How to get great youthful skin naturally without exfoliating!

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Image: Castor oil

Ola walked into our store; she needed to pick up a check that was owed to her. We began talking about a number of things, and the topic of exfoliating came up. She was complaining about the brand she was currently using and was considering trying our 100% Red Moroccan (Ghassoul) Clay. Which by the way is great!

I told her I do not exfoliate. To be completely honest with you I don’t remember the last time I did. She did not believe me, saying I had such great skin that it was impossible that I did not exfoliate.

I replied, “I don’t. I use natural oils and they do wonders!”

If truth were told, I read labels, if I cannot pronounce the ingredients on any product, I do not consider it.

We all know that when one’s diet changes, for the better, our skin will automatically glow. Drinking lots of water also improves our skin and hair, but I take going natural a little step further.

As consumers, it is important to know that we have the power to say either yes or no to any product by simply reading the label, whether it is cosmetics or food. It might seem like a lot of work, but it takes discipline and motivation.

There are 3 oils I use to maintain my face daily:

• ·      Pure 100% Castor oil
• ·      Tea tree oil, and;
• ·      Pure Unrefined 100% Baobab oil 

I use Castor oil only at night. I am not particularly loyal to any brand; at the moment I’m using Benjamin’s Castor oil. It is made in Jamaica, 30ml retails for $3.99.

Nonetheless, before getting started always do an allergy test to avoid any problems.

First, I steam my face with castor oil for about 10 – 20 minutes, and then I gently wash it off with warm water. Then, I splash cold water over my face to close my pores.  Finally, I reapply castor oil to problematic spots before heading to bed.

I do this every night alternating between castor oil and tea tree oil. Following the same process, which involves steaming, as described above.

Steaming the face is so simple, plus it has huge benefits! It opens up the pores; removes dead skin cells, dirt, bacteria, and increases the blood circulation on the face.

Likewise, every morning I steam for about 10 – 15 minutes and apply baobab oil. Please note: I do not use any face creams, I rely solely on natural oils. If I am applying make up, which I try not to, baobab oil is my base. It is an excellent moisturizer.

A lot of spas use steaming as treatment for both the face and body, it is an age long beauty secret, but you can do it yourself without spending a dime!

Tips:

Take the hot water out of the pot and pour it into a bowl, tie your hair back, then place a towel over your head and lean towards the steam for 10 – 20 minutes.

Be careful not to burn yourself and please do not steam your face while the water is still boiling on the stove.

Give your face a break. After about a week of steaming, I take a break for a few days and then resume the process.