Moisturizing

One simple, yet important thing that many forget is the importance of moisture for our skin. Even if you have very oily skin, it is important to not use products that dry it out completely.

Especially when it comes to anti aging, moisture is so very important. Over the years, our skin has a tendency to dry out, which leads to further wrinkling.

One way to avoid unnecessary drying of our skin is to be careful of the cleansers we choose. Often people choose harsh cleansers with alcohol and strong soap properties that are too intensive. We need to be careful, especially as the years progress, to be gentle with our skin.

One form of cleansing that I find very beneficial is oil cleansing. It can be inexpensive and very effective at deeply cleansing the skin and keeping it well hydrated. Of course, we need to remember to drink lots of water to stay hydrated in the inside as well. So, the way to do it is to rub your oil of choice all over your face and then take a washcloth dampened with hot/warm water and press it into your entire face and hold it there for a minute. Rinse the washcloth and reapply and then rub off excess dirt and makeup. Amazingly, oil easily even removes tough eye makeup and mascara. Note- You may want to remove your eye makeup with a tissue before using the damp cloth so as to not get your washcloth too soiled in just one use. So after cleansing with the washcloth, then you can splash your face with some warm water and pat dry. Your face will be very clean and yet still feel great and hydrated. It will not feel all tight and dried out, which is good. Some like to use a toner next, but it’s often not necessary. I like to use Apple Cider Vinegar as a toner, especially if my face feels particularly dirty or is having trouble with acne that week. I take a cotton ball, put a bit of ACV on it, and then fill it with water as ACV straight is too harsh for the skin. Another note- anything that causes your skin to sting or have pain is most likely too harsh for your skin and will cause it to break down over time rather then keep it built up and healthy. Pain in our body or skin is often God’s way of letting us know something is wrong, so take note of this as you try different products. Be good and gentle to your skin and it will be good back to you.

Many of the oils you cleanse your skin with can be used after as a moisturizer as well. You may ask, what kinds of oils are good for this? There are many, but I will name a few. Many of these can be used all over your body as well and are perfectly healthy without toxins as they are all mostly edible. So, here are a few: Castor oil, Avocado oil, Macadamia nut oil, Coconut oil, Argan oil, Jojoba oil, Olive oil, Hazelneut oil and Grapeseed oil. Be sure to always get organic, cold pressed, virgin oil. We also have a wonderful oil cleanser at the shop called the Vegan Oil Makeup Remover by The All Natural Face which mixes several very wonderful oils together for a deep cleanse. This is the oil I use each day for cleansing. The oil I like best for moisturizing is Argan oil, which we also have at the shop. I use it almost every night. I prefer it over some of the other oils because of how effective is it for wrinkles which I’m getting around my eyes in particular. Also, though Coconut oil is great and I can definitely use it all over my body for moisture, it can make my face breakout. I’ve talked with several people about it and they say that it is known for that. So, all that to say, it is good to experiment with different oils to find which work best for you. Some can even be put in the hair and rinsed or left in in moderate amounts for shine and moisture for the hair as well. Also, as I don’t like to use oil on my skin for the day time, creams also can work wonderfully. My favorite is the Age Defying Extract Daily Moisturizer by the All Natural Face as it is deeply moisturizing and a great price of only $14. I am all about having the most quality personal care products at the best prices and so this is what we feature at Hair Naturally as well.

Hope this finds you enjoying your day, well hydrated and looking and feeling great!