My Face GLOWS!
Psssst… Would you like to share in my tried
and tested best-skin-ever facial routine? You do? Well walk this way to a
beautiful face!
Listen up gorgeous NMWH fans! If you have
managed to find this very special blog of mine, you have just done yourself a
massive favour!
This feature article could well be your
“best skin one-stop-shop”! What I am about to tell you is a method that has
worked wonders for me, and with some wholehearted searching, I have put
together my very own step-by-step facial routine.
A
troubled (skin) past:
Ok… I admit it – I have had my share of
troubled skin over the years. From a few awkward younger years (yes I was one
of the lucky ones), to sugar addiction (which somehow – I don’t know how –
dragged me though all those university exams), and then to consequential
hormonal chaos (this was confirmed later on by fertility issues – probably
exacerbated by the sugar overload), and lastly, right through to the everyday
strain of the everyday rigmarole. I was doing really well wasn’t I? No wonder
my skin escaped me!
All of these factors let to a terribly dry,
oily, dull and acne prone face. Oh, that face! A face I was forced to look at
everyday. A face that I disowned, but was mine (never-the-less) for the world
to see… A face that I literally hid under makeup, on waaaaay too many
occasions. Ridiculous isn’t it? For a large chunk of my life, I was actually
uncomfortable in my own skin!
I was over it. I needed help and the only
place I was going to get REAL ADVICE that would not compromise my overall
health in ANY OTHER WAY (ahummm… Not like those awesome prescriptions
#only-in-it-for-the-$$$$$$) was from MYSELF! YES ME!
I have never been able to use expensive
moisturisers (they stung my eyes – not a good look), most toners confused me
(why dry out your skin only to moisturise it again?), and all of the
ingredients in commercial products sounded more like acid baths rather than
skin care. I had to find something as close to its natural state as possible,
preferably organic, and I needed to find components that were easily
accessible. Basically, I needed to create a routine that was realistically
doable.
Time
for a solution:
I read every article that came my way. I
stored little bits of information from here and there, this and that. After all
the reading, I took a long hard look at myself (and again though… YUK!). Where
to start? The first thing I had to do, was to get this face clean and detoxed.
Only then could I look at getting this canvas replenished with beneficial,
nourishing goodness!
Let’s
get back to basics:
The age old (pun not intended, but I’ll own
it!) method for cleansing the body of the days dirt and grime, was to use soap
made of lard. Over hundreds of years and in various parts of the globe, soap
had been made from animal fat. To me this sounded absolutely delightful (not)!
Even so, I delved into the notion of using oil to condition and refresh the
skin… “Oil Cleansing” as it is known.
Thankfully there was an easier, more
palatable solution to incorporate oil cleansing into the routine. It’s also a
well recognised Superfood. I’m talking about Coconut Oil! Phew… Hooray for
that! I wasn’t particularly keen on smelling like a bucket of chips before
bedtime (that good old LARD).
The
starting point (and finish) to beautiful skin:
Coconut oil has been shown to be very
effective at relieving acne-irritated skin. To cleanse, all one needs to do is
gently apply the oil over the inflamed area, and then gently wipe it off with a
clean damp cloth. Skin congestion is reduced and the area is soothed at the
same time. Coconut oil is not only intensely moisturising, it has
anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties – perfect to use on acne
troubled skin, in fact, any type of skin.
So I decided to use coconut oil as my
cleanser to remove old skin cells, to treat the bacteria causing my acne, sooth
the red and irritated blotches all over my face, and leave my skin moisturised
after the process. I covered my face in coconut oil in the shower and wiped it
off with a warm wet face washer when I was ready to get out.
Next, I needed something that would restore
moisture and specifically heal the damaged and broken skin caused by
inflammation. I had a good think about what I would use… I knew that vitamin C
enabled healing, but in what form would it provide maximum benefit? What source
of vitamin C would be appropriate for the face? It had to be natural, chemical
free and easily obtainable. I considered making my own vitamin C oil from
organic cold pressed orange/lemon peals, and even applying diluted ascorbic
acid, however I wasn’t entirely satisfied with these ideas. I decided to invest
in a vitamin C serum with simple, organic ingredients… I didn’t really have
time to be regularly making my own from scratch, plus vitamin C is an
ingredient that can be quite harsh on the skin if not diluted to the correct
proportions, which even then, can be different for every individual skin type.
Here’s what I use and I love it!
Ok, so the moisturising and healing part
was organised. Now to address those naughty little fine lines. How do I turbo
charge this routine into an anti-aging WARRIOR? I mean, lets face it… At the
time of really addressing my skin troubles, I was around 28 years old, and I
really had to start paying attention to the fact that I was getting OLDER! The
only raw ingredient I was comfortable with using previously, was organic cold
pressed Rosehip Oil. This is anti-inflammatory and contains vitamin A, which
from my memory bank, encourages collagen production. This was the next thing to
rub into my face. So on it went. About 4 drops of organic Rosehip oil evenly
spread around the face and neck.
All of these wonderful ingredients had to
absorb in order to be effective. I decided to use just a small amount of
coconut butter.
But I didn’t finish there. I wanted to
include vitamin E – a wonderful ingredient for moisture and recovery. I wanted
to reduce the acne lesions plaguing my face, so before bedtime I put on a final
coat of vitamin E. You can purchase natural vitamin E capsules (about 100IU –
usually the weakest concentration) and burst the shell to obtain the oil. Or,
you can buy organic natural vitamin E oil - which is what I like to do.
The
next morning… DRAMATIC RESULTS PEOPLE!
The next morning: Beautifully surprised!
Soft skin with signs of healing. So soft, I didn’t really need to do anything
else to my face all day!
The next week… Redness reduced, I could
actually count the number of pimples on my face (that was a new experience),
and wrinkles were kept in check! In fact, nearly all boxes were ticked! I felt
good. So good, I needed to write about it!
Now
to X-foliate for that X factor!
After about 6 weeks, my skin was looking
much better, so I decided to use an exfoliation technique. For this, I
travelled far and wide. I travelled up and down, to the ends of the earth, all
the way too… my pantry! Trusty Bi-Carb Soda! Alkalising Bi-Carb Soda. I had
found the forbidden treasure! My face could well have been acidic given my
history of redness and inflammation. Maybe it needed neutralising? What could I
loose?
And presto! Smooth skin GOLD! I was very
happy with the results.
The
Nightly Routine in Summary:
So this is my nightly routine (or every
other night), which I am so proud to share with you:
In the shower, apply
coconut oil (1/2 teaspoon of cold pressed, virgin organic coconut oil) to face
and leave on until the end. Before leaving the shower, gently wipe coconut oil
from face using a warm, wet face cloth.
Once out of the shower,
apply 4 drops of vitamin C serum to the face.
Then apply 4 drops of
organic cold pressed Rosehip Oil to face and neck.
4. Coconut Butter:
Apply a thin layer of a
base moisturiser like coconut butter, to maximise absorption. Melt a pea size
amount of coconut butter (organic, cold pressed) over face, neck and
décolletage. Leave everything to soak in for about an hour before moving on to
Step 5.
Just before bed,
conservatively apply vitamin E oil around the contours of the eyes, on any
broken or scarred skin, and any area prone to wrinkles.
Wake up in the morning with fantastic skin!
Yippee!
Exfoliation
in Summary (2-3 times a week):
Cleanse face with Coconut
Oil (see Step 1 in the Nightly Routine above).
2. Coconut Butter:
Apply a pea-sized amount
(can be more) of coconut butter to face, neck and décolletage.
3. Bi-Carb Soda:
Gently pat one teaspoon of
bi-carb soda onto and around your face so it melts into the coconut butter.
Avoid eyes – Use the brow line and eye socket as a guide. Gently massage the
bi-carb around the face, neck and décolletage.
4.
At the end of the shower (or
until your skin tingles), gently wash everything off under running water.
5.
Follow Steps 2-5 in the Nightly
Routine above.
You need to assess how your skin responds
to the above exfoliation process. You may find that once or twice a week is
sufficient for this method of exfoliation.
Your skin will appear brighter,
rejuvenated, healthier, smoother, softer and clearer.
Aren’t you just so ecstatically excited
that you found this glorious post of mine?
See? I like to look after you people.
Happy Days my Beauties!
Much Love!
Candice. Xx
Where
to find the Ingredients:
Hints:
If you get the odd pimple emerge through the day/night, apply some antibacterial tea tree oil to a cotton bud and dab the offending subject. Next apply some witch-hazel to a cotton bud and dab over the same areas to tone and reduce inflammation. Tea tree oil works wonders for me, but with everything, you should test patch somewhere first (like your wrist) before you put anything on your face. The face is quite sensitive, so better to be safe and sure (than sorry!).
Important:
(1) Please ensure that you allergy test all ingredients before applying anything to your face/neck/decolletage etc. You can do this by applying an ingredient to the wrist of about the size of a ten cent piece. You can leave this on for a few minutes, OR as soon as you experience a negative reaction - such as a burning sensation. Refrain from using any ingredient that irritates your test patch.
(2) Please keep in mind that my success may not be your success, and results are unique to every individual. You should also talk to your doctor (particularly if you are taking any medication) to determine if any of the ingredients listed above could interfere with your professional treatment and/or prescriptions.
