Virgin Coconut Oil and the Oil Cleansing Method

Hello Ladies! I am currently in the process of testing out new products and beauty methods which take some time for results. I am so excited to share them with you!

In the meantime, let me tell you about my modified version of the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM). Being a voracious internet surfer, I first came across this method when I was researching about the many uses of virgin coconut oil. I previously made a post on how to use VCO as a remedy for hairfall. Since I have so much left, I wanted to see what else I can use it for.

This is how I understand the principles behind the Oil Cleansing Method: 

1) There is a "rebound effect" when you use overly drying skin care products. When we use products that rob our skin of  its natural oils, it overcompensates by producing more oil. This predisposes to clogged pores and acne. Achieving truly clear skin requires a balance, and the irony is you have to leave oil on your skin surface to keep it from producing too much oil from within.

2) Like dissolves like. In this case, hardened sebum in our pores are dissolved by oil. 

Makes sense, doesn't it? :-)

These are the simplified steps in the Oil Cleansing Method:

1) Apply a generous amount of oil on your skin (enough to cover your face, but not to the point that it is dripping down your chin). 

2) Massage your face

3) Apply gentle heat: may be in the form of steam, or a (tolerably) hot towel. The hot steam generated while you shower the rest of your body may be enough. You just want to open your pores, not cook your skin. 

4) Wipe away/wash away excess oil with water. Some use hot water to dissolve the oil. Some use cold water to close the pores. Some say use room temperature water. The goal is to leave just enough oil that your skin needs. 

I followed steps 1-3, using a hot towel. Heat opens up your pores and lets the oil dissolve the sebum stuck in deeper areas. However, just washing with water makes me feel that there is still too much oil on my face. I have to use a small amount of mild soap to wash away the excess oil. This is probably because VCO is heavier than the other types of oil that are being used for OCM. In spite of being heavier, it does not clog pores. The type of oil used varies from person to person. Some use a mixture of sunflower and castor oil. I guess it would depend on personal preference, skin type and what  is available to you. I prefer to use my VCO since I have so much of the stuff lying around. Maybe I'll try to add a bit of castor oil in it someday, but for now, pure VCO is enough for me.

Try this once and you'll get hooked. I noticed a big difference the first time I did it. My face felt so much softer, but clean, and GLOWING! Not the oily type of shine, but a sheen that looks healthy from the inside. I do this at night, when I have the luxury of time. In the morning before work, I do a very quick massage and skip the hot towel. Right now, I hardly use any moisturizer. I just apply sunscreen on top of that "just right" amount of oil left on my face and I'm good to go. My face is far from oily and my skin has been so clear since I tried it!

I just want to add something about the face massages. You can find articles devoted entirely to this topic. Look them up and you will find tips and techniques on how to do a proper massage. I do this while I'm watching TV or reading. It's a bit tiring on the fingers, but I really try to do it regularly. Aside from helping you gently exfoliate your face and dissolve all the impurities and sebum on your skin, massaging can work wonders in removing fine lines and increasing your skin's elasticity. It does this by increasing blood circulation to your face. A good blood circulation increases the supply of oxygen and nutrients to your skin and promotes the  production of collagen and elastin. 

There are really no hard or set rules on how to do a proper massage, just try to use upward strokes as much as possible. I put a bit more effort on my jawline, chin, my laugh lines and around my eyes which are areas that I feel need more "lift".

If you've heard of "RF Slimming", it uses basically the same principle which is improved circulation, but with the aid of radiofrequency for stimulation of subcutaenous layers and heating. Personally, I feel that a good diet, lots of water, exercise and extra TLC is enough to achieve healthy and beautiful skin :-) You don't even have to spend on expensive products! It just takes more time and effort to see results, but I find that the natural method is always better. If you just stick to your routine, you don't have to waste big bucks on these "quick fixes".

Have you tried the oil cleansing method? What type of oil do you use? I would love to hear your story :-)

Thanks for reading this!

Alverde Beauty Haul

Hi Ladies! Today I want to talk about drugstore finds in general and the ones I got from Germany. 

One of the most exciting things about traveling is discovering the local products one particular place has to offer. The same holds true for makeup and skin care products. Say, for example, you would go to Paris, run a search in Google and you would find so many posts telling you to visit the French pharmacy. They have a list of products that have a cult following in France and the world over. This includes the sunscreen I am currently using from La Roche Posay. I will be going to Japan soon and I am so excited to look for cosmetics that people are raving about here in the Philippines!

In Germany, they have a chain of drugstores called the Drogerie Markt (DM) that offer several local cosmetic lines. This includes Alverde: (as translated from German by Google)

Philosophy

Among the brands dm is alverde NATURKOSMETIK for pure natural cosmetics that are free from purely synthetic fragrances, colors and preservatives. Beyond what is behind the brand, refer to the following philosophy. 

Our conviction

Sustainable thinking and acting are top priority in alverde NATURKOSMETIK.Therefore we are working on recipes that give naturally effective skin care and development and manufacturing processes to protect the resources. We are very pleased that you alverde NATURKOSMETIK for selling certified natural cosmetics brand in Germany make

Our origins

Natural Cosmetics has become a household word - that was not always the case. From a deep conviction to dm in 1989 decided on a product series that is built primarily on the basis of plant materials. We consider the needs of our customers as an incentive to continue our usual way dynamic. From the beginning, the offer of 14 alverde NATURKOSMETIK articles has therefore expanded considerably. 

Our product promises

According to the philosophy alverde our raw materials are preferably certified organic. All products are free of ingredients based on mineral oil as well as purely synthetic fragrances, colors and preservatives. The majority of our products supports the alverde Vegan seal that guarantees that no animal ingredients are included. In general: For alverde NATURKOSMETIK no animal testing is carried out. To meet your high demands on natural cosmetics, we face the additional stringent requirements of Natrue . This independent body committed to high ethical and ecological principles: With the Natrue seal are exclusively those products certified to meet the stringent, standardized regulations pertaining to the naturalness and compatibility. More information about the certification with the Natrue Seal, visit the international website of Natrue . 

Your Safety

Since 1989, the dm-brand convinced alverde NATURKOSMETIK with 100 percent natural and also high-quality toiletries. Some of them have been awarded by independent consumer magazines such as eco-Stiftung Warentest and test with top vmarks. 

I have been more and more interested in organic cosmetics, and Alverde definitely offers a wide range of high quality products to choose from! And the best part is, it's surprisingly so inexpensive. Most of the stuff that I got are below 5 euros :-)

Here are the stuff that I got, from left to right: Mineral Make Up Base Gel, Brow Gel, Lip Liner and Duo Kajal Eyeliner.

 I'm going to start with my favorite, the Alverde Eyebrow Gel. I'm not an expert on makeup application, and I've tried watching videos on how to make those perfectly done eyebrows, but I could never seem to pull it off. My eyebrows look too thick or too dark when I try. This eyebrow gel is a winner because it helps me achieve nice enough looking brows without too much effort. It's fool proof! All I do is brush it onto my brows, going in the opposite direction of growth, and then smooth it into place with the brush provided on the other end. Sometimes, when I'm not too busy, I use a fine tipped brush to create a more defined line and my brows look awesome! I find that the brown shade really helps. Most of the eyebrow pencils available here come in shades that are too dark for me, since I am fair skinned. This shade is just right for my brows. It helps me give that extra emphasis on my brows, especially when I'm wearing dark rimmed eyeglasses. I wish I bought more than one, and I'm surely going to look for a substitute when I run out.

Here's how my eyebrow looks like before and after application, which I did very quickly, like I would on a busy day. Like I said, it makes my brows look a bit fuller and more well defined, without looking overdone. It also helps my brows stay neatly in place throughout the day. Plus it's organic!

I also got the Alverde Mineral Make Up Base. I love that this product is so simple but very reliable. I hardly put on foundation, but when I do, I notice that it just quickly wears off especially on hot humid days. I started using makeup primer only recently and it really does make a huge difference. It brings out the best in my foundation, making it look smoother and more even and it prolongs the life of my makeup. This makeup base is almost scentless, and has a very light tint that disappears when it sets. You hardly notice that the primer is there, it's very light and doesn't make me sweat. Plus it doesn't make me break out or irritate my skin. I've been using this stuff a lot, and I'm afraid of running out soon. I hope to find an alternative that's organic as well.

The Alverde Duo Kajal Eyeliner that I picked came in Gold and Brown. I have mostly black eyeliners, but I sometimes put on this dark brown liner for a different look. Downside is, it tends to smudge and spread, so what I do is I use primer on my lids and use a tiny sponge to just blend it in for a softer, shadowy look. I use the gold on evenings when I want more dramatic eyes, mostly on the inner corner of my eyes and a bit on my water line. It just glides smoothly and applies evenly. I've even used this for an eyeshadow one time and pulled it off ;-)

The last product on my list is the Alverde Lip Liner in Nude. I got a nude lip liner because I've been into light colored and nude lippies lately. It's creamy, without being too drying on the lips. It smells delicious, with a slight hint of vanilla like MAC lipsticks. It wears quite long too and I've used it as a primer for darker lipstick, to achieve a more matte look.

So these are my finds from Alverde. I sure wish they would start exporting their products to the Philippines. I still have other products from this brand that I want to try. Aside from Human Heart Nature and Snoe, we doen't have too many locally made cosmetics that are organic, which is really unfortunate.

Are there other organic brands that you love? What are your best buys from the drugstore? I'd love to hear from you :-)

Thanks for reading this!

How to get rid of bacne: Maxi Peel Exfoliant Soap and other tips

Hi ladies! I haven't posted for quite a while. I've been very busy with work. I've been thinking for quite some time on what to post next, and I decided to share my experience with bacne (or acne on the back)

I never used to have trouble with acne at all, especially on my back, until recently. I was bothered by the hyperpigmented spots that they left, making it impossible for me to wear back baring clothes, which I used to love. I finally decided to do something about it, and regain my flawless back.

I started by doing some research. Like many skin conditions, bacne is the result of multiple factors, and the first thing to do is try to figure out what caused them in the first place.

Have you been taking new medications prior to the onset of your bacne? Have you changed your laundry detergent/fabric conditioner? What soap have you been using? Do you think your conditioner might be the culprit? Are you exfoliating your back enough?

In my case, I think it's a mixture of several factors, so I had to make quite a few adjustments in my routine. First, we have to remember that acne is caused by the buildup of sebum in sebaceous glands, due to clogged pores, which then becomes infected by bacteria. Good exfoliation of the back is key to prevent clogged pores  which predispose to acne. Also, hygiene is very important, so make sure your clothes and the surfaces you put your back on are clean. This includes the backrest of your chair, and your bedsheets and pillows.

These are the things that I did to fight my bacne:

1) I made sure to scrub and exfoliate my back really well. I used a bath puff to scrub my back. When I give myself a foot scrub, I notice that more dead cells come off when I rub with semi-dry feet. Using the same principle, I gently scrub my back with a dry cotton cloth after my shower, when my back is a bit moist, but not dripping wet.

2) I used an exfoliant soap to spot treat my back. I have very sensitive skin and I tried to keep this soap on my back area only, but of course during rinsing some of it would run down to the lower part of my body. Thus I had to stop using it when I noticed that my legs were beginning to become dry and itchy.

I used Maxi Peel Exfoliant Soap. First I would scrub my back with this soap then leave it on while I use my regular hypoallergenic soap for the rest of my body. It's active ingredients include Salicylic Acid which fights pimple causing bacteria, Niacinamide which lightens skin, and Glycolic Acid which I have discussed earlier. 

Here is LINK to the site of the product, and the product description:

As your body gets exposed to the harsh elements from the environment, your skin becomes dull, acne-prone, and uneven. You need to renew your skin’s beauty by removing acne-causing dirt and dead skin cells that prevent your skin to be at its best condition.

• GENTLE MICRO-EXFOLIATION
• Gently rids your skin of dead skin cells to reveal younger-looking skin!
• Aids in PIMPLE REMOVAL
• Helps dry up pimples and prevents it from coming back
• INTENSE WHITENING
• Evens out skin complexion in as fast as 7 days!
• GERMICIDAL
• Cleans and rids skin of germs

3) I washed and conditioned my hair separately, to make sure that no conditioner residue gets to my back. Hair conditioner is notorious for causing bacne, since it clogs your pores. What I do is I shampoo and condition my hair leaning forward, so none of the stuff gets on my body when I wash. Then I do the rest of my body. This may seem tedious at first, but I've gotten quite used to it. When you think of it, shampoo and conditioner aren't really made for skin, so you shouldn't let it touch your body, right? ;-)

4) I used a clean linen on top of my bed sheet at bedtime. No matter how clean your bed is, dirt and dust will still find its way on it, so to be extra sure, I used this extra linen which I keep folded away in my cabinet at daytime.

I probably used the exfoliant soap for less than a month. This, plus the changes I made, were effective enough, and I no longer have bacne. Given time, my hyperpigmented scars were gone too, and I can now wear my back baring clothes without shame :-)

I rate the Maxi Peel Exfoliant Soap as a hit, because in spite of irritating the heck out of my legs, it served its intended purpose well. For those who have sensitive skin like me, I advise to use it sparingly and discontinue if you notice that your skin is becoming irritated. I definitely DO NOT recommend it to be used on the face.

I no longer need to use the exfoliant soap, but I continue to do everything else, and so far, no bacne in sight :-)

I hope these tips can help you achieve a flawless back as well. Do you have other tips to remove bacne? Share them in the comments section :-) 

Thanks for reading this!