In Love with Coconut

Lengkuas Island, Belitung Indonesia

Tropical Fruit
Coconut is very common in tropical countries. Growing up in Indonesia, I get used to coconut. Some traditional Indonesian soup use coconut milk as one of the ingredients. Coconut water/juice is common for traditional desserts along with coconut meat. At some restaurants, we can order young coconut for our drinks (with or without extra sugar/ice). It comes with the whole fruit so we can eat its meat as well. I loooove it! The water always feels refreshing especially for hot and tropical weather. One coconut can be used for food/drink/oil, and its fiber (aka cocofiber) can be used at home as door mat/roof, its shell can be used as charcoal and many more.
I think it's amazing that somehow the world is balanced. Tropical and hot weather places are blessed by the existence of this fruit!

The Water
It is believed that drinking coconut water is equal to drinking milk. It has protein, amino acids, antioxidants and anti-toxic agents. Its Vitamin C contents is known for creating bright and clean look on baby's skin when drank during pregnancy. It provides a powerful energy source as if drinking an energy/isotonic drink and of course this also means that coconut water is really good in preventing and treating dehydration. I always look for coconut water whenever I feel tired and weak and when I don't feel good. Its anti-inflammatory property helps me feel better. The sugar content in coconut water is enough to make us feel full for a while which is good for those who are trying to lose weight.
Remember what antioxidant agents do? Yes, they protect us from free radicals. This means that coconut water is good for our body and skin as anti aging source. Yay!

The Meat
Young coconut meat is good for desserts while riped (or "old") coconut is good for grated coconut, coconut milk and coconut oil. Basically what the coconut water offers, the meat will also provide. For example, its fatty acids, antioxidant and anti-toxic agents.

Coconut Oil
Coconut Oil is derived from coconut milk by warming and separating the oil from the water used for pressing. So, it is not hard to make coconut oil from a riped whole coconut. Many people use coconut oil for cooking, baking, and skincare. Even I do too.
I use it for baking and cooking. For baking, I substitute some of the vegetable oil or butter with coconut oil. It makes the baked goods smell good.
I use it on my skin when I have itchy dry skin and to soothe my skin from burn.
I use it on my scalp as natural hair treatment. You can find the simple recipe for hair treatment below.
I use it as make up remover.
I use lotion, face oil, and body butter* that has coconut oil as ingredients.

Coconut Oil works impressively. Not only it costs relatively cheap (as skincare) but it provides more benefits than other skincare products. Moreover, it is natural. The worrisome of putting on harsh chemical ingredients could be eliminated.

I hope you enjoy reading this blog. Please leave any comments if you have any experience with coconut in any forms. Keep our natural beauty!

-dora-
*the products mentioned are handmade by Kiki the founder of Qi Qi Naturals.


DIY Hair Treatment
(Great for breakage, frizzy, conditioner, dandruff, hair growth)

1 tbsp Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (in liquid form, you can always warm it up by putting the closed jar into warm water)
Juice from 1 lemon.
2 drops of Rosemary or Lavender E.O. (optional)
Mix all ingredients. Start putting on the scalp by giving massage. Work on giving 1-inch space in between. Always massage 2-3mins when applying. If you have extra, cover the hair til hair ends. Leave it on hair for at least 30 mins. You may use cap to avoid dripping. After 30 mins, wash your hair with your shampoo. (Note: try to avoid hair dryer as it dries hair and makes hair dull and frizzy).

If you don't have lemon but you have (raw) honey, you can substitute the lemon juice. Use 1 tbsp honey instead.

If you have sweet almond oil, you can mix both in equal parts and they work well together as hair mask.

If you don't have any of the ingredients except the coconut oil. That's fine. You may need at least 2 tbsp of Coconut Oil. You can simply follow the directions above when applying.

Loving Our Feet

Hey Lovelies !!

Have you ever think of spoiling your feet at home? Like relaxing on a chair and having your feet soaking in warm water? Oh, to top that off, you put on facial mask. I know, right! That feeling of enjoying the very moment!
Well, I think our feet are important so we need to spoil them every time we have the chance. Especially, now that we are entering spring. During summer time, we want to have our feet looking good in our flip-flops, sandals, gladiator and flat shoes and all those sexy looking shoes!

I don't have perfect feet. Either I have to deal with cracking heels or hard skin and ingrown toenails. I know, as a woman I am expected to have beautiful feet. Therefore, I feel the need to pay more attention in caring my feet. I want healthy feet, happy feet. For that reason, I do pedicure for my own feet every 2 weeks at home, an alternate way of going and spending money at a salon.

Here's what I do:
1. use foot file to get rid of cracking heels.
2. clean dirt/fabric that usually are hidden between toenail and skin/nail-bed.
3. soak in warm water with additional of some ACV (optional). This takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Then dry them completely with towel.
4. trim toenails when necessary. Usually after shower/soaking, toenails are softer and easier to be trimmed.
5. use nail buffer to smooth and make toenails shiny.
6. massage some cuticle oil that has Vitamin E on toenails and spoil toes by massaging them. (alter cuticle oil with tea tree oil for toenail problems).
7. put some foot gel/cream or body butter for smoothing and soothing. I like peppermint because it feels refreshing.
8. for treating cracking heels and hard skin, I put on socks for extra moisture. Otherwise, I leave them open.

Toenail Problems
For those who have toenail problems (ie. my husband and my friend, some part of toenails are not sticking to their nail-beds; I think this works for foot fungus as well) : put some tea tree oil onto the toenails with problem before going to bed every night and leave it overnight. Since toenails are growing so slowly, the treatment should continue until at least 6 months. A complete toenails could take one whole year to fully regrow.

Picture source: www.feetfirstcardiff.co.uk/commonfootprob.html

Additional Tips :
1. toenail treatment work better if we always let feet dry, so try not to wear socks/slippers while at home.
2. additional foot spray is recommended to soothe our feet, especially if we only wear shoes that don't require socks. Spray will help freshen feet and reduce odor. Choose natural tea tree spray if possible.
3. If you like to put on nail polish on to your toenails, it's fine. As long as you remember to clean it off completely after one or two weeks and leave it breathe for at least 48 hours before applying another color.

Our feet will be healthy happy feet once we do this in regular basis. No more feeling ashamed of having ugly feet, instead, we welcome pretty flip-flops and sexy sandals!
Have fun caring your feet! And always keep our natural beauty!


-dora-

DO and DON'Ts Part 4: Eye Makeup

Hi Lovelies!

Eye Makeup 

It's almost Spring! Sure thing we want to look fresh in Spring time when it's no longer so cold but not hot like Summer time. So, what colors are wonderful in Spring time? Any colors like flowers (nice bright color) such as pink, violet, light blue, mint, orange, gold and white will give us fresh look especially to be put on eye area. Yay!

Is Eye Makeup that important? Personally, I do believe 'eyes express one's beauty' because eyes can show people who the person is. So, yes, eye makeup is important as to emphasize a woman's beauty by giving a straight and bright look through her eyes. It sure does make a difference. Hence, let's talk about DO and DON'Ts for Eye Makeup!
(Please note that I'm not a Makeup Artist nor an expert, everything I do I learn by own experience or any tutorials/articles, so you might have a better way)

Eyebrow Filler (It could be eyebrow pencil/cake/powder)
Do
1. Choose natural color that looks like your eye brows'.
2. I usually use the cake type filler or powder on light brown/grey/taupe. Grey match with my skin since my skin is medium n yellowy.
3. I like powder that comes with brushes and wax. Usually one brush is for sort of combing my brow to make it neat in one direction and organized shape while the other one is for applying the wax and powder. The reason I don't like pencil is because my brows are wide but thin; it's hard to fill and shape my brows using pencil.
4. I haven't tried the eyebrow shaping kit and look forward to try it; however, in shaping my eyebrows, I only work on slightly giving extra color on where the hair is. I like to keep their natural shape. I don't work over or expand my eyebrows.
5. Check and choose products that are using natural ingredients if possible.
6. Eyebrow brush/comb is really recommended to fix eyebrow hair and stimulate growth.
Don't
1. Work over on your eyebrows, eyebrows that are too thick look ridiculous and people end up looking at your eyebrows, not to your eyes! Eyebrows that are too big/oversize (for example almost touching each other at the nose) make you look angry or scary. Err... yeah, really.
2. Forget to clean your brushes. When I'm lazy, acne will happily show up on my eyebrows!
3. Forget to clean your makeup when you're home.
4. Use if you have any skin problems.

Eyeliner (pencil/liquid/gel)
Do
1. Choose the form of eyeliner you're comfortable with. So far, I like the liquid eyeliner the most because it gives a bold look and it's easier to make cat eye. (I don't like smudgy look from pencil.)
2. Choose Waterproof type if you like to line your waterline.
3. When it comes to choosing color, I definitely like dark color such as black, dark brown, purple and dark jade. Since I'm Asian, I have single eyelid therefore dark eyeliner really helps to bigger my eyes.
4. I usually apply from inner corner to outer corner on my top lash line. As for bottom lash line, I apply by mood how do I want to look like on that day (sometimes I put all the way sometimes outer half while I use shimmery cream color eyeshadow for inner half or sometimes I use the shimmery cream color eyeshadow only. It depends).
5. Some products use natural ingredients to get their color from cocoa powder or charcoal. 
6. Clean your eye makeup with makeup cleaner once you're home. This is the most important to avoid red eye. 
Don't
1. Don't touch your eyes area too much while wearing eye makeup, either you mess up the makeup or you may get red eye.
2. Forget to clean especially if you're using waterproof eye makeup.
3. Don't use liquid eyeliner over three months to avoid irritation from the brush. (But honestly, I break this rule since I don't wear makeup everyday).

Eyeshadow
Do
1. It's nothing to worry about wearing eyeshadow. If you're a beginner like me, you are looking for natural colors, enough to make your eyes look brighter. Natural/nude/neutral colors are good for everyday look. 
2. Get a palette that has at least 3 colors. 3 is good number because we need bright color for inner corner and brow bone, medium for crease and lid and dark for lash line or as eyeliner. However, I'd rather to get a palette that has more colors in it. More is better! Why? Because you can mix and match to get a different look and create new colors. 
3. Read the ingredients. Since we are aware of makeup products may contain chemical ingredients that are harsh for our skin, go natural!
4. Learn and practice for application. It's fun, really! You can find a lot of tutorials over internet, on youtube, magazines. So, I don't need to teach you anything. Just spend some time at home to try! Experiment.. Experiment...!!
5. Use eyeshadow primer/eye balm before applying to make the color pop and optimizing the eyeshadow by avoiding using too much or wasting it. 
Don't
1. Overwork or use the whole colors in your palette if your palette has 6 colors or more.
2. Forget to clean your brushes. 
3. Forget to clean your makeup when you're home.
4. Use if you have any skin problems.

Eyeshadow Primer
Do
1. A good eyeshadow base usually have transparent/nude like color. Choose nude color or similar with your skin color or foundation that you use. If you like a hint of shimmer, some brands have those in shimmer.
2. Apply from inner corner, eyelids, all the way to brow bone (under eyebrows) and outer corner. I usually only need a tiny dot on each eye.

Don't
Generally it's same as Foundation and other eye makeups.

Mascara
(I'm not a mascara type girl and I don't like mascara because it makes my eyes feel heavy, but... here we go!)
Do
1. Choose the color like. Black and Dark Brown are my favorites.
2. You want to use just a little bit and get the excess tint out first before applying to avoid clumps or stickiness and moreover ruining your makeup!
3. Well, if it's too late and it ruined a bit of your makeup, grab a Q-tip and clean it. Put concealer when needed. Use face/powder brush to smear it. Blend it.
4. Choose the waterproof kind because eyes are sensitive and without you know it, tears come out!
5. You may use the eyelash curler first. When applying, try to push it to the top a little bit, it will help curling your eye lashes.
6. You may use paper to avoid ruining your eyeshadow. It saves time than ruining the makeup and dealing with it.

Don't
- refer to other eye makeups


Tips for All Makeup
# If it's hard to find natural ones, try to find some products that claim to not using certain chemical ingredients (for example: paraben free, sulfates free, phthalates free, GMOs free, fragrance free, etc). 
# The application should be 1. eyeshadow primer. 2. eyeshadow. 3. eyeliner. 4. mascara.
# If you like to use pencil eyeliner/eyebrow, use the good sharp eye pencil sharpener to sharpen it a little bit but not too sharp. As long as it's evenly sharpened. 

Personally, I don't wear makeup when I'm home. I don't have to. When I'm being lazy or don't feel like it, I would only put on my moisturizer/face oil, suncreen, BB cream, eyebrow filler (ergh, my weakness, super thin eyebrows) and sometimes just eyeliner. I try to avoid using too much chemical ingredients when possible and to choose natural skincare and makeup.


Have fun !! See ya'll on my next blog!!
Keep your natural beauty, love your body !! :-) 


-dora- 
 

DIY Natural Gel Eyeliner in Brown
Mix well: 1 part Aloe Vera Gel (upto 2 parts, optional), 1 part Coconut Oil, 1/4 upto 1/2 part Cocoa powder. 
As simple as that! Remember to use clean brush when applying and store in cool dark place.  

DO and DON'Ts Part 3: Face Makeup

Hi Everyone!!

I hope you enjoyed reading my last Do and Don't Lists and it's always great if you like to write me comments and share some additional tips I might not know. You can also suggest me something you'd like me to write about! That would be my pleasure!
Alright, next I want to list more Do and Don't by me about Face Makeup. Here we go:

Blush or Cheek Stain
Do
1. I like to put this after my makeup powder.
2. Usually I apply slightly on cheek bone (or apple on cheek) using blush brush.
3. Choose the color that matches with your makeup and skin color. For example I want to apply coral lipstick, a bit orangey/peachy color blush/stain would be better than pink to make my face look brighter.
4. Make sure you clean your brush on regular basis. Since I don't wear makeup on daily basis, I clean my brushes every 2 months. If you wear makeup everyday, maybe it's better to clean your brushes once every week or two weeks.
5. If possible, get natural ones that using natural coloring such fruit powder.
6. If you put a bit too much, you can apply more makeup powder to smear and hide it or simply just use your brush to blend more.
Don't
1. Put if you find any skin problems. It's either the product is not good for you or you need to clean your brush.
2. Forget to clean your makeup after you're home. Use makeup remover or DIY makeup remover (cotton, distilled water enough to damp the cotton, and Extra Virgin Coconut Oil).

Bronzer
Do
1. Basically almost same like blush, the only difference is that I apply bronzer under my cheek stain. At the deeper area when I suck-in my cheek. Sometimes I apply at chin, a bit on both sides of the forehead and also both sides of my nose to give an elevated look. I'm still learning to contour my face in a better way :)
2. I use the same brush to apply my blush.
3. Using natural ingredients are preferable. The coloring could be from cocoa.
Don't
1. Get bronzer that's too dark. We just want the bronzer to emphasize our blush on the cheek not to looked like bony.
2. Use if you get skin problems.

Highlighter
Do
1. It is also basically like blush, the only difference is that I apply highlighter under eyes or upper my cheek stain to make the blush more pop, my nose, and slightly between nose and upper lip every now and then.
2. I can use either the same brush for the blush/bronzer or maybe a smaller one, fluffy blending brush could be an ideal one.
3. Choose a slightly brighter color than your powder/foundation to give a natural look. Matte color is always good even though sometimes giving a little bit of shimmer makes a more glamour look. (I like it!)
4. Always clean the makeup after you're home. Your face need to breathe too.

Don't
Choose a color that's too bright or same like powder that doesn't emphasize or give any effect. And don't use if you experience any skin problems.

Anyway, I hope this is really helping. I'm still working on Eye Makeup for my next blog. I hope to post it tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.
See you later! Always keep our natural beauty :)

To Be Continued....

-dora-

DO and DON'Ts Part 1: Skincare

DOs and DON'Ts by me


Facial Cleanser
Do
1. I clean my face twice a day. Tips: in the morning if I stay home whole day, I rinsed my face with cold water only. I know friends who have been doing this since teenagers and their face never have any problems. In the morning, we have good face oil that is useful for our face, our natural oil.
2. Whenever I have make up on, I use DIY eye make up remover (recipe in the bottom of page) before I use my cleanser.
3. Use cleanser with scrubs/grains/beads as they clean pores thoroughly.
Don't
1. Don't be lazy to clean our face. In my own experience, when I was busy and skipped morning rinsing once, acne started to come out. Uh-oh.
2. I read somewhere, since I have dry skin, to avoid foam type cleanser.
3. Don't let your makeup stay for too long, especially when you plan to stay home.

Face Moisturizers
Do
1. Make sure to clean the face before applying.
2. Thin layer should be enough for the whole face. Applying too much will probably make your skin overwhelmed.
3. Make sure you're comfortable with the product; your skin should feel supple, smooth, better. I love my Face Oil since the ingredients are all natural. Thanks to Qi Qi Naturals, my face feels improved.
4. Choose the one with SPF/Suncreen for daytime (preferably SPF 30) and more antioxidant agents for night time.
Don't
1. Don't apply before cleaning your face! Why? because, we never know if the moisturizers will trap bacteria/dirt onto your skin and guess what? pimples start coming out. Oh no!
2. Don't use products that give you breakout, rashes or any problems. I tried ROC Retinol and hey, it's not cheap! $23 or so. Well, I had breakout, either I put too much or what, I don't understand. I tried to rotate with my other face cream, well, my face started to get used to, but, not too long after using it, dry skin. So, I stopped. Really, believe what your skin says.
3. Don't be lazy to apply moisturizers especially if you have dry skin. Moisturizer should help you from dryness and flakiness.

Additional Tips for Facial Skincare:
1. Toner. I believe it helps skin to adapt the application of moisturizer. I use Apple Cider Vinegar as toner after I clean my face. I leave it on for up to 2 hours before rinsing and putting on moisturizer.
2. Facial Brush. If you have Electric Facial Brush (Clarisonic/Olay/Conair), I encourage you to use it maybe at least every week. It helps cleaning and relaxing your face. I usually use my facial scrub while using my brush. Remember, pimples are scared of cleanliness.

Eye Cream/Gel/Serum
Do
1. Make sure you have removed all eye makeup before applying.
2. Apply every night before going to bed. Especially if you are lack of sleep or very tired. A little bit is enough to prevent dark circles, puffiness and hopefully from aging/wrinkles :)
Don't
1. Just like moisturizers, don't apply it if you're not comfortable or the product causes any skin reactions.

Body Lotion, Hand Cream, Foot Cream
- refer to Face Moisturizers

Shower Gel/Soap or Body Wash
- refer to Facial Cleanser

Lip Balm/Gloss
Do
1. Apply as often as possible when you have dry or chapped lips.
2. Find Natural products as lip balm may also be eaten involuntarily.  Nothing could be worse than having unclear chemical ingredients into your body.
3. Apply overnight each day for supple lips.
Don't
1. Don't use a product that's too greasy. My experience,  a good lip balm doesn't need to be greasy. They just don't work on me.
2. Don't be lazy to apply on your lips especially if you have dry lips like me.
3. Stop using the product when you don't see any improvement in few days to a week. I usually see the result within 4 days. But it depends on how often you apply it.

Additional Tips:
1. Butter/Oil. Use Body Butter/Oil for dry skin or during winter time. And most lotions use fragrance which sometimes could cause allergic reaction. Therefore, applying butter/oil is a better way for dry skin. Choose products that contain Vitamin E or Cocoa Butter/Coconut Oil/Olive Oil.
2. Sulfur. It's believed to fight acne. Get facial bar soap that has sulfur in it.
3. Natural. I recommend to use (if possible 100%) natural products. The reason is simply to not putting too much unnecessary chemical ingredients onto our skin. Our skin will always absorb anything we apply, so it's like feeding our skin with the skincare.

DIY My Makeup Remover
1. Cotton
2. Water
3. Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
Damp cotton with just enough water (not too wet), put a little bit of melted EVCO.
Tadaaaa. It's ready to go!!

See you in my next blog!
Keep healthy. Be natural :)


xoxo
-dora-

Essential Oils

What are they? What are their benefits?

Hello Ladies!!

Now that we know that OIL is essential for our skin and that it can be used as substitute for moisturizers only without harsh chemicals, we might be curious about what are essential oils? What make them different with other oils?

I personally am not a scientist or an expert in herbs; however, I do like green thingy and looking for alternatives: anything for a better health and life. Like other people, I also have some problems with my skin: dryness that causes flaky skin sometimes, allergies, rashes, dull-looking skin, etc. This condition motivates me to keep learning about skincare and the ingredients that are used.

What is Essential Oil? It is a concentrated aromatic liquid that typically 100% pure which means no other ingredients in it. Sources (Online Herbs Suppliers) say that 100% pure EO doesn't contain carrier oils, diluents and any other ingredients. That means EO is not oil! It is a super concentrated hydrophobic from plants/herbs which processed by either distilled steaming or cold pressing. Because it's highly concentrated, using EO by itself (without dilution or carrier oil) may cause irritation or breakout. Ouch!

Despite it may cause irritation when being used alone, EO is believed to have many benefits such as anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal agents, stress reliever, skin soother, and moreover it has variety of good aromas. Not only known as aromatherapy agent, EOs are commonly used in lotions, soap, air fresher spray (the easiest way to use it, just dilute few drops into some water in a spray bottle), getting rid of fleas, 2-3 drops on pillow may help you to relax and sleep for insomnia problem.

Please note, that some EOs are good only for oily skin, some are for all types of skin. Since I have dry skin, I really have to pay attention of this too. I had breakout a long time ago because back then I didn't know that the concentrated oil needs to be diluted. Therefore, you should learn before buying.
Here's some tips:
1. the most common EOs people buying as starter are: lavender, tea tree, peppermint (cmiiw).
2. make sure you have carrier oil or other substance to mix with your EO; olive/coconut oil are easy to be absorbed by our skin without clogging pores.
3. some EOs can be used for spray either for fresher air or getting rid of fleas/bacteria/bugs, such as: eucalyptus, lavender, tea tree.
4. however, note to no.3, some EOs also maybe good and helpful for dogs but not for cats. They may be very toxic for cats. For me, since I have cats, I limited the usage of EOs to reduce the risk being exposed to them.
5. make sure to buy EOs with "100% pure" label as they should be all natural. If you can find Organic, that's even better.
6. I would recommend if you're pregnant or about getting pregnant to not put on your skin/body, as I read most of the labels say not for used if you're pregnant.
7. If you are not sure of buying or using EO, I encourage you to get natural skincare such as: face oil, eye serum, lotion that have EOs in their ingredients. I use skincare from Qi Qi Naturals and she uses EO in most of her products.

Last but not least, I hope this could help anyone. I personally love and use EOs, I like the aroma and I believe they are such a good remedy to prevent stress, bug bites, helping to relax, and they can also be put into our skincare as anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial or anti-viral agent. Keep healthy ladies! And keep natural :)

xo,
Dora

My Simple Toner and Conditioner Recipe:
1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tbsp distilled water
1 or 2 drop of Lavender EO (or Chamomile if you like)

Apple Cider Vinegar, My Best Friend

Fighting Acne and Dark Spots

I believe most of you know or have heard or have used Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV). Well, up to December 2012, I was a non-believer. A few months prior, all of a sudden I had few pimples every single day. I'd tried using all kind of acne ointment (Oxy, Clearasil, Clean & Clear, Proactiv), you name it. I even tried toothpaste! Pimples would come and go, but at least I still had three active pimples a day. It was so embarrassing as if I never take care of my face and it makes me feel dirty. The more I stressed out, the more acne would show up. In Dec 2012, my roommate suggested trying ACV which she had in the fridge. So, I gave it a shot. I used it every night after shower as toner (3 water : 1 ACV) and I let it on my face until right before going to bed. I would brush teeth and rinse my face and then I put my night cream. Hence, the ACV usually stayed on my face at least two hours. It was a miracle. The pimples didn't add up and the active ones were healing in 3-4 days! I did some research and found out that the acidity in ACV helps reducing pore size which also makes my face cleaner. Now, I've been using ACV for over a year and I have changed the ratio into 1:1 since my skin is now used to ACV. Some people are comfortable with 2 water : 1 ACV. You can decide your own ratio by adjusting water to the most comfortable your skin with. I've noticed that ACV has helped to even out dark spots that caused by those damn pimples. Really! I've never felt my face so clean ever. I must admit during my period, I get one or two pimples. However, since I use ACV, pimples never grow bigger as they used to. I am very pleased. So, here's some notes from me about ACV and my face skin

1. Acid level in ACV helps reducing pore size, it means skin will be much cleaner. This is how ACV fights acne.

2. You can adjust your own ACV toner. As beginners, start from 4 water : 1 ACV. Here’s a good toner recipe, use 2 water : 1 ACV ratio with few drops of Essential Oil of your own pick. Lavender Essential Oil is a good choice since it has good smell and works as an antibacterial agent. I personally use cotton ball when applying, others use spray bottle. Again, your choice!

3. ACV helps to even out dark spots. It may not be as quickly, however, slowly but sure!

4. As starter, get Organic ACV.

Fight Warts

I’m using ACV to fight my wart. I use a small piece of cotton ball and soak it with ACV, put on top of the wart and use a bandaid to fasten and let it overnight. I do this right before I sleep. I will update once I get rid of my wart, about how long it takes to completely get rid of it.
(Update on 02/20/14, I probably didn't do it right, somehow I got my skin burnt after using over a week, I scratched my skin a lot and I think that caused the burn and all that. However, I do notice a smaller wart now even though I stop using it. I recommend to stop using if you feel uncomfortable/burn or if it doesn't help with warts. I mean it works to some people, so I think you still can give a shot, why not? But don't hurt yourself. In the experience of burning, I found a good remedy to soothe the pain, I use my conditioner formula: 2 water, 1 ACV and mix it with alcohol, it worked! I was amazed!)


Health Booster

Every now and then I take a teaspoonful of ACV to help boosting my health. It is believed that ACV helps from the inside regarding our skin and health. ACV can help to detoxify and help lymph systems (allergies and stuffed nose). According to Reader’s Digest, ACV prevents indigestion just by sipping before eating. Try drink this 30 minutes before you eat: 1 teaspoon ACV with 1 teaspoon of honey and a glass of warm water.

Hair Conditioner

It sounds weird but some people use ACV as conditioner. Kiki also use it as conditioner to make her hair smooth and shiny. She says to mix half water and half ACV (with few drops of Lavender/Chamomile Essential Oil) after shampooing. I have to admit that she does have smooth and shiny hair. She adds to use Coconut Oil mixed with (raw) honey once a week for hair mask. Microwave it a little bit and apply to hair by massaging and leave it about 15-20 minutes. Then wash off with shampoo and conditioner. Coconut Oil is believed to cleanse
and help scalp, and in her case, she uses it to fight her split-end hair.

Foot Bath

Yes! Literally. Not only it helps soothing ache and swollen feet, ACV works as antibacterial agent when combined with warm water for foot soak. You could use either half water half ACV or 2 water : 1 ACV. It takes about 15-20 minutes to soak feet. For toenails with problem, I recommend to put a drop of Tea Tree Oil overnight. I think ACV works to clean through and helps with the healing process meanwhile TTO works as antiseptic. I am currently dealing with my husband toenail that almost detached from its nailbed and will keep this blog updated.

My note: since I don’t feel comfortable with soaking (too much trouble), I soak a cotton ball then put one drop on each clean toenail and let it dry by itself. Eventually, I put TTO overnight. Now you all know why I consider ACV as my best friend. Not only it has tons of benefits, it’s easy to find ACV and seriously, you don’t need to pay expensive skincare (yet may contain harsh chemical ingredients) to be healthy and look pretty! Give it a chance! Good luck!!

-dora-