Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Bentonite Clay Update and some Makeup questions

Just giving you all an update, I am still using the clay mask every night.  However, now I am just leaving it on by a few minutes.  The main reason is just that who the heck has time to leave a mask on their face for half an hour every day!  Not me Madam... The one thing I did notice is that my face gets very red after I leave it on for that long, but that goes away by morning.  So if you are going to do this right before you go out I recommend avoiding a long leave on time.

Results:
So far I am still pleased with the results.  My skin is not completely clear still, so I may consider adding something to the regimen when I get home.  The Bentonite clay is absolutely helping keep big pimples at bay, but I am trying to aim for perfection here people!

ONTO another topic:... Makeup!

When I wear makeup 9 times out of 10 I take it off that night and wash my face thoroughly.  I still notice however that my face tends to break out when I use makeup.  I am currently using Fit Me foundation in 115.  I did a review about it on another post, and I am completely in love with it!  I really did not ever want to change makeup.  However, I am noticing that it is the trigger to breakouts once in a while.

The solution:
My sister has this covergirl nature something or other makeup that I used a couple of times while back in NJ.  It seems to not make me breakout.  So Today I bought some of my own in my own shade and will be testing it out and doing a review OOOOF COURSE!  It would not be such a bad thing since it is more natural than the Fit Me makeup, but it is DEF more expensive.  Once all of this is behind me, I want to switch to completely natural mineral makeup.  However, my skin does not cover well with Bare Minerals or any other mineral makeup.  It tends to just leave lines and look really cakey.


That's all on my thoughts for now... Check back in a couple of days for that review.  I will also be trying out a seven day detox when I get back!  New Year means New Years resolution of losing weight!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Bentonite Clay Skin Detox (Acne)

Hey guys,
      So I have tried numerous home made remedies for my acne prone skin.  Incase you are wondering, I stopped using store bought things because I have tried just about every product out there and they never ever work.  If they do, it is only for a little bit and then they decide they hate me again.  So I figured I should try my luck at home made things for a couple of reasons.  1) they're cheap. 2) they are easier to change if they do not work. 3) no harmful chemicals running around on my poor skin.

I have tried many many things, with some luck.  Most recipes are on the website.  BUT!  I was still getting breakouts.  Granted my skin is a lot better than it was before I dropped all of my "products" but it was still not quite lovely.  I tried this new thing called Bentonite clay.

WTF is that??
Well, we have all heard about clay masks that draw out impurities blah blah and they cost a pretty penny.  Well a lot of those masks are artificial ingredients OR contain a very very small amount of an actual all natural clay.  Bentonite clay is an nature made ingredient that you can find online.  You usually have to by in at least by the pound but that is still about $10 tops and will last you quite a while.  For preventative issues it should be used like a regular store bought clay mask, once or twice a week.  However I decided to go on a major detox.  (as far as my skin was concerned at least)

Step One:
Drop the makeup... to do this I waited until finals week for me so I didn't have to worry about being seen with my awful skin around campus etc.  But I reccomend this for any cold turkey skin detox.  In my opinion the less crap on your face the better chance it has to heal.

Step Two:
The mask.  It is very simply clay powder (bought online) and water.  Now there are many different types of clays you can buy, but after some research I decided on this clay.  It was said to be the most detoxifying without really drying out the skin too much.

One note about this clay is that it is VERY absorbent.  I tried for days to get a good mixture.  I only wanted to make one serving at a time, so there was a lot of guess, check and fails on my end.  I discovered a few things that worked for me.
1)The clay is extremely absorbent like I said, I use about one part clay to four or five parts water.  I know that seems like a lot, but it really mixes better that way.  When I used more than that I got a clumpy thick mixture that did not want to spread evenly on my skin.
2) Try to get a container that seals and has approximately one serving unless you want to make it ahead of time.  I have not tried this, so I do not know what it's shelf life will be.
3)  Even when you use the correct proportions of clay to water, the mixture will initially be lumpy and hard to spread.  I found that making it the night before works really well.  I simply refill it after I used it on my skin, taking up no more time than had I done it right then.
4) Mix thoroughly for a few seconds.  I do this simply by putting the lid on then shaking.  However, the clay will be at its best if you let it sit and absorb on it's own for a while.  Once again, I reccom
mend overnight.

A few other general tips:
1) make sure you apply to clean skin.  I like to wash my face beforehand, even if I do not have makeup on I will have excess oil.  If this oil is left on the skin I found that the clay absorbs THAT, thus not absorbing as much from your pours as it could be
2) Moisturize lightly afterward if you feel the need.  Honestly, if my skin feels fine after the mask I leave it overnight, but if it feels dry I moisturize with coconut oil.
3) Leave on for half an hour.  I put it on before the shower and then wet it and scrub it into my face before I rinse it off.

Results:
So far I have been using this mask everyday for about 12 days I think.  My skin has definitely improved.  I am not sure if after I am done "detoxing" my skin will stay nice when I revert back to once or twice a week for maintenance.  however, this is cost effective and gentle enough to use as a cleanser as well, so I would not be opposed to doing that.

Have any of you tried this? or exprimented with other clays.  I also order Rhaussoul Clay, but this has been workign so well I have yet to try it.

EMAIL me with your results, and Happy experimenting.


**REMINDERS** None of the above information or anything from previous posts is based off of scientific evidence or fact.  This is all simply MY own personal experience with each of these "recipes" or products.  Any experimenting you do must be done of your own caution.  Please check for allergies, or other possibilities before trying any of these things.  I am not responsible for any adverse affects due to your own at home experiments.  THESE ARE SIMPLY MY EXPERIENCES and I do not encourage anyone to try them without consulting the necessary professional resources.