NEW !!! Natural Bar Soaps on Qi Qi Naturals' Etsy Store

Hi All,


I hope all of you are doing well ! It's Columbus Day, so some of you are perhaps having an extra day off ! How great!!! Happy Shopping for those who are getting discount stuff!!
First, I apologize for being absent for a while. Really really sorry from the bottom of my heart.
Now it's time to reveal the good news: Qi Qi Naturals now has bar soaps !!!
OMG! Yes, This is so exciting ! There are 4 kinds of them that gotten the names from its scents.

1. Peppermint and Mocha
2. Grapefruit and Calendula
3. Green tea and Silk
4. All-in-One (Body, Hair, Shaving)


Here some pictures I copied from Qi Qi Naturals' Etsy page:
and the link is https://www.etsy.com/listing/204025127/all-natural-handmade-body-soap-4?ref=shop_home_active_7

This the packaging. It is a nice vintage looking packaging, simple yet elegant and informative.

Can't wait to try? If you guys are interested in getting those and if you don't have an Etsy account yet, Kiki provides you a link that gives you a $5 gift card for FIRST ORDER ON ETSY ONLY.
https://www.etsy.com/invites/buy/?iid=ITFL5wA8XJmalFmb66b-xasrxVde2Upnp885u4sxU0w.

Have any of you tried this or does any of you want to try this or have some comments? We'd like to know what your opinions are. Thank you!

Enjoy your day !!! Adios !!!


-dora-

Today's Pick: All Natural Mascara

- with Australian Black Clay

Hi All!

Today's Pick by Qi Qi Naturals is All Natural Mascara. Derived its color from Australian Black Clay and Australian Red Reef Clay, this mascara provides a nice dark brown color on your lashes. It doesn't clump and cause irritation while giving a bold look for your eyes. If you have sensitive eyes (especially from chemical ingredients) then this mascara would be a must-have item for your vanity. Why not? It is made of natural ingredients and the color looks very natural. It's a win-win solution!


Here's the link from the Qi Qi Naturals' Etsy store:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/199989337/all-natural-mascara-with-australian?ref=shop_home_active_6


All Natural Mascara

Because your lashes makes your eyes more beautiful; makes your eyes look more bright and lively; therefore, you need to be as close as All Natural Mascara by Qi Qi Naturals. Currently, featured in Dark Brown which darker on lashes than showed on pictures. It is dark so your lashes will look bold and longer, only with NO clumps. The color is derived from natural clays as I never use chemical colorants. This mascara is not waterproof but it stays on all day and doesn't flake off.
--------------------------------

Key Ingredients:

***Vegetable Glycerin***
It is believed to be skin-identical meaning that easily absorbed and prevents dryness. As for lashes, it softens but prevents them from breakage. It is also known as natural hair growth treatment.

***Australian Red Reef Clay***
It’s high iron content and essential minerals help to replenish and regenerate the epidermis of the skin to create soft and healthy glowing skin. The rich color from the Australian Reef Red Clay can also be used in organic hair coloring, giving a natural red color that is impermanent.

***Australian Black Clay***
It contains great iron and oxygen properties. It is a non-toxic mineral with cleansing and conditioning agents, which make it particularly for nourishing the skin.
---------------------------------

In a 8ml Mascara tube.

To use: Apply 1 coat for a natural look or use eye lash curler and 2 coats for dramatic eyes! This mascara can be taken off by warm water or any face cleanser.

Ingredients: Purified Oregon Rainwater, Australian Black Clay, Red Reef Clay, Guar Gum, Vegetable Glycerin & Optiphen Plus (Paraben-Free preservative)

For International customers, please contact me for the shipping fee!

Shelf life is 6-9 months
---------------------------------

Today's Pick: Cleansing Grains

- 100% Natural Soap Free Face Wash

Hi All!

Today's Pick by Qi Qi Naturals is Cleansing Grains, an all natural soap-free facial cleanser which contains organic herbs, oats, almond meal, clays. It cleans thoroughly the pores, removes toxins, dead skin cells like any other scrubs but BETTER because it has Bentonite clay and Green French clay which known to deep cleanse and fight skin problems (eczema, acne) while rejuvenating skin, Almond meal that refreshes skin, Oats which moisturizes and softens the skin, Lavender powder which known for its soothing formula, Rose and Kelp powder. A 100% natural works best!

A lady that has tried a sample says "it's so great, and I even used it as facial mask because it has clay and lavender powder, I LOVE IT. My skin feels smooth. Thank you for letting me know about this brand!"


Available in 2oz and 4oz.

Here's the link for sample size:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/187634978/cleansing-grains-100-natural-soap-free?ref=shop_home_active_18

The product's description as from Etsy:

Cleansing Grains

This cleanser is formulated with 100% natural ingredients. Cleansing Grains’ combination of Clay, Oats, Almond Meal and organic herbs clean thoroughly, removes dead cells while also tightens the skin and unclogs pores, leaving the skin feel fresh, clean and soft.

Instruction: Combine 1-2 tsp. of cleansing grains with water and make into a paste. Massage onto the face and rinse off with warm water. If using as a face mask, leave on 15-20 minutes before rinsing off.
---------------------------------

Key Ingredients:
(*Organic)

Green French Clay
It draws toxins and impurities out of the skin. It is a miraculous product for oily problem skin because it has a purifying, deep cleansing and drying action.

Bentonite Clay
It is well-known for fighting acne, eczema, psoriasis, wound and rejuvenating skin.

*Oats
Oatmeal Powder provides natural remedies for skin, works as moisturizers, protects the skin from impurities and makes the skin feel soft, smooth, healthy and radiant.

*Almond Meal
Almond Meal removes dead cells and fights acne and dryness, makes face look younger, fresh, radiant and supple.

*Lavender Powder
It is believed to be able to soothe irritated skin, often used in facial mask formulas to provide fragrant relaxation and soothing of skin.

*Rose Powder
It could cure skin infections, inflammation, swelling and prickly heat because it rejuvenates and tones the skin and leaves the skin soft, smooth and glowing.

*Kelp Powder
It rejuvenates, nourishes, moisturizes, revitalizes and firms the skin while removes surface impurities and toxins.
------------------------------------

Store in a cool, dark and dry place.

In a 2 oz amber glass bottle or in a 4 oz reusable Tin. Please choose what size you need!

Ingredients: Green French Clay, Bentonite Clay, *Oats, *Almond meal, *Lavender Powder, *Rose Powder & *Kelp Powder
(*Organic)

NEW! Qi Qi Naturals' Acne Spot Treatment "Clear Me Up"

- with Organic Jojoba Oil and therapeutic grade essential oils

Hi there!!

I have a good news for you with acne problems! Qi Qi Naturals just launched a new product! It's a treatment for acne and blemishes called "Clear Me Up". It comes in a rollerball bottle which make it easy to apply. Moreover, it's made with all natural ingredients to keep your natural beauty.

Here's the link:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/189216807/acne-spot-treatment-clear-me-up-with?ref=shop_home_active_1

Some information I copied from Etsy page:

Acne Spot Treatment "Clear Me Up" from Qi Qi Naturals - $6 (USD)

If you're anything like me, the initial reaction to a pimple is to lob as many harsh chemicals at it as possible, hoping it will disappear instantly—or at least overnight. This spot treatment serum will battle it out with your blemishes. Formulated with Tea tree, Lemongrass and Lavender essential oils. "Clear Me Up" helps calm and reduce redness while Organic Jojoba Oil promotes healthy skin. Each roll-on bottle is 5 ml. 

I use therapeutic grade essential oils and I am not stingy about my essential oils. I put enough amount of essential oils in order to get the best benefits from the essential oils. 

Direction: Apply to face in the morning and evening after cleansing. Or as needed. 
---------------------------------

Key Ingredients:
(*Organic)

*Jojoba Oil
nutrient-rich oil moisturizes for soft, supple skin.

Lavender Oil
acts as an antiseptic and cleanser, while balancing, soothes and heals.

Tea Tree Oil
It has been found to cut deep into the skin oils thus unblocking the pores on the skin. This ensures that any other acne causing-bacteria which are still deeper in the skin are eradicated to prevent any other future infections. This means that tea tree oil for acne is a very powerful natural remedy for acne in that it removes all the bacteria that may cause future infections! 

Lemongrass
It contains antibacterial and antimicrobial components. This combination of astringent and antibacterial qualities makes it an excellent choice for acne prone skin.
--------------------------------

Store in a cool, dry, dark place.

In a 5 ml roll-on glass bottle. It is good for traveling and putting in your purse. 

Larger size is available on request.

Ingredients: *Jojoba Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Essential oils of Tea Tree, Lemongrass & Lavender
---------------------------------

This product contains no preservatives, no parabens, no dyes, no animal products or testing (we test everything personally), no added water. Our ingredients are all certified organic, vegan and are locally sourced or fair trade certified.

NEW!! Qi Qi Naturals' Clay Eyeliner

Vegan Mineral Eyeliner with Natural Clay

Hi there!!

Qi Qi Naturals just launched a new product! It's an all natural Clay Eyeliner. The color comes in Maroon (dark red) with a bit shimmer of gold. The product is available on Etsy. Here's the link:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/189010283/clay-eyeliner-vegan-mineral-eyeliner?ref=shop_home_active_2

I've tried this and the color is not reddish. Though the eyeliner is made from red clay as main colorant, the result is not an overwhelming red. In fact, it's close to brown color. The application is relatively easy, just dip your angle/liner brush into water and tap the excess water and get the powder (I usually put onto the lid first a little amount of it). It will be creamy and then just glide on the desired area (lid liner).

-dora-

Some information I copied from Etsy page:

Vegan Mineral Eyeliner with Natural Clay from Qi Qi Naturals

Clay Eyeliner is a gorgeous dark red color with a tad bit gold shimmer. The red color is rich and lustrous which is from Australian Reef Red Clay. It is long lasting and easy to apply!

Color: Deep Red (brownish) with Gold shimmer.

Direction: Simply put a little eyeliner powder in the cap and wet an angled brush with a little water; then dip into the powder and line eyes. Taking caution not to get powder into the eyes.
-------------------------- 

Store in a cool, dry, dark place.

In a 5g plastic container.

Larger size is available on request.
--------------------------

Ingredients: Australian Red Reef Clay, Mica, Magnesium Stearate, Guar Gum, Vegetable Glycerin, Organic Jojoba Oil & Purified Water

Qi Qi Naturals' Grand Opening at Etsy: 10% OFF !!

Hi everyone!

Yay!! I'm so excited to let you know that Qi Qi Naturals is now available at Etsy.com.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/QiQiNaturals

From Kiki's Instagram:

"I am so thrilled and honored today to announce the official launch of my new All-Natural handcrafted skincare brand, Qi Qi Naturals!  It is available on Etsy.com and at local herb store. The past year has been full of challenges and trials. I couldn't be happier than to have my own skincare brand (I have worked in the beauty industry for about 12 years). And it is like a dream comes true!"

And for the Grand Opening event, Qi Qi Naturals offers 10% off for everyone for a minimum purchase of $10 until Jun 30.
Use the code ENJOY10OFF when check out.

Let's stop by, shop, and spoil your skin with all natural skincare products from Qi Qi Naturals. They work wonderful on my skin because "Nature makes the best skincare".

See you in the next blog/event !
Keep our natural beauty!

-dora-

Qi Qi Naturals Event: Sea Mist Botanical Store in Oregon A

Qi Qi Naturals products will be selling at a local botanical store and Etsy.com soon! Stay tuned!!!
Please support small business and cruelty-Free products!

From Sea Mist Botanicals Owner
"Sea Mist Botanicals now carries Qi Qi Naturals. Stop by and check out these wonderful new products.
Mineral Foundation, Cheek and lip stain, eye serum, face oil, Herbal face cream and more....

Sea Mist Botanicals carries fresh organic herbs, salve kits, bath salt, sage, lotions, pet products, soaps and so much more. 

Open Monday thru Saturday 10am to 6pm.

16209 W Hoffeldt Ln Suite C, Behind rice bowl. Look for the big red flag."

Here are some preview photos: 

All of the products are handcrafted by Kiki with love and are cruelty-free

"Try Me" Kit

Also, we are currently developing our Etsy store at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/QiQiNaturals

Please stop by and spoil yourself by letting natural products touch and improve your natural beauty!

Thank you!

Oil as Anti Aging

What are the oils that can be used as Anti Aging ?

Aging is Inevitable
As I have written in the previous blog called "Oil and Our Skin," I believe that some oils do give more benefits to our skin as natural skincare compared to manufactured skincare. We all know that dryness could cause aging, wrinkles, itch, flakiness. We are aware that sunlight could cause aging with its free radicals and leave us dark spots or skin discoloration, not to mention having sunburn after being exposed in the sun for a long time. We also notice that being old may cause having sagging skin because of losing collagen and elastin. Yes, we all know that all those could happen to anyone of us. Sunlight is something inevitable if we like to go outside for a walk, hiking, tanning, playing at the beach, etc. Age is unavoidable as I am writing this blog, I'm aging by seconds, minutes, or maybe an hour or two!

What to do now? We always count on some skincare. But, the only question is are they really dependable to prevent me from aging? I mean, I understand they have dermatologist's approval; they also have some people to try and test their products before launching which is great. The thing is that sometimes some skincare contain harsh chemical ingredients. Every time I looked at the ingredient list on an item, I would frowned and stunned because I'm like "I don't understand what in the world is this, this, this..."
This situation has led me to be more aware of choosing a skincare product. Honestly, I would love to make my own skincare. But, sometimes when I read the recipes, it takes at least ten to twenty ingredients to get a well-balanced and effective skincare. For that reason, I give up. The best thing is that Qi Qi Naturals is owned by my best friend, Kiki. With her passion, she makes wonderful skincare from natural ingredients. Even better that most of them are organics. So, thanks to her, I don't have to make my own skincare, yay!

Oil Checklist
As we know that choosing the right skincare is crucial because we want to have the maximum benefits of each product we use. We want to make sure that we prevent ourselves from sign of aging prematurely. Yes, we, ladies, want to look youthful and radiant no matter how old we are.
A good natural skincare product will always include at least one of the oils below.

I believe many many more can be added to the list. However, for example, knowing that your product contains Jojoba Oil and Almond Oil at the same time might be such a relief. I hope this helps you to find out which products are good for you. So, really. Oil does work as anti aging and it gives you more benefits than a manufactured skincare could give at some point.

Keep our natural beauty! Ciao!
-dora-

Here's the list:

Vitamin E Oil
It helps treating skin from sunburn, scars, acne, and wrinkles by speeding up skin cells regeneration. Vitamin E is also known for its antioxidant properties.

Coconut Oil
If you like to have simple skincare and your skin is not so sensitive, you may consider to use Extra Virgin Coconut Oil as your face oil. In fact, according to my research, a lot of people have been using EVCO alone as night moisturizer. Coconut Oil contains antioxidant agents that help prevent aging and fight free radicals. It's believed to help with wrinkles and flakiness.

Olive Oil 
It is rich in vitamins and antioxidants and highly effective in neutralizing damaging free radicals. It also helps balance your skin's moisture without clogging pores.

Castor Oil
As antioxidant, it nourishes our skin and fights aging signs. In addition, it also has antiviral properties.

Camelina Oil
Rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, it improves skin elasticity. It also has Vitamin E that works as an antioxidant to protect our skin from free radicals.

(Sweet) Almond Oil
This oil helps nourish the skin making it smooth, delay aging, lighten dark complexion, eradicate irritation, inflammation and skin rashes, soothing itchiness and moisturizing. It makes skin supple to touch, glow and look healthy.

Jojoba Oil 
It absorbs easily to our skin without feeling greasy, clogging pores or blackheads or promoting acne. It rejuvenates cell growth and helps dry and damaged skin by improving skin elasticity and suppleness because of its vitamin E content.

Rosehip Seed Oil
Full of vitamins, antioxidants and essential fatty acids to correct dark spots and hydrate dry, itchy skin, reduce scars and fine lines. It rejuvenates the skin and leaves the skin glowing.

Kukui Nut Oil
It could penetrate the skin easily and leaves the skin feeling silky and smooth without greasy feeling in addition to its antioxidant agent that protects the skin from free radicals.

Avocado Oil
It contains vitamin A and antioxidant, nourishes, moisturizes, cleans skin, eliminates wrinkles, condition hair and protect against harsh environment.

Grapeseed Oil 
It helps regulate our natural oil production, assists with skin repair while it has mildly astringent, antioxidant and antiseptic properties packed with skin-brightening vitamin C.

Butter
Kokum Butter
It contains of fatty acids and antioxidant agents which reduce degeneration of the skin cells and restore elasticity of the skin.

Cocoa Butter
It also has antioxidant agents to slow the signs of aging.

Horsetail Butter
It's believed to treat cutaneous dryness, rebuild and regenerate damaged skin cells from rashes, wrinkles, acne, burns because of its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant actions.

Raw Shea Butter
It's believed to help improve skin, hair, beauty and health because it renews, repairs and protects the skin against aging/wrinkles and harsh climate.

Essential Oils
Rose stimulates the skin and helps from dry and aging skin.

Sweet Orange (aka Orange Oil) slows down aging process and leaves the skin look radiant and glowing.

Vanilla works as antioxidant and anti-inflammation. It also promotes repairing damaged skin.

Immortelle (Helichrysum) has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits to help skin with acne, allergies, sunburn, ezcema and aging signs.

Sandalwood relieves rashes and itches, eczema and psoriasis, soothes acne and slows skin aging.



Note:
All those ingredients above are used by Qi Qi Naturals.
I didn't write about them in details. The list are genuinely by me, but the contents are from the internet, collected bits and pieces when I did some research. I may have rephrased it with my own words. Thanks.

Ba-Ba-Ba...Ba-Banana....

why Minions like banana?

Hi Beauties !

Being pretty doesn't always mean taking care of our look from the outside. It also depends on our routine, our habit, which are related to our intake. Hm. To think of it, if a pretty woman constantly eats junk food, drinks alcohol and smokes, in the next few years, she might have any health issues. Health problems could cause her stressful. Not only that stress could fasten the aging process, if she had to take medicine, she could get some side effects. She started to have more wrinkles, panda eyes, any side effects from the treatment (could be allergies, rashes, losing appetite, gaining weight or else). She would put more makeup to cover it up meaning more harsh chemical gets into her body and so forth. Would she still be looking gorgeous? Maybe. But most likely, she will probably be looking much older. And I won't let this happen to me. So, IMO being pretty also means being healthy.(I'm sorry if it sounds depressing, I just mean to encourage us (including me) to live better by being healthy and to leave those bad habits).

BANANA
This suddenly came across my mind 'why do the Minions like banana so much?.' I would say because of its super power nutrients. Before I write some facts about banana according USDA, I have a story to tell y'all. When I was little, my mom used to urge me to eat banana once a day. She would say banana is a really powerful fruit because it's rich in Vitamin. As a good child, I ate those bananas, 'nothing to lose' I thought.

As I grew up, I learned that when my relative had upset stomach, he would only eat banana, nothing else. Of course he also drank water. Apparently, to him, bananas help detoxify his stomach and fix his health. At that moment, I was amazed as I was a bit underestimating this yellow fellow!

A year ago, my husband (he was my fiance back then and I was still in California) had a real bad food poisoning. He couldn't eat anything at all and he would throw up. I recalled the story of my relative and told him to eat only bananas and not to drink soda. He only followed eating bananas but still drinking soda. Again, he kept throwing up. His stomach wouldn't accept anything at all except banana. I suspected the culprit was soda. After struggling for 3 days throwing up and nothing could be eaten, his condition got worse and he had fever. He was really bad, indescribable: pale, weak, non-stop coughing, vomiting, sometimes headache. I wasn't a doctor, but I did research online for his symptoms. The result was daring: he got dehydration. In addition to food poisoning! However, knowing he'd gotten worse, he gave up soda and drank juice instead and sometimes water. He took one day off to bed rest. He slowly getting a bit better. After that, it was just banana and juice for the following two weeks; nothing else. He took cough syrup before sleep. Two weeks later, he got much better and was able to eat other food without throwing up. I am so glad that he survived both food poisoning and dehydration without going to hospital, especially since I found out the fact dehydration could cause death. So, ladies, don't underestimate bananas! Because it contains a lot of nutrients that you need for your health.

USDA
Using USDA interactive tool, a medium banana (7"-7.5") may contain 105g calories but Zero Fat. It also has Protein, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium, Zinc, Vitamins: A, B6, B12, D, E, K, Folate, and more. I think it's pretty complete for a fruit, plus you don't need to worry of gaining fat from eating bananas,Yay ! Well, that explains why banana has a super power effects to our body! Or that maybe explains why minions like banana despite its taste that's just 'hm-okay' to me. But, hey! I wouldn't ignore if anybody made me banana-strawberry smoothie! Yummm!

INTAKE
Eating banana is an easy habit we can do to start our healthy program. Let's say once a day. I'm a type of person who eats everything as long as in good portion, meaning not too much. I maintain my diet and my weight because I understand that my future is relying on my habit. I am not a big fan of bananas but I don't mind to add them onto my diet list. Why not? They make good smoothies (mix with any berries, little milk and honey) and I love to make my own Banana Cake that I can eat as my coffee cake. Cut a banana into pieces then eat with your cereal and you have a wonderful breakfast! Most of my friends who have babies started to feed bananas to their 6 month-old babies because banana is also good for brain health.

Here's the deal: anytime you want to smoke, eat banana instead. Why do you smoke? Because you're not happy. Well, banana is believed to be able to boost up your mood because of its tryptophan content. Its potassium can help fighting anxiety and good for our blood pressure while its fiber content help your digest system. So, ever wonder why minions are always happy?


-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)

Oil and Our Skin

to keep our skin moisture, oil plays an important role

I heard about Tea Tree Oil about ten years ago and bought it since I heard about it's anti-acne role. I have dry-to-normal skin type and TTO was too strong to be applied without any dilution that my skin ended up cracking. I also had Rosehip Seeds Oil two years ago that ended up being used twice which caused my skin dry. But, seriously, I didn't know how to make use of them. I mean, what would I do with those oils. I was ignorant. Well, that was me until a year ago.
Okay, so what with these oils? Thanks to the booming of Body Oil, Face Oil, Skin Oil. Yes. O-I-L. But why? how?

As I get older, I started to use skincare products. I need to take care of my diet and skin! I want to have healthy and glowing skin. I began using moisturizers and night cream on my face, eye gel/cream on my eye lids and around, body lotion all over. However, deep down I realized that those regular skincare might have side effects. We know lotion contains fragrance to make them smell so damn good! Also lotion mostly contains water. Water is used to moisture our skin but it dries quickly so we apply more lotion. I think fragrance is toxic and water dries our skin. So, I began to research for a better solution. The answer is oil. In fact, some people have oily skin, while others are lack of skin oil. Why are we lack of oil? Well many reasons, I would say 5 reasons: aging, stress, life-style (alcoholic or smokers), sunlight radiation, and gene factor.

Anyway, I started with my body due to bad experience with my face. I use Cocoa Butter Body Oil as lotion. It smells wonderful and it works really good on my skin, especially during winter time to fight my cracking skin. I put Cuticle Oil that contains Vitamin E Oil on my nails. I use Virgin Coconut Oil as hair mask. It smells good and makes my hair smooth. As for Tea Tree Oil, I have the one that already diluted and I use it on my itchy skin. I think it works better now. It's a bit greasy but it helps with my skin problem. As for my face, I try to give a second chance with Qi Qi Naturals Face Oil. OMG! It works wonderfully, quickly absorbed without greasy feeling. It makes my skin feel smooth and improved; it helps me fighting flaky skin on the face.

Well, I have done some research about different types of oil: pure oils (olive, coconut), essential oils (lavender, chamomile), seeds oil (grape, hemp), TTO, etc. I believe that we could make use of oil in any ways as our natural skincare, however, you must do a little research what oils are good for you and whatnot. Google it before you get it, make sure that your skin type are not prone to the oil you want to use. In fact, some oil works for oily skin but not for dry skin, for instance TTO. Some oil contain sebum that similar to human skin's sebum which means could blend well with our natural skin oil and absorbed quickly. Some oils contain anti-oxidant agent that fights UV radiation or free radicals.

So, Oil? Yes. Why not?

-dora-

Commercial Deodorants are Toxic!

Could Regular Deodorants Cause Cancer? 
I have been making myself handcrafted natural skin and body care for about an half year.  The first thing that came across my mind was a DEODORANT! Why? Because most of conventional deodorants contain antiperspirants in aluminum that might give you cancer. It seemed unnecessary to rub some toxic ingredients on my underarms that close to my breasts and this made me worried if I could get breast cancer. Luckily, if you don't want to spend time to make your own natural deodorant, you are still able to choose aluminum-free deodorants.

Does Natural Deodorant Really Work? 
I am not going to lie! Antiperspirant does stop you from sweating like a horse and preventing stinky odor. However, I don't like the idea of risking my life to keep using toxic ingredients. I gave up the commercial ones and switched to aluminum-free deodorants. It took me a long time to find ones that I liked and they don't smell like perfume (I hate artificial smells). When you switch from a regular deodorant to a natural one, it's not easy. The process does take time, because your body needs to get used to the natural ingredients that do the work for your armpits. Just be patient and keep looking for a natural deodorant that works the best for you!

Homemade Deodorants Work for Me 
I would say I used more than 5 different brands of natural deodorants. I like "Alba botanica" the best, which is made of tea tree essential oil with baking soda. Really? Baking soda? Yes! Baking soda works on a lot of things because of it's antiseptic function. Unfortunately, although this natural deodorant claimed for being all natural, it still has some ingredients that I'd rather not to put on my body. Therefore I looked for homemade natural deodorant recipes. I have found pure baking soda and organic extra virgin coconut oil work pretty well. Plus, it has a pleasant coconut smell. Having used it for a while, I pursuit to find more natural deodorant recipes and try it. Until yesterday, I tried a new recipe that I have to admit I love it and would use it for a long time. I added some Fuller's earth clay-absorbent for oil, grease and have a whitening effect. I believe your armpits would say thank you for having a clean, soft and bright skin. 

-Kiki x 

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-