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Skin care products can be a major source of toxins for many people. Most are packed with chemicals and artificial ingredients that might have a temporary positive effect on the skin, but will have negative long term effects.
These artificial ingredients can also be absorbed into the skin and build up in the body.
The good news is that there are natural, simple and inexpensive options that actually work better than most commercial products, and without all the harmful ingredients.
In general, the natural oil cleansing method is a great solution for any skin type, though the combinations of oils varies based on skin type (see below). You can make your own oil cleansing blend, but I highly recommend this handmade blend that smells divine and works really well for oil cleansing.
The best combination of natural skin care options varies based on skin types:
Oily Skin
Switching to gentle and natural skin care options often goes a long way toward removing excess oil production, but in the meantime, there are some natural ingredients that can help prevent breakouts and remove excess oil.
To Exfoliate: A mix of equal parts sea salt and oil (like olive or almond) creates a natural scrub that will help remove impurities without stripping excess oils.
To Cleanse: Oil Cleansing is my go-to cleansing method for any skin type. Generally, those with oily skin will need a higher amount of castor oil in relation to the other oils to keep skin from becoming too oily during transition. In general, a half and half mix of castor oil and olive oil or even a 2/3 castor oil 1/3 olive oil mix seems to work best.
Moisturizing/Toning: Those with oily skin will need less moisturizing as skin adjusts, and often, the natural oils from oil cleansing are enough. If not, a very light layer of coconut oil works, or for those who find that too oily, a diluted apple cider vinegar toner helps keep oil at bay. A tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a cup of water stored in the fridge works great…
Natural Make-up options can also help tone down excess oil.
Normal/Combination Skin
I’ve always loved that term, because really.. what is “normal” skin anyway…
Those with skin that is not typically oily or dry and that responds well to different types of products and makeup usually adjust very quickly to natural skin care options. Those with this type of skin also usually can use a variety of different options and still have good results.
My skin was more oily when I was younger and as I’ve transitioned to natural skin care options, it has become more “normal” so these are the options that I use:
To Exfoliate: A homemade sugar scrub is a wonderful natural exfoliator. Here are some of my favorite recipes.
To Cleanse: Oil Cleansing is a wonderful option for every skin type, but is very balancing for normal/combination skin. Usually a mix of about 1/4 castor oil and 3/4 of another oil (olive, almond, etc) works great, but this can be adjusted to suit individual skin. Here is the full tutorial on oil cleansing.
To Moisturize: Those with normal skin tend to do well with most moisturizing options and often don’t need anything additional as a moisturizer. When needed, my favorite options are natural lotion bars or a tiny bit of homemade lotion. Even a dab of coconut oil or shea butter alone often works great for this skin type.
Natural Make-up options usually work wonderfully on this type skin as well.
Dry Skin
Those with dry or aging skin often benefit immediately from natural skin care options. Often, using natural oils on the skin helps the skin to balance oil production and stop being dry to begin with.
To Exfoliate: Often, exfoliating is not needed for this skin type, but a gentle homemade sugar scrub or cleansing grains can be a way to add natural oils and gently remove dead skin. Here are some of favorite recipes.
To Cleanse: castor oil is the more drying oil in oil cleansing, usually only a tiny amount is needed (about a teaspoon of castor oil in 1/4 cup of another oil like olive or almond).
To Moisturize: Homemade lotion bars, super-moisturizing homemade lotion, and whipped body butter are all excellent moisturizing options for dry skin types. Plain organic shea butter can also be a simple and effective option.
From a previous article… there are also some additional things that can help slow skin aging…
Natural Anti-Aging
There are a ton of anti-aging products available but the best options are the ones you take internally. All of the collagen products that are supposed to firm up skin don’t take into account that collagen must be produced internally and is too large to absorb through the skin.
To promote natural collagen production, I’d suggest using coconut oil as a moisturizer and taking Gelatin, Fermented Cod Liver Oil/Butter Blend and Vitamin C to support natural Collagen production internally.
Supplements for Skin Care
I’m firmly convinced that what you put into your body is just as important, if not more so, than what you put on it when it comes to skin health. I used to have terrible acne and since changing my diet and supplements, I don’t break out at all and my past scars have healed. The supplements that seemed to have made the biggest difference in skin health for me are:
- Fermented Cod Liver Oil– for the Vitamins A, D and K, Omega-3s and Antioxidants, all which are great for the skin.
- Gelatin – Which is a pre-cursor for collagen and has made my hair, skin and nails noticeably stronger and smoother (great for cellulite too).
- Magnesium– An anti-inflammatory and lacking in many people’s diets. Topical Magnesium Oil seems to be the most effective for skin health.
How do you take care of your skin? What natural solutions have worked best for you? Share below!
Maca Herb Profile
I’m trying this method but its making my face feel like it is sun burned. Particularly my cheeks which have gotten really red. I tried coconut milk to sooth them and home made coconut oil lotion but nothing has helped. Any suggestions or is this method just not for me? I was using a 3-1 ratio olive oil, coconut oil mixture.. Is it because I used coconut oil?
It may be the coconut oil… it is irritating to some skin types…
Darn because I love coconut oil and always have it on hand I just thought it would be the easiest to use. Thank you! I’ll try with another oil.. can you do it with straight olive oil?
Ps love your sight! I’ve been able to switch over almost all of my household products with your recipes!
you can 🙂
I’ve been following the oil cleansing for the past three days, and what a difference in my skin! It’s as if my skin was begging for moisture, but I was stripping it with harsh chemicals. Now that I’ve entered menopause at the ripe age of 46, I was so happy–until acne started popping up on my face. The acne cleansers that my teens use just weren’t working for me. They were much too drying. I use a coconut/olive oil blend for cleaning, and a bit of coconut oil wherever I need more moisture, and my skin is glowing! Thanks for all you do, Wellness Mama; your website is on my favorites now!
It’s very good, all the stress and fatigue signs in my face just disappeared after 10 days and still working after 2 months of use. No more cream gathering in my bathroom.
I use a cleansing grains blend with delicate herbs like marshmallow root
and roses, oats and a small amount of clay. This I’ll use once a day
for cleansing and exfoliating. Then I apply argan oil and massage it in
while my face is still damp. In the morning, I usually will only splash
my face with water then apply oil.
Great internal suggestions!
I use the OCM…love it! In High School, I had very acne prone skin…after a few years I decided that I did not…I was just using so much chemical-based products that my skin didn’t know what to do! I just wrote a post about my beauty routine (No Poo hair wash, OCM)…Linked to you for more resources. I didn’t realize Cod Liver Oil helped the skin. I’ve been meaning to order some to attempt to “fix” my son’s teeth.
Fabulous post I am bookmarking this for future reference so I can try them thanks
I have acne. As I have gotten older, I have had more whiteheads and blackheads than zits though I occasionally get those too. I have tried hundreds of products from medication to natural. If you have any suggestions, I would greatly appreciate it. I am also starting to get more body acne which frankly I think is worse than having it on my face.
you can make your own 2% salicylic acid toner by buying salicylic acid online and dissolving it (in alcohol, which is the most effective, or in water if you don’t want to dry out your skin even more). 2% salicyclic acid is what is found in most commercial acne washes and acne pads, etc, but (if your on this website) i’m guessing you don’t want all the extra mysterious/ineffective ingredients that go into that. If salicyclic acid + alcohol isn’t appealing to you, look up recipes for “Thyme Toners” made with witch hazel and the soaked herb Thyme.
I have acne prone skin and I’ve been using the oil-cleansing method for a little over a month with great success; my skin is clearer and softer than it’s ever been! I use a 60/20/20 blend of sweet almond, jojoba, and castor oils, and that’s seemed to work well for me. I highly recommend giving it a try. One not though, I had an adjustment period of about 2 weeks before my skin started clearing up, during which I experienced some pretty heavy breakouts. I would try to start using the method at a time when you don’t have any major events coming up for the next few weeks.
As for the body acne, I’ve found that the culprit usually lies in your diet – if you’re up for it, try eliminating dairy, red meat, or wheat/gluten one at a time and see if you notice a difference.
I have very dry skin around my nose and mouth. I’ve been using organic shea butter from Mountain Rose Herbs and my skin is improving but my husband finds the smell repulsive. Do you have any suggestions on what I could mix with the shea butter to help the smell but not cause a reaction to my face?
Any essential oil that isn’t irritating to you. lavender is always a good bet. Be careful with citrus oils on your face though, they can make you burn.
I have dry-ish skin (especially since living in Colorado) and the oil cleansing method works great for me–I have used it for at least 2 years. I also used it when we lived in a very humid area, and it still worked great. In that area (Kansas City), I used to just use coconut oil to moisturize, but her in the west, I find a mixture of 50% coconut oil and 50% shea butter works well. I spritz my face afterward with distilled water mixed with a few drops lavender essential oil.
Since I have acne prone skin I’ve been using baking soda/oil instead of sugar to clean/exfoliate when removing makeup (only about 1-2x per week). This seemed like a good idea since it’s known for it’s cleansing properties. I love how silky-soft it feels after.
The rest of the time I’ve been using witch hazel to cleanse, followed by either coconut oil or an olive/safflower oil mixture depending on how dry my skin is (I bought safflower oil for a recipe years ago and it has been sitting in my fridge ever since – figured this would be a good use for it). Anything wrong with witch hazel or safflower oil?
I was wondering what would be a good option for acne prone skin???
My daughter started using an acne kit by Christina. It’s very affordable and has greatly improved the condition of her skin!