My TOP 5 Natural Skin Care Remedies

Over the last few years, I've started using natural products on my body {and my daughter's, and - though he hates to admit it - my husband's}. Why? In part, because I'm quite suspicious of the cosmetic industry. {See what I mean here}.

beautiful Queensland, where I live ...

In my day job, I'm a scientist. I did my PhD on climate change and frogs, and I'm NOT a chemist by any stretch ... {and in fact, until childbirth, I think organic chem was the most painful thing I ever had to experience}. But in my 4 years of playing with wild tadpoles, I learned a bit about how sensitive a frog's skin is to chemicals in its environment.

Now, our human skin is a bit less permeable than a frogs' - yes - but I definitely started wondering how much of my shaving gel/moisturiser/lip balm and so on were filtering through my own skin and into my tissues and bloodstream. I tried to find some good, reliable evidence on this for you ... to no avail. But, let me just say that it's worth thinking about what might go into your skin when you put something onto your skin. Especially when you've just damaged it via sunburn or shaving or exfoliating. Or when the product says "quickly absorbed!"

Ohhhhh ....
Absorbed.

Plus, as far as natural skin care goes, I like that I can buy unrefined, organic oils and honey and butters to use for cooking and beauty - saving me money, giving me better quality control AND meaning that my beauty products don't have to include preservatives. I can make them fresh as I need them!

So, as far as I'm concerned - kitchen-based skin care is good. Very good.
Here are some of my all-time favourites!


 #1 - Coconut oil for eye makeup removal
Coconut oil smells all beachy and sunshiney and pulls that mascara straight off your face. Simply pour or swipe a bit of virgin coconut oil onto an organic cotton ball or soft cloth and wipe gently across your eyelids, trying not to get it in the eye itself {because that kind of hurts}. Rinse with cool water and pat dry. I find coconut oil too heavy for the rest of my face ... but love it for my eyes.

#2 - Cocoa butter for body moisturising
Cocoa butter smells like your favourite chocolate bar and helps keep moisture in your skin like nothing else can. It's not heavy, but some people don't like it on their faces {though others, like my friend Renee, swear by it}. At the least, grab yourself a small block of raw organic cocoa butter and rub it directly on your skin after a shower. It melts at body temperature, leaving a light skin-protecting layer behind. It's also awesome on lips or as a non-liquid travel moisturiser.

#3 - Honey for face purifying
I can't bring myself to slather mayonnaise or avocado or whatever on my skin {or hair} ... but honey? That's different. The sweet stickiness of honey makes it an excellent mask to purify the skin - removing pollutants and deep-cleaning. Just mix 1 Tbs honey with 1 tsp of water or cool green tea, lightly rub onto your face {avoiding the eye area}, and sit down for 5-10 minutes out of reach of your dog. {If you have a dog, you'll know why ... } Then wash with warm water, pat dry and moisturise as you like. I like to use raw honey, because it retains more of its natural nutrients ... but you just need one of those little honey packets from the hotel breakfast to refresh travel-weary skin.

calendula and chamomile

#4 - Hempseed oil for everyday face moisturising
Hempseed oil is light and full of omega 3's that make your skin happy. I've been concocting my own potions out of hempseed oil + calendula and chamomile essential oils, which smells like a cup of tea and makes my skin feel AMAZING. {Or infuse the dried flowers into your oil and strain it into a sterile container}. On its own, hempseed oil smells a little bit nutty/earthy ... you might have to get used to it. Or you can mix in your favourite skin-friendly essential oils to create whatever scent you like best!

#5 - Body brushing for glowing skin
All you need is an old hairbrush to get your skin glowing ... just get nudie in your bathroom and brush your skin before you hop into the shower. Start at your feet or hands and brush your whole body in the direction of your heart. Body brushing feels fabulous, sloughs off old skin, and - importantly - improves circulation and lymphatic drainage. A truly special way to wake up your body in the morning! {And you know you deserve it}

What are your faves? We'd love to hear them!
Amanda xx

Comments

  1. The only one of those i have tried is honey - i am gonna try them all now though! thanks.

    I don't do much in terms of skin care. But it gets mighty dry here in Alice, so I have been using macadamia oil all over my body for a while now. When I was at uni i was all for sorbolene but now i hate it.

    I sometimes put chamomile tea bags or essential oil in a bath with some olive or mac oil - for me or for the toddler. And i use pawpaw ointment on my lips, and on baby skin that is especially dry. that's about it!

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  2. Love this post (and great mindsI just recently posted a video blog on natural products). I love your site

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  3. @Accidental Lentil... Thanks, Sarah! I love oils in my bath, too. They make my skin feel all silky :)

    Watch out on the pawpaw ointments - I, too, love how they feel on my lips and dry skin ... but I was recently shocked to find out that Lucas' Pawpaw Ointment (in the red) is made in a petroleum jelly base! Yuck! It's a shame they don't make it more obvious on their label :(

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  4. I wash my face with olive oil every night (just warm water in the mornings) and scrub once a week with coconut oil and granulated sugar. This has lessened the redness I get from rosacea dramatically. Commercial products are too inflammatory!

    I use castille soap in the shower and moisturize with sweet almond oil. I add lavender oil to the SAO for my feet (lavender is an antifungal).

    For hair frizzies I take about a teaspoon of aloe vera gel and add a few drops of sweet orange oil (almost any essential oil is fine here, it's just for softening and smelling lovely) and scrunch/pat it though my hair. Mine is long and fine, so less for shorter hair and more for thick hair.

    ~AmyLovesTeal

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  5. I switched to a basically all-natural skincare routine about seven months ago, and have been using the OCM at night, honey several times a week, and sweet almond oil as a sometimes moisturizer. I am loving your idea of mixing honey with green tea, and have just added hemp seed oil to my grocery list after reading about how it can help combination skin. Thank you!

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  6. @JM And thanks for popping over, JM ... just had a peek at your blog and it's soooo interesting! Heading back over now!

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  7. My everyday makeup is a very light film of coconut oil, wait a couple
    of minutes and then brush on your favorite mineral face powder. I
    prefer mineral powder without talc. It works great.

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  8. Organic rosehip oil is great as a night serum! And just a few drops goes a long way!!!!

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  9. I have a dog and completely love that you added a comment about them. :)

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  10. I'm so happy that you shared all these healthy/organic tips. I love using your skin cleanser and your moisturizer and I know I'm going to love using honey for face purifying now :)

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  11. @Amanda @ Easy Peasy Organic

    OH!! i didn;t know that! Thanks for telling me.It doesn't say it anyway on the packet. I feel betrayed!

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  12. @Accidental Lentil... I know ... I totally felt betrayed, too! I think it's something with labelling laws that they don't have to tell you what the base ingredients are. :(

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  13. Hi Amanda,
    I love this post! I'm big on natural and "kitchen" based cosmetics. You mention a few new for me to try. Have you ever used ground coffee beans as an exfoliant? It leaves your skin feeling so nice:)

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  14. @Spicie Foodie Well I do love another excuse to make a cup of coffee ... Thanks, Nancy! :)

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  15. I am also one who finds coconut oil too thick for my entire face, but I didn't think to use it as a mascara remover. I'm going to try it tonight!

    I just found your blog via Babble's Top 100 Mom Blogs list and I'm so glad I did. I love finding other like-minded moms!

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  16. Hi Amanda,
    I just found your blog through craftgawker. I really enjoyed reading your 'about me' page. I have been through some ups and downs in my life as well, and I could relate to a lot of what you wrote. I'm looking forward to reading your blog! Love this post about natural skin care. I used to spend hundreds of dollars on products and treatments only to realize it may be doing me more harm because of all the parabens and sulfates, etc. I usually use jojoba oil for moisturizing, but I'll have to look for hempseed oil!

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  17. Thanks, Lauren! And Maryea! Lovely to meet you both :)

    And ... for those of you interested in petroleum-free pawpaw ointment, check out Suvana Organic Paw Paw & Honey ointment ... you should find it at your natural foods' store, and here are the (happy) ingredients:

    Castor seed oil*, beeswax*, coconut oil*, cocoa butter*, papaya extract, honey*, jojoba oil*, vanilla bean oil*, candilia wax, carrot seed oil, stevia extract, vitamin e

    Yay!!

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  18. I tried coconut oil to remove my eye makeup last night, and it worked wonderfully! I tend to wear a lot of eye makeup, and it took off every single bit of it. Thanks for the tip!

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  19. Has anyone tried microdermabrasion treatment? I heard it can do wonders for your skin.

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  20. Any tips of getting rid of my 6 yr old daughters hand warts? She also has one under her bottom lip. :/

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  21. Love your post and i like Cocoa butter for body moisturizing because my skin is dry and very sensitive...

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  22. @Anonymouscaster oil will get rid of warts in just a few days

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  23. I recommend argan oil australia for their many benefits in skin care. Helps restore cells for firmer and more youthful skin appearance.

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  24. Thanks a lot for this post! I've been looking for natural beauty remedies online and checking if there are any discount freight shipping. Who's to say that I can just find them in the garden or in a local market? Thanks!

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  25. Never ever thought that coconut also could be effective for the skin. I would definitely like to try this remedy for my skin. Thanks for sharing the information which is quite helpful for everyone.

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  26. HI Amanda! It is quite amazing how rich,powerful but at the same time simple a natural skin care can be. One of the natural products I am surely in love with is Jojoba Oil but lots of others, too.

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Thanks for commenting! Amandaxx