Makeup & Facial products

[Rawnna]

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this question. Ladies, I'm just wondering what type of facewash/moisturizer/makeups you use? Since transitioning to the raw lifestyle, I'm really making an effort to use more natural products. I've heard many people say that they wont put anything on their face that they wouldn't eat. I understand that, but it's hard for me to find good things for my skin because I have an oily complexion and acne. My old regimen was just natural sulphur soap and Aveeno calming moisturizer. I absolutely loved that moisturizer but it has an spf in it that I know is bad for you and other products that I'm sure aren't great either! :(

So I've recently changed to a cleanser by Mychelle that I bought at a healthfood store, and then for moisturizer I've used nothing but Jojoba oil. I've been doing this for a few weeks now. Have seen no improvement in my acne, but haven't seen it get worse either, so I don't know if this regimen is right for me or not. Despite the fact I'm putting oil in my skin, it still doesn't feel moisturized like it used to with the Aveeno lotion. I'd like to try another all natural moisturizer, especially with winter coming because my skin gets super dry.

Also as far as makeup goes. I love mineral makeup. Have tryed many different kinds like Bare Minerals, Jane Iredale, and now I'm just using cheap Maybelline mineral makeup. I know It's not great stuff so I'm trying to find out what are some good healthy natural makeups??? I've looked at Whole Food's mineral makeup and the price tag scared me away before I could research it more. :eek: I'm willing to pay more money if there's a great product out there though. I've seen Larenim at healthfood stores. Anyone try that? Or have any other suggestions? :o

Thanks for taking the time to read!

-Anna

[Veganforlife]

I use no makeup. Face soap I use:

http://www.naturalzing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=994

I don't need a moisturizer either.

[Rawnna]

I sure wish I could say the same. But my complexion is horrible. If I went without makeup It would be a dreadful sight!! Hopefully continuing to be raw will help :(

[Veganforlife]

I sure wish I could say the same. But my complexion is horrible. If I went without makeup It would be a dreadful sight!! Hopefully continuing to be raw will help :(

It will. Provided you go 100% raw. You figure, our skin is our biggest organ.

[greenfeline]

There is cheap, good quality mineral makeup (not like drugstore brands that have lots of fillers, etc...) on differentdaisy.com

I highly recommend it!

[1bigfamily]

I use Bare Escentuals. I love it. I use their mosturizer too but I didn't look at the ingredients.... :( I know, bad girl. lol

[Marin Mom]

I like Tonya Zavasta's moisturizer from her website. She actually wrote a book called Beautiful on Raw. I tried different oils but it always felt so heavy on my face.

http://www.beautifulonraw.com/natural_beauty_store.html

For those people who stopped using moisturizers, did you go through a transition "dry" period? Do you dry brush your face?

It's interesting that men don't seem to have dry skin like women- could it be that the use of moisturizers (and other facial products) actually cause skin to dry out in the long run?

[roseyonnex]

This looks like a good book I just heard about. It's called Beauty by Nature. The author is a raw foodist, and I heard her on an interview on a podcast with Revvell (I think...it's been awhile). It's basically a cook book for natural body products.

Here is the book description on Amazon:

Product Description
The journey to lasting beauty involves attention to both outer appearance and inner health. Here is a comprehensive program for attaining radiance and vitality using natural techniques. Includes directions and recipes for making scrubs, toners, moisturizers, facial sprays, and hair rinses, so easy to prepare they can be made in the kitchen. Beauty by Nature is the complete guide to unlocking your beauty potential. Also includes advice on body care for men, babies, and elders.

About the Author
Brigitte Mars is an herbalist from Boulder, Colorado, with over thirty-five years experience in Natural Medicine. She is a founding and professional member of the American Herbalist Guild. Brigitte teaches Natural Medicine at Naropa University, Esalen Institute, Kripalu, and Boulder College of Massage among other locations.She is the author of eight other books, including Addiction Free Naturally, Rawsome! and Healing Herbal Teas and has written for numerous magazines.Brigitte has a nutritional and herbal private practice and a local weekly radio show called Naturally.

Link to Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1570671931/ref=ord_cart_shr?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

[Rawnna]

Thanks for all the comments. I will check out your reccomendations. I have the book Rawsome by Brigitte Mars so I will have to look into the Beauty book!


Thanks

Anna

[Eva]

Hey Anna -- Have you looked into the oil cleansing method? And how raw are you? Drinking green smoothies and exercising daily? Have you tried juice feasting?

Sorry for all the questions!!! Even if you are raw, if you are stressed or if you have repressed emotions, your liver can get quite clogged. Solutions include: artistic or other freedom of expression, green smoothies, 100% raw, daily MODERATE to VIGOROUS exercise, love, kind expressions, a job and life you enjoy, a juice feast that includes lots of cucumber juice, grapefruit, lemon, and ginger. This is off the top of my head, but I know there is more. I had acne issues for quite some time previously, which went away on raw except those final few rare imperfections. It was such a joy for me to have clear skin.

Then, recently, I have been battling with some emotions with work and just, life. My skin is breaking out just a bit, which has led me to researching and finding out even more about skin issues. Except it takes a lot of guts to change my whole life. I don't seem to have the courage for that just now.

If you really are interested in only focusing on topical stuff at the moment (and that's OK, but recognize that it is only the surface, and it will improve but never solve the issues at hand) -- I would look into the healing benefits of honey, coconut oil and and the oil cleansing method. :)

[Eva]

By the way -- I have found no difference in my skin when I stopped using face wash and skipped to just water!

[cherrypie]

Dr hauschka is def a brand to look into specially with oily/acne skin their staff is biodynamically (even better than regular organic) grown, environmental friendly I have used it for years and just loved it, the funny thing is that since I am raw I do not tolerate some of their products that contain grain alcohol anymore.

[kaybee]

www.terressentials.com
their moisturizer (the one in a jar) is great. also, their clay-based hairwash, their deodorant, anointing body oils, etc. all the stuff smells great, is organic, and is "food" quality ingredients. started by a woman who had cancer that believed the stuff we put on our skin was highly responsible for it.

[klomasius]

I found my skin dramatically improved after starting raw. It sometimes takes a little time, depending on what your diet was beforehand and other factors.

I find my skin is helped immensely by adding green smoothies to my diet, and ensuring I get enough raw oils. I have dry skin but oddly enough I've heard that eating enough raw oils is also good for people with oily skin.

Many people, me included, believe acne is a form of detox, meaning it's the body's desperate attempt to get rid of a bunch of toxins in the body. Acne is regulated by hormones, but food affects the production of hormones in ways we don't yet fully understand. It may be that after you go raw, you might experience acne for quite some time afterward as the body is still trying to get rid of all the accumulated toxins from years of eating and being exposed to them. Healing sometimes takes time.

There are heaps of natural skin care methods, but as someone else mentioned, skincare is best applied from the inside, as topical application only gets a portion of the skin, and only the outermost layers. Eating better provides much needed nutrients to ALL the layers of skin.

As for makeup, I actually own a business that sells mineral makeup. PLEASE don't use the mineral makeup of ANY of the big names that also sell conventional makeup, they are merely manufacturing mineral ranges to get in on the market, most should not even be called 'mineral'!

If the price is something that keeps you away from good mineral makeup, try Everyday Minerals, you can order products online and the prices are really good. I haven't tried them myself but I hear they are good quality.

A quick list of ingredients to avoid when buying mineral makeup:

bismuth oxychloride
talc
parabens
fragrance (not needed and often irritating to sensitive skin)

These are deal breakers if they are listed in the ingredients for me.

Mineral makeup can actually be therapeutic, calming problem skin with natural ingredients.

For oily skin, an oil controlling setting powder could be useful, also anything containing koalin clay can help with oily skin (but drys out dry skin).

I wont go on and on, but if you'd like me to give you some pointers, you can always PM me, this is what I do for a living. Can't recommend any mineral makeup ranges though as I'm in a different country!

[klomasius]

p.s. I don't use any moisturiser any more (though I do use a little sometimes mixed with mineral foundation as a creme foundation), just clean and moisturise my skin with coconut oil and take it internally.

Plus I find avocados and other oils help my skin be moist.

[Rawnna]

Hey Anna -- Have you looked into the oil cleansing method? And how raw are you? Drinking green smoothies and exercising daily? Have you tried juice feasting?

Sorry for all the questions!!! Even if you are raw, if you are stressed or if you have repressed emotions, your liver can get quite clogged. Solutions include: artistic or other freedom of expression, green smoothies, 100% raw, daily MODERATE to VIGOROUS exercise, love, kind expressions, a job and life you enjoy, a juice feast that includes lots of cucumber juice, grapefruit, lemon, and ginger. This is off the top of my head, but I know there is more. I had acne issues for quite some time previously, which went away on raw except those final few rare imperfections. It was such a joy for me to have clear skin.

Then, recently, I have been battling with some emotions with work and just, life. My skin is breaking out just a bit, which has led me to researching and finding out even more about skin issues. Except it takes a lot of guts to change my whole life. I don't seem to have the courage for that just now.

If you really are interested in only focusing on topical stuff at the moment (and that's OK, but recognize that it is only the surface, and it will improve but never solve the issues at hand) -- I would look into the healing benefits of honey, coconut oil and and the oil cleansing method. :)


Eva,

I have tryed the oil cleansing method. It seemed to break me out a little more. Although later I read that it can do that in the beginning because it's working to get the gunk out of the pores. Also, the castor oil dried me out way too much. (even just a little bit) So I tryed using just jojoba oil with it. I still like to do it with jojoba once or twice a week. It makes my skin softer.
It's hard for me to determine how raw I am. I'd consider myself 90 percent or more, but at the same time since I'm so new to raw, I often wonder what products I may be using that aren't exactly 100% raw. Like my olive oil, cider vinegar, carob powder, etc. Little things. But I'm doing a 30 day challenge at the moment and It's going well. I completed a 7 day juice fast 2 weeks ago. I did nothing but apple juice, as it was reccomended in an acne book. My skin cleared up a lot during the fast, but then of course once I started eating it started breaking out again. I also have a green smoothie every single morning. And yes, before I went raw, I noticed the smoothies alone made a huge difference in my skin. I also started working out every morning, jogging for 30 mins. So I'm hoping all of these things will start improving my skin. I totally agree that the problem is internal and must be fixed that way. But it seems my skin gets even worse on raw (I'm sure its detox) so I'm just trying to find things to help me along the way and keep me encouraged. If I can use some topical things that help calm it down while I'm healing inside, then I'm all for it! Thanks for all the suggestions and your comments!

Anna

[Rawnna]

Dr hauschka is def a brand to look into specially with oily/acne skin their staff is biodynamically (even better than regular organic) grown, environmental friendly I have used it for years and just loved it, the funny thing is that since I am raw I do not tolerate some of their products that contain grain alcohol anymore.

Where do you buy their products? Online, or can you find them in stores?

Thanks
Anna

[Rawnna]

Thanks a lot!

[Rawnna]

I found my skin dramatically improved after starting raw. It sometimes takes a little time, depending on what your diet was beforehand and other factors.

I find my skin is helped immensely by adding green smoothies to my diet, and ensuring I get enough raw oils. I have dry skin but oddly enough I've heard that eating enough raw oils is also good for people with oily skin.

Many people, me included, believe acne is a form of detox, meaning it's the body's desperate attempt to get rid of a bunch of toxins in the body. Acne is regulated by hormones, but food affects the production of hormones in ways we don't yet fully understand. It may be that after you go raw, you might experience acne for quite some time afterward as the body is still trying to get rid of all the accumulated toxins from years of eating and being exposed to them. Healing sometimes takes time.

There are heaps of natural skin care methods, but as someone else mentioned, skincare is best applied from the inside, as topical application only gets a portion of the skin, and only the outermost layers. Eating better provides much needed nutrients to ALL the layers of skin.

As for makeup, I actually own a business that sells mineral makeup. PLEASE don't use the mineral makeup of ANY of the big names that also sell conventional makeup, they are merely manufacturing mineral ranges to get in on the market, most should not even be called 'mineral'!

If the price is something that keeps you away from good mineral makeup, try Everyday Minerals, you can order products online and the prices are really good. I haven't tried them myself but I hear they are good quality.

A quick list of ingredients to avoid when buying mineral makeup:

bismuth oxychloride
talc
parabens
fragrance (not needed and often irritating to sensitive skin)

These are deal breakers if they are listed in the ingredients for me.

Mineral makeup can actually be therapeutic, calming problem skin with natural ingredients.

For oily skin, an oil controlling setting powder could be useful, also anything containing koalin clay can help with oily skin (but drys out dry skin).

I wont go on and on, but if you'd like me to give you some pointers, you can always PM me, this is what I do for a living. Can't recommend any mineral makeup ranges though as I'm in a different country!


Thanks for your help. Yes I think my skin is still breaking out horribly because of the detox. It gets worse the healthier I eat I think. I'm just hoping this detox period doesn't last very long. I'm just trying to help it in any way I can externally as well.

I'm willing to pay more money for a good mineral makeup. The problem is I absolutely hate ordering makeups online. Finding colors to match my skin is a nightmare. I would prefer makeup I could actually buy in the store so I could try samples. But maybe that's asking for too much if I want a quality product! lol

[Dimond]

Most of the mineral companies offer samples at low prices so you can find the right shade without spending much. There are also several websites where people will swap samples for other products or sell them very cheap. The best 2 companies I've found are Monave and Everyday Minerals. What's good about most of the natural makeup/beauty companies is they're small and you can often speak directly with the owner with questions. Some have forums. Mineral Makeup is very cost effective because you use very little so it lasts for a long time. It also doesn't go bad like chemical makeup and has built-in suncreen. Best of all is how natural it looks. Like your own skin, but better. I sound like an advertisement. :)

[klomasius]

Rawnna,

If you go into large wholefoods places, or natural products stores you might be able to find tester displays of mineral makeup brands. You are right, the best way to test the colours and products is actually by testing them on your skin.

I know you don't like ordering online, but Everyday Minerals has really cheap (like $2.50) samples of foundation etc. that you can buy a range of to try. It's an option to keep in mind.

Also, try to determine your skin type, separating it into shade i.e. 'dark', 'medium', or 'light' and tone i.e. 'warm' or 'cool'.

e.g. My skin is light and cool.

Shade is pretty obvious, but tone is determined by how much yellow or how much pink/red is in your skin. If you have more yellow than pink/red you are warm toned, if you have more pink/red you are cool toned.

This helps a great deal in determining which colour of foundation to choose.

p.s. mineral foundation is a lot more forgiving of colour mismatch than conventional makeup, so if you get the right tone, but you are a few shades off it's not so bad. :).

[cara4art]

Your skin IS likely detoxing and will take some time to stabilize and improve, but it is totally worthwhile, as the glow you get from raw eventually cannot be duplicated with heavy makeup, etc. In the meantime the mineral makeup mentioned here will really help the appearance and is fun if one wants to glam it up a bit for a special occasion! Eventually the skin quality on your whole body will be better too. Depending on one's age it will take a shorter or longer time for this to happen. Sunspots and scars might not be gone, but the texture will be better overall. Many people complain of dryness when switching to natural simple products - this is because they are used to chemicals just sitting on the skin not really doing anything but giving a certain feel to the skin! With applying oils and butters to the skin, the trick is to apply them to damp skin, that way they seal in the moisture much better. Actually many artificial substances are not bio-compatible with skin, going on to actually cause skin damage in many cases as well as common irritations and sensitivities, not to mention the xeno-estrogenic issue posed by many common products, especially chemical sunblocks.
As one continues on the raw path, it is not uncommon to have to simplify skin care, as one's body is getting attuned to raw, eventually one's skin does too, and things that were formerly tolerated are now problems, in addition to the chemical issues in most commercial stuff. I was always interested in good natural products, but during the summer I had a skin disaster resulting from a commercial product that was way too aggressive for me and gave me a chemical burn(lovely!)that took some serious TLC with home remedies to fix. That really brought it home to me how much my skin changed going raw. My simple home treatments healed up my skin beautifully, and my skin got BETTER ditching the other stuff! Personally I found that going simpler and natural with stuff like unrefined shea butter, coconut oil, honey, oatmeal Braggs apple cider vinegar and Aztec Secret bentonite are all very helpful. Since you mention you have oily acne-prone skin, the Aztec Secret mask mixed with the ACV might be really good for you as bentonite exerts a powerful drawing action, getting the gunk out of the pores, along with an exfoliation action as well that is boosted by the ACV. I've been sensitive to commercial alpha-hydroxy products and can't use them, but ACV and clay agree with me, as well as ground-up oatmeal and honey, etc. For a simple toner that's good for oily-acne issues, half and half water and ACV are very good, and the ACV is a natural exfoliant as well as balancing the pH of the skin after washing. For a dirt-cheap, gentle non-soap cleanser, just finely-ground oatmeal is very good. If you are wearing makeup, removing it with simple olive oil works very well before washing up with one's homemade cleaser. Oily-skinned people have often sworn by the oil-cleansing method as mentioned elsewhere on the thread.
Last but not least, I agree with Eva about stress issues and other inner factors that may be playing out by way of one's skin too. I know, because I've had it happen a few times in my life. So it's wise to take a look at all aspects of one's health!
Hope this helps!

[klomasius]

Well said Cara, well said!

[walnutty]

I have extremely sensitive skin. I also have rosacea. I use a very light coating of the same oil I put in my body on my face...Bariani's Raw, Organic Olive Oil!!! It keeps my face moisturized and soft.

[cherrypie]

Where do you buy their products? Online, or can you find them in stores?

Thanks
Anna

I buy them at wholefoods or at drhauschka.com

[juliebove]

I use Loreal Mineral Makeup. Occasionally a lipstick or gloss, but usually not. Mostly just Rosebud salve.

I only use water to wash my face. Rarely ever need to use a moisturizer. I do have psoriasis and it seems that the less I put on my skin, the better.

Oddly, when I was younger, I spent a small fortune on makeup and cleansers/toners/etc. My skin is in much better shape now that I do nothing to it than when I used to fuss over it all the time. That could just be my age though. I'm 49 now.

My daughter is 10 and I don't have her do anything to her face other than to use water to wash. The only time she seems to have trouble is during pictures, dress rehearsal and recital when she has to use makeup. No matter what kind I use on her, it seems to make her break out. I can't put the mineral stuff on her because it doesn't look right under the stage lights. Plus it doesn't come in the required colors.

[smsaler]

My skin has gotten so good that I often just splash water on my face and a little moisterizer or hydrosol. I've been making my own products for the last few years. Once you do the basic research- its incredibly easy and super cheap. I would recommend sarting with dr. bronner's. I've used the gentle, baby soap on my face, hair, body. If you like it- you can order organic soap mixes that are essentially the same as the dr. bronners at 1/4 the price. Then, research essential oils and their properties and make your own facial, hair, body cleansers. It's fun, simple, and you can make verious scents etc... Also the oils keep for a few yrs if in the fridge. Oh- and baking soda is an incredible exfoliant- very gentle. I use on teeth also once in a while to remove any tea stains, etc. if you're interested- check out, fromnaturewithlove.com (no, I don't work for them) and look at the fda/cosmetics info- they list all the stuff to watch out for in your products.

[Eva]

Anna,

Good for you for the challenging yourself and doing so much. It's just a matter of time, but it likely WILL take more time it seems... Good things come to those who wait, right? :)

[coco]

you can order organic soap mixes that are essentially the same as the dr. bronners at 1/4 the price.

do you have a site or source for this? i use bronner's soap for everything but would love a less expensive version.

and what is hydrosol? just curious.

[Rawnna]

Thank you all for your help and suggestions, I really appreciate it. Last night I let my mom talk me into trying the homemade Vitamin C serum that that she makes and uses. It makes her skin positively glow, so I know it's great, I just didn't want to add something else into my skin regimen. Especially while I'm trying to figure out whats best. But I put it on before bed, and after 5 minutes it drastically helped the redness of my face. And after waking up this morning, my skin was not greasy like it usually is. So I didn't even have to wash it today or put moisturizer on. That never happens! So now I'm debating on wether or not I should keep experimenting with this serum. And possibly research making my own facewashes and moisturizers.

Looking fwd to trying some samples of some good quality makeup. If I find one I love I will let you all know!!

Thanks again!!!!

Anna

[klomasius]

I'm so glad your mum's homemade serum worked so well for you!

I reckon you'll start to decrease the amount of products you use on your skin once you find a few good things that work well for you. so don't worry about adding 'one more thing' the regime as it may mean one other thing gets booted! :).

Keep it simple, keep it natural and you be SO amazed at the results!

[coco]

that sounds so excellent! now i totally want to know how she makes it. i love homemade cosmetics and skin care stuff.

[Lady Green Jeans]

I use Glow Mineral powder as my makeup. Same with eye shadow. Mascara, 'attitude in a tube" (lipstick) and a lintle bronzer. Like my light makeup. Use a variety of moisturizers including raw shea butter. Like occasionally cleansing with coconut oil.

[Jenifae]

I found this on Skin Deep being the lowest mineral make-up toxicity of 0-2 rating on all their products overall.

http://www.laurenbrookeminerals.com/

[walnutty]

Rawnna,

I would just love the recipe for the Vitamin C serum!


~walnutty~