Milk of Magnesia

Years ago my momma had a friend that had really nice healthy looking skin and finally one day my mom asked her what she used on her skin and she said Milk Of Magnesia. So I started using it. I was always changing up my regimen because I had problem skin.

Milk of magnesia is a laxative that has been known to do a lot more than unclog the colon. I was recently reminded that Milk of Magnesia was great for acne. MOM dries up oil so that is what makes it so great for oily acne prone skin.

After washing your face rub the milk on your face to get rid of any breakouts.

Make-up trick: Rub Milk of Magnesia on your brows as a primer before you apply your make-up.

Suga water for setting make-up

Ok maybe not sugar water but a glycerin and water. Same thing right? I am not a big make-up girl BUT I do know a little. Setting spray helps to keep make-up on your face and off of your clothes or your significant other during snuggle time. Setting spray can be EXPENSIVE.  MAC cosmetics sells their setting spray for US$21.00 and Urban Decay retails their version for about US$29.00.

So for a cheaper DIY version you will need:

SMALL spray Bottle

Water

Glycerin

Mix 1 part Glycerin with 3 parts water in your spray bottle and mix it up for a fresh batch of setting spray. This should be made in small amounts I would say for those people who wear make-up daily. Make enough for about 7 days in a small spray bottle.

Plain Yogurt For Acne Scars

I have heard from several sources including good old Dr. Oz, that yogurt does awesome things for the skin. This plain yogurt recipe is for scne scars. So many people suffer from acne scars and most of them search years and years to find something to get rid of them. So I do my best to find solutions to scars. I found this recipe from a pin on Pinterest and I just had to share it here. If any irritation occurs discontinue use. And if you do not see mind-blowing results over night please remember to exude patience.

4 teaspoons of lemon juice

3 teaspoons of plain yogurt

4 tablespoons of honey

1 egg white.

Mix all four ingredients together and let sit on your scars for 15 minutes. When the 15 minutes are done, simply rinse with warm water.

Rosehip Oil for Healthy Skin

I have read about Rosehip oil. I have NEVER KNOWINGLY used this oil but I am interested in it because I have read that it helps with scars and helps promote healthy skin. You don’t have to be vain to want healthy beautiful skin.

I This will not be the last post on this topic because as I learn more and meet more people who have used it I will share more information about it.

Rosehip oil is cold pressed and extracted from seeds just like in the picture above from a wild rose-bush that grows in Chile. The oil is imported around the world. The rose-bush grows in cold rainy weather and is said to the beauty secret of the Chilean women.

The oil gives the skin vital nutrients to promote radiant and health. It can be used to help soothe renew and help keep up skin health. .

Ok so I know you want to know how this oil can help us right? Well for those of us who suffer from any of the problems bellow it can help us!

Rosehip oil is said to help with:
Stretch marks
UV damage from overexposure to the sun
Scars from surgery or burns
Eczema
Psoriasis
Wrinkles and premature skin aging
Hyper-pigmentation
Dermatitis
Burns, including those from radiation and sunburns
Age spots
Brittle nails
Dry and damaged hair
Rosehip oil is recommended for cosmetic use only.

As always to see the best results it takes patience and consistency. With all of these home remedies you can not expect these them to work over night. It would be great if they do and if it does for you that is wonderful but for most of us things take time. Give it a month. At Least! 🙂

Black Soap

All natural African black soap is made from dried plantain skins, palm leaves and cocoa pod. There are a ton of different kinds of black soap from big cosmetic companies are not 100% pure. Some of the black soap on the market are just black from dye and have tons of chemicals in them. Pure black soap gets its color from roasted plantain skin not dye.

Black soap is cleansing soap that works really well on oily acne prone skin. You can use 100% black soap all over your body but you will need to moisturize after using it. It will make your skin squeaky clean. I use this soap on my face to fight breakouts.

Some black soap is stronger than others because of the way it is made. Black soap should not burn your skin. If the black soap burns than you should stop using it. I have had extremely strong black soap that burned my face so much I was red. I thought this was normal because I had purchased it from a spa. After awhile I stopped using the soap and now I am using but again but with much more knowledge and understanding of what I am using on my face.

If you have a piece of 100% real black soap you should be able to break little pieces of it off and lather the small pieces. Black soap can last a long time depending on how big the piece is that you bought. Black soap lathers really well and you only need a small amount to get the job done. These are all things that I KNOW to be true about black soap. African black soap is soft with an organic shape and texture and an earthy scent to it.

Some people cut the soap and put them in balls. Honestly that’s just a marketing thing that makes it look nice and unique. The soap can be cut in different ways depending on how the seller wants to sell it. It does not have to be a bar or a ball, it can be a chunk. Do not get caught up in the packaging. Be more concerned with who made it, where it’s from and how it was made.

African Black Soap

Natural black soaps help deep clean skin.

Black soap works on most skin types including rough and dry or sensitive skin.

Help clear skin bumps and spots by using black soap daily.

Helps relieve acne, oily skin & other skin problems.

Black soap is also great for removing makeup.

Black soap benefits against premature facial lines and wrinkles.

I recently learned that black soap can also be lathered and used as an effective shampoo.

Some of the above information was modified from africaimports

To My First 100

So I got an email that I officially have 100 followers. I was so happy because I wasn’t even thinking this far ahead when I started this blog. This blog was started as an assignment for a course I was taking and although I had been planning to start a blog for xxx amount of years, this is my 1st one. I am not on any other social networks so I didn’t know who would read my post or follow me. I didn’t know very much about WordPress although I had signed up to start a different blog a year before this one was started. Basically I didn’t know very much or what to expect. I had an idea and I ran with it. I enjoy communicating with all of you. I love the exchange and some of you really make me laugh on days I feel like shit. To those of you that I communicate with regularly, you guys really keep me writing and thinking of new ways to spin this blog. Sometimes I feel like we are all girlfriends drinking wine talking at a table about hair, skin and whatever else. This blog is a blessing for me because it has forced me to write on a consistent basis (I had stopped writing), become mindful of the way content and images are presented to you and it has allowed me to get involved in a positive online community (I am ANTI! social networks). So to my first 100 followers Thank You for reading, following, sharing and exchanging. I really appreciate it.

-Vinegarandwater

Bathe Like A Queen

I have been meaning to do a post on milk baths but I just never got around to it. Milk baths are often associated with romance and sensuality but I learned that a milk bath can really help with getting rid of dead skin cells. It has been said that Queen Cleopatra had one of the most successful beauty regimens known. She was said to have had a beautiful even complexion due to her milk baths. Now I wasn’t really looking for Cleopatra’s milk bath originally but I do remember hearing about this and her formula seems to be the most popular. Milk has Lactic Acid, a type of alpha hydroxy acid. It is gentle and can be found in a lot of beauty products and is said to be an effective anti-aging skin treatment. So it sounds good to me! I doubt if anyone really has the original recipe because I found many recipes claiming to be the Cleopatra milk bath but you can change this recipe  based on your needs and the supplies you have.

4 cups Powdered Milk
2 cups Sea Salt
1 cups Baking Soda
1 cup Epsom Salt
1/2 cup Citric Acid
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Tangerine or Sweet Orange Essential Oil

TO MAKE: Mix all the dry ingredients in a large, non-porous bowl and work out any clumps. Separate 1-2 cups of the dry mixture into a smaller glass measuring cup or bowl. Add the wet ingredients and mix well. Combine the wet mixture back into the dry mix and blend together until evenly dispersed. Package as desired.
TO USE: Add a few tablespoons to warm bath water and enjoy.

Recipe from here

DIY Waxing

Waxing can be expensive especially if you are getting the whole shebang from head to toe. I know some people like to wax at home and some of us wouldn’t dare do such a thing out of fear. The OTC wax kits take a lot of trial and error and often times they just don’t work. I found a video for a DIY wax kit. I like that there are so many things that we can do ourselves but sometimes I think there is a reason for professionals and this is one of those times. Waxing is painful and scary and if you do not know what you are doing it can be a little dangerous. But for arms and legs I think DIY waxing is ok, it’s the more sensitive areas that I am not sure about. But for you dare devils out there here is a video I found for a DIY wax kit. Please be careful with this.

Yogurt Face Mask

I have heard for a very long time that yogurt made a good face mask. I have tried oatmeal, egg, honey but I have yet to try yogurt as a mask. So I searched around for a recipe I was more likely to use. Now I remember watching Doctor Oz a few years ago and he said yogurt and lemon was a great combination for acne prone skin. I found a recipe that was basic and allowed you to add ingredients based on your needs.

Yogurt Face Mask

Organic yogurt – Organic yogurt is very effective for the skin and face. The organic yogurt contains live cultures and more active ingredients than non-organic yogurt and is free of pesticides and other chemicals that may irritate your skin.

Benefits of the Yogurt Face Mask

The yogurt provides several benefits to your skin and saves you from the skin and face problems.

Yogurts include some antibacterial properties which makes it very useful degerming cleansers.

Yogurt’s lactic acid ingredient relieves the irritating problems, makes clear the pores and softens your skin.

Optional Ingredients for Face Mask

If you are suffering from dryness and flaky face then add one spoon of honey and two spoons of grated carrots to the Yogurt. Mix all these ingredients in the mixer or by hand before applying to your face.

If your skin is particularly dull or dry then mix two tablespoons of lemon juice to your yogurt face mask. The lemon is very helpful to get rid of the dead skin and clarifies the pores of skin.

All information was modified from here

Organic & Full of Glam

I know some women are extreme green and raw and then there are those of us who feel like being natural doesn’t mean you can’t be glamorous. It’s true you can be natural and still glam it up sometimes. There are a lot of things in our makeup that can cause allergic reactions such as the artificial colors, preservatives, fragrances, and petroleum byproducts. So I decided to search around for organic make-up brands. Some of the brands below use Color organic make-up that is made using only natural plant extracts and pure minerals. They contain no synthetic chemicals and will keep you fab and allergy free unless you are allergy free! Hopefully…

Organic Make-up

saffronrouge.com
afterglowcosmetics.com
lavera.com
sukiskincare.com

Vegan Make-up

eccobella.com