all natural

7.16.2016

Green Beauty: Tomato Toner for Oily Skin


Watch the Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWe6v4oI7Eg&feature=youtu.be

Update: You may notice some separation in the product. Just shake it before each use.

Before I started using natural products I found that toners and astringents can be very drying. Over drying your skin with alcohol-based products can actually increase the amount of oil your skin produces. Not only do these products not help but they’re also filled with toxic ingredients that aren’t safe for you or the environments. With some research I found that you can make your own toner with things you probably already have in your kitchen. 

Do you ever wonder why people put cucumbers on their eyelids at the spa? Well, cucumbers have soothing properties that reduce inflammation and puffiness on the skin. Cucumbers are also 95% water so they are a great hydrating product; especially in warm weather. Tomatoes are the key ingredient for this toner. Tomatoes have antioxidants that fight against cells that can damage your skin. Tomatoes are also acidic (don’t worry the level is safe for consummation and application) so it does a great job in tightening the pores that produce excess oils. It’s important to understand that you will never be able to close your pores and your body will always excrete oils, sweat, etc. It’s just that the larger your pores are the more oily your skin can get and the easier it is for your skin to be prone to breakouts. Tomatoes are also rich in vitamin A, C and K. Vitamins A and C are commonly found in acne products but they're added with a bunch of toxic ingredients so the purpose can be defeated. Now that you know about the health bit let’s get into the actual DIY!


 Ingredients (Sizing depends on how much you would like)

1 handful of grape tomatoes, ½ of a tomato or 2-3 slices of a tomato

3-4 slices of cucumber

½ cup of green tea (from a tea bag- don’t use a Snapple or Honest tea)

½ cup of apple cider vinegar

½ cup of water (to dilute the acidity levels)

½ teaspoon of lemon [or lime] juice*

These ingredients are customizable. Feel free to add rose water, tea tree oil, essential oil or witch hazel for a different effect. *optional


Directions - With A Blender

1.      Add wet ingredients into a blender and blend!

2.      Transfer into an oil bottle (mine is an old jojoba oil bottle from Trader Joe’s. You can also use a mason jar, soap dispenser, water bottle or anything else that can hold your toner.)

Directions -Without a Blender

1.      Diffuse cucumbers in 1 cup of water overnight. Because of this step you won’t need to add the ½ cup of water that I mentioned above.

2.      Add green tea bags into cucumber-water and warm. Let it cool down completely before moving to the next step. It should not be above room temperature at all


3.      Squeeze tomato liquid into the cucumber-water (if you have a strainer use that to avoid the seeds getting into your toner but it’s not a big deal if you don’t have one).

4.      Add ½ of apple cider vinegar and mix it all together (You can add any of the optional ingredients that I mentioned above)


5.      Transfer into a holder and enjoy!



Gross; I know but I wanted to show you guys that it really does a great job in removing excess dirt from your face even after you've washed it.

                        YouTube // Instagram // Twitter // Pinterest //Tumblr

Pin It!

                        YouTube // Instagram // Twitter // Pinterest //Tumblr







Green Beauty: Tomato Toner for Oily Skin

7.16.2016

7.10.2016

Green Beauty: Activated Charcoal Mask with Minimal Products



Update: I recommend using this product and then exfoliating after. I've noticed that all of the product does not come off with just water. Working on some new variations to combat this. 

About a year ago I bought my first charcoal-based product. I didn’t do any research on it but all I knew was that it was supposed to detoxify my skin. It was natural too so I was sold. I purchased the activated charcoal face scrub from Onyae Naturals and although I haven’t repurchased in a while I absolutely love this product. I noticed that my skin would clear up when I used it about twice a week and it was then that I decided to do some research into activated charcoal (Onyae Naturals Activated Charcoal Face Scrub Review).




For one, this is not a new or innovative material. Activated charcoal has been around for centuries which shouldn’t surprise us folk that like raw materials. Just know that any natural or earth-based material has been around for ages and that our generation or the one before are not the first to find out about it or incorporate it into our lifestyles. According to this article activated charcoal can be made from bituminous coal, sub-bituminous coal, lignite coal, coconut shells, wood, etc.  More from this article:

Activated carbon is defined as carbon that has been heated or otherwise treated to increase its adsorptive capacity.
The key property of activated carbon is adsorption, which allows gases and chemicals to adhere to millions of microscopic pores on the internal surface area of the material. Adsorption should not be confused with absorption (spelled with a B). Adsorption is the adhesion of molecules from a gas or liquid (adsorbate) to a surface of a material (adsorbent). Absorption is the process in which a molecule (the adsorbate) permeates or is dissolved by a liquid or solid (the absorbent). So Adsorption is a surface adhesion phenomenon while absorption utilizes the total volume of the material to capture the absorbent.
“Activating” carbon is the process of making the carbon high in surface area to facilitate adsorption.
Adsorption opens a world of opportunity for industrial applications. Activated carbon is used to filter water, purify gas, and is even used as an ingredient in prescription medicines.


I know for a fact that I will be creating variations of these masks but I wanted to start off with something very simple.

Disclaimer: Activated charcoal powder is very fine and light making it the perfect product for a huge mess so be careful when opening the bag and transferring the charcoal. In case of a spill, hard surfaces will be fine after a quick wipe down with a non-toxic cleaner or plain water but fabrics can be trickier


Ingredients
Activated CharcoalAmazon
            Eye measurements: Use the amount you want depending on how many uses you want. I store mine for two weeks so I use about 4-5 spoonful’s.
           
Tea Tree Oil* – Whole Foods but can be purchased here
            1-2 drops
Sea Salt*
            A Pinch
Water
            Eye measurement but pour liquids in gradually. You should have more dry products than wet to avoid a very water-y consistency
*optional

Mix it all together and enjoy!




Green Beauty: Activated Charcoal Mask with Minimal Products

7.10.2016

1.16.2016

The Ultimate Hacks to Building Your Organic Beauty Cabinet on a Budget

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Many people have asked me how I manage to shop organic when it comes to my skin care. I must tell you that I am not rich and I really don’t have all this cash to blow in Whole Body or Trader Joe’s. A lot of times people want to make the switch to buying natural products but are instantly turned off by the high-price assumption. Luckily for you, I’ve just come up with one ultimate hack to live by and I’m going to share it with you.

1. Multi-Purpose Soaps. This is probably the most cost efficient way to fill your beauty closet with non-harmful, cruelty-free, vegan, fair trade and natural products. The greatest benefit to you from natural products is that the ingredients are so great that they can be used more than one way.Soaps like Alaffia Authentic African Black Soap and Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soaps are also used for shaving, shampoo, household cleaner and more. By doing this, you’re getting more for your buck. (Read This: Wildflower Botanicals| 18 Uses for Dr. Bronner’s Soaps)

2. Multi-Purpose Oils. Okay so this by far is my favorite makeup hack of all time. I’ve always been hesitant to buy makeup wipes for whatever the reason but after watching Tara Efobi’s Natural Makeup Remover video it has become a staple in my beauty cabinet. Instead of buying pricey, chemical-filled makeup removers – buy an oil. Olive, sweet almond, coconut and jojoba oils are the best options for getting off the toughest of waterproof mascaras and stubborn matte lippies. Not only can you use it as a makeup remover but these oils also provide great benefits for your hair, skin and nails too.  (Read This: Everyday Roots| 107 Everyday Uses for Coconut Oil).

3. Multi-Purpose Butters. Buying raw cocoa, Shea and mango butters are the best thick and creamy scar-fighting, moisture-replenishing, radiance- boosting butters I know. Who needs to dish out an arm and a soul in Target when you can use these butters for your hair, skin and post-pedicure feet?

4. DIY. Doing it yourself is one of the cheapest ways to mirror some of the products that line the walls of Whole Foods and your local Co-op. And for a creative person like me, making things is a fun hobby. You can recreate things from LUSH lip scrubs, face masks, deep conditioners and many more!

5.  Shop Small. Support local boutiques in your area. Boutiques tend to have a bit of a price tag but you should understand that smaller shops need to charge a bit more because they might not have as many people buying their products like other franchises. One of my favorite things to do is shop on Etsy. My favorite shop is Onya'e Naturals by Jasmine Kelley.
                                                           i.        Review. Activated Charcoal Face Scrub
           !! She also gives you coupon codes for your next purchase!!

6. Buy Direct. Sometimes buying directly from the brand’s website can be cheaper than buying it from a secondary source because you don’t have to pay for shipping and extra manufacturing fees. Plus buying from the brand’s website gives you a lot of promotion codes and sales that aren’t in stores. Trust me, those sign up for promotions emails come in handy.


7. Look for Different Variations. A lot of brands have collections of products (like Shea Moisture Nubian Heritage and Alaffia) and within those collections there are variations of products that still contain the same ingredients. Instead of buying the liquid soap buy the bar – it’ll be cheaper.

8. Sizing. I don’t know if it’s just the brands I like but there’s something about natural products where a little goes a long way. Sometimes making the investment is worth it.



 My Links: YouTube // Instagram // Twitter // Pinterest //Tumblr


The Ultimate Hacks to Building Your Organic Beauty Cabinet on a Budget

1.16.2016

3.17.2015

Green Beauty| Green Tea Body Scrub



In honor of St. Patrick’s Day I’d thought I’d do something green-related. Does it count? It’s no secret that green tea has many health benefits. I usually turn to green tea when my skin needs some TLC (tender love & care). I do think that some outside products work for the skin but it ultimately comes down to what’s on the inside. Green tea is a great way to detox the body of any toxins that could be affecting your skin. After drinking my daily cup of tea I got to thinking about tea rinses for the hair then face masks. I went on Pinterest to see some recipes but most of them included Matcha tea powder – which I didn’t have. So I’m going to show you the variation that I created.

Ingredients:
1/ 2 Cup of White Sugar
2 Bags of Green Tea
1 Tbsp. of Coconut Oil
1 Bag of Peppermint Tea (Optional)
1 Tsp of Honey if using without oil / ½ Tsp if using with oil (Optional)



1.      Add oil, sugar & honey to a mixing bowl.

2.      Warm water and then insert one tea bag. The warm water helps to activate the leaves’ nutrients. Don’t boil the water! Boiling the water can weaken the nutrients. Move the bag around to let the tea transfer faster. Once the water has darkened from the tea scoop out 1 tablespoon and add it to the mixture. You can save the unused tea to make a toner, hair rinse or healthy drink!

3.      Once you have your mixture, open the other [green & peppermint] tea bags and dump the loose leaves into your bowl. Now mix it all together!







I usually wipe my body down with water and a loofah just to get off any excess moisturizer. Then I use my scrub and then wash my body with soap. This scrub seemed to brighten my skin and soften it. Be sure to send me pictures or tweets if you try it out. My links are below!


    YouTube // Instagram // Twitter // Pinterest //Tumblr       


Green Beauty| Green Tea Body Scrub

3.17.2015

Latest Instagrams

© Sarah Farma. Design by Fearne.