing are so (thankfully) strict; more about Tahiti (since I am horrible at geography and details); and lots and lots of technical data. Lots.

I was a little alarmed until I realized that this "floatee" thing is the flower. The flower should always be in the bottle you purchase.

Is my bottle authentic?

Because I have had issues in the past with a couple of purchases from Piping Rock, I immediately checked my bottle carefully. The shelf life is shown to be 12 months but I noticed there are no manufacturing or expirations dates on the bottle. Hmmm... 

Again, because this is from Piping Rock, (they are either really good or not) I wanted to ask some questions. The Piping Rock customer service rep I chatted with couldn't tell me any more than that the bottle was from a "recent batch". Not good enough. Not from Piping Rock. I contacted the U.S. importer sending photos of the bottle and its labels and markings. I got a response directly from the "Regulation Advisor" who verified that the product was authentic. The bottle I received was from the official distributor. I was assured that:

"As this product is registered in Europe, it is conformed to the European regulation which requires the batch number and the time after opening (12 months) for any cosmetic which shelf life is longer than 36 months. This is the case of Monoi oil. To be clear, Monoi can be maintained unopened 36 months, then 12 other months after opening without hygiene risk." (my emphasis)

Good enough. So if you wonder if your bottle is authentic, I suggest you contact Boutique Monoi Tiki at info@boutique-monoitiki.com.

Shelf life & mark of the origin process

Nothing I could find explained more about why Monoi seems to work better than plain coconut oil. Of course, I have not read all of the technical data I've linked to.

I have been using coconut oil on my hair (for pre-poo) but not so much on my skin. It seemed to quit being as soothing and moisturizing as it was a couple of years back. 

How does it smell?

Monoi comes in a variety of scents. I did not know this until recently. The neighbor always gave my sister some in a plain glass bottle with a dropper. I think she was just sharing from her bottle. This must have been the "original" or the Monoi Tiki Tahiti Tiare scent because, as far as my nose remembers, it smells like what I currently have. 

The scent is, again in my opinion, very, very faint out of the bottle. On my skin, the body heats brings up a stronger (but still faint) tropical scent. Not really floral and not very coconut-like. Hard to describe. It is really pleasant. I cannot wait to try the Vanille. 

 

I have ordered my friend and myself a bottle each of the "Vanille". I counted 9 scents (including the original. You can see the various scents here with descriptions.

What else?

In addition to the oils, there are also soaps and perfumes. You know how I love perfumes! I will put the perfumes on my Christmas Wish List. I probably won't try the soaps because I'm not a fan of bar soaps.

Top Benefits, IMO?

On my skin, Monoi has a silkier feel than plain coconut oil. It makes the skin feel almost velvety and the softness lasts longer than from coconut oil alone. I can apply some after an evening shower and my skin still feels good the next morning. Also, there is no oily shine. This stuff absorbs really well. My hands tend to be very dry and this leaves them feeling really supple and smooth.

I am using it daily on my skin and I hope that it will help keep my psoriasis at bay.

On my hair, I notice it more when I use after washing - but not as a sealer. I apply it before I apply something heavier and more coating (usually Blue Magic grease). I apply a little bit every day to my hair and every now and then to my scalp.

(It's just my opinion, but I would not use this as the sole sealant to washed hair. This seems better applied before sealing so that it can soak into he hair for overall moisture.)

After I use it on my hair and body, I rub the excess into my cuticles and over my lips.

By the way, even though this is fragranced, I tested it on my face and had no problems. I like to spritz my face with water, then massage in just a couple of drops of the oil. Like velvet, baby!

And on a personal note:

Monoi has been really trendy and popular for a while now. I was looking at some of the many, many products that have "Monoi" included in the names or on the labels. Then I looked at the prices. Crazy, stupid, high prices. High as giraffe's noses. 

I'm too broke for nonsense. Even if I wasn't...You guys know that I would rather get base products from suppliers like Making Cosmetics to add to less expensive OTC hair and skin products. Why on earth would I pay 15 to 30 bucks or more for a product that probably only has a few drops of Monoi included? And how do I know the Monoi they use is authentic and not just any kind of "scented oil"?

What I have done is taken some of this Monoi (about $13 for 4 ounces from the importer site and about $9 for a 2oz bottle from Piping Rock) and added some to my current conditioners and curl creams and puddings. People, there is a reason that somebody and her daughter and somebody's auntie are making all that money hyping their over-priced products. 

I'd rather buy something cheaper than those "name-known" brands and add the Monoi, argan, hemp, or whatever else there is. DIY, people. DIY and SYM (save your money). I'm just saying...

Peace

--Free

**REVIEW** Tonka Bean Oil from Piping Rock

I am SO disappointed in the Tonka Bean Oil that I just got. It has none of the vanilla scent that it's famous for and it wasn't even very moisturizing.

pay attention, please, to that label

Of course, I contacted Piping Rock immediately because, based on their product details, either I got something different than what was described or I got a bad bottle. This is the site's description of their Tonka Bean fragrance oil:

The rich, creamy aroma of our Tonka Bean Fragrance Oil brings together the warmth of amber, the subtle sweetness of vanilla and sophisticated notes of bergamot and lily.  (my bold/italics)

Uh, no, sir. Not my bottle they are talking about there. And, because I wanted to be sure that it wasn't just my nose being funny from this latest cold, I had a neighbor give the bottle a sniff. Nothing. She then tapped out some oil on the back of her hand and took another deep sniff. Her response? "I think I smell a little something, but not anything like vanilla or amber. Maye a hint of Bergamot." And she didn't sound too sure about that.

Now, I can't be super upset about the oil. For one thing, it's the first time that I have tried Tonka Bean oil, so maybe this is how it's supposed to smell (or not smell) like. I dunno. For another thing, Piping Rock has never disappointed me with the quality of the other products I've received from them. But I sure am upset at the response I received when I contacted them via the site's Chat function.

This is a copy of how I started the Chat:

"I recently ordered the Tonka Bean oil. I've never used any before now, but this one has almost none of the "sweetness of vanilla and sophisticated notes of bergamot and lily". There is actually almost no fragrance. Is that normal? I used perfumes that have Tonka Bean as a base or main note, but I don't know if the oil is so mild. I love everything else I have ordered and plan to be a repeat customer, but since I don't know Tonka Bean oil, was just wondering about this bottle."

His initial response was to parrot the site's description:

The fragrance contains - Rich, sweet, warm fragrance, with notes of vanilla and amber (my underline)

Ohhh-kay.

Notice that he uses that word "fragrance" the same as the product description and the bottle's label. Not just an oil but a fragrance oil...

 He then went on to assure me of the guarantee that's in place for one year from date of purchase (nice) so that I could return the unused portion (huh?)  with a short explanation (wait, what?) for a refund or "recreation" of the product.

Uh, here's the thing. I paid $4.99 for the little bottle. It would probably cost me that much plus a few pennies to ship this back. Also, why should I have to write any kind of an explanation? Maybe that's would be okay because maybe they want to make improvements, but why should I bother doing any of that for a $4.99 refund?

What I wanted was not a refund, but an explanation (short or otherwise) of why I wasn't getting any of the described fragrance from the bottle I purchased. Or maybe for the agent to tell me that the oil is not as strong as I expected.

At any rate, I am not happy with this oil and I'm trying not to let this bottle ruin all Tonka Bean oils for me. Or maybe all Tonka Bean oils smell exactly like this one. I don't know. All I know is that most of my favorite perfumes include Tonka as the base or main note and this is not what I expected. I mean, "fragrance" is all over the description and labeling so ... ~sigh~

I have to tell you all, if I weren't so happy with everything else I've gotten from Piping Rock, I'd be done with them at this point. As a matter of fact, if this had been the first thing I'd ordered, I'd have never ordered from them again.

Right now, I'm hoping to find another brand of Tonka Bean oil to compare with this one. You all know that I'm fair when it comes to writing reviews. I will tell the good, bad, and ugly when it comes to a product or brand. I'm in love with Piping Rock for the prices, the packaging, and (except for this oil) the quality of the products I've ordered.

I would love to hear from anyone who has tried Tonka Bean oil and can tell me if I'm expecting too much or not.

Peace
--Free

Daily Carrier & Essential Oils Routine

Someone on a social network asked me if I actually use all the oils I talk about on the blog (and I talk about them a lot). Answer: Yes. Well, most of them.

I try to review a lot of oils, then if something works, I keep that in the arsenal. Sometimes, an oil that doesn't work for me I can give to a friend. If an oil doesn't work well as is, it might be good for mixing into another oil or one of my other products. When I got my first bottle of Tea Tree oil, I liked it but only used it for cleaning and disinfecting stuff. Once I got into the Manuka oil, I realized that I could use the Tea Tree with it on my psoriasis. Manuka oil tends to be pricey so I will "stretch" it by adding Tea Tree.

Because I wanted to show what I use and how I took so photos just now. Looking at all of them set out like this instead of separated into the different cabinets, I can see why that person wondered about my usage. There are a lot of oils, but they all have a different role in my regimen.

Here's what I use a lot of the time for either my skin or hair (I keep these in the pantry or the fridge):

These are the ones that I keep somewhere near me all the time because I use them so much for my hair and skin:

Then there are the other favorites that I use all the time in the diffuser:

So, yes, I do use a lot of oils and I use them every day. I didn't even snap photos of the honey and coconut and olive oils from the kitchen, but I use those as edibles and as topicals. Where most people use a lot of brand name products for their hair and skin and other care routines, I use oils. I clean my face with oils, I use oils over lotions for body moisturizing; I use oils on my hair and for my cleaning around the house. I even use a couple of the oils for getting rid of pests and insects. And I didn't even take a photo of the Neem oil that I sometimes wipe along my open windowsills to keep out the spiders and other icky-crawlies. As well as ingesting it, I use the honey on my face and hair (and to stop cold sores). I will put the coconut oil in coffee and tea and food, of course. The olive oil is something I use to cook with, to clean the leaves of my plants, and, sometimes, to moisturize my hair and body.

When I do use brand name shampoos, lotions, and hair products, I often end up adding one or more of the oils to them.

Recently, I started back using bar soap, but only because I found a wonderful brand of soap is oil-based. One of my neighbors noticed all the oils in my bathroom and I had to laugh when I explained what I used a lot of them for. I did tell her that I remember hearing someone say that if you can't eat something, you shouldn't put it on your skin. Well, my oils are not all safe to eat, but I can look up where they came from without needing a degree in chemistry.

If any of you use other oils and natural things, do let me know about.

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Majestic Pure Pale Pressed Castor Oil

Yes, I know. I just did a castor oil review a couple days ago. That was for what's called a "cold pressed" castor oil. This is for a "pale pressed" castor oil. Specifically, this one:

                    Majestic Pure's 100% Pure Castor Oil (cold pressed & hexane-free)

I have to admit that, before now, I never paid attention to the different oil "pressings". What I did notice immediately when I got this pale pressed oil is that it's so much thinner in texture.

When I saw just how thin this was, I worried that it wouldn't be a "good" castor oil. Except for Jamaican Black Castor Oil (BJCO), all the castor oils I've used have been either thick or super thick. This one was as thin as table syrup. I love me some Majestic Pure, as you guys know, but I was trying to give this item the side eye at first!

Because I was curious about this (and the color, which is a yellow-ish hue), I went looking for info. All I could come up with was that different "pressings" produce differences in oils.

Okay.

To be honest, I really only care the most about whether this would be moisturizing. It is, and the good thing about it's thinner texture is that it makes a great skin moisturizer.

Thick castor oil (like the one I just recently fell in love with) is great for dealing with hair and skin at it's driest. Because a thick oil is heavier, it takes more time for it to absorb. What I learned using this thinner oil is that it's easier to apply on my skin in place of lotion because it absorbs much faster. It still does a the job of moisturizing my skin (and holding in more hydration from, say a shower or bath).

When I applied this to my hands, it only took a couple of minutes before it was absorbed and I could touch paper without staining it. Cool.

I decided that there's a place for both types of oils in my routine. Still, I wanted to understand more about this whole "cold vs pale" pressing thing. I'm no expert, so take what I learned with a few grains of salt:

• Cold pressing leaves the oil more "virgin" because there's no heat used in the process.
• Pale pressed oil has a lower acidity. Pale pressed oil is from the first pressing of the castor bean.
• (source for info includes this specific page)

Um, that's about all I learned! Sorry. Hahaha...

If any of you know more about the subject, be sure to fill me in. 

For now, I am loving this oil. I like the fact that I can apply this to my hands and the rest of my body just before I get dressed. I like that it absorbs almost like a lotion (I just need to fill a small bottle to fit in my purse and gym bag), and most of all, I like that it really does work.

One warning: Don't over-apply. Just because this is thinner, I went a little overboard when I put some on my hair. My body heat begin to warm the oil and I had it dripping down my neck! A little bit goes a looong way, trust me.

Again, I have to say that I've used quite a few products from Majestic Pure by now. They seem to be a real stand-up brand and they do stand behind their products. By the way, this castor oil, other than being "pale pressed" is also hexane free.  There is a 100% refund guarantee.

Peace
--Free


Disclosure: 
In exchange for providing my fair and honest review, I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using AMZ Review Trader. Regardless, I only review products that I have personally used and can give an opinion of.

**REVIEW** Deluxe Botanicals Castor Oil

This 100% pure & organic castor oil by Deluxe Botanicals surprised me. Pleasantly.

It's not the first castor oil I've used, of course, but it's the first "clear" castor oil I've used since I was a kid and my Mom and one of the Grands would make us kids eat a spoonful everyday. Ick.

This one is not for ingesting. It's for the hair, skin and nails.

See?

When I got it, I noticed that unlike, the castor oils I've been buying locally (black ash oils), this one was in a bottle with a dropper. I love having a dropper for oils because they make it easier for dispensing and adding to other bottles.

Where this oil surprised me right off the bat is with how freaking thick is is!

The other castor oils I've used are not thin or watery, but this one is so thick that it reminds me of corn syrup. And that is part of the beauty of it.

Because the oil is thick, I thought it would be too heavy for using as a moisturizer. I don't want a thick, greasy mess left on my hands, and I really don't want to use anything like that on my face, right?

No worries. I did test it on my face (and neck) and it really didn't bother my pores. I just rubbed some water and a drop of the oil in my hands and patted it onto my face and neck before bedtime. I think it helped a lot because the house is really dry with the heat turned up for winter. Ugh!

Of course I mainly wanted to test this on my hands and nails. The Deluxe Botanicals goes on thick, but not too sticky and, after about 2 or 3 minutes (maybe less), it has absorbed completely. I mean completely. My hands (and nails) were very nourished without any sign of greasiness.

When I tested the oil on my body (legs and feet), I got the same results. I just let the castor oil absorb before I on clothing.

Because thisi is a 4-ounce bottle, I'm not going to waste it using it full-body. I added several dropperfuls to a bottle of the lotion I'm taking with me on vacation and left it at that. I'm saving the rest to use on my hair and nails (and my feet).

When I'm not sponge-curling my natural hair, I like to do a 2-strand twist of cornrows overnight. Tonight, I did my twist-rows, then used the castor oil on my scalp in between rows. I want to see how my scalp feels tomorrow when I take my hair down. I will let you know at the finish of this review.

My pre-bed look:

Looking like Celie! LOL

I just oiled my scalp bewtween the twist-rows

This oil is also supposed to be good for acne treatment, but I can't test for that. I do know that when I remembered to try it on my lips it felt great. (If your lips are currently chapped and peeling, apply the oil and let it set for a minute, then do a mild cloth or sugar scrub. I noticed that this worked excellent with some sugar for a scrubbing.) There isn't a strong taste to it, thank goodness. I'm going to try using it a few minutes before I apply lipstick because, for some reason, some lipsticks suck all the moisture right out of my smackers.

Finally, the $14.48 Prime price seems reasonable to me for the 4-ounce bottle because I will be adding this to other products and saving some for direct application. This works well enough to add to my oil purchases in the future and I'm glad that I got to try it out.Also there is a 30-day guarantee. If you don't see results, you get your money back. Good deal.

I checked out Deluxe Botanicals Facebook page and noticed that they share some nice tips and hints. I especially like the "Essential Oil Conversions" chart.

Peace
--Free

DISCLOSURE: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Oils, Oils, Oils (for skincare)

I'm baaaack!! Vacay was wonderful. I got to spend lots of time with my brothers and sister and nieces and nephews and my crazy-beautiful-sweet sis-in-laws. I swear, I would just look around every now and think, not just what a great bunch of folk I'm related to, but also how hot they all are. Dang! One s-i-l hit a birthday (and it's not her 30th) and she holds down nursing school, fixing meals for the kids, keeping a great-looking house, and going to the gym. And the heffa still looks as good as she did when I met her many, many, many (hahaha) years ago.

Anyway, I didn't shop like a maniac. I did shop wisely. I hit all the local bargain spots and scored a handful of makeup, some boots and.... some oils. Let's talk about these oils.

Here are the ones I picked up at T.J. Maxx and Marshall's:

• Grape Seed (and please don't ask me about that stuff in the sidebars!)
• Sesame
• Sweet Almond
• Avocado
• Marula
• Sweet Orange

My 2 favorites are the Marula (because it made my skin feel amazing) and the Sweet Orange (love the scent!), but those are also the ones I've been using daily. By the way, while the 1 fluid ounce bottles for most ran at $3.99, the Marula was $9.99.

Because I know that for myself and lots of other folk, it's important to know have some info on where our products come from, I did a tiny bit of checking on these oils. Also, I know that quality of oils might vary depending on how they are produced and by which brand. If any of you have more info about these brands, do let me know. For now, I will share what I have so far:

Except for the Marula and Sweet Orange, these oils are from the Little Oil Shoppe (a trademark of Jocott Brands). They are labeled as being "100% pure and chemical-free". I did find that one site gave Jocott a low score when the brand was reviewed. I won't link that here because, while the site was clear on what each rating stood for, it was not clear on why it issued the scores to the brand. 

As far as how the products I bought were labeled, I liked that statements were clear and uncluttered. Each of the items I purchased have one ingredient listed - which lines up with the 100% pure statement. Directions for use are just as clear. There are symbols showing the oils as "not tested on animals" and another symbol I had to look up. That turned out to be the "PAO" symbol, indicating  lifetime of a product after opening. Live and learn, right?

now you know

The labels for the Little Oil Shoppe oils show a PAO of 24 months. 

The front of Marula oil bottle itself is labeled as Sonoma Naturals. Closer inspection of the bottle and the box packaging shows that Dermapeutics is the producer. (Love the oil but that name seems just made up to lure in the hopeful-wishful among us who are obsessive about our skincare!)

Marula

Silly name, IMO

I mentioned that the Marula oil is one of my faves. This is because, after the first 2 days I used it, one of my relatives mentioned how soft my skin was after they kissed my cheek. They didn't just say my skin was soft, they went on and on about it. (It's not like I had hard skin before! Really.) I had noticed a fresher kind of softness myself, but hearing it from someone else is always nice. 

Let me mention now that the Marula oil I bought is actually labeled as "Marula Anti-Oxidant Facial Treatment Serum". 

"Omega rich" caught my eye.

Notice that Marula is not the only ingredient (but it is listed first) 

I'm still learning about oils and how to best use them internally and externally. The ones I've talked about here are, of course, those that I use in my beauty care regimen. I'm looking into some other oils to try for this and for my hair care and body health. I am pretty ignorant of different uses for oils and only just now learned (thanks, Adrienne!) that not every fragrant oil is an "essential" oil. I learned some other stuff too, but I'm still learning more.

If you are like me and enjoy scanning random information, here are a couple places to check out when it comes to oils and their uses.

• I like this site especially
• A directory of essential oils
• Making your own perfume oil
• One place for wholesale oils
• Info from Rocky Mountain Oils
• Plantlife Natural Body Care is another resource
• Some home cleaning and body care recipes
• Mountain Rose is a very popular site
• WebMD on aromatherapy

I really encourage you to be careful when dealing with essential oils for various uses. This goes for when dealing with anything you are knew at are in general ignorance of. I have a close personal friend who is no dummy. She is into all things natural and healthy, and even she had a close call recently. She was taking oregano and learned firsthand that taking too much can stop your breathing! So... careful, careful, careful.

As for finding these oils at a good price (and quality), I am going to be checking lots of different sites and doing some research. My local health food store is reputable but can be very pricey. Still, I wanted to share this info with you guys and stir up some interest. (I sure wish I had been using all these oils and potions about 25 years ago!)

Anyway... Now that I am back from the vacay, I am catching up on reviewed products. This is what I came home to:

TONS of stuff... ~sigh~

And more is coming every day. That's the beauty of Tomoson - which I will be doing another little review of soon.

Peace
--Free

P.S.:
If you are interested, here is more info on cosmetic labeling:
http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/Labeling/Regulations/ucm126444.htm

Also, be sure to check out this wonderful posting here: http://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/essential-oils/. Matter of fact, the entire Whole New Mom site looks interesting.

Alternative Cleansers for the Skin

An acquaintance of mine was asking the other day about things I use on my skin. She's having problems with adult acne and blotching. I had mentioned that I don't use soaps on my face or neck. Ever. guess she didn't want to check out the blog posts I've done about my skincare routine. Whatever. This is what I told her, and if I missed anything, well, she should have read all my posts. (By the way, most of what I learned, that didn't come from my mama, came from other blogs and skincare sites.)

• Oil - olive, coconut, sesame, cactus. I've even used Crisco if there was nothing else around. (I don't use Vaseline or other petroleum jellies just because they feel way too heavy.) 
• Baking soda
• Brown or raw sugar
• Coconut Milk (this is a recent addition to my skincare routine)

With the oils, what I do is apply one of them and massage until my hands get tired. For removing eye makeup with the oils, I apply it with my fingers (gently), let it sit for a moment, then blot with a baby wipe. I apply again and then wipe remaining traces of the makeup as gently as I can. (I pay attention to the warnings about not pulling and stretching the skin in the eye area.) I did try using my Jamaican Black Castor Oil as a cleanser, but it can be sticky (at least, the Mango & Lime brand I use) and I don't like the way my skin pulled when as I tried to apply the oil.

When I use baking soda, I only use it on areas where I have issues with blackheads. I make a paste with a few drops of water and dab the mixture onto my nose and chin. With as little pressure as possible, I do circular motions on the problem spots. I make sure to rinse away every little bit of the paste. If you try this, don't even think about rubbing the skin dry. Blot, blot, blot - which is best no matter how you choose to clean your skin. Blot it and then let air do the rest.

The sugar is not really something I use to cleanse my skin. I mainly just use this for exfoliating my lips. I have tried dabbing honey on my face, tapping on some sugar and letting it sit for a few minutes as a moisturizing mask, but I once got sugar in my eye and.... Well, I just use the sugar as a lip scrub now.

Like I said, the coconut milk is a new thing I'm trying. I originally heard about using it on natural hair as a conditioner. I actually love using it to flavor my coffee, tea and cocoa drinks. I can't remember what made me think to use it on my face except maybe wanting that wonderful smell to be on my skin. What I do is warm some in the palm of my hand, then dab it all over my face. I massage it in, enjoy the delicious smell while I kill time filing my fingernails or something. I remove it with a warm rinse of water. I can't really say yet what it does for my skin (except make it feel super-soft), but it's a very relaxing routine. And that amazing smell! Ummm... I'd just love to be able to afford taking a whole-body bath in that stuff! 

I love that baby wipes are so inexpensive and versatile. Other than baby wipes or the oldest, softest towels, I try not to use anything else on my face and neck. 

As a side note, let me explain why I don't use baby oil on my face: it's just too, too oily. With the other oils (especially cactus oil), you don't get that greasy feeling left behind. Cactus oil is about to become more of a fave than coconut or JBCO for everyday use on my skin. Great absorbency and makes the skin feel more hydrated than oily.

And that's it. Nothing too fancy. I don't deny that I keep some Avon Anew around (along with some Walmart or Walgreen brand sunscreen) but, if I had to give up one or the other, I'd keep the oils and milk. If you look at a lot of products on the market, you'll notice they incorporate a lot of "natural" items. My question is: why would I pay so much for all the fillers and preservatives if I can just cut right to the good stuff? Or, ask yourself this: Could you use your face-care products to cook and/or flavor your food with as well? If it's too toxic to put inside you, why put it on you at all?

I'm just saying.

The great thing about most of these skincare items is that many women can use them on their hair as well. On that subject, I don't know for sure, but I'd think that women who have or wear their hair straight (non-kinky) could use the oils as wash-out conditioning treatments. 

Peace

--Free

Skincare Gone to Seed

My skin feels so amazing right now, and it smells delicious. Downright edible.

And you'd think that would be a good thing, right? Well...

A friend who knows what a fanatic I am about taking care of my skin read my recent post about using oils to moisturize. She was pretty excited to tell me about an oil I've never used before: Sesame Seed Oil. Not only is this stuff supposed to be good for the skin and hair but, apparently, it's got benefits I hadn't known about.

When I ran out to do my grocery shopping earlier today, I saw a bottle of the oil at Walmart. The price wasn't bad so I picked up a bottle. We don't have our snow yet and the rainy weather has been great for my skin and hair, but I decided to give myself a rubdown with the oil while watching "Scandal" on Hulu. 

The oil's smell was strong right off. ~shrug~ Coconut and Olive oils have specific odors, but they are fairly mild and they can be masked with a light perfume. Not so for the Sesame oil. When I told you my skin feels amazing, that is no lie. When I told you it smells edible, that is no lie. I smell like an order of Almond Chicken. I love my Chinese food (Hi, Golden Gate!), but I don't want to smell like my dinner.

Ohmigoodheavens, there is no masking this odor. If I add another scent to my body right now, I'll smell like a Chinese-French hors d'oeuvre. 

So...

I call up my friend and tell her how I just couldn't wait to try out the oil as a moisturizer, but ended up smelling like food. She had the nerve to catch a little attitude. "You got the wrong kind, you dumbass." (Because she said it with love, it's okay that she called me a dumbass. We are friends close enough that "bitch" really is a term of endearment. I guess. Bitch.)

Turns out I was supposed to get a particular kind of sesame oil - raw. 

Oh, well. I will keep this little bottle for cooking with. Next time I'm out, I will check out prices for the raw sesame oil. If it makes my skin feel as good as this "toasted" version, I will be a happy gal. 

I will mention now that, unless its being toasted has something to do with the intensity, I won't be able to use the oil on my face. There is a feeling of warmth that the oil gave my skin, which was fine - actually, it felt invigorating - for my torso, but my face felt too sensitive to it. You better bet I'll be careful not to let it leak onto any other body parts that might be, um, sacred.

So, I'll get back to you about the raw sesame oil when I try it. In the meantime, compared to coconut and olive oils, I want to say it made my skin feel a little more nourished. I will think of it as a "night oil" and use the others for less intensive or "day treatments." Also, coconut and olive oils weren't irritating to even the most sensitive parts of the body and are fine (for me) as, um "personal lubricants." This sesame oil? That's getting nowhere past the panty-line, I can tell you that!

Recap: I guess you can use sesame oil for its health benefits (and here), skin and hair benefits and, if you are into it, Ayurvedic beauty treatments. Here's an article on toasted vs raw. I should have done more research before just grabbing a bottle!

Peace

--Free