NEW CATEGORY - NATURAL COSMETICS

Today, the first post in a new blog category - natural cosmetics. As you know, we have been living in a van for over 4 years, we are supporters of minimalism, zero waste, recycling and everything natural. We try to live in accordance with the principle "The less chemistry, the better", therefore we try not to use or to minimize everything unnatural. All the chemical household products we’ve had for example for washing the dishes, laundry, insect repellents, anti-mold and also all our cosmetics, we try to replace with products that we make ourselves or that are made of ecological ingredients. I, as the female part of our duo, have more to say in the "natural cosmetics" category and today I would like to present you a coffee body scrub.

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INGREDIENTS

Of course, we use peeling if we want to thoroughly cleanse the skin and get rid of dead skin cells. We have a lot of types, today I will present to you my favorite, which I have perfected over the years. Personally, I use it no more than once a week, usually once or twice a month. It smells beautiful and leaves the skin moisturized and cleansed.

- coffee powder

- coconut oil (can be replaced with olive oil)

- macadamia nut oil (can be replaced with olive oil)

- lemon juice and zest

- orange / lemon essential oil * optional

- grapefruit essential oil * optional but I encourage you not to give it up

Its most basic version is simply ground coffee mixed with olive oil. If you don't have access to the ingredients listed below, this option is also really effective and that's what I started with. However, I prefer to use coconut oil mixed with macadamia nut oil instead of olive oil. To this I always add freshly squeezed juice from half a lemon, zest and a few drops of lemon oil (or orange - only for the smell) and necessarily grapefruit oil.

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HOW TO CHOOSE OILS

When I started my adventure with natural cosmetics, the advice that I remember the most, and which I met many times while reading various forums, guides, books and blogs, was: "Don't buy everything!". This means that if you don't have access to the ingredients I just mentioned, you don't have to buy them all! As I mentioned above, the basic version of the peeling is coffee + olive oil, will also cleanse, moisturize and smooth the skin! However, if you decide to buy some things, it's very important to...

Remember that the healthiest and "richest" oils are cold-pressed, unrefined oils (also referred to as virgin, extra virgin). I usually buy coconut oil from Mercadona (it's a big Spanish supermarket) and it is unrefined there. For the last peeling, I used refined oil because I recently bought it to make soap (visible in the photos, a large bottle at a good price in Spain https://www.jabonariumshop.com/). Refined oils are odorless, in this particular case it is a huge loss, because the coconut smell is one of my favorite advantages of this cosmetic!

PROPERTIES OF INGREDIENTS

Coconut oil:

• strengthens the lipid barrier of the epidermis
• moisturizes
• it is recommended for stretch marks and wrinkles
• improves the condition of sick skin - with rashes, eczema and acne-prone skin.
• can be used for atopic and problematic skin, not only moisturizes and lubricates, but also prevents bacterial superinfections
• soothes inflammation and irritation
• contains antioxidants that fight free radicals, which prevents premature skin aging.

Macadamia oil

• apart from jojoba oil, it is closest to the naturally occurring sebum of the skin.
• it is hypoallergenic oil and will not clog pores.
• it contains squalene and oleic acid which help in cell regeneration → softens and moisturizes.
• helps to balance sebum secretion in oily skin and creates a natural protective barrier
• the shell in which it is stored and added to the oil is rich in naturally occurring vitamin E - generally speaking, it slows down skin aging and reduces discoloration
• oils extracted from macadamia nuts contain omega 7 and B vitamins → have a positive effect on the healing of wounds, scratches and burns, improve pigmentation
• contains phytosterols that help with itching and redness.
• it is a highly softening oil, light and penetrating at the same time, perfect for dry and mature skin with reduced production of natural sebum.
• moisturizes and tones the skin

Lemon zest

• prevents the formation of wrinkles and reduces the existing ones
• helps with various skin problems, for example acne, pigmentation or discoloration
• contains free radicals, which prevents premature skin aging
• cleans very deeply

Lemon / Orange Oil

I add because of the smell, orange oil will improve the quality of sleep, relieve headaches, and reduce muscle tension. Lemon, in turn, has a stimulating and refreshing effect. In my case, the choice of oil depends on whether I use the scrub in the morning (lemon) or in the evening (orange). Lemon oil also has a soothing effect in various skin inflammations - it helps with acne or herpes, has antibacterial properties. Since the scrub has lemon juice and zest in it, the addition of the essential oil, whether lemon or orange, can be omitted.

Grapefruit oil

Since the peeling has lemon juice and zest in it, the addition of the essential oil, whether lemon or orange, can be omitted. When it comes to grapefruit oil, however, I recommend that you buy it.

• If you buy an oil that can be consumed, drinking a few drops a day has a great effect on the digestive system, improves metabolism, it is recommended for overweight problems, but most importantly - it helps to get rid of toxins, detoxifies the body and cleanses the body.
• has strong cleansing properties, reduces inflammation, cleans pores, eliminates stains
• has anti-cellulite properties, firms the skin and slows down its aging

BECAUSE THE PEELING CONTAINS LEMON JUICE AND LEMON OIL, DON'T WALK OUT IN THE SUN IMMEDIATELY AFTER USING!