BY NATURE Handmade Soaps

Since I’m very much into natural beauty products, I do my own research and experiments on alternative ways to take care of my skin and hair using natural ingredients.

Once I share a natural beauty tip here, it means that I have already tried and tested it on myself for at least a week and that it works for me. Every individual reacts differently to natural ingredients, too. What works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. But there’s no harm in trying since the ingredients I use are either natural, safe, or edible. If a regimen (or two) works for you, you get to free yourself from products that only give your body yucky chemicals and synthetic ingredients.

Enjoy!

NOTE: If you would like to re-post/link to this page or share any of my natural tips below in your own website, please e-mail me first for permission. Thank you!

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Vinegar Rinse

This tip is for those of you who have bought any of my Premium Bars and double them as shampoo bars.

Since the day Total Attraction (a Premium Bar) was ready, I used it on my hair everyday. But I also noticed that it does not render the same “feel” like regular shampoos do (of course, it does not contain all those synthetic, chemical ingredients that shampoos normally have). My hair would feel a bit clingy and rough when used alone, so I always followed it with my favorite conditioner (yeah, it’s still synthetic–> I’ve discovered a solution! Please read below “My Natural Solution to Hair Conditioning”).

I know my handmade soaps are far better for my hair than regular shampoos, but I also wanted it to feel conditioned afterwards (well, we all got used to that). Then I read about vinegar rinses and how it helps make the hair feel manageable after using natural shampoo bars. The reasons behind having rough hair after using natural shampoo bars are: 1) when soap residues do not thoroughly rinse off from our hair, usually when we use hard water, 2) when chemical residues from previous shampoos are left behind, and 3) when we shampoo our hair, the cuticles open up and this makes our hair feel rough and coarse.

Our hair feels softer when it’s slightly acidic, and with the third reason in mind, vinegar helps in closing the hair cuticles. It also helps remove any soap residues left behind.

So what you do is put 1-2 tablespoons of any vinegar in a dipper (tabo) filled with water and use it as your final rinse after shampooing with my Premium Bars. You may leave it on or rinse it out. I’ve been doing this for quite some time now and it works! I can stick to using my Premium Bars without worrying about rough and course hair afterwards. Now, I can say that all my bath products are 100% NATURAL!

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Instead of Shaving Cream

I shave my underarms during showers. But instead of using shaving cream which contains chemicals, I make a lather with any of my handmade soaps that contain extra moisturizing properties and apply the lather as shaving cream. The shaver glides so well and my skin feels soft afterwards.

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No to Talc!

Knowing about the health hazards of talc, I never used it on my kids.

I, on the other hand, have been using products that contain talc (pressed powders and face powders) because for someone with combination skin, my T-zone can get really oily. When asked the question, “If you were stuck in an island, name only one face product you would want to have with you?”, I’d automatically say the pressed powder.

After giving birth to DL2, I learned about mineral make-up, being talc-free and all. I instantly purchased a complete set (foundation, moisturizer, blush, face powder, oil-absorbing powder, etc.). But to my dismay, my skin would feel itchy every time I applied them. I thought it was just a matter of my skin adapting to it so I continued using them. Then I started getting small bumps on my face and that’s when I knew I was allergic to mineral make-up. I guess I’m one of the few women whose skin reacted to this natural and talc-free product. So I went back to using pressed powder.

It was just late last year when I finally decided to avoid using products that contain talc. So what did I replace it with? Cornstarch*! I use a brush and apply it lightly on my T-zone. It really controls oil very well. Make sure to dust it evenly so you don’t end up with “white powder” on your face

*can cause allergic reactions in people who are sensitive or allergic to corn or corn products.

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Updates (October 8, 2008):

I still don’t use products with talc.  So, this update is more on the make-up I use.  I did mention above that I was “one of the few women whose skin reacted to this natural and [supposedly] talc-free product” and I was referring to the mineral make-up (MMU) I tried last year.  Thinking then that I was unlucky with mineral make-up, I stopped searching and stuck with cornstarch for a while.  Then I encountered this brand of MMU just March of this year and it made me decided to give MMU a try once again, given its promising characteristics.  To my surprise (after trying it for some time), my skin did not have any allergic reaction and it also did not feel itchy after every application.  Allelujia! It was such a BIG relief for me to have found the right, pure, natural make-up for myself, after sooo many years!

Now, what could have made my skin react to the first MMU i tried?  I did some research and learned that even “good” brands contain talc and other ingredients like bismuth that cause itching and can irritate the skin.  So I did a little experiment and I was convinced that I am using the right MMU for my skin type.

I do get oily on my T-zone and I do perspire a lot when I’m outdoors, but I don’t worry about losing my make-up now because my MMU stays put.  When my face feels oily, I simply use oil-absorbing sheets.  My face won’t look matte like it would if i were to touch up with powder, but I’m fine with the natural sheen and glow the MMU gives my skin.
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My Natural Solution to Hair Conditioning

Since I posted about “Vinegar Rinse” above, I have been using my Premium Bars (Total Attraction and Utter Bliss) on my hair. At first, I was quite bothered with the clingy feeling my hair had, then I learned about vinegar rinses. It did help condition my hair but I wasn’t that contented. Eventually, I realized that the roughness was mostly on the end portion of my hair that had been dyed a long time ago. So I decided to have a major hair cut and remove all the chemicals left on my mane. Since then, I had no clingy feeling anymore. According to what I’ve researched, it’s also takes a while for the hair to loose all the chemical residues left behind by shampoos. Mine took quite a while.

Anyway, for the natural hair conditioning I discovered myself (I didn’t get this idea from the internet, though. I just thought of it and did it!), here’s what I do. I still use the vinegar rinse BUT I add a few drops of essential oil to it. Doing so actually shoots two birds with one stone! It makes the vinegar rinse smell oh so aromatic and your hair will feel very manageable afterwards!

People tell me that my new hair-do fits me and that it has a nice “body”. Then I tell them that I don’t use any styling products* at all, just my Premium Bars, vinegar rinse, and essential oil. My hair has finally adjusted to my natural regimen and I’m very happy about it! Who wouldn’t be?

By the way, I made my first essential oil concoction using my favorite scent, Utter Bliss.

*hundreds of thousands of cruel and unnecessary animal testing occur from the research and development of a lot of hair products. Please read more about it.

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Copyright © 2000-2008 BY NATURE Handmade Soaps, All Rights Reserved.