Naturally Obsessed

Product Description: This moisturizer lasts all day! Scented with calming lavender, it is present while applying to the skin but the scent then quickly fades away. Unlike heavy moisturizers, Mango Moisture Butter is so light that you're able to apply your make-up immediately after use. Does your hubby or special little guy in your life have dry skin? Mango Moisture Butter isn't just for us ladies. Men love it too! Sweet Almond Oil is easily absorbed by the skin, doesn't clog pores and leaves it supple. Grapeseed Oil combats dryness, soothes irritating skin and aides in preventing breakouts. 

Ingredients: Raw pressed mango butter, sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil and lavender essential oil. 

 Product Description: 

An Orchard in a Bottle. Thayers Peach Witch Hazel with Aloe Vera Formula is nectar for the skin. It’s got all the soothing properties you’ve come to love in our Witch Hazel with Aloe Vera Formula Astringents, with a gorgeous, fresh-off-the-tree scent. Thayers Witch Hazel with Aloe Vera Formula Astringents and Alcohol-Free Toners have been soothing, softening, healing and stimulating skin since 1847. Try our hands-on approach. Hamamelis Virginiana? Thayers calls it "The Shrub Of Life". Made of extract from the Witch Hazel shrub (Hamamelis Virginiana) and a blend of other time-tested ingredients - THAYERS Witch Hazel with Aloe Vera Formula Astringents and Alcohol-Free Toners are soothing, natural treatments that cleanse, tone and soothe your skin. Read more HERE.

Ingredients: Thayers Proprietary Witch Hazel, Peach leaves, Orange Flower, Tangerine, Kiwi, Passion Fruit, Vitamin C, Aloe Vera, natural grain alcohol as a preservative (10%) and an Emulsified All-Natural Peach Fragrance

Cost: 12 oz bottle $6.54 @ www.LuckyVitamin.com

My Thoughts: I've been using witch hazel on my face since I started doing the OCM (oil cleansing method) last year. I use it as a toner after cleansing to grab any extra dirt or oil lingering on my face. In the beginning I would use a generic/no name witch hazel from Walmart and it worked fine for my skin...nothing special. When I ran out I decided to look for other formulations before repurchasing the same brand. I stumbled on the Thayers brand while stocking up on conditioner at LuckyVitamin.com and was immediately impressed by the ingredients and product claims. Long story short, I scooped up a bottle and have been using it ever since. The first thing I noticed about this brand was the scent, it actually smells really nice...like peaches lol! My generic brand smelled like rubbing alcohol so this was definitely an upgrade. Another plus about Thayers Witch Hazel is that it not only cleanses my skin, but it makes my skin feel soft and moisturized afterwards. On my lazy days when I have nowhere to go I often and don't feel like doing the OCM, I'll just squirt some Thayers on a cotton ball, swipe my face and be done. It's now a staple in my skincare regimen!

I received a sample of Darcy's Botanicals Peach Kernel Oil (smells amazing) months ago and this morning while trying to find some info on it I came across this chart. It's full of names and descriptions of many different oils, including the one I was searching for. According to the chart it's an excellent oil for dry, tired skin and is equivalent to Apricot Kernel Oil. I'm thinking of changing my OCM mix for the summer and maybe this oil will be included in that...I'll keep you guys updated.

So if your a mixtress or a wanna be like me (lol) I'm sure you'll find this chart helpful!! Take a look---> HERE!

I'm sooo not the expert on the topic, but since my Made From Earth review I've been getting a lot of requests to spill the beans on my regimen. Like I told you guys before....I have acne prone and oily skin. There's no cure for acne you just have to learn how to maintain it. Last October my skin began breaking out really bad. From tiny pimples to big mosquito bite looking bumps, I had them all. The Clean and Clear cleanser wasn't doing enough to clear my skin, so I quickly made an appointment with a dermatologist. After going over my issues with her she prescribed Duac Gel and Differin Gel. Both of these gels helped me tremendously through my teenage years so I was confident that they would clear up my skin.

Once I got the gels I decided to change up my cleanser as well. After watching MopTopMaven's oil cleansing tutorial I decided to ditch the Clean & Clear, for a more natural approach to cleansing my skin. Since it was my first time try the OCM I used MopTop's exact oil mixture, which was Castor, Grapeseed and Hazelnut Oil. After a week of using the mix morning and night my acne got worse! I starting getting tiny bumps around my hair line and my face was super oily. After more trial and error and after much time on the net trying oils more suited to my needs, I finally found a mix that consistently keeps my skin clear. I use a 50/50 mix of Sweet Almond Oil and Grapeseed Oil.....that's it! It's light yet effective and is moisturizing without making my face oily/greasy. Here's my skin regimen...

Morning:
Cleanse with oil mix
Cold water rinse
Apply Witch Hazel as a toner (when necessary)
Moisturize with Neutrogena Visibly Even SPF 30 (currently in love with the Made From Earth moisturizer sample....ugh why can't it be cheaper lol)
Spot treat any breakouts with Duac gel

Night:
Cleanse with oil mix
Cold water rinse
Moisturize with Rose Hip Seed Oil
Spot treat any breakouts with Differin gel

**Every now and then I do a Bentonite Clay mask using water or apple cider vinegar...not often though. For acne scars I've been using Ambi Fade Cream, morning and night on my problem areas**

It may sound complicated, but the more you do it the simpler it gets and my skin is thanking my for making such an effort. The key to being successful with the OCM is finding the right mix for YOU, not just what someone else swears by. For more info on oil cleansing try these searches HERE and  HERE and HERE. To purchase the oils mentioned my fav online shops are CamdenGrey.com or LuckyVitamin.com....the have the best prices!

One thing I would like to try more is steam treatments. I have the facial attachment that comes optional with the Huetiful Hair Steamer and I've only used it once, but I loved it! And even though the setup is super easy I'm to lazy to attach the thing lol! If I start using regularly I'll keep you guys updated :)

Earlier this week I showed you all pics of my twist out that I wasn't quite feeling, but like I said in that post I ended up turning it into a braidout. Monday night I simply braided my hair in to medium sized braids without adding any extra products and in the morning I unraveled and rock a braid out.  At night I rebraid and add a little Coconut Oil when necessary. Here's my hair last night...


Now here's a subject that's not often discussed on this blog....mainly because it's something that I've always had issues with. Skincare! I've had trouble with my skin since I was a teen, mostly acne related. If it wasn't a breakout then it's was acne scarring. As an adult, breakouts come every now and then, but when they do come they come hard lol! Since October I've successfully maintained my skin by using the Oil Cleansing Method and prescribed gels to spot treat breakouts. So when I was contacted by a rep from Made From Earth to try out their brand I was a little nervous. I didn't want to mess up this winning streak my skin has been on lately. So I decided to not use all the product samples at once and just introduce my skin slowly to something new. Below you'll find my review of the PH Equilibrant Moisturizer and Citrus Fresh Lip Balm.

While looking over the new chosen vloggers on NaturallyCurly.com, I came across this article. I have dealt with acne since I was a teen so I know how frustrating this issue can be...especially as an adult! Currently muy skin is under control, but who knows how long that will last lol! This article breaks down how the things we use in our hair to make it all pretty and nice can actually be triggering some of those breakouts.


Want beautiful hair and blemish-free skin? Then you need to become a detective—actually a cosmetic ingredient detective.

The truth is that some ingredients may cause problems for you and not for other people. At the end of this article, we've included a list of ingredients that have been shown to cause acne. Or you can purchase a book on cosmetic ingredients for future research.

Try to Keep it Simple

If you have acne, do not use products that add any oil to your skin or hair. Ingredients labels don’t underline the acne-causing ingredients. When looking at products and acne treatments, always look for “non-acne” or “non-comedogenic.” Not oil-free, because it may still contain ingredients that cause breakouts. Stay away from isopropyl myristate, oils, and silicone, petrolatum, PVP, CVP and copolymer ingredients. Also sodium lauryl sulfate and ammonium lauryl sulfate are ingredients to avoid.

Wash and condition your hair before you wash the rest of your body. Do this to wash off any residue that hair products may leave on your skin. (Just think how hard it is to get grease off of dishes, you normally need to wash it several times to be grease-free.) It’s the same with hair products—they will leave a residue that can cause breakouts IF YOU ARE PRONE TO ACNE. Really clean the skin well to rid it of any product residue.

To prevent pimples, consider a few changes to your hair routine:

1.Style your hair before you apply your makeup. Wash hands thoroughly to remove all hair products before you touch your skin. Some of these products really stick and you will need to wash your hands twice.

2.Cover your face before you use hair spray. Check out beauty supply stores for a plastic face shield you can cover your face with before spraying hair spray.

3.Do not touch your hair and then your face as you will transfer hair product to your skin.

4.Try to keep your hair away from your face. Choose a hairstyle to minimize contact with your forehead or cheek area.

5.At bedtime, cover your hair if you have product in it that is prone to causing breakouts. Avoid tight head covering as this will only make you sweat and cause breakouts on your scalp.

6.Wash your hair before you go to bed to remove hair product that causes acne.

7.Pull hair away from your face when you sleep—try a ponytail or bun.

8.Trade out your pillowcase frequently; avoid sleeping on dirty pillowcases.

9.Exercise without wearing foundation and use a headband to keep sweat from running down your face. Always wash your face immediately after exercising.

10.Do avoid getting hair products directly on the skin. If you do, rinse your skin well.

To read the full article click HERE! There you'll also find a list of common hair product ingredients that are known to cause acne.

Thoughts??