Healthy Skin Without Harsh Chemicals

I once spent more than $60 on a tube of face wash. There, I admitted it – but I’ll also admit that now I spend less than a $5 to get the same results. I’m making my own stuff now, and surprisingly enough, it puts the junk I used to get from the store to shame.

The two that I make now are both natural washes that fight dryness, acne, and signs of aging. Neither of them takes genius in the kitchen. Each of them works for all skin types, though you may find that different times of the month make you prefer one or the other. I’m saving a fortune with these and my skin looks great, too!

Oil Cleansing Wash

I resisted this for ages, but it really works. You don’t hear much about it outside the organic-hippie groups, but I suspect that’s because Big Beauty firms don’t want you to learn what I did, which is that there’s an easy and cheap way to have clean, beautiful skin.

Oil.

Basic chemistry says that like substances dissolve each other. This means that natural oils (avocado, jojoba, castor) dissolve the natural oil on your skin. You don’t get the squeaky-clean, stripped-of-all-moisture skin commercial cleansers deliver, but you do get happy, healthy skin.

Castor oil is the base, since it is anti-bacterial. Use two parts castor oil and one part other oil (jojoba if you’re acne prone) for oily skin, equal parts castor oil and other oil for normal skin, and one part castor oil to two parts other oil for dry skin. You can blend them up ahead of time or on the spot next to the sink.

To make this work, rinse your face with warm water. Massage the oil mix into your skin using gently upward motions. Massage it around for about two minutes, and then let it set for about thirty seconds. Keep the water running so that it can get nice and hot – you want it warm enough to dissolve oil but not so hot that you burn yourself.

Soak your washcloth in the water and then hold it to your face for ten to fifteen seconds. After it has set, slowly wipe off the oil from around your face. Rinse your washcloth as needed (I do this two or three times) to get all the oil off. There’s no need to moisturize when you’re done if you don’t want to – that’s it!

Honey Wash and Tone

This wash process is good for days when I’ve worn more makeup or I want to do a little light exfoliating along with my cleansing. To get going you need:

Washcloth
Honey
Baking Soda
Apple Cider Vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

The first step is to wet the washcloth with warm water. Add a quarter’s worth of honey to the washcloth and sprinkle a little bit of baking soda on the honey (I used to measure out ½ teaspoon honey and 1/8 teaspoon baking soda, but I’ve found it really doesn’t matter). Wet your face and then gently scrub it all over with your washcloth. Don’t press down hard – you’ll be surprised at how exfoliating a little bit of baking soda can be!

When you finish, rinse your face and the washcloth. Next, take the apple cider vinegar and put a few drops (two to four) on the edge of the washcloth. Use this vinegared area to sweep over your face, and notice that a little goes a long way.

Finally, it’s touch up time for your eyes. Find a clean edge on your washcloth and put a little olive oil on it (a little is more than enough). Close your eyes and use the oiled cloth to clean away any remaining makeup. You can use any carrier oil for this step, but olive oil is something I always have in the house (and it’s relatively cheap!), so that’s what I use. Feel free to use a cotton swab, too, if that’s easier for you at this point than using a washcloth.

I love each wash in its own way – what’s your favorite, or what other recipes do you recommend? Now that I’ve started making my own, I’m always looking for something new to try!