Personal Care 101

This is my fourth entry in Personal Care 101.  To read about deodorant, click here.  To read about natural soap, click here.  To read about toothpaste, click here.

 

Today I will talk about facial care products, cleanser, moisturizer, eye makeup remover, and lip balm.

 

First I will tell you where I came from and where I’m headed.

 

I had acne issues as a teen, but not tremendously terrible.  I have had adult acne ever since.  I don’t know if this ever goes away.  It didn’t at 30, will it at 40 or 50?  But I can say that this past year has been the best ever.

 

I started wearing makeup at 14 and was taught to do the full routine, liquid foundation, concealer, powder to set, eye shadow, eye liner, mascara, the whole nine yards.  Over the years I became quite skilled at camouflaging blemishes.  I’m sure this did not help the acne issue, but rather exacerbated it further.

 

Over the years I have tried every product under the sun and spent a load of money!  Mary Kay, DHC, Arbonne, Murad, Proactive, to name a few.  Some of them were awful–in addition to acne, my skin was VERY sensitive, some of these products would cause a rash.  Some of them did work for a while, though.  But it seemed it would last for so long and then maybe my skin became immune.  Plus it wasn’t easy to drop $60 to $80 each time I needed new products!  I dreamed of being able to buy whatever cheap cleanser was available at Walmart!

 

One day I hope to be able to go foundation-free.  I do some days, more so in the summer.  I now use Neutrogena Mineral powder makeup (which I’m sure isn’t as pure as some more expensive mineral makeups) and I think that has helped clear my skin a bit.  Also, when I started eating better, I noticed a change in my skin.  (Sugar and refined carbs cause inflammation.)

 

But I’ve been the most happy with this new product.  If I freaked you out with the baking soda for toothpaste, brace yourself–I use castor oil on my face!

 

This is called the Oil Cleansing Method.  The oil actually dissolves the oil that is clogging your pores!  People typically use a mixture of castor oil and olive oil or jojoba oil.  The ratios depend on your skin type.  My skin is VERY oily (although it has toned done since using this oil).  I use 3 parts of castor oil to 1 part jojoba oil.  I used olive oil when I first tried this.  I already have Extra Virgin Olive Oil in my kitchen (I hope you do, too!) and castor oil was only a few dollars at the store.  Even if you’re a skeptic, it won’t cost you much to give this a try!  You will find some great information here and here, and here.  The latter is where I got my info.

 

I thought it was just something that came with age, but my pores had become so large and my skin was becoming more dull and rough feeling.  Now my skin has a rosy glow and feels soft and smooth.  My pores have shrunk significantly!

 

I pour about a nickel sized portion of oil into my palm and then spread the oil on my face.  I massage it in for a minute, steam my face with a hot washcloth for a minute, then rub all the oil off, gently exfoliating with the cloth.  I then will put a drop of oil on my palm and pat my face and neck with it as a moisturizer.  That’s it!  I used to be quite addicted to toners that contained salicylic acid, but I don’t need them anymore!

 

I was already familiar with using oil as a moisturizer, since I had used DHC and their main moisturizer is pure olive oil.  If I ever get too much oil, I just pat it on my hands, elbows, anyplace that needs moisture.  My face never feels greasy, just soft.  In fact, it has helped balance my oil level.  Our skin will produce extra oil if we keep stripping it with harsh cleansers.  My face is still oily, but I can tell it is less so now.

 

I decided to try this oil as an eye-makeup remover.  I first get some tissue handy and then pour about a dime size amount in my palm.  I rub it on my lashes with my eyes closed.  Then pat it off with the tissue.  I don’t rub too hard, since the eye area is so fragile.  I am very happy with this.  It will vary depending on your mascara.  I don’t use waterproof mascara.  I am using a new mascara lately and sometimes I notice a little residue under my eyes, but I just take a Qtip, dipped in the oil, and wipe off the remaining residue.  It’s okay to leave it on your eyes, since it’s your moisturizer, too.  I just pat off any excess.

 

This oil makes a great lip balm.  Castor oil is the main ingredient in lip gloss anyway.  It is an oil that doesn’t soak in too quickly, keeping a nice shine.

 

I have even used it as a hand moisturizer and body lotion!  I think I should probably use a different ratio for that, though.

 

Occasionally I’m lazy and I just wash my face with Kiss My Face soap, but I can tell the difference, it’s not as good as the oil cleansing.  And occasionally I will use bentonite clay (mixed with water) as a mask, but it’s hardly necessary.  I bought my bentonite clay, castor oil, and jojoba oil from Majestic Mountain Sage.  They also sell inexpensive bottles, if you need a container for your oil mixture (or you could find a bottle in the travel section of the grocery store).  Buy their small dropper bottle (I think they come in 1/2 oz. or 1 oz. sizes) and keep some oil handy in your purse, for your hands or lips!

 

Stay tuned next time, when I give details about hair care!

 

This post is part of the Real Food Wednesdays Blog Carnival, hosted by Cheeseslave and Kelly the Kitchen Kop.  Follow this link to find out more great natural alternatives for beauty!

Breakfast

I tried something new today.  I made a batch of my Sourdough Molasses Bread, but instead of molasses, I used honey and then when it was time to shape the loaf, I rolled it out flat and spread it with butter, sprinkled it with cinnamon, sucanant, and raisins.  Then I rolled it up and let it rise in the loaf pan.  I baked it for 45 minutes at 350F.

 

I want my kids to start eating whole wheat toast with their eggs, plus I just thought cinnamon raisin bread sounded good.  It was a hit!  This will now be part of my baking repertoire.

Why?

Why do I have whey in my fridge?

 

And where did I get it?

 

What am I going to do with it?

 

All very good questions!

 

Whey is a component of milk.  Milk contains fat, protein (casein and others), sugar (lactose), enzymes, vitamins, and minerals.  In the process of making yogurt, the beneficial bacteria convert the lactose into lactic acid, giving the yogurt its sour flavor.  I like to drain some of the whey out of my yogurt to make it thicker.  Whey contains some protein, lactic acid, and I’m sure some other things.  Read about making yogurt, here.

 

Since the whey is acidic I can use it to neutralize the phytic acid in my grains (in the bran of grain).  The phytic acid, if left un-neutralized, will rob your body of important minerals.  For example, I know people like to eat Cream of Wheat for its iron content, BUT you won’t be absorbing that iron because of the phytic acid!  Ideally, we should be eating all whole grain foods, but only those that have been soaked or sprouted.  Read more here.

 

If I want to cook brown rice, I will soak it in filtered water (for a few hours) with some whey added.

 

I have switched my family from modern oatmeal (rolled oats, quick oats) to old-fashioned oatmeal.  The less something is processed, the better.  Instant oatmeal is the most processed, quick oats a bit less, rolled a bit less, but THE best are whole oats!  I buy whole oats (called groats) from Whole Foods.

 

Old-Fashioned Oatmeal

I like to use a mixture of oats, rye, and wheat.  The rye gives it a flavor reminiscent of the Roman Meal hot cereal I ate as a child.  The reason I started adding the wheat and rye is that oats are particularly low in phytase, the enzyme that breaks phytic acid down.  Regular soaking methods don’t reduce the phytic acid very well (in oats).  Amanda Rose, from Rebuild From Depression, suggests adding 10% wheat to your oats.  I started doing that and thought rye would be good, too.

 

I place 3/4 cup whole oats, 2 tablespoons wheat berries (soft or hard), and 2 tablespoons rye berries in a blender.  I grind for about 30 seconds.  I then put the semi-ground grain into the pan I’m going to cook it in the next morning, or if it’s unavailable, a mason jar.  I add 1/2 cup whey and about 2 1/2 cups filtered water.  (Here you will have to see how much water works for you.  We like really thick oatmeal.  Add more or use less according to how your family likes it.)

I let this soak overnight and then in the morning I just bring it to a boil in a saucepan, with a bit of salt added.  I stir constantly until the mixture boils and then turn the heat down to simmer, place the lid on the pan and let it simmer until thick.  I don’t really watch the clock at this point.  It could take 5 minutes, it could take 30.  I usually cook this and then set it on simmer and go blow dry my hair and put on some makeup.  The first step of stirring until it boils only takes a couple minutes, so overall this is an easy breakfast!

 

These proportions make 3 large servings.  If you are accustomed to eating instant oatmeal, then this recipe would give you at least 6 servings.  I have actually been doubling it lately so that we can eat oatmeal all week, but I only have to soak and cook it once.  I reheat portions of it in oven-proof ramekins (covered in foil) in a 350°F oven.  I think it even tastes better the next day!

 

We like our oatmeal with a generous pat of butter, lots and lots of cinnamon, some sucanat (unrefined brown sugar, contains the vitamins and minerals that are stripped from refined sugars), and cream.  Mmm!  You could add fruit to this, nuts, maple syrup–make it the way you like it.  (The picture above in the bowl is oatmeal without anything added yet.)

 

Now, when I switched my kids over to this new oatmeal, I wasn’t sure they would be on board with me (especially my son, he’s the picky one), so I just decided to call it oat porridge instead of oatmeal.  That way their wouldn’t be a comparison, this was something new!  Porridge!  Not oatmeal.  My son didn’t take to it whole-heartedly at first, so I tried toasting it.  In Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon, there is a recipe for Irish Oatmeal and it calls for toasting the grains before soaking them.

 

Here they are spread on my pizza stone.  I would bake them in a 350°F for about 10 minutes.

When I tried this, my son liked his “oat porridge” much better.  I did, too.  After a while, he started loving it and said it was his favorite.  I eventually stopped toasting the oats, since it was an extra step and he didn’t notice the change.  I think he just needed time to develop the taste for this new oatmeal.  Now we even call it oatmeal, too. 

 

I recommend starting out with just a little bit of whey (like a tablespoon) and increasing it each time you make the oatmeal, to become accustomed to the taste.  Like I said, I now use 1/2 cup, I think Sally Fallon’s recipe only calls for 1/4 cup.  I figure the more the better and I always have an excess of whey from my yogurt.  (You can also use lemon juice instead of whey.)

 

I recommend reading Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon for more information on properly preparing grains.  And checkout this excerpt of Amanda Rose’s book, Rebuild from Depression.  This excerpt has some excellent information from studies that have been done that we aren’t hearing about in the mainstream media.

Personal Care 101

In this series, I have covered natural deodorant and soap. Today I want to tell you my alternative for toothpaste.

I use baking soda. Now, some of you are cringing, but it’s really not that bad! You can add essential oils to flavor it, like peppermint (for a strong Altoid flavor) or spearmint, for example. I just use straight baking soda. I keep it in a little dish in my bathroom. I wet my toothbrush and then dip it in.

 

I have mixed up some tooth drops for my kids. I mixed 1 tablespoon baking soda, 1 packet of Stevia Plus, and a couple drops of orange essential oil. I put this mixture into a 1-ounce dropper bottle (like what eye drops are in, I’ll give the source at the bottom of this article) and then add water to fill. Just shake and squirt onto the toothbrush. It’s safe to swallow.

 

I used baking soda off and on as a kid, but the real reason I started back up as an adult is vanity. I had developed a stain on my front teeth that I couldn’t get off. I had even tried whiteners. One day my sister-in-law (a dental hygienist) told me it was just a surface stain that comes of with polishing at the dentist’s office. So I took a Qtip and dipped it in some baking soda. I polished the stain and voila, it came off! So I started using baking soda off and on and then one day just quit using regular toothpaste. My teeth just feel so much cleaner with the baking soda.

 

Regular toothpaste and even a lot of so-called natural toothpastes contain dangerous ingredients, like fluoride and triclosan; and sorbitol, a sugar alcohol that bacteria can feed on.

 

Sugar feeds bacteria, that’s why we brush it off our teeth, right? But our toothpastes and mouthwashes (if they contain sorbitol, or other sugar alcohols) are leaving something on our teeth that also feeds that bacteria! That doesn’t make a lot of sense, does it?

 

Stevia is a natural sweetener that does not feed bacteria, that is why I chose to put it in my kid’s homemade tooth drops.

 

So, baking soda is not only healthier, but oh, so frugal. I buy a 1-pound box for .43 cents.

 

Here is a mouthwash recipe that I came across the other day.  I have not tried it, but I’ve heard from others that it was good.  I think that same blog has a recipe for a salt toothpaste, too.

 

I bought my 1-ounce dropper bottles from Majestic Mountain Sage, they offer great prices on soap and lotion supplies.  The bottles are sold in a 10-pack, but they are a great price and you could split the order with a friend.

 

Please read these articles about fluoride, and triclosan.  And remember, the health of our teeth, really comes down to our diet!  Want to know more, click here.