Day 1 : Amazed

It's day one of my new beauty routine and I have to say, I've impressed myself. I love beauty products but today I'm finding that they just weren't that great after all and I should have been expecting more.

But, lets start with the reason I decided to quit my old beauty products cold turkey. Below are some example labels of my home products that I was using every day. From top to bottom : deodorant, face wash and shampoo.

Reading these labels was my 'WTF' moment. Don't be fooled by the little green leaf. Even my 'natural' kitchen cleaner formula with vinegar only had the formula number as an ingredient. So I looked it up and guess what? No vinegar. Lying idiots. I suddenly felt I had just accepted what was out there for me to take without even looking at what it actually was. I cannot even pronounce these ingredients. Hundreds of chemicals, on me, everyday. I was pretty scared until I really realized I had the power to change this, like, now.

So I got online, I researched (btw if you're looking for a place to start Crunchybetty.com is where I've gotten a lot of these recipes). It was overwhelming. There are a lot really good, natural options. I decided to start as simple as I could with as little ingredients as possible. I figured mastering the morning routine was the most effective way to eliminate the daily chemical assault.

Here was my morning 'get ready' routine today :
Shampoo : 1 tb baking soda mixed with 1 cup water & a few drops fresh lemon juice
Conditioner: 1 tb organic apple cider vinegar mixed with 1 cup water and a few drops rosemary/lavender essential oils
Estimated cost for one batch (will probably last 3-4 washes): < 30 cents (WIN!!!)

I did my research on this no shampoo method, which is supposed to restore the natural oils back in your hair because commercial shampoos strip them entirely (which is why I was probably needing to deep condition often). The baking soda 'shampoo' I applied mainly to the roots of my hair and really worked it in to my scalp for about 5 min. I then rinsed it. Next, the ACV 'conditioner' was applied to the ends of my hair. I finger-combed it through and let it hang out for a few minutes then rinsed my hair VERY well. This seemed important from what I read so as to not have baking soda hanging out on your scalp for awhile.

Body wash: Dr. Bronners peppermint castile soap - 100% natural oils
Cost for one bar: 2.99 (available at City Market) (DOUBLE WIN!!!)

Face wash: (this was my favorite thing)
1/2 tb honey (I had local VT honey) + just a sprinkle of baking soda
I also put a bit of extra virgin olive oil on a cotton round to remove eye make-up
Estimated cost for a 2-3 month supply ($4.50) - but still about 1/2 price as my usual face wash

Method for this was really easy as well. I just scooped out a dab of honey and sprinkled a bit of baking soda over it. Mixed together with my hands and rubbed around on my face (just like you would when exfoliating) and rinse - really, that's it.

Deodorant 
Lemon juice - just put a little in your hand and rub it around under there.

Toner: 
A few drops apple cider vinegar on a moist cotton round - swipe across face

Lotion:
A dab of coconut oil ($6 for 7oz - it will seriously last me a year - a little of this goes a long way)
I used some on my elbows, legs and patted some under and around my eyes

Day 1 results

My face feels spectacular. It was a pretty immediate difference. The olive oil takes off waterproof mascara and eyeliner exceptionally well. I was using witch hazel before but this definitely leaves my under eye area and lids much more moisturized. Wow wow wow - the honey wash is an amazing discovery. It exfoliates and moisturizes at the same time. So much so that I didn't have to put any moisturizer on it at all. Normally throughout the day I would blot my face with a paper towel to remove excess oil - I did not have to do this today, even with my make-up on.

My hair is a little less stellar but still feels great. I've heard there is a bit of a transition period with this washing method where you're hair gets oily when your scalp is trying to adjust itself. My hair was, as expected, a little less clean near my roots and drier at the ends. But, it does style much easier and has significantly less little fly-aways. It smells really clean. On the drier parts I put a tiny bit of coconut oil on it before blow drying. Overall it feels clean, thicker, more manageable and healthier. The color seems a little more vibrant today, I might add. I really hope there is not much of a transition period where my hair gets gross - thinking about picking up a good organic/natural shampoo or conditioner that I may use once a week. My hair is my 'thing' so it looking unkempt and yucky is not really an option for me. But today it looks really nice.

I can pretty comfortably ditch all my lotions, deodorant and face wash right now. The coconut smells and feels great on my skin. Although the lemon stung a bit, it's doing the job for me. I actually tried it yesterday - did a spin class - and still smelt ok throughout the rest of the day.

I find myself asking "is it really this simple? Have we really been tricked in to buying products that aren't good for us?" It's looking like the homemade laundry/dish/hand soaps are pretty easy and very inexpensive to make as well. I'll keep updating, but day one was a smashing success!