Natural Moisturizer Options for Dry Winter Face

Do you know how much i love having an online community of friends--a group of women from all over the country/world to reach out to for advice and to share things I've learned or am learning with? It's pretty darn amazing, really.

For a long time I've been dealing with really dry skin (on my face specifically). It manifests itself in flaky skin, lately around my hairline, but in the past, around my nose. Not only is it not good as far as wrinkles, to have ultra dry skin, but it also makes it hard to wear makeup without it accentuating the problem areas.

So I hoped on IG stories and asked all of you for non-toxic, preferable natural products and solutions you have had success with! I got so many great responses and a lot of other women saying they wanted to hear the suggestions themselves because it's something they're dealing with as well!

Since asking, I've added a few things to my routine. I'm currently using the Everything Oil by Crude for washing my face, which I like, but don't find it quite moisturizing enough on it's own. But someone said they love using the Crude Bloom oil, after they wash with the Crude Everything Oil. Maybe I'll give it a try.
I also started using Apricot Kernel Oil at night, it's much much less absorbent than the Argan oil I was using, which was dry before I finished applying it, which makes me feel like it's moisturizing better. It's a little much for under makeup, so for the morning I'm trying out the Julep Radiance Oil (available at Ulta 'til the end of the month).

So here, my friends, are all of the suggestions I received! Thanks so much for your help!

You can click on the images to shop the oils, and don't forget to the check out the rest of the list below.

*Someone made the wise suggestion of getting a sample of the Josie Maran Argan Oil at Sephora. I always forget that you can do that!

Several people mentioned that they love anything and everything by BeautyCounter
Here are some cute small facial oil businesses:

• BabesandBabiesCo Beauty Oil
• H is for Love Nectar Nourishing Oil & Bara Balm --Their branding 😍

Here are some homemade oil combos that were suggested:

• coconut oil+tea trea+vitamin E oil
• 20 drops geranium, 20 drops elemi, 10 drops frankincense in a bottle of leven rose
• frankincense + fractionated coconut oil
• Using Apple Cider Vinegar as a toner
• Eating a Tablespoon of coconut oil everyday, she said her favorites are Nutriva and Dr Bronners
• my (*cough*least*) favorite suggestion--DRINK MORE WATER!

DIY Clean Deodorant

Bad news: sweating is our body's natural way of ridding toxins from our system, which means anti-perspirants aren't only full of potentially cancer causing chemicals, they're also trapping toxins inside of our bodies. Good news: I'm sharing this non-toxic deodorant recipe that's easy to whip up at home! 

• 6T of coconut oil, 
• 4 T arrowroot powder, 
• 4 T baking soda, 
• A couple drops of lemon essential oil, a few drops of bergamot oil and a few drops of tea tree oil (all have natural antibacterial properties), 
• A short, wide mouth glass jar or tin. 

Mix the powders then add the coconut oil, then the essential oil. BAM! You're done. Mine smells like delicious coconut lemon dessert. 

Apparently when you make the switch to a homemade/natural deodorant, your body goes through a detox phase, where it basically is purging your pores of the gunk from anti-perspirants, so you're supposed to go at least a week before you judge whether your new deodorant is working (probably don't plan your armpit detox during the week of a big event or special date!). Good to know, right?

We tried this recipe during the Summer in Arizona, Marcus still uses it exclusively and loves it, I used and liked it when I was waxing my armpits, but found it to be irritating (baking soda) when I was shaving, since I have sensitive skin. Now that I'm not waxing, I switched to using this natural deodorant while I search for another recipe that doesn't use any or so much baking soda.

When Life Gives You Lemon Oil, Make Natural Lemon Cleaner!

Um, public service announcement: Lemon oil is the most amazing smelling thing on this planet and all humans should have it in their home and smell it often. In my effort to switch over to a non-toxic home, I whipped up this all-purpose cleaner that took about 45 seconds to make-- I've been cleaning mirrors, windows and countertops with it and I'm so happy to throw out the garbage I was using before! *You have to be careful not to use too much oil or else you will deal with streaks on glass/mirrors 

I used a 16 oz glass spray bottle bought on amazon (buy here), 2 Tablespoons of organic white vinegar, 6 drops of lemon essential oil (buy here), and filled the rest of the bottle with filtered water--shake it up before each use. That's it. Get cleanin'!

{My nail polish is also all natural from piggy paint here}

Let Me Be Your Witch Doctor

Not long ago, I used to tease Marcus about how cautious {read: paranoid} he was about safety, not just safety as in not doing obviously dangerous things like jumping off cliffs or riding on motorcycles, but smaller things, like using a seasoning that might have MSGs, holding the phone to your ear, or getting X-Rays at the dentist. He was raised with a mother that made him ultra aware of these types of dangers, and I was raised with almost the complete opposite of a mother, who basically believed bad things only happened to you if they were supposed to happen to you, so no need to stress too much.

But a funny thing happened to me.

Last year, I got pregnant.

I had just found out and we hadn't told anyone yet. I was at my mom's house microwaving a bowl of soup. The time was almost up, so I walked over to the door, getting ready to open it up once it beeped and suddenly I was sure the waves were pulsing straight into my belly, radiating my tiny fetus. I quickly jumped back from the microwave and waited til it had beeped and cooled before I could convince myself I was being crazy (but not totally convince myself, as I have avoided standing by microwaves ever since! HA). Since that experience, I find myself somewhere in the middle of my two mother's beliefs, as I don't think it's healthy physically or emotionally to spend too much of your life stressing about every little thing that could cause your body some bit of harm, but I also believe we have a responsibility to take care of our bodies and learn the things we need to be able do so.
Pregnancy/the discovery of the coolest/most eye-opening app called Think Dirty, led me to set a goal of a toxin-free home. At first I felt overwhelmed--making meals was hard enough with a new baby, now I was going to be making soaps, deodorants, cleaning supplies, etc....but I will say, my career aspiration as a child was to become a Witch Doctor when I grew up, so this was kinda in line with that. YAY!

As I started looking up recipes and deciding what were the most important things to go, I realized, most of these things only took a few minutes to whip up! Most of the supplies could be ordered on Amazon (thank you Prime!) And most of them worked awesome (and looked way prettier too!). Plus, news flash! I'm not the only one who desires to live this way, so there are lots of small businesses you can support, if you don't want to do it yourself!

Something I haven't branched out in trying to make myself, is facial products (although I think it would be fun, and hope to experiment with in the future). But I found Klurskin on IG and I just had to give them a try. They're products are 100% natural, organic, with no artificial fragrances (but they smell so FREAKING GOOD! like a lemon dessert!) I tried several of Klurskin products, but my absolute favorites were the Organic Fusion Radiance Oil and the Hyaluronic + Vitamin C Serum. They give you the perfect dewy glow under your makeup and have cured me of that pesky flaky skin I always had around my nose, plus you only use a few drops, so they last for quite some time! The woman behind the brand is a total GirlBoss from LA and I love supporting her as she lives her dream, but mostly I love that I'm respecting my body, by ridding it from chemicals and toxins!

I'll be sharing my favorite tried and true natural recipes and products on here from time to time. I hope it inspires you to take baby steps to a cleaner life. Feel free to Pin anything that looks interesting and share with me any great recipes/brand I should try out!

You can see some of my favorite recipes on Instagram under the hashtag #swapitoutsaturday