Follow the Ruels: coconut oil

Ever since we moved to Charlotte, my skin has been very temperamental. I am not sure if it is the stress of moving and planning a wedding or the different environment, but my skin has been worse now then it was in high school. Since we are getting married in less than 2 months, I have become a bit desperate to get a skin care regime that will control all my skin problems.

After experimenting with a few different products and doing some research online, I think I have finally found a skin care regime that will keep my skin hydrated but won't cause it to break out. The best part is, everything I use I found in my kitchen.

Is there anything coconut oil can't do? I cook with it, I use it in my hair, and now on my skin. I have been using it as a hair mask for a while and my hair always feels so silky and soft afterwards. Recently, as in last week, I started using it as a makeup remover. I take a small amount on my finger tips and work it into my skin. I then take a warm, damp cloth and wipe off the oil. With the oil, comes all my make up. I even use it on my eyes if I don't have a ton of eye makeup on. You would think that putting oil on my face would make me break out even more. It had the opposite effect. Within 1 day, my skin looked clearer, and has only gotten better since.

I have found a lot of face scrubs that use lemon juice and other ingredients. Basically it's lemon juice and an abrasive. I got this particular face scrub from Kandee J, and I like it because it's just so easy. Juice a lemon, dip a cotton ball in it, dip that in sugar, and scrub. It feels amazing, and my skin is brighter and smoother afterwards.

Another face scrub I love, and is almost the same as the one above but it uses baking soda as the abrasive instead of sugar. I like to work the lemon juice and baking soda into a paste then rub it all over my face. The baking soda and the lemon juice do react because it is an acid and a base, so I let it settle down before working over my skin. Because it is a finer abrasive, it works a lot like a microderm abrasion skin treatment. Plus, the baking soda has it's own cleaning properties, so it really gets my face clean.

The honey-lemon face mask is a new one for me. I have been using lemon in the face scrubs and honey as an acne spot treatment, but I had never used them together. I found this simple face mask recipe on a couple different sites, so I tried it out and fell in love. I like to leave it on my skin for at least 5 minutes, then wash it off like normal. While I don't see a dramatic difference right away, I do notice that my skin is brighter and clearer in the days after I use it.

I began making my own body scrub a few months ago, and don't intend to ever buy another one again. It is so easy to make and works just as well, if not better, then those fancy and expensive body scrubs. If I am feeling extra fancy, I will toss in a few drops of lavender oil to make it smell good, but the coconut oil and sea salt do just fine on their own. Not only does it feel amazing to rub over your skin, but because I don't wash off the oil with soap afterwards, my skin is so soft and hydrated, I can skip the lotion afterwards.

Of course, I have other skin care products that can't be found in the kitchen. Some are packed with chemicals and whatnot, like my Cetaphil face wash and my retinol night cream. But I really do try to keep my skin care fairly natural. Some of my other favorite things are tea tree oil, argon oil, vitamin E oil, and un-petroleum jelly. The tea tree oil is great for pimples because it helps dry them out. I have heard you can use argon oil for your skin, too, but I just use it for my hair. It keeps it shiny and hydrated. The vitamin E oil can be used for skin and hair, as well, but I don't use it on my face because it makes me break out. I always put a few drops in my conditioner bottle. Or mix it in with the coconut oil hair mask or body lotion. I use the un-petroleum jelly (which is a mix of coconut oil and some other natural ingredients) as an eye makeup remover, lip balm, or moisturizer in the winter if I have chapped areas on my face or hands.