My DIY Facial Routine

I have only ever had two professional facials in my life and I did not like them. I do not know what it was but my face did not feel as good as I was told it would after the facials; and they were done at two different places over sometime. So I decided no more professional facials for me. I have been taking care of my face from my very early twenties, I was around 21 or thereabouts when I started using face scrubs every now and then and was using face masks and steaming weekly by my mid twenties mostly clay based face masks as I have an extremely oily face. By the time I hit my thirties I was on the natural path – everything I use on my face other than my makeup is natural – natural soap, natural oils, natural face masks, natural scrubs you name it. In a way I am grateful for my oily face because it is the major reason I started taking care of my face so young as I was always on the lookout for remedies for the oiliness. I keep saying that on a good hot and humid day one can fry an egg or two on my face no kidding! This is my facial regimen that I have stuck to religiously for over two years now before that it was do a facial as and when needed.

I use a face mask three times a week as follows;

Sunday night -  bentonite clay mask; draws out impurities/toxins, clears clogged pores thus reducing the oiliness

Wednesday night – Egg white mask to tightens pores/skin and removes dead skin

Friday night – Fruit/Veggie mask I typically use whatever is available at the moment and this could be avocado, tomato, papaya/pawpaw, honey, natural yoghurt, banana, bicarbonate of soda etc. I sometimes add ground cinnamon or ground turmeric to these masks. Just Google to read more about the benefits of each mask mentioned above.

My natural face wash is good old liquefied African Black Soap which has been very effective in combating my oily face. I used Clean and Clear face wash the one that gives one a mini scrub as you wash I forget the name now for years before I switched to African Black Soap and would recommend it to anyone who prefers “regular” face washes any day.

My natural face scrub is a mix of honey and coarse cornmeal/maize meal.

My natural face oil/moisturiser for the longest time was coconut oil but I now alternate between that, Ugandan shea butter and sweet almond oil I use just a pea sized drop for the liquid oils. I am looking forward to trying out avocado oil and grape seed oil next which reminds me I need to look for some pure non capsule based vitamin E oil that has been on my list for the longest time. And I just discovered baobab oil!

 

Avocado face mask is one of my favs i use it on it's own or sometimes add turmeric for a beautiful glow

I also use diluted fresh lemon juice as a cleanser. My toners have included everything from ice cubes, to fresh aloe vera juice, to rose water to diluted white vinegar etc to be honest I hardly ever feel the need to tone since I do a final rinse with ice cold water works just as well as ice cubes in my opinion . I hear witch hazel is good too as a toner so I may try it out soon. I steam by simply pouring hot water in a bowl which I use specifically for this purpose bending over that and covering my head with a towel to let the steam do its work. When feeling lazy I just use a hot towel and pat down my face with it. Wednesday and Friday are mask days and Sunday is reserved for a proper facial routine when I have the time to do everything cleanse, steam, scrub and mask I make it a point to try and do a full DIY facial at least twice a month. I got into a routine of using these masks as soon as I took of my makeup in the evening and washed my face and it simply became part of my evening face wash routine so I don’t feel like it is extra work or anything like that. Besides these face masks take about 20-30 minutes before they need to be washed off time in which I spend doing other things as I wait to wash it off. I have always been a heavy water drinker so I guess that has played a critical role in keeping my face clear of blemishes I suffer the occasional breakouts just like most people and get the worst case of white heads in hot and humid weather but thankfully my DIY facials take care of that quite easily.

Baobab Oil

Here’s the thing I grew up as a pre teen in a seaside town where baobab trees were a dime a dozen; and yet I had never heard of baobab oil until two weeks ago when I stumbled on it on a facebook hair group that I am part of. The only part of the baobab tree that I was very familiar with were the seeds that were prepared into a tart but sweet “seedy” snack called “mabuyu” in Swahili. The tree itself is called “Mbuyu” in Swahili its scientific name is Adansonia it has nine species and each having a different sub name and can live for up to 2000 years. It is also called the Tree of Life because it provides water (they store water in their trunks), food traditional medicine and shelter (I sheltered under this tree many times as a child; we had one in our school compound). I am pretty sure the oil was probably used somewhere around me I just never recognized it or paid attention to it. As long as I had my “mabuyu” I was good, forget everything else the tree produces hehehe. I remember at school when we were taught about the benefits of various trees a lot more emphasis was paid on the very versatile coconut tree rather than baobab tree; or maybe I was just not paying attention during baobab tree sessions:)

 

Baobab Tree  royalty free - Source

So what is Baobab oil? Baobab oil is produced by cold pressing baobab seeds this method ensures nutrients found in the oil are conserved and limits any chances of cross contamination of the oil by unwanted chemicals.  Baobab oil is high in vitamin C which assists in skin elasticity; I am thinking this may be a perfect anti ageing oil. It contains antioxidants which protects the skin from free radicals, contains vitamins A and B which firms, tightens and hydrates the skin – anti ageing oil anyone?-  It is also rich in Omegas 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids which makes it a great anti inflammatory agent.

 

Source: Amazon

Baobab oil promotes wound healing, moisturizes skin and protects the skin from extreme temperatures i.e. too hot or too cold temperatures among other benefits. Other than skin and hair the oil can also be used for nail and dental care. The oil can be used on the hair as a hot oil treatment, pre poo, added to deep conditioners or simply used on its own as a sealant or scalp oil. It leaves hair soft, silky and protects it from sun damage. The oil has a good shelf life but just like other oils it is best kept away from light to avoid it getting rancid even though it has a pretty strong resistance to rancidity.

This is an oil that I am definitely going to give a try especially for the benefits to my skin. Please note however that the oil in its natural unfiltered form is not deemed fit for internal consumption but rather external use.

Sources and additional reading

http://oilhealthbenefits.com/baobab-oil/

https://africanbotanics.com/pages/baobab-oil

YouTubers I am Currently Loving!

I am on YouTube a lot, a whole lot and I keep discovering interesting channels every other day.  Here are just some of the “newly found” YouTubers I am currently obsessed with;

Channel name: Primrose Panglea - Prim and her husband Jas are an interracial Zimbabwean (Prim) and Indian (Jas) couple from London. They share the story of how they met, challenges of being in an interracial relationship especially having some family members being against the relationship and fun family vlogs with their two gorgeous kids. Jas likes to show off his cooking skills and does Indian meal tutorials for their viewers.

Channel name: SimplyCin – I discovered Cindy while watching some Jamaica holiday vlogs and YouTube recommended her channel. She mostly does hair and makeup stuff and travel vlogs when she goes back home to Jamaica. I absolutely love her Jamaica vlogs

Channel name: SimiAllSmiles – I just love Simi she has such a fun spirit and her family and friends who are always included in her vlogs make her them so much more fun and interesting to watch.

Channel name: Ify Yvonne – Ify is not “new” to me I have been watching her for a while now but felt that this list would not be complete without her. True epitome of beauty and brains Ify is a Nigerian-American Pharmacist and hair and beauty vlogger. What makes her channel worth watching are her personal vlogs; very well shot, edited and oh so interesting. I get excited every time I see a vlog notification from her. She shares her family celebrations, travel, and time out with friends; she also throws in advice on various subjects ranging from dating to advice on Pharmacy school with her viewers. Oh and she is Janet Jackson’s doppel ganger:)

Fitness Friday Update!

It’s funny how things happen when you are not paying attention. I have not worked out consistently from around November last year due to a knee injury but lo and behold the weight is falling off! All I did was half pushups using the edge of a surface so as not to put any pressure on my knee to tone my arms, squats whenever my knee allowed it and plenty of walking. I did not have a regular walking schedule but simply walked whenever I felt like it or could and went swimming even though it was just once; I really need to put my swim cap back on fully. I actually started a “proper” workout routine at the beginning of this year since I could hardly do anything the whole of November and December last year when my knee injury was really bad. They say stress can make one lose or gain weight as well; I underwent a stressful situation around the same time as my knee injury last November so could that also be a factor? I do not know all I know is that I am well over that situation and the weight is still falling off. I first noticed it when I tried on some clothes I had not worn in a couple of months; these were fitted formal clothes that used to hug my body tightly that now hung loose on me. Comments from several people some who see me regularly also confirmed that I was indeed losing weight. As regards food I have not changed my diet drastically, if anything I actually think I was eating more carbs than normal especially bread both whole meal and white I guess it all boils down to calorie count. One of my friends saw me the other day and she was like you will have to start shopping for a new wardrobe very soon and I agree with her whole heartedly. I have an ideal weight that I want to reach and once I get to it I will work on maintaining that and getting toned. That’s it for today’s Fitness Friday catch you next timeJ