Wanna see what I got?

I haven’t shampooed my hair in months, and it’s definitely healthier for it. Still, I can always get on board with something that will make my hair smell like something other than…hair. That’s my one complaint with using only baking soda: it smells like nothing at all.

Either none of my friends or family can take a hint, or a neti pot isn’t an appropriate gift. Either way, I finally bought myself one that isn’t raggedy and plastic.  As long I stick to distilled water, I won’t have to worry about the elusive brain amoeba.

I have a feeling this book is gonna rock my world.

I guess I can finally stop stealing Danielle’s. Also my hair will thank me for this.

A few drops of this + argan oil = the perfect moisturizer. Danielle taught me this.

Learning is fun, y’all!

Dry Shampoo, Neti Pot, Book 1, Argan Oil, Essential Oil, Book 2.

I’ll be reviewing and/or discussing my experiences with all of the above very soon.

Clean Hair, Clean Teeth

Soft Hair, Toned Face

Clean Body, Clean Hands (Bonus:Clean Dishes)

Clear Skin, Healthy Hair

Soft, Hydrated Skin

If I were allowed to splurge, then I'd buy a little bottle of this stuff to add to the argan and coconut oils. Lavender is a dream come true.

Baking Soda, Apple Cider Vinegar, Castile Soap, Argan Oil, Coconut Oil, Lavender Essential Oil.

What products can’t you live without?

Also, if you haven’t entered the mantra perfume giveaway then you probably should. ; )

I’ve been using Danielle’s homemade bottle of sea salt spray for the past couple of weeks, and I’m loving the results. My hair has extra body, the dreamiest waves, and it even smells nice thanks to the lavender essential oil she added. I can’t wait to whip up a batch of my own! Maybe I’ll even add a little argan oil as the ReadyMade article suggests. The longer my hair gets, the more of a problem split ends are becoming. It’s disheartening, really.

This Care2 article about the Oil Cleansing Method left me wanting more information, so I checked out this page that explained it even further. Now that I’m somewhat informed, I kind of want to try it!

For those of you who have never heard of it, the Oil Cleansing Method is based around the idea that the more oil you strip from your face (with soap), the more oil your face will produce. This excess oil your face produces will result in the blemishes you’re trying to avoid. Cleansing your skin with a mixture of castor oil (the cleansing oil) and the nourishing vegetable oil of your choice (such as grape seed, jojoba, olive, or sunflower) is the best way to avoid blemishes because you’re working with your skin’s natural oil production rather than against it. Some people, like the writer of the Care2 article, also add a little essential oil to their oil mixture. This is optional.

The idea of the OCM wasn’t entirely foreign to me prior to reading these articles; Danielle experimented with cleansing her face with oil a while back. I was just closing a chapter in my life (or skincare routine) which included washing my face three times a day with bar soap and rarely moisturizing. I thought she was absolutely crazy. Now that I’m using a soap-free cleanser, moisturizing twice a day, and my skin has never looked better, the OCM seems like the logical next step. Maybe I’ll slowly incorporate it into my routine and love it, or maybe I’ll try it a few times and hate it. Regardless, I’ll definitely let you guys know how it goes!

Have you ever heard of the Oil Cleansing Method? Better yet, has anyone tried it?  I’m curious to hear your thoughts and experiences.

• One or two drops of the essential oil of your choice (I’ve been using lavender, and I’ve also been using more like 5 or 6 drops).

Danielle bought me this beautiful assortment of essential oils for Christmas (+ a tea tree).

• A bath cloth to catch the drops of essential oil (You’ll need to apply new drops to the cloth for each load you dry).

This has become my designated dryer sheet cloth.

If you have a bath cloth to spare and and a bottle of essential oil lying around*, then you should definitely give this a try. There’s nothing to throw away, and making them only requires one ingredient! Neither of those things can be said of store bought dryer sheets.

*A bottle of lavender essential oil sells for as low as $5, so even if you don’t currently own a bottle…buying one probably wouldn’t break the bank.

• 9 Essential Oils with Huge Health Benefits- Danielle bought me a set of 6 essential oils for Christmas, and I’ve yet to open the bottle of peppermint oil. Sounds like I could be putting that stuff to good use! Also, this is the first I’ve heard of lavender combating high blood pressure. Geranium, Rose, Clove, and Lemon Balm oil clearly need to find their ways to my bathroom cabinet.
• 10 Reasons Japanese Women Don’t Get Old or Fat- Eating brown rice more often than bread does seem like a smart idea, and I need to learn to respect desserts instead of devouring them carelessly.

p.s. I think I’ve gotten slightly better at blending eyeshadow since my review of the Alima Pure Rainforest Collection:

I'm wearing Macaw and Jaguar, btw.

With my approaching period, I’ve been feeling not quite myself lately. I’ve been eating everything in sight without a second thought. My skin and my hair haven’t been behaving themselves (My clay and eggs mask had positive but fleeting results), and after walking Clem and Winston every day this week, my feet are sore and actually pretty smelly (It happens to the best of us).  One night this week, in an attempt to make myself look and feel less haggard, I made time for a hair mask, face mask, foot moisturizing/scraping (I did try to think of a less disgusting word), and a long bath (which was made complete by a couple of drops of sweet orange and lavender essential oils).

The hair mask did make my hair shiny, and my feet feel a million times better, but the bath and face mask were definitely the highlights of my night. Since I slightly altered the face mask that I linked to, here are the exact proportions I used:

• 1 tbsp of whole organic milk
• 1 tbsp of honey
• all of the aloe vera gel that I could squeeze out of that chunk in the picture
• 1 drop of lavender essential oil
• a pinch of whole grain old fashioned oats

This was my first time using essential oil to make a face mask, and it couldn’t have been a lovelier experience. I love the scent of lavender, and it had a calming effect on both me and my skin. I got a little on my lips and, after licking it off, discovered that this mask is also oddly delicious. I’m not entirely sure that ingesting lavender oil is safe, but I can’t imagine that just a drop would be dangerous. I did a little research, quickly became overwhelmed, and then gave up.

As for bathtime, sweet orange oil will definitely be a common future addition. I actually felt cheerful afterwards.

Here’s my skin post mask. Yes, that is a floral towel turban on my head.

P.S. In the first picture, the tiny brown bottle with the dropper (which used to be home to my argan oil) contains a mixture of tea tree oil and olive oil.  I applied it to my feet in addition to the peppermint lotion.

If you haven’t had a date with a couple of masks and a hot bath lately, then I’d suggest treating yourself. I feel great!

I mentioned linalool in my recent post about perfume, but I didn’t really expound upon why it should be avoided because I hadn’t done much research at that point (aside from the articles that I linked to in the post).  My curiosity was stirred once again while reading the ingredients to Danielle’s seemingly harmless body oil.  Upon seeing the ingredient “linalool” listed, I immediately did some research.

Linalool earns a hazard score of 5 from the Cosmetic Safety Database and is even linked to cancer according to that source. A few articles that I read pointed out that many people are allergic to linalool and also linked it to eczema. Some sites insisted that whether or not linalool is harmful depends on whether or not it is manufactured synthetically, which makes sense since linalool occurs naturally in lavender essential oil (which has a very low hazard score of one). Some articles stated that  naturally-occurring linalool may have anti-cancer effects. After reading all of these contradictory things about linalool, I honestly don’t know what to think anymore. The most reasonable conclusion to draw, I guess, is that I should always make sure that the linalool in my products is naturally-occurring rather than synthetic.  Synthetic is never really the way to go in my book anyway.

Karen's Botanicals Rehydrating Olive Oil Cleanser

Ingredients- Olive Oil, Saponified Olive Oil, Distilled water, Extracts of Melissa and Rosemary Oil, Lavender Essential Oil (The olive oil and saponified olive oil are organic.)

Product Description (Again, provided at Carenonline.com, where I ordered the product)- “A gentle cleanser that leaves skin feeling supple, fresh, and thoroughly moisturized. Pure organic, virgin olive oil gently deep cleans the pores and moisturizes the skin. Saponified olive oil provides a gentle foaming action to wash away the excess oil, leaving your face feeling clean and soft. Highly concentrated; a little dab will do.  Olive oil has regenerating power on the skin tissue and has the ability to regulate the natural moisturizing system of the skin. Olive oil smooths and softens the skin and is great for stimulating and healing the skin by toning up and firming it. Essential oils of Melissa, Rosemary and Lavender soften, purify, and stimulate skin cells”

Price- $12.50 for four ounces, and as my Jr. High gifted teacher would’ve said: A little dab will do.

Performance- Since the bottle did not tell me this, I had to find out on my own. You should really shake this stuff up before you use it. Otherwise, it will not lather. I’m guessing that is has something to do with the ingredients separating, which is a common problem with “natural” products. After I realized that I needed to shake it, I was thoroughly pleased with the product. I wash my face twice a day now because I can without it drying it out. My skin does what it wants, but for now I am even seeing fewer blemishes.

Scent- This product smells exactly as the ingredients would suggest: lavender, rosemary, and olive oil..in that order.

Rating- 10 all the way! I almost said 9, but it is not the product’s fault that I was left in the dark about the need to shake it.