As I wrote about here, I have been on a mission to 1) "cook for my face" and use products on my skin that are "safe enough to eat, 2) pull back from the great beauty product industry (mostly personal reasons and to know "I can"), and 3) for the fun! This type of research and discovery and results is SO. MUCH. FUN. for me! I'm taking the chance to do it while I'm in a time of life that I can.
None of the products I recommend are sponsored or have been given as gifts. I've bought and tried them all myself! I'll include a few "this didn't work for me's" along the way too... but everyone's skin is different. So. My success doesn't necessarily mean yours!
I've linked all the products in my Amazon Shop... so you can click here and find anything (at least that Amazon has...): I'm Kristen Amazon Front. This isn't sponsored either, but I get, like, a 3% commission from anything off this link. So I figured "why not!" This gets it all in the same place for you, it's easy for me to update, and it might bring in a little travel money. If you can get any of this at a small, local business or for cheaper at Target... totally do it. Saving money and being more local is a large part of my heart in this! And I get how Amazon commissions can look conflicting with that ;) So I'm admitting it all upfront! Haha
HAIR CARE
Kristen's Favorite Hair Mask:
I've tried them all you guys. Eggs. Honey. Yogurt. Apple cider vinegar. Banana. Mayo. Avocado. It's been five months of science projects over here! Hahah But bar none, hands down, for me these three are the most effective.
- Castor Oil
- Coconut Oil
- Real aloe vera (haven't tried bottled, though!)
Literally just slick your head up with palm-fulls of all, starting at the scalp, massage for 10 minutes, tie up in a loose bun, and shower anytime in the next hour to 24 hours. When I first got going I did this every other day, and would sleep in it each night. After a month I went down to twice a week (once over night, once for a few hours during the day). Now I sleep in it once a week. The oil has made my hair so strong and soft, the aloe makes it so shiny!
Honesty Policy:
I'm having a hard time with chemical-free/natural shampoos and conditioners. First, they're just expensive to play around with. Second, I've used two or three and they were awful. I decided to try some other options. I used the RemyPure bottles (shampoo and conditioner) for a month straight, then OGX Argan Oil of Morocco for a month, and in December used Argan Magic (far left). Argan Magic has been by FAR FAR FAR my favorite. It doesn't lather well, but other wise it's had the best results. I'm hoping once my hair is even a bit more healthy I can try some chemical-free options to maintain it.
SKIN CARE
Literally everything I can find says that the foundation of good skin care is "Exfoliate, Cleanse, Tone, Moisturize, every night, no exceptions." So mama is obeying!
I've been using this system since highschool (recommended to me by my dermatologist!), and it's still my favorite. I tried a few other exfoliators including coffee grounds, salt, baking soda, turmeric, etc. Nothing gives me the results good ol' white sugar and olive oil do. I've added some drops of tea tree oil to reduce redness and help even tone. I also tried a large variety of local, homemade, all-natural, charcoal, etc soaps (soap is cheaper and easier to experiment with) but Dr. Bronner's Castille BAR Soap is the victor.
I also tried many toners! Apple cider vinegar, green tea, lemon, lavender, rice water... but nothing has been as good as this combo (which was suggested to me by a IG reader!!)
- Witch Hazel
- Rose Water
- Elemi Oil
- Frankincense Oil
It doesn't skin, it's so soothing, and my skin looks so even! You can also put some in a spritz bottle and spray it on your wet or dry hair for a little shine! I do this!
Last but not least! The Dunk Tank.
Jojoba oil, Vitamin E oil, Argan oil, Coconut oil, castor oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, apricot oil... phew! I tried these ALL. Here's my faves!
- Coconut oil (to remove make-up... so I guess this should be at the beginning of the post! Before washing!)
- Vitamin E oil (I adore the JASON brand!!) or Argan Oil (got mine from Trader Joe's) for the face
- Castor oil for eyebrows, eyelashes, and eye area (It's pretty thick so it's good for more delicate areas. But you have to be careful or your eyes will be all goopy! It also helps thicken and grow hair! I can't say I've noticed longer lashes/brows... But I notice DEFINITE thickness improvement!)
SUPPLEMENTS
"Everywhere" is talking about collagen and its practical divinity for skin and it's elasticity and health, so I've been mixing it up with collagen protein powder, homemade bone broth, and collagen oil. It dawned on me that collagen is what people get injections of during plastic surgery or for "plumping." So, I'm thinking this is more of a longterm lifestyle thing than "instant results for a 20-something."
I have SO MANY MORE supplements in my cart on Amazon and saved in lists. But this is what I take now:
- Biotin (great for hair, nails, skin)
- Rainbow Light Organic Prenatal/Multivitamin (been taking this the whole way through since Rowdy's pregnancy)
- NOW Magnesium Glycinate
- Fish Oil
- Charcoal (because I get SO BLOATED! This helps very much.)