Au Naturel Skin Care Routine

Peeps, lets talk Dermis - Skin - Peau - Haut  today. In awe of the biggest organ in our body and an ode to every woman who has lost some sleep over it at some point in life. Coming to think of it, most women, including myself, are constantly in search of the fountain of eternal beauty and it somehow evades us with reckless abandon or so it seems. Although I fully support this quest, there is also no impasse about the truth that beauty is way beyond skin deep. This is so cliché,  but a reminder is always in order to tell self and women around that we all are beautiful. The power and aura of a beautiful soul is unbounded. But one should also be able talk freely about the exponential joy of make up and skin care, efforts at looking or staying pretty on the outside without being judged as vain, lame or privileged. It does not make you a shallow narcissist for wanting to look awesome, and it's never 'too much', no matter what they tell you.  

 I have always loved dolling up. To me it's more than just slapping on powder and calling it a day. I enjoy every swatch and every stroke - a little bit of make up and a whole lot of imagination - the whole process that brings out the best in me. It's my effort not to hide but to enhance. To me it's self expression, freedom, balance, therapy and on stormy days a safe haven.  As much as I love confessing my love for le maquillage and playing the beauty doctor, I'm also the first one to admit not being the keenest on skin care for the longest time. This was very deliberate, just because I never felt the need or had the dedication to fiddle with lotions and potions. And if your partner has hyperosmia, these things work as potent MAN repellants before anything else, seriously. I think it's better not to try and fix something when it ain't broken. I'm pretty lucky with my skin, have no serious issues to report. Excuse me, while I knock on wood! But there is always room for MORE - better, clearer, softer, younger. I think now is a good time for me to start because I've been thinking a lot about gravity lately, ha ha. Hence, the decision to switch out my happy-go-lucky routine for a more time consuming pampering sessions. I hear some people in my crib complaining, oh well! 

We have been seasoned to acquire lipsticks that makes the lips pucker, eyeliners that makes the eyes wider, mascaras that give you wings not lashes to fly with, night creams that erase wrinkles and panda eyes overnight and what have you. It can be overwhelming and gratuitous at times to chose a product that actually works for you or does more help than harm when every cosmetic brand claims to be the aesthetic fairy godmother. Some of my amateur experiments with my sensitive skin in the past, have been quite bitter to say the least. Going through the never-ending list of ingredients on the back of  these good-for-you emulsifiers scares me a bit too. Since I was unsure of the direction to steer in safely, I decided to give the natural route a chance.  So this is how I'm attempting my skin care 'nirvana' these days : 

1. Argan oil - commonly known as Moroccan oil and in recent times celebrated as Liquid Gold. This  spectacular potion just came out of nowhere into my life and has become the holy grail. In reality, it comes from the Argan nuts that grow almost exclusively in Morocco and is produced laboriously in small female - run cooperatives. The berber women have enjoyed for this for centuries and now it's fast becoming the hip beauty balm,  even in the Hollywood. Celebrity patrons like Eva Mendes and Marion Cotillard have applauded it to be their secret weapon for that red carpet radiance. The nauseating blog-sphere rave also played a massive role in flaming the desire to argan-spoil my skin. After months of lusting over Josie Maran Argan Oil and  all futile attempts at owning it without spending an arm and a leg for shipping it to where I live, I finally  got my little grubby hand on it on Amazon.de. from Naissance, UK. Let me tell you - it totally lives up to all the hype. This  head to toe elixir works great for dry skin conditions, wrinkles, eczema and even acne because of its high vitamin E and essential fatty acid content.  

100 % Organic Cold Pressed Argan Oil - has my name written all over it .

 Use -  As my night time face and décolleté (everything sounds fancy in French, doesn't it ?) moisturizer. It's unbelievably lightweight and does not leave me feeling like a grease ball. The results are extremely positive and I do feel/see a difference in my skin - replenished and dewy. The smell is  smoky nutty as expected and I really do not mind. Splurge away girlfriend !!!!!

Jayme Barrett tells you - 10-Simple-Beauty-Uses-for-Organic-Argan-Oil 
Argan oil can be used for cooking too, nom nom.

2. Vitamin E Oil - The most powerful antioxidant known to womankind and the most coveted ingredient in the skin care pragmatism. This is responsible for protecting cells and tissues from damage from free radicals generated by chemicals and oxidised fats. I'm gonna call it the 'original sewing & repair kit' just because I'm cute like that.

                                          Natural Vitamin E, Tocopherol

                   
Use - for the under eye area (mixed with lemon juice - ratio of 2:1  because vitamin E works the best with vitamin C), treating cuts, burns, scabs, scars, sore lips and insect bites. Smell wise its again mild and do-able.

This is genius-in-a-bottle, have a look at how this healed my toddler's nasty hives and mosquito bites overnight. Don't you worry, the blue markings are from tincture of Crystal Violet to prevent festering - not child abuse.
Can I just say

 

3. Shea Butter - The exotic fat from the African Shea trees - rich in Vitamin A (soothing, hydrating and anti - ageing  properties - think Collagen), E (balancing and normalising the skin, particularly beneficial if its dry or sun burnt) and  F (skin protector & hair revitalizer) . 

100% Organic, Unrefined Shea Butter

This is how Shea Butter looks like, if you were wondering. Because it is unprocessed / cold pressed the color can vary anywhere from light grey, ivory to light yellow. 

Use - As a body moisturizer, I slather this all over like there is no tomorrow after every shower. I'm enjoying the results so far. But I must confess, I was not prepared for the smell. Don't wanna say it stinks but I could have done without it. Makes me feel like I'm chilling  in some African elephant farm, is that bad? Blame the commercials for conditioning my brain cells to associate shea butter with cookies and cream flavor and then this.  Lately, I've been adding a few drops of lavender oil to it and it does take the edge off. You can also melt Shea and whip it out before it completely solidifies with a hand blender to make your own whipped souffle version. Cool, huh?

There I spilled it, that is I all I use right now.
Healthy skin is not just about about appearance. It's also the reflection of your emotional and physical well-being. Take time to listen if there are any faint poignant pleas for help from within before you head out to fill those shelves and cabinets with oils and serums. And in the meantime, drink lots of water(note to self too), find ways to be happy and  learn to embrace things that are beyond your control. Audrey Hepburn was not kidding when she said that happy girls are the prettiest. 

So what is your skin care like? What products should I be on the look out for when I'm out skin shopping next? What is your go-to fool-proof daily face cream? I'm in need of a good one.

Thanks for reading
xo Renee

All three products mentioned are purchased on Amazon.de. Please keep in mind that these worked great for me. This may or may not be the case with you. However, it's worth a try since they are all natural.