My Favorite Beauty Products Lately

Since I had the kiddo, I've been looking for things to simplify my routine and still stay well maintained. I like my skin hydrated, my hair shiny, my lips not chapped. I don't want a lot. And, I've been making a push to use more natural products since my pregnancy. I realized at some point that you put over 200 chemicals on your body every day, and I thought it was time to cut back. Sometimes, you look up from life and realize you're just going with the flow. You're grabbing products from the shelves at Target and getting by. And when you look up, you realize you don't have to go with the flow, that Mother Nature has been providing wonderful products for you to use all this time, if you just know where to look. 

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My number one product these days (totally not natural, by the way. If you know of something better, that is, let me know.) is Carmex. I use it religiously to keep my lips soft and smooth. I was addicted to Eos lip balms, because they're pretty and taste good, but this windy weather calls for bigger guns. And I seem to be having a weird reaction to the Eos lately. Like it makes my lips worse. No bueno. 

I discovered Argan Oil. (I read about it while pregnant. I've used Morrocan hair oil which is made from it. And then I was on The Glow and rediscovered it here.)Oh good gracious, you can use this for EVERY thing. I put it in my hair, on my stretch marks (which are FADING!) and on my nails. It is mixed with my daily moisturizer/sunscreen, too. Super skin! It's also replaced the "It's a Ten" product I was using as a leave in conditioner and detangler. I think it works better than the product it's replacing. My bleached hair has never been this shiny. And it gets the rats out of my daughter's hair and I know I'm not putting chemicals on her. Plus, her hair is super shiny too. Since she isn't patient enough for me to condition her hair, this is great.

Speaking of oils, I use Tea Tree Oil for my dry scalp. My scalp is ruined when I start bleaching my hair, and I get this massive patch of dermatitis. The tea tree oil gets sprinkled in my normal shampoo and voila, my dry itchy scalp is much improved. I also mix a few drops with my face scrub once or twice a week and my skin stays super clear.

I use a sugar scrub that I make myself, also. It is wonderful for the dermatitis on my arms and it keeps my legs from getting ashy. It's made with sugar, extra virgin olive oil, cinnamon, tea tree oil and argan oil. (these oils are so multi-functional. it really makes things simple when you can use the same two things for so many beauty needs.)

The more natural products I use, the better I feel. And the less products I use in general simplifies my routine and helps me get out the door faster. I seldom wear make-up these days, so I like my skin to be clear and clean. I keep my eyebrows tweezed and my hair cut and bleached, and that's about it for maintenance. I just don't have time for a complex routine. I take long enough to shower as it is. It needs to go fast, be simple, and be effective. I've found these products (can you call oils products?? and home made sugar scrub? idk). 

Note: Tea Tree Oil is poisonous to cats, so it is very important to make sure to keep it closed, and stored safely away from your precious felines!