It was a few years ago, when after tossing half-used skin care products that easily cost me a plane ticket cross-country, that I vowed not to buy any more until I used up the few I decided to keep.. which I never did. I ditched the chemicals and went all natural.
Instead, I ventured into my kitchen and started curating one-time use natural face scrubs when my chronic dry skin was feeling particularly thirsty and rough. Not only was it effective, it felt exceptionally empowering to actually know what I was putting on my face was natural to the world, rather than a slew of molecules I can’t pronounce that belong in a PhD chemistry course.
So I share with you my favorites, and what it is that makes them so darn good. I like to mix and match depending on the mood of my skin and what I have on hand. Certainly more inexpensive, and wonderfully effective, here are the natural products you can use in your face routine.
Healing
Raw Honey
Raw honey is unprocessed and unpasteurized, which means all those delicious vitamins, enzymes, and phytonutrients are still up for us to grab. Naturally antibacterial, honey is a wonderful way to fight off blemishes and inflammation. It also nourishes skin tissue, healing new scars and fading the old. Look for a darker-pigmented honey, such as Manuka, which is loaded with rich antioxidants, including polyphenols known to keep skin plump and youthful while slowing down the wrinkles.
Tea Tree Oil
Another badass product fighting off bacteria and inflammation is tea tree oil. Produced from the Melaleuca tree in Australia, tea tree oil’s healing abilities have been utilized for centuries. When applied topically, tea tree oil penetrates the skin surface and works to heal and dry up those hasty spots.
Lemon Peel
While lemon juice can do a pretty sweet job of brightening dull skin, I want to touch on the peel. Lemon peels are filled with delicious, cancer-fighting, anti-oxidant rich oils. This means healthy cell growth for that beautiful face. Grate it down to get all that goodness.
Turmeric
We are loving turmeric lately, and with good reason. For the skin, turmeric has all those antiseptic and antibacterial properties you need to purify. It has a bonus element of reducing oil secretion.
Moisturizing
As someone with chronically dry skin, I can tell you that there is nirvana in applying any of these moisturizing oils on your face. I used to be a moisturizer junky, but hardly anything kept the skin happy for longer than it took to dry out.
Coconut oil
The high fat content in coconut oil nourishes your skin long after application. Often ignored for fear of clogging pores, it’s good to know that coconut oil isn’t filled with petroleum by-products, which are often known to clog up. Beyond moisturizing, coconut oil helps clear away all the day’s dirt and soothes the skin.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Full of that good Vitamin A and E energy, extra virgin olive oil can assist in repairing skin damage we obtain from the sun and worldly pollutants.
Sweet Almond Oil
A mild, hypoallergenic oil that not only keeps skin supple and soft, but also works as a deep cleanser due to its Vitamin A content. A great alternative for those sensitive folks.
Exfoliators
Getting a good exfoliator into your skin routine helps brush away those dead skin cells and makes way for the new ones to shine.
Raw Sugar
Less sugar in the diet, more sugar on the skin. Raw cane sugar contains glycolic acid, which aids in removing dead skin cells, dirts, and oils from your skin. This keeps your skin unclogged and encourages cell turnover leaving you in your most youthful-looking state. Sugar is also a natural humectant, drawing moisture from its environment to replenish your skin, giving you a double skin boost.
Coffee Grounds
I know it may sound taboo to use those coffee grounds for anything more than the sweet rejuvenating bliss that is a brewed cup of coffee, but coffee does more than just your sanity good. Firstly, coffee beans contain caffeic acid, which boosts collagen production. Coffee grounds stimulate circulation, brightening up your complexion and diminishing those puffy tired eyes that your cup of joe just can’t fix.
Oatmeal
This one’s for my sensitive souls. Oatmeal does a wonderful job at exfoliating the skin, while relieving dryness and inflammation. Oats have also been praised for its healing properties with skin conditions such as eczema, as it reduces inflammation and restores the skin.
Scent
Pretty scents that pack a powerful, healing punch.
Rosehip oil
There is an infinite amount of goodness coming from rosehip oil including fighting free radicals, increasing cell turnover, and correcting dark spots.
Lavender Oil
Got some scarring? Add the lovely, relaxing scent of lavender but also benefit from its power in restoring scar tissue.
Orange Oil
Reach for the brightening scent of orange to wake you up and give your skin an extra dose of antiseptic properties to heal acne and boost circulation.
Those are my favorites, but the opportunities are bountiful when you go for natural products.