natural products

i've been on a mission to slowly acquire and replace my previous everyday beauty products with more natural ones. so i thought i would post about what i am currently using on a daily basis and seems to work for me.

+++

1. coconut oil 

i could and probably will write a separate post solely on the numerous uses and benefits of coconut oil. but in relation to skin it is an excellent moisturizer that i apply before bed. you only need a pea size amount because a little of it goes a long way. first you want to wash your face with warm water and then rub the small amount between your hands so it melts and then spread it in a circular motion all around your face. i sometimes even use it on my lips as a moisturizer.

coconut oil is a natural antimicrobial, anti-fungal and antibacterial so it can definitely help your skin feel and look better. i certainly notice a difference when i wake up in the morning. at first your skin will feel greasy after applying it since it is an oil but after a few minutes it should absorb nicely right into your skin.

2. apple cider vinegar (acv)

recently i've heard about the benefits of acv for when it comes to skin care and i use it quite often now. it has anti inflammatory properties so it will help reduce breakouts and minimize those that you already have. i have read that you can dilute it with water and drink it as well as an acne treatment. i actually challenged myself to take acv "shots" everyday but it was so strong and i could not stand the burning i felt in my esophagus even after following it up with chocolate milk. so now i just use it as a toner.

to use it you simply put a few drops on a cotton ball and dab it on your skin as a spot treatment. it will have a super strong, nasty smell but it goes away eventually and i don't even mind it that much anymore. i definitely would suggest doing it before bed after washing your face and once it dries completely you can follow it up with the coconut oil as a moisturizer.

3. tea tree oil

tea tree oil has been used for centuries as a topical treatment and is used as an acne treatment for many people. it is an antiseptic and anti-fungal that has been shown to work just as well as 5% benzoyl peroxide but with less side effects. you first have to dilute it with water using only a few drops for every tablespoon of water. you can take a q-tip or cotton ball and dab it on your skin where you need it most. like any treatment it will take time to see results. oh and never swallow it because it is toxic.

4. vitamin e

this oil is another night time beauty aid that will help with wrinkles, dry skin and even help fade scars. you can buy the capsule kind that is meant to be ingested but instead you can puncture a hole to spread that on your face or you can buy the topical kind i did above. i would avoid it if you already have oily skin but again use it after washing your face before going to bed. it will also protect you from the sun!

5. lush shampoo and face mask

recently i was at the lush store and bought the two products above, which i must say i absolutely love. the shampoo lathers extremely well and my hair feels so much softer and looks much shinier, i swear. not to mention its a natural product that smells really clean and fresh. it is definitely the most expensive product on this list but i think it's well worth it.

the second product (below) that i bought is the face mask that turns green just like face masks in the movies. a little goes a long way here as well and it smells really great which is always good when you have to leave it on for a while. it may be weird but your face really feels minty fresh in a such a good way.

+++ please feel free to share what you use or if any of the above ^ has worked for you!

:)

a moment in time

i cherish my evening walks with momma and our bundle of joy!

jean-loup in my novel the girl with no shadow (a sequel to chocolat) is a boy who loves his cameras and carries them everywhere he goes while taking pictures of everything he can find, like cats in the cemetery.

vianne says "his habit of watching everything through the viewfinder of his camera is slightly disconcerting; it's as if he is trying to distance himself from the world outside, to find in the tiny digital screen a simple, sweeter reality." it makes me think how the closer you get to this ideal image with more clarity, more detail, better lighting- the more you distance yourself from what is actually in front of you and the true nature of things.

 i can't help but think photos are skewed as soon as you look through the lens. you are immediately separated from the reality and "the now". sometimes i think spending hours to make something ordinary beautiful is unjust. it's almost deceit and plain trickery. it just simply isn't so. not to mention the allusion we weave after a photo is taken to edit it into perfection. i don't have a problem with beauty but is there such a thing as false beauty? when are we just being fooled? does it even matter? i almost have this nagging need for truth in things but is there even truth to find...

then there are photos that are edited to create an emotional response (my favorite). i can't say i don't enjoy those. but i still feel the more we want to capture a moment through our lens the more we are taken away from the experience. but maybe we enjoy it in a different way? or maybe is that the price we pay for a moment in time captured. we all know there is no gain without loss.

i guess i am asking why can't things just be ordinary?

why are we obsessed with making every moment enhanced and beautiful and appealing. but maybe that's the point, no one would care to look at it otherwise. beautiful and appealing things we all know are attractive. and i agree, but sometimes i crave the ugly, the plain, the dull, and the true nature of things at times and i'm hoping with enough practice we can find beauty in that.

with that i am finding a greater love for photography and day dream of having my own fancy camera to enhance the tiny, miniscule things often over looked that i find beautiful. i guess the above was my take on the negative side i can't help but think. or maybe i'm just rambling?

* this entirely also relates to this blog and the need for me to be truthful as much as i can and not sell my soul for "views" and the like, if you know what i mean. also here's to blogging and trying not to sell my private life and be a slave to social media to get some kind of response. as kathryn budig says: aim true!

+++

it is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness.
-  tolstoy