Scrub away your worries

I am going to start by asking a question.

How do you wash your face?

Most of you will probably answer with the name of some product that you have bought from a drugstore, department store or other private beauty retailer.

Have any of you thought about the science of washing your face. What you are actually doing to it.
most cleansers are chock full of synthetic chemicals that are put together in a way that break through whatever you have on your face and then strip it of all it's natural oils and moisturizers. If you have oily skin, like me, along with acne, large pores, and sensitive skin, then again you are like me. Even if you are not, this is still something to read on about.

One key to healthy glowing youthful skin is to use a scrub to slough away all the dead skin cells that clog up our lovely faces and make us look drab. You may have one of those days when your makeup is just not going on as well as usual or you had a late night and are in serious need of a mini facial.

Well here is my solution. Tried and true. I have fought with product after product and finally decided to do a little research and make something of my own.

What I learned is that the best way to clean your face is to break down "like" with "like". Oil with oil.

It may seem a little crazy but, the no soap, no foamy way I have been cleansing has greatly reduced so many issues that I can't sing it's praises loud enough.

Part of the answer in the equation has been, Da da da da......Cleansing Grains.

That's where I lose you and your face contorts in disbelief and you say "Whaaaaa is she talking about?"

Well it does double duty as a scrub and cleanser. Gentle enough for daily use and can even be left on the skin for 10 minuted or so and serve as a mask. 

It can be as basic as cornmeal and ground oats mixed with water, but that just didn't resonate with me. I wanted something a little more, well, substantial. A little more kick and power. I wanted it to have some ingredients that really did something for my skin. So here is what I came up with.

This recipe has been adapted from Crunchy Betty. Winter Daily Facial Scrub
Now a happy mix for my sensitive acne prone skin.

Daily Wondrous Cleansing grains, Scrub and Mask

- 1/3 cup rice flour ( I used brown rice flour )
- 1/4 cup finely ground oats( soothing to skin )
- 1/8 cup finely ground coconut ( unsweetened )
- 1 tsp. clay powder of your choice ( Draws out impurities; I chose Kaolin )
- 1 tsp. Neem powder ( great for it's anti-bacterial properties )
- 1 Tbs each dried chamomile and dried lavender finely ground ( great for all skin but very healing to acne prone)
- 2 Tbs dried and ground calendula ( I bought a powder form; it promotes collagen at wound sites and also has anti-bacterial and soothing properties)
- 15 drops Tamanu oil ( great if you have acne; if you have dry aging skin I would use rose hip seed oil )
- 10 drops chamomile essential oil
- 10 drops Tea Tree essential oil ( you could also use rose, lavender, rosemary etc.  depending on what you like and what is appropriate for your skin.)

 Directions : Mix ingredients together and keep in a shaker container or jar. Moisten face with warm water and then I like to soak a wash cloth in hot water, ring it out and place on my face to steam and open the pores. Then place about a teaspoon or so in your palm and add a few drops of water to make a paste. Apply to your face, lightly scrub in an upward circular motion and either rinse or leave on as a mask and then rinse. Follow with toner to remove and traces left behind.

Like I said before, this has been modified for my skin. Do what you wish, modify for your needs. If this has too many ingredients for you to invest in, take out something. The keys here are something to scrub ( ie; rice flour ), something to clean ( ie: clay and the oils ). Make it your own.

I use this every morning, followed by a apple cider vinegar, water and lavender toner.  1/4 cup water to 2 Tbs ACV and 5 drops Lavender EO. Then I apply a natural salicylic acid acne lotion and get on with the rest of my usual routine. 

I also have to say that this is safe for pregnant women to use as many essential oils are not, including rosemary as suggested above as an alternative essential oil.

Please feel free to share any of your own tried and true natural favorites.