Beauty-Care: Au Natural - in which I endeavor to create my own skin, body, and haircare

Skins as smooth as rose petals... because it's nourished by rose petals.
Image thanks to http://www.freecomputerdesktopwallpaper.com 

I've been watching, listening, and educating myself on natural beauty and holistic body-care for a while now.

We're surrounded by unavoidable toxins in our environment. There isn't enough green tea and dark chocolate in the world to detox the body of the average American given the chemicals we consume daily. People often thing of their skin as a kind of soft armor -- a solid barrier between the body and the outside world. Given some thought it's obvious that our body uses the skin as an instrument of detoxification, through our perspiration. In reality, our skin is a two-way street. We not only excrete through the skin, we consume. Click through to this fabulous graphic "What Your Skin Eats" on TrenchPress.

Given that "Your skin absorbs 60% of every topical thing you put on it" (TrenchPress), it seems almost irresponsible of me to purposefully rub unknown substances onto my skin. I've watched how my arms and legs soak up commercial moisturizers and unrefined oils both. I've observed how much more often the "quality" skincare products make me break out. I'm resolved to do something different about it.


Like so many women today, once I reached adolescence, my skin changed its diet from Ivory soap to every perfume-and-chemical-laden liquid soap known to humanity. Not that it was hard. For years, holidays seemed to be nothing but an excuse for a soap-swap, as upscale bath products became the go-to gift for every woman. At one time I had a stockpile that lasted several years without my making a new purchase - and that included unopened product I regifted to other people.

I'm "almost pushing 40" and I want to maintain my skin as well as I can from here on out. Mother Nature currently feeds my mind, my soul and my internal body. I want to rely on Her to nourish my external body as well. And why not? For what are we but extensions of Nature's Creation?

A few years ago, I began using solid shampoo bars to cleanse my hair followed by a simple vinegar rinse. It is truly awesome to visit a salon, have the stylist compliment you on the health of your hair, and know they have NO IDEA that you don't use any of their "product"! I also began using unrefined coconut oil as my primary body moisturizer, and a few months ago I started dry skin brushing. (More on that another time.)

With these small, easy changes, I have been easing my way into giving up commercial beauty products altogether. Finally, I've come across a resource that works for me:
Beauty Gone Wild! Herbal Recipes for Gorgeous Skin & Hair by Diane Kidman.

Facial purifier, perfume, or cocktail?
Maybe all three! via MixnSip.com

Over the next several months, I will begin a personal experiment in natural beauty, learning to make my own facial cleansers, astringents, and moisturizers. I will try a few new tips for haircare. One afternoon to come, I will experiment with making my own perfume using a recipe containing many handfulls of rose petals and 100 proof vodka. Ms. Kidman has a recipe that simply must be tried.

In invite you to follow me in this journey, as I report back to you about the recipes, the ingredients and how easy (or not) it is for me to find them, ease of use, and the results.