face wash

Exfoliate your face…don’t be scared!

/ BethonBeauty / Leave a comment

Let’s talk about exfoliating your skin. Your face. Really, let’s do it.

Some people don’t do it because they’re worried it’ll be too harsh and/or they have sensitive skin and they don’t want to disrupt it more. Certainly valid concerns! BUT I think exfoliating your face is a very important part of your regular skincare routine. As long as your skin isn’t raw or damaged, exfoliating is an important and effective way to remove dead skin cells so the new ones can turn over. As we get into the winter months, skin can get dry and/or dull, exfoliating can help combat some of the negative skin issues caused by changing temps & weather conditions.

Exfoliating is especially important as we age because skin re-generation slows over time. By exfoliating, we help to condition our skin, unclog pores, even skin tone, help with circulation, and promote healthy cell turn over.

If you’re new to exfoliating, I’d start with 1-2x per week. Start with PM exfoliating.

The # of times per week you should exfoliate also depends on what product you are using. I, for example, exfoliate at least every other day in the winter months using one of the below products. Everyone’s skin is different though, so if you’re not exfoliating now – start slow. “Over-exfoliating” is possible and can lead to skin damage. Whatever exfoliator you use – be gentle when you apply. Don’t press down hard. Use light circular motions while applying product and the product will do the rest.

CupcakesandNailpolish recommendation for good, “everyday” exfoliating products:

**With each – prep your skin by dampening it with warm water**

 

Fresh Soy Face Exfoliant

    • Grainy-er consistency that spreads easily
    • Comes in a travel-friendly, sanitary, tube container
    • More soothing with jojoba, rose hip, soy protein and cucumber ingredients
    • Appears to be paraben free
    • After rinsing this product off, use a light toner on a cotton pad to remove any access/left behind grains (I always find there are a few stragglers)
    • Price = $42.00 for 3.4 oz
    • Click to buy here –> Fresh Soy Face Exfoliant 3.4 oz
Fresh soy face exfoliat

Great everyday exfoliator – awesome slim tube, great for travel

 

 

Suki Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser

    • I’d consider the most (truly!) natural of the 3 options
      • Paraben free
    • Uses gentler yet effective sugar crystal as exfoliating mechanism. From the Suki site: crystals are hexagonal shaped with less extreme angles versus the square, sharp edges of salt that cut into the skin.
    • Love that this product gets a bit foamy so your skin feels extra pampered and also helps it rinse clear once you splash with warm water
    • I don’t love the pot container – if you get water in it, it liquefies the sugar – boo
    • Price = $32.95 for 4.0 oz.
    • Click to buy here –> suki exfoliate foaming cleanser

 

The most natural of the bunch. Natural but very effective and just a lovely product all-around. #sukiface #love

The most natural of the bunch. Natural but very effective and just a lovely product all-around. #sukiface #love

 

 

In my opinion, this is a stronger exfoliator using fruit enzymes and lactic acid:

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment

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A bit stronger than the first 2 – Kate Somerville ExfoliKate is a great, hard working exfoliator

 

 

After exfoliating – I use a toner, apply a serum, and then apply moisturizer on top.

Skin will feel smooth & clean after this process!

Enjoy!

As we flip to Fall…how can you combat skin dryness? Here’s an idea!

/ BethonBeauty / 1 Comment

I’ve been meaning to share a new (to me) Fall face wash combination. I’m not walking away from my tried and true routine that includes regular use of @home peel pads (see link below to post on some faves in this category). But, as we transition to Fall and skin can start to show more signs of dryness, I needed something a bit more calming in my regular skincare routine.

Thankfully, I was introduced to this product while browsing the cutest beauty shop ever (Supple Apothecary in Orleans, MA) a few weekends back. The product is part of the REN Skincare line. A line I’ve been a fan of for some time now (most/all products are parabeen free, woohoo!), but had never tried this particular product.

What is it?

  • REN’s EverCalm Gentle Cleansing Milk
  • A creamy face wash that removes makeup and “the days dirt”
  • Leaves skin feeling clean without feeling dry (i.e. no tight feeling), and no residue left behind which some creamy washes can do

photo 1-3

How I use it?

  • A few pumps and I massage it all over my face and neck
  • Side note – love the packaging for this product, comes in a pump tube – sanitary and easy to travel with
  • Sometimes I add a few drops of water – although the texture is pretty creamy and doesn’t necessarily need it
  • After working it around, I use a warm (not hot! that’ll dry you out) face cloth to remove the product along with my makeup and days dirt

photo 2-7

gently massage it around face and neck

gently massage it around face and neck

Use warm face cloth to wipe off product/makeup/the days dirt!

Use warm face cloth to wipe off product/makeup/the days dirt!

Between the cream wash and the warm wash cloth – my skin feels completely clean and fresh – ahhhhh!

I follow with toner, serum, and moisturizer

If you find your skin is dry or gets drier as seasons change, check out this combination. Or, perhaps you have more sensitive skin all around, this could be a good option for you.

The REN cream wash retails for $30 and can find at Dermstore, Sephora or Barney’s. It’s a reasonable price pt for a great product! Or click to buy here:

Ren Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Milk (For Sensitive Skin) 150ml/5.1oz

(Link to blog post on @home chemical peel pads that can be a great addition to your skincare routine: here)

Toner…a step worth adding to your routine

/ BethonBeauty / Leave a comment

A few weeks back I posted a pic of Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel alcohol free toner which I picked up in Kansas City, MO while visiting my sister Katy Lou.

Thayers toner picked up in Kansas City, MO but available in most areas or Drugstore.com

Thayers toner picked up in Kansas City, MO but available in most areas or Drugstore.com

I wasn’t sure what to expect. Although it claims to be alcohol free I still wondered if it’d dry out my skin. I’ve always been a fan of toners because they make my skin feel clean and extra fresh after washing. But, it’s taken me some time to realize, I shouldn’t be using something that’s drying…and that “squeeky” clean really isn’t a good thing for your face. You want something that will walk the line of picking up excess residue, cleaning out & minimizing your pores, and also adding some hydration.

After using Thayers for the last couple weeks I’m in love! It comes in a big bottle with a squirt top (warning, not very travel friendly – I recommend picking up a small bottle with a screw cover to pour some toner into for traveling). It makes me skin feel fresh, clears off the remaining make up my face wash doesn’t pick up, and doesn’t leave my skin feeling dry. It also has a nice, light rosey smell. In a couple words: refreshing, hydrating, and just plain lovely.

You can pick up the 12 oz. bottle for less than $10 on Drugstore.com. It’s a good value. Below is how my skincare routine works – both AM and PM:

1. Wash – I rotate between a cleanser and exfoliator. I use the Clarisonic with my regular cleanser once a day

2. Dry my facec with a gentle cloth

3. Use my Thayers toner with a Swissper (one of my fave beauty tools). All over my face and neck. Allow to air dry for a second

4. Apply a hydrating serum, let dry for a moment

5. Moisturize – I’m currently using this by Darphin at night and LOVE it

Onto the next one…hello Juice Beauty and Acure Organics

/ BethonBeauty / Leave a comment

I thought I’d update ya’ll (using ya’ll especially for my beautiful cousin Jilly – who I think of every time I hear this southern saying!) …on my use of the oil cleansing method and new face moisturizer (link to original post here).

I had high hopes for this new skincare regiment. As mentioned in my orignal post, my sister has had excellent luck with it…and by excellent I mean, her skin is like porcelain. Sure, she might get a pimple here or there depending on the time of the month – but her skin overall, it’s lovely! Unfortunately, I didn’t have such luck. Which, let me say, doesn’t mean that YOU won’t! But for me, it became clear that whatever I was doing, my skin wasn’t loving.

I am proud of myself for sticking with it for 5+ weeks (just so you know I gave it the old college try)

I went to get a facial one night because my skin was breaking out bad…I didn’t realize the extent of it until the aesthetician looked at me and said my skin hadn’t looked like that ever, ever. Eek! Well, I told her…“I wanted my skin to look good but a big reason for the change in my regiment was to start using more natural products with less sketchy ingredients.” Well, she was fine with the natural part but told me – whatever I was using wasn’t right for MY skin and I should find something else. I appreciated the truth and I will tell you, that was one of the more painful facials I’ve ever had as she tried to extract all the clogged pores on my face ick/ouch. She had a few suggestions for products at the spa but I passed. Instead, I spent some time researching the next day…extensively. And below are the new products I have been using for over 3 weeks since that fateful night. And honestly, my skin is CLEAR. It looks nice! And these products are fabulously paraben and funky chemical free.

3 of the new products in my new routine are made by Juice Beauty

I had heard about this line and seen it at Whole Foods – in reading more – I started to really dig it:

  • From the Juice Beauty site: The Juice Beauty team continually searches the West Coast for the purest, most effective organic ingredients, including organic juices, aloe vera, honey, botanicals, plant oils, and raw cane sugar from farms that specialize in sustainable and organic farming.
  • These amazing formulations are made without parabens, petroleum, propylene or butylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulfates, pesticides, phthalates, artificial dyes or synthetic fragrances.

I also talked with one of the employees in the Whole Foods beauty section who recommended this line. I ended up with these 3 products:

  • Juice Beauty Exfoliating Cleanser: which goes for about $22; comes in a convenient and sanitary pump bottle. My aesthetician said, I need to exfoliate 1x a day (I use this at night). And I like this because it uses jojoba beads to exfoliate so it’s not harsh. You have to get rid of the dead skin, especially in the winter. Dry or oily skin, we all need to exfoliate!

    Juice Beauty Exfoliating Cleanser

    Juice Beauty Exfoliating Cleanser

  • Juice Beauty Antioxidant Serum: which goes for about $45 – which is pricey BUT Whole Foods will take back any beauty product if you use it and don’t like it. So, that set me at ease when I was making these purchases. This serum is light – I’ve read a bunch of good reviews on it from various sources. I use this 2x a day after I wash and tone my face and before my moisturizer. The serum has a funny smell (at least to me) but I believe it’s the evening primrose oil which is known to be ubber good for your skin (not to mention, women can take it as a vitamin supplement for a variety of things <—read here!)

    Juice Beauty Antioxidant Serum

    Juice Beauty Antioxidant Serum

  • Juice Beauty Nutrient Moisturizer: goes for about $36; This white cream goes on thick but doesn’t leave any grease aftermath. I want to keep using it because my skin likes it – but I wonder if I might need something heavier in the winter months. Overall, it’s doing the trick in combination with the serum

    Juice Beauty Nutrient Moisturizer

    Juice Beauty Nutrient Moisturizer

The other 2 products I’ve worked into my skincare routine are not from the Juice Beauty line – instead, they come from a line I’d never heard of until I visited and spent some serious time with the Whole Foods beauty consultant.

The line is called Acure Organics – very focused on chemical free products – green packaging and products. Read their mission here

What I’ve worked into my routine:

  • Acure Seriously Hydrating Toner: goes for about $16; I was pleasantly shocked by the few ingredients – which are: Water, Fair Trade Certified™ Organic Rooibos, Organic Witch Hazel, Organic Lavender Hydrosol, Organic Glycerin, Organic Chamomile Extract, Organic Calendula Extract
    • Read the back of most toner bottles and the list of ingredients is long and super complicated. After washing my face (AM and PM), this toner wipes off the remaining ‘stuff.’ Toner was what I missed most when I was doing the oil cleansing method. The witch hazel helps keeps pimples at bay – it’s long been known as a natural acne/pimple remedy
Acure Seriously Hydrating Toner

Acure Seriously Hydrating Toner

  • Acure Facial Cleansing Creme Argan Oil + Mint: goes for about $15; my aesthetician suggested I stick with a creme based face wash so the consistency of this is perfect. It removes makeup really well and doesn’t irritate my skin (which is sensitive). Love these ingredients too – argan oil, olive oil, cocoa butter, mint etc.
Acure Facial Cleansing Creme Argan Oil + Mint

Acure Facial Cleansing Creme Argan Oil + Mint

Both Juice Beauty and Acure Organics have many products that address different skin issues – so if these ones don’t seem like they’d be for YOUR skin…check out their sites for the other products they make for various skin types and conditions. 

Overall, so far (3+ weeks in) I’ve seen noticeable and positive results with this new regiment. Everyone’s skin is different so there is no guarantee it’ll work for everyone. But this has been an interesting adventure for me as I look to work more natural products into my routine. Although those products add up $$, the batch of them still cost less than the cream I was slathering on before my wedding!

I should add – it’s usually suggested you work 1 new product into your skincare regiment at a time…that way, you won’t totally freak your skin out. And, if you work more than 1 in, you won’t always know what is causing an issue or not. So, I’m not saying my cold turkey method is a superb idea – but it was the easiest way for me to start something new…when my jar of overpriced face cream ran dry!

Are you willing to try a new skin care routine?? What has work or hasn’t work for YOU?

2013 Beauty Resolution – The Oil Cleansing Method & Pristine Beauty moisturizer

/ BethonBeauty / 2 Comments

It’s a new year! Time to try something new…for me, I realized my 2013 Beauty Resolution the other night while standing in my bathroom holding an empty jar of the overpriced face moisturizer I bought before my wedding. I told myself – nope, you are not buying a new jar of this. Instead – I will try something different…that’s more affordable and more natural.

I am working 2 new treatments into my daily routine. I’d like to thank my sister, Katy St. Marie for introducing me to both – she has become a go-to resource for healthier lifestyle products.

Image

My sister, Katy Lou and her hubby, John

Face Wash:

  • The Oil Cleansing Method:
    • This is actually a homemade ‘wash’ – but it kind of flips what we’re used to in terms of face wash on its head. No more suds or foam…or even cream wash…the reality is a lot of the face and body wash products we use strip the oil from our skin –  “leaving our largest organ trying to repair itself by replacing the oil stripped away. This leaves us in a cycle of being tight and dry followed by the inevitable oil slick. Each time we strip the oil away, our skin over-compensates for the lack of moisture by creating more oil. On top of the drying effects, these products are highly-scented. Fragrance is one of the top skin irritants and strangely enough, even the so-called “unscented” products usually contain fragrance. See for yourself and check the labels.” (courtesy of http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com)
    • So I am using – an oil cleansing mixture of 1 part ORGANIC OLIVE OIL to 1 part CASTOR OIL. You can change this up depending on your skin type i.e. more olive oil for dry skin / more castor oil for oily skin. Both can be purchased for less than $10 at a local health food store. Katy originally found the recipe on Pinterest – more details found here – excellent real-life review of oil cleansing method. For a container, Katy recycled an old moisturizer pump bottle and put the mixture in there:
My oil cleansing container, thanks Katy!

My oil cleansing container, thanks Katy!

    • What you need to do the oil cleansing method:
        • Oil mixture
        • Clean wash cloth
        • Warm water
    • How to do it: put a few pumps in my (clean) palm, rub it around to warm it up, then massage all over my face and neck, you can totally get it around the eye area, it does not irritate and will help remove eye make-up. Once massaged in (say a minute or 2), wet your wash cloth with warm water and wring out, take it and drape it over your face so that the steam helps open the pores for deeper cleansing. After this, I typically swipe the cloth around and remove the excess oil – but don’t rub too hard!
    • This cleanser is free of parabens and chemical additives that are too often found in our beauty products. The US actually has some of the most lax beauty/cosmetic product and ingredient regulations – some ingredients in our beauty and household products are banned in other countries. With that said, I cannot claim to completely  avoid these things, but I am trying, over time, to minimize my exposure to such things that have been linked to illness, including some cancers
    • For now I am doing the oil cleansing method 1x a day at night. The above link(s) are great resources for The Oil Cleansing method, which much more information. They recommend you don’t do it too frequently – so for now, I’m sticking with 1x a day and I’ll continue to exfoliate every other day (I use the Clarisonic with a bit of this)

Face Moisturizer

Pristine Beauty Hooray for Brallywood Butta

Pristine Beauty Hooray for Brallywood Butta

    • What drew me in the most about this brand is that it was founded by a breast cancer survivor who initially created her own beauty-care products (after much research) because she had trouble finding natural, chemical-free products in stores. It started out as a way to make personal care products for herself and rolled into a product line free of parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, propylene glycol – cruelty free and vegan…made for anyone, including those going through or recovering from cancer treatment. If you’re interested, read more here
    • Pristine offers a bunch of other products including a hair serum and deoderant which I am also going to try & review
    • I use Brallywood Butta morning and night following my cleansing. I love the pump because I don’t have to worry about contaminating the cream with my fingers. The cap keeps it secure and clean. It is also a great amount of product for the cost – my sister had her first bottle for almost a year – using around 4 pumps 2x a day
    • The cream is very moisturizing but not greasy. It has a mild citrusy smell from the natural tangerine and lemon oil. According to the site: “It soothes, calms and heals rosacea and eczema. This crème will even out the skin tone and make it brighter and more luminous, while minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. You will see the consistency is like a makeup primer. It glides on, minimizing pore size and will not settle into fine lines.”
    • I will be reporting back in a couple weeks about it’s longer term effects. I’ve only been using it for a few days at this point. So far my skin feels super soft and I love being able to smooth this all over my face and neck and not panic that I’m using too much product (which I used to do when it cost me approx. $150 per oz!)

Do you have any beauty resolutions? Have you or would you try the oil cleansing method? How do you work more natural products into your beauty routine?