Rethinking Beauty: Natural Facial

Before my male readers make a speedy exit, yes, men, you too can be "beautiful." Your skin is in just as much need of TLC as a woman's. :)

Wanting to deal with stubborn blackheads and clogged pores, I decided today to do and share the results of a cleanse with baking soda paste, followed by a hot lemony towel, a sugar scrub exfoliation and an apple cider tone.

Just got done with it and.. wow! Face is super soft, and some blackheads which have refused to leave are now practically gone. Amazing. Once again, nature proves you don't have to spend huge gobs of money, litter your bathroom with plastic bottles, nor slather your skin with chemicals.

The natural solution to cleanse and exfoliate:

1. Cleanse. Make a paste with a tablespoon of baking soda and a few drops of water. Gently scrub face and neck with this mixture. Avoid eye area. Rinse with cool water. (This cleanser is good enough to use every day, or every other day, or once a week depending on your needs, with just warm water for washes in between)

2. Open. Put a small saucepan on the stove and heat water until it's steaming (NOT boiling!! Not even simmering. Just hot.). Add a drop or two of lemon oil or fresh lemon juice. Dip a washcloth in. When it is cool enough to handle but still hot, wring out and place over face for a couple minutes to open pores.

3. Exfoliate. Mix two tablespoons of unrefined sugar with a teaspoon or so of water. You want the sugar moist but not dissolved. Use this mixture to scrub your face and neck in circular motions. Be gentle. The roughness of the sugar will exfoliate well enough on its own. Do this for a few minutes. Rinse with cool water.

4. Tone. Mix a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and 1/4 cup water. Apply to face with cotton ball. Let sit about 30 seconds and then use another cotton ball with just water to gently wash excess vinegar of. Dry. For the vinegar, I use the same kind I use on my hair. Bragg's unpasteurized organic apple cider vinegar, which contains "The Mother.")

5. Moisturize. If you are going outside, definitely use a sunscreen since your skin is like a babe's bottom now :p (For moisturizing, I use straight up jojoba oil.)