It has been a long-time since I posted anything. Though I desperately wanted to write, the personal issues I faced prevented me from writing anything or doing anything worthwhile. However, with now my problems going slowly on the back burner, I decided to take the plunge and dive headstrong into my blogging and writing career.
Before I begin, let me tell you a backstory. One of my cousins, who happen to be beauty-conscious, asked me to accompany her on her bi-monthly trip to the salon. While we were sitting in the lounge area, she went on cribbing about the lack of cost-effective natural beauty product alternatives and how she had to spend a sizable amount every time to glow from head to toe. Her rants gave me the idea to share some of the sustainable beauty hacks I regularly use to get a natural, wholesome glow
Brown sugar is your new lip scrub
Take a teaspoon of brown sugar and mix it with organic coconut oil/olive oil/jojoba oil, and gently rub the mixture over your lips. Leave it for a few seconds and remove it with a soft towel. Voila!! You have now exfoliated your lips.
Next time when you’re thinking of wearing your new lipstick, try this procedure before. This mixture will help remove the dead cells on your lips and impart a smooth, baby-like texture to them.
Try coconut oil to get shinier hair
Trust me, coconut oil is second to none for hair care as it is rich in proteins and fatty acids.
Organic coconut oil can do wonders on your hair, making it look healthier, shinier, and more radiating.
Gently heat some amount of coconut oil (don’t heat it for a longer time). Let it cool for a few seconds. Then gently massage your hair strands and scalp. This hot oil massage will reinvigorate the blood circulation on your scalp, leading to hair growth. For more significant hair growth, you can mix a few drops of aloe vera juice and add a few drops of red onion oil (if these are available).
Regular application of coconut oil will fix the problem of the split ends too😊.
Now, who wants to sit through trimming, dusting, and candle cutting procedures?
Get a glowing, healthy (and acne-free) skin with these DIY face packs
Who doesn’t need healthy, radiant, and acne-free skin?
Women commonly face issues such as acne, pimples, uneven pigmentation, and skin texture. I am listing out a few face masks that you can use once or twice per week (depending on your time constraints) with which you can take care of these bumps and craters
Mask #1: Turmeric + honey for glowing skin
Mask #2: Multani mitti (or bentonite clay) + rosewater for blemish-free skin
Mask #3: Aloe vera mask to reduce pimple breakouts and reduce puffiness
Mask #4: Egg yolk (if you aren’t a vegan) + tea tree oil (Mix a few drops of tea tree oil with any carrier oil before application)
I don’t use mask #4 since I’m a vegan, but you can if you’re okay with using egg yolk, then go ahead 🙂
Rely more on DIY face masks
Face mask/sheet mask.
The latest K-beauty addition that has taken the world by storm for the past few years.
There are now dozens of compressed facial mask sheets available both in online and offline beauty stores. Buy one and do a face sheet mask on your own. There are plenty of DIY ideas available online that you can use.
Don’t have the time to do one? No problem!!
Extract the juices of any fruits you like (say, watermelon, strawberry, or even aloe vera, cucumber) in a bowl and drop a compressed face sheet. Then carefully unfold the mask and apply it to your face. Let it sit for some time. Remove it carefully and gently pat with a towel.
You can now see a glowing face in your mirror.
Make your own body butter
Until a few years ago, I have never heard of body butter. But now, I mainly use body butter as an alternative to moisturizer as its major role is to hydrate the skin effectively. To make my own body butter, I use raw shea butter and raw cocoa butter in equal parts, along with a carrier oil (I like to play with sweet almond, coconut, grapeseed and jojoba oils) and essential oils (lavender is my personal preference).
Do a cold-water face cleanse
We all know the benefits of a cold-water swim. But, cleansing your face with cold water provides your skin with an instant glow, getting rid of its tiredness and reducing puffy eyes (if you have any!). So, if you’re feeling that your face has lost its glow, don’t hesitate to try a cold-water cleanse. It will be worth the results.
Take a foot bath to relax and recharge
Taking footbaths is becoming popular nowadays. Right from exfoliating our feet to relaxing our achy feet, the benefits of footbaths are immense. I take footbath around twice a week, and I would love to switch the ingredients I use based on the purpose of my footbath. For exfoliation, I use Epsom salt and lemons and apple cider vinegar (ACV). For moisturization, I use equal parts of honey and coconut oil and homemade aloe vera gel. There are plenty of DIY footbath ideas online that you can customize as per your needs and recharge yourself.
Make plenty of aloe vera gel
Yes, you read that right.
Aloe vera gel, I believe, is a multifunctional product. From a sustainable perspective, using multifunctional products is a great way to cut back on additional costs and, at the same time, is eco-friendly too. I always prepare a substantial amount of aloe vera gel and mix it with a tablespoon of vitamin E enriched oil. This homemade gel can be used as a moisturizer, help prevent sunburns, and provide an overall cooling effect to the body.
So, that pretty much sums up the sustainable beauty routine that I follow. You may already have followed some of these ideas, but if you haven’t, please don’t hesitate to try these. While some of these ideas may appear insignificant to you, please remember one thing: these ideas will indeed reduce our ecological footprint in the long run.
We all need to be kinder to our planet as it is our only safe haven. Why not begin it from the beauty regime we follow? Remember what Oprah Winfrey said, “The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.”