Skin Deep

So- in keeping with the theme and title of my blog, I have decided to start this adventure by writing about the most significant change that I have recently made in the name of "progress."I became really interested in skincare a couple of years ago, when I finally had enough money to start using items that cost more than $5 a bottle and realized that the products you put on your skin do, in fact, make a difference. A little Clarisonic brush here, a little Olay Regenerist serum there and -voila!- I had the smooth-as-a-baby's tooshie skin that I always dreamed of. I literally had people (including an esthetician!) complimenting me on my skin randomly and asking me what I use. Oh, how it felt so good...

My paraben-infested skin looking pretty rockin' about a year ago.

UNFORTUNATELY, science had to come rain on my parade. I don't remember what compelled me, but I began to do research about ingredients in beauty products; I learned about the active ingredients (which was great, because it helped me save money by making at home remedies ;-)), but I also came across the P-word of the beauty community: PARABENS (aaaaaaah!). I learned that parabens are linked to cancerous tumors and premature aging of the skin. Maybe I'm a little slow on the uptake here, but I was also surprised to learn that everything that we put on our skin enters our bloodstream, and it does so at a more concentrated and faster rate than ingredients that we digest. YIKES! Once I learned this, I could no longer bear to smooth my magic potions, Cetaphil and the Olay Regenerist Serum (both chock-full of parabens), on what we all know (but often forget) is the largest organ of the body.

You don't realize what a monopoly big brands have on beauty products until you decide not to use them anymore. Finding alternatives takes research. No more strolling around Tar-get, picking the item in the prettiest packaging or with the sweetest fragrance. No, now I had to go on Google, YouTube, and Make-Up Alley (a beauty products review website) to find information on the little known brands at my local health foods store and vitamin shop. But, alas, all of that research paid off, because it introduced me to the wonders of natural skincare that I already had right in my kitchen. I wish that I could say that my skin was still as perfect as it was in my Olay days, but I can't. I have discovered that I am acne-prone (sad tear) and my skin is kind of dry. But whatevs- it still looks good. I now go to sleep every night and wake up every morning knowing that most of the products I put on my face are products I would also put in my mouth (awkward pause...?). So, without further ado, here is my new skincare routine...

1. Make-Up remover: Olive Oil. Yep, I take straight-up, out of the kitchen cabinet olive oil and rub it all over my wet face. Rub, rub, rub and all the make-up (including waterproof eye makeup) comes right off. As soon as I am satisfied with my level of raccoon-eyedness (a technical term that indicates that all eye make-up has been removed), I wipe it all off with a damp washcloth.

2. Facial cleanser: Oatmeal. Ok, people, I'm not crazy (although I think my husband thinks I am when he watches me do this). No, no, no- it works quite nicely. I take a handful of quick oats (NOT the kind that comes in pouches), hold it in my fist and run my fist under water to allow the oats to become wet. When I open my hand, I add a little more water (warm!) to further break down the oats. Then, I press the softened oats against my face and begin massaging them into my face in a circular motion. It is messy, BUT it is lots of fun and feels lovely- not to mention the fact that my face feels and looks clean and smooth when I'm done. Just don't forget to rinse all the oatmeal down the drain so you don't gross out your cohabitant! (You can look up Bubzbeauty's video on YouTube for a great demo.)

1. That there is a fist full of oats. Just running them under warm water...

2. ...so that they soften, like this...

3. ...and I can rub them on my face, like this.

4. After massaging the oats onto my face for about a minute and rinsing, my face is clean and soft (if not perfectly clear :-/).

3. Toner: Lemon Water. Yum! I love when a little accidentally gets in my mouth because it's so refreshing. It's just a 1:10 ration of lemon juice to filtered water. I like to put it in a spritzer and keep it in the fridge. Just a couple of spritzes after washing my face and I get the little tingle that tells me  "Hey, we acids are working hard eating all of your dead skin." What troopers. I rinse it off after 5 minutes- God forbid I end up looking like Samantha after she got that chemical peel before Carrie's book party...

4. Moisturizer: Jojoba oil with a drop of tea tree oil. This has been a tricky area for me. My skin is dry yet acne prone (HOW?). I started with avocado oil, which worked for a while before I started breaking out (could be the change of weather). Anyhoo, I recently started with the jojoba oil (which does not leave as much of an oily residue) with a drop of tea tree oil (which is an anti-bacterial agent) and it is helping. I use a five to one ratio of jojoba oil (because it is a carrier oil) to the tree oil (because it is an essential oil). I massage the mixture into damp skin, because the moisture from the water helps the oil absorb more easily into the skin.

5. Night cream/eye cream: Shea butter. Seriously, just a dime size goes a long way. Feels like butta...because it is! I rub it in my hands so that it liquifies, then massage it onto my face. I also take another small amount (like a SPECK) and pat it under my eyes.

6. Daytime moisturizer: Gaaaah, you caught me! This is the one product that I use that is not natural and does contain parabens. I am still working on finding a good natural moisturizer with SPF, so, in the meantime, I need to finish up the Roc moisturizer I bought before I began this endeavor because- guess what- I ain't made of money! I spent twenty buck on that shiz and I am not about to throw a Jackson away!

Phew. So that's it. Why all the detail, you may ask? Well, I know some of these products are not conventional, and are not used in a conventional way. You may have trouble picturing how to use oatmeal as a cleanser and think "This broad is nuts! I'm not clogging my drain with that business!" (It doesn't clog your drain). But it's worth it to me. Now, when I think about all of those chemicals that are entering everyone's bloodstream through beauty products, I get a little angry, and since anger should be channeled into productivity whenever possible, here I am, sharing what little I have learned about the topic.

So, try out any or all of this if you are interested in natural skincare. I understand it is a pretty high maintenance routine, but, in my old age, I actually tend to enjoy it, so it is not a chore for me at all. Thanks so much for reading and feel free to contact me on Facebook or email me at melissazav@gmail.com if you have any questions :-)

-Melissa :-)

ALBUM OF THE DAY: The Ramones, Road to Ruin. Great album to sing along to and motivate you to get moving, if only to start a mini-mosh pit in your living room ;-)

Oh, Ramones. You will forever make me wish that I was from Queens (and eating refried beans).