DIY Lip Scrub

Hey guys! I wanted to do a quick post today. We are in the dead of winter and it sucks. Full out S-U-C-K-S, sucks!! I've said it before and I'll continue to say it, I hate winter; for so many reasons. However, here in the Ohio Valley, we went from legit blizzards where the kids were out of school for almost 2 full weeks due to freezing temperatures and snow upon snow upon snow, to tornadoes today. Yep. Tornadoes. In February! What's up Mother Nature??? I need to relocate.


Annnyyyway, aside from the bipolar weather going on here right now, one big reason winter always sucks, that a lot of people suffer from, is the dry air. My skin is ashy and itchy, my hair is full of static and my lips are cracked and in dire need of moisture. Well, yesterday I lost my Carmex and I darn near had a panic attack. I can't survive winter without my Carmex! It was a full-on tragedy! Something had to be done! 

DIY Coconut Oil Hair Mask

Coconut oil can be used for a whole array of things. It can reduce the appearance of wrinkles, remove eye makeup, moisturize your skin, be used as shaving cream, it can prevent stretch marks and much much more. So, if you're trying to stay on a budget and save some mullah, you can kill like 18 birds with this one coconut stone. Seriously. And I got it at the grocery for only 6 bucks! Think about how money you spend on all of the different products coconut oil can replace for only $6! Wow, I'm starting to sound like I'm a salesman...

Anyway, you can read all about the full benefits here but today, I'm using it as a hair mask. I've tried olive oil because I had heard it was really good but it just made my hair greasy and it strips your hair color. We don't want that! The coconut oil conditions but it is weightless and it will not alter the color of your hair. So DO NOT get olive oil. 

Coconut Oil Hair Mask

Uses: condition, de-frizz and improve your hair's overall health

My hair was in dire need of some help. I haven't had my hair cut in 3 years; not even a trim. Yes, you read that right; 3 years! Plus I have terrible grey hair (yeah, I'm real lucky like that) and I color it every 4-6 weeks. So my hair was definitely in trouble and this mask alone brought my hair back from the dead! For this mask you really only need the coconut oil.  I also use:

a microwave safe container of some sort 

a large clip (or ponytail holder) 

a wide tooth comb 

and a shower cap (optional)
**BONUS for added shine, mix 1 tbsp of honey with your coconut oil

1.)   Coconut oil isn't a liquid like other oils. 76º and below, it is a solid so you have to put it in the microwave. There is no scientific measurements here, I just use a heaping spoonful like in the picture above. I throw it in the microwave in a reusable plastic container for 10 seconds and stir. It won't be perfectly smooth; it will have some chunks in it and that's ok. 

2.)   I divide my hair into 2 sections and literally just start slathering (that's a technical term) it onto my dry hair. DO NOT PUT IT ALL THE WAY TO YOUR ROOTS! I made this mistake the first time and when I blow dried my hair, it was gorgeous and gleaming but the next morning (I shower at night) it looked as if I hadn't showered in a week! Now, I always start at the mid-line and work my way down to my ends. 

3.)   Next, I run a wide tooth comb through my hair just to distribute the oil evenly and then I clip it up on top of my head to set.


Here's where the optional shower cap comes in:
You can use heat to speed up the process. If you don't want to use heat, you're done. Just leave it to set for 30 minutes. If you're feeling impatient or are in a hurry, you can use a shower cap and blow dryer to speed your wait time to only 15 minutes. This step will open your hair follicles for the oil to absorb more quickly. I personally don't like to use the heat because heat damages your hair and it just seems counter productive to me but that's up to you.


 4.)   Once you're time is up, wet your hair and lather with your shampoo. Heard the phrase "like oil and water"? You will have to use shampoo to efficiently break up the oil. Whether you finish with conditioner, however, is your choice. Others say they follow with shampoo only but I still use my conditioner after I've washed because my shampoo in itself can be drying. Again, it's up you. 

That's it! Stand back and admire your gorgeous hair! This really does help the condition of your hair. Yes, it moisturizes But, it really does improve your hair's overall health so the benefits are long term. I used this mask before every shower for about a week to get my hair's health back to where it should be but now I just use as needed when I think my hair could use a boost.

Give it a try! You have nothing to lose! If you have any questions just leave me a comment and I'll be happy to answer. And if you try it out, let me know how it goes!

Orange Juice Face Mask

Hey, guys! Today is Sunday, which is also known as laundry day at my house. Today is my day to stay home sans makeup, in my cozy flannel pants, fuzzy socks, favorite faded t-shirt, and all-too-familiar bun. It's a gruesome sight but I truly look forward to these days...don't you? I like looking nice but nothing compares to those fuzzy socks! So while I'm sitting around looking like the poster for laziness, I like to use some of my DIY face masks. Today I used one of my favorites; the orange juice/baking soda mask.

Everyone always hears how important sunscreen is, right? Well, I look better with a tan (who doesn't?) so I always thought "To heck with that! I want my summer glow!" Now I'm paying the price for it with terrible sun damage; my nose looks like I have a permanent sun burn. Not quite the summer glow I was hoping to achieve. My pores all of a sudden have just expanded within the last few months also; you could park a Buick in those babies! And my entire face has a lot of general, uneven redness. Reluctantly I must admit that all those people who said wear sunscreen, moisturize daily, and remove your makeup every night knew a thing or two! So what do I do about it now? I can see a dermatologist and spend gobs of money (that I don't have!) OR I can try some things at home, DIY style.

 If you look around Pinterest, you'll find tons of natural DIY masks targeting a number of different skin issues. So I took what knowledge I could gain from them and incorporated it into my own personalized regime. I've been using these for a few months now and, as expected, some are only good for making a mess. They can't all be winners! However, some actually do what they're supposed to. I'm going to share with you, one-by-one, those which are worth your time so you don't have to sift through all the flops and messes like I did. Here's what I used today...

This mask's ingredients are meant to exfoliate, tighten up your pores and brighten your skin. Exactly what we need, right? All you need is orange juice (it can be the juice of an actual orange or the juice from a carton but none of that Sunny D stuff, we're looking for Vitamin C here) and baking soda. 

The baking soda is your exfoliant. It's perfect for this because it is abrasive enough to slough off dead skin and remove dirt and oil from pores, but it's gentle enough that it will not scratch or irritate your delicate skin.

Orange juice is good for it's vitamin C. This improves your skin's texture and can help to brighten and rejuvenate it. Oranges also contain collagen which will slow the skin's aging process as well. 




How's that for handy? All this time you had your skin's magic treatment in your kitchen and you never even knew! I got the ingredients at the grocery for like 2 bucks and the instructions are really simple:

1. Mix together 1 tbsp of OJ and 1 tbsp of baking soda. I prefer to make a bigger batch to have on hand, so you can choose to do more or less. You're basically just mixing equal parts.
2. Smear (that's a technical term) the mixture on your face. I like to lightly 'scrub' to get maximum exfoliation and to really get it on my skin. You don't want to be too harsh; just small gentle circles. 
3. Let it set for about 20 minutes. I like to let it set a bit longer just so I feel like it really had time to do it's job but you really just need enough time for it to set up and harden.
4. Rinse! I like to lightly rub in circular motions again; really getting those exfoliating benefits.
5. (Optional) I ALWAYS use coconut oil after any mask. I gave up facial lotion long ago and substituted the coconut oil. It has antibacterial benefits and it moisturizes like a dream! If you don't have coconut oil though, just follow up with your favorite face moisturizer.

Now, some people have said that this mask tingles. Some have even said it burns. I didn't have either of these issues but I imagine it all depends how sensitive your skin is. I thought it itched at best, but you should take that into consideration when using this. If you have sensitive skin, I would suggest treating it like any other new product. I would test a small section to see how your skin reacts before applying it to your entire face. 

I saw minimal results right away, but with every application I see it more and more. Like I said, I have made a proper mess of my skin over the years, so I have a much bigger hill to climb and this mask definitely has it's work cut out for it. I do this in regular rotation with my other masks; about every 3rd day. If your skin isn't in quite as bad shape as mine though, you probably won't need it as frequently. 

This mask, along with my other DIY masks, has made my skin breakout free and SO soft! It hasn't looked this good in years! If you intend to make a bigger batch like I do, don't make so much that you can't use it all before your OJ expires. You don't want funky juice slathered on your face! And be sure to store it in the fridge (I'll spare you that horror story). Let me know if you have any questions and good luck!