Tag Archives: Anti-age

Natural Skin Care – Coconut Oil as Replacement for Beauty and Skin Care Products

Coconut Oil Instead Of Many Beauty And Skin Care Products!

Once you realize that majority of beauty and cosmetic lines contain extremely toxic and cancerogenic substances, you may find yourself lost in deciphering the ingredient lists and trying to figure out which products are safe.

How about throwing away your dangerous and expensive creams and products and go get some virgin coconut oil?

Oh Lou Lou! Natural Skin CareUsing some high quality virgin coconut oil as base/carrier and adding some essential oils and couple of other ingredients you can literary replace majority of skin care products. Plus it will save you lots of money!

When applied topically, coconut oil will reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by keeping your connective tissues strong and flexible. It will also help with exfoliating the outer layer of dead skin cells. As a result, your skin will look fresh, younger and smoother.

Contrary to many claims that you can see lately on social networks, VIRGIN coconut oil is non-comedogenic (it does not clog pores)!

In fact, when used in its purest form it works wonders for any type of skin including acneic! This is because Coconut oil is anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal. For example, Candida, Staphylococcus aureus, and other pathogens, fungi, bacteria and viruses are destroyed by coconut oil.

DIY recipes on how to use coconut oil as base ingredient for different beauty and skin care products are posted daily all over the web.

Also, the entire concept of many handmade organic small-batch skincare start-ups including ours http://ohloulou.com is based on using mostly VIRGIN coconut oil as a base for its products.

If you don’t have the time or desire to learn about it and make it, we can gladly make it for you – see our range of purest possible organic skincare products Oh Lou Lou!

Coconut oil can be used in hundreds different ways, here are some of them

  • Make-up remover. Apply some coconut oil with a cotton ball and clean your make-up just as you would use a regular make-up remover. Wash off with some warm water and pat dry.
  • Facial cleanser. Massage some coconut oil onto face and neck. Wash off with warm water and pat dry.
  • Shaving lotion. Massage some coconut oil on area to be shaved, and shave as usual. Coconut oil is a good antiseptic due to lauric acid and helps with shaving cuts.
  • Face and body moisturizer. Mix some coconut oil and essential oil hydrolat (the water collected when plants are steam-distilled to gather essential oils).
  • Deodorant. Apply some coconut oil directly onto your armpits. I mix coconut oil with a small amount of baking soda and it works perfectly.
  • Facial/Body Scrub. Mix coconut oil with baking soda, or oatmeal with a dash of cinnamon, for a gentle facial scrub. Add organic cane sugar for a good body scrub.
  • Insect repellent. Mix coconut oil with essential oils known as insect repellent: peppermint, citronella (Java), rosemary, tea tree oil, geraniol, catnip oil etc.
  • Natural Sunscreen.  You can find here a Quick Recipe for Natural Sunscreen 
  • Facial Cream. Ladies,  instead of throwing tons of money on big brands you can try this 5 min. DYI Anti-age Facial Cream

Just make sure to look for organic, cold pressed, unrefined, virgin Coconut oil. Refined coconut oil is indeed comedogenic (pore clogging) and we don’t recommend it for skincare products.

For true lovers of DIY you can find a bunch of more sophisticated recipes like for example  Top 15 Coconut Oil Skin Recipes 

Check out a great free resource on the benefits of coconut oil Coconut Oil Ultimate Guide 

Remember – what you can’t eat you can’t put on your skin!

Food On, Beauty Out 🙂

Sources and Credits

GET NATURAL FACELIFT WITHOUT SURGERY

SOME OF THE MOST POWERFUL ANTI-AGING REMEDIES ON PLANET

 

serum-face-1For centuries people have been seeking ways to stop or at least to slow down the process of aging.

 

For centuries the tales of “Fountain of Youth” have been recounted across the world and alchemists have sought to find a secret formula.

 

And today, more than ever, many people will try just about anything to stop the aging.

COSMETIC INDUSTRY’S MARKETING STRATEGY: THE MORE EXPENSIVE THE BETTER!

Cosmetic industry makes millions of dollars from myriad of expensive, “younger look” promising products.

The key marketing strategy appears to be “the more expensive the product, the better”.

As the results can’t really be seen overnight, the marketers are relying on inducing the judgment by increasing the price tag: “the product is very expensive so it must be good”.

Add to this some slogans like “Revolutionary”, “Advanced Formula”, “Results based on 1000 women saying” and you have a recipe for success in bringing many dollars to the mother brand.

No doubt, many cosmetic products do contain some good anti-aging components.

The issue is that they also contain many other unnecessary ingredients that are there to make the product look nicer (e.g water is added to make it smoother), smell nicer (“fragrance” is added which often translates to dangerous chemicals), last longer (additive and preservatives added to make the product stable on temperature extremes and increase the shelf life).

As a result, the super expensive “revolutionary” anti-age products from biggest brands end up containing a long list of unpronounceable ingredients, many of them hormone disrupting, cancer causing or at least controversial.          

Add to this story the pricey cosmetic face lifts and surgeries that offer some temporary results and after some time, in some cases months, the wrinkles begin to re-appear bringing the desperate persons to the vicious circle of never-ending surgeries.

TURNING TO THE NATURE

The aging can’t be stopped or reversed. Accepting this simple fact should be the first and most important step in our quest to look younger.

However, although the aging can’t be stopped fully, the nature in fact offers some good answers in terms of slowing down the process of aging.

The essential oils (highly concentrated plant extracts) are one of the best kept secrets.

They happen to be the safest, most effective and probably the least expensive “tool” to diminish the wrinkles and slow down the aging.

Essential oils work on a molecular level and can actually regenerate skin cells.

Some essential oils stimulate the circulation and oxygenate the blood encouraging the skin regeneration process.

As a result, continuous use of blend of essential oils will be far more effective and lasting than any cosmetic surgery or face lift.  And far better than any expensive commercial cream for one simple reason: it does not require any of those unpronounceable (equals nasty) ingredients, preservatives or additives.  The blend of carefully chosen essential oils diluted in a well chosen carrier oil will have a very long shelf life, provided it is stored in amber glass and away from sunlight.

In most cases a careful selection of few anti-aging essential oils (pick them from the list below) will begin diminishing your wrinkles in about a month.

The blends and serums, as expected, are used for face, neck and eye area or as a body rub. You can add few drops in your bath.

Remember to always use the therapeutic grade organic pure essential oils for optimum results.

The essential oils are relatively in-expensive especially when compared to big brands’ similar products, however some of the essential oils are pricey for a good reason: for example you need up to 4000kg of rose petals to extract 1kg of rose oil.

If you are not willing to experiment, you can buy our serums in our Oh Lou Lou! e-store Click Here.

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND WHAT YOU EAT MATTERS!

One thing should never be neglected: Food In, Love and Beauty Out! Foods rich in anti-oxidants and vitamins can actually slow down the aging. Unhealthy diet rich in sugar for sure aggravates the signs of aging. Habits such as alcohol and cigarettes will slow the process considerably. A healthy lifestyle and diet will improve the results of using anti-aging serums.

serum-eye-0LIST OF THE MOST POWERFUL ANTI-AGING REMEDIES ON OUR PLANET

The following essential oils are some of the most powerful anti-aging remedies on the planet and using them in continuity may cut ten years off your look.

ROSA DAMASCENA ESSENTIAL OIL

Superb anti-aging oil • Scar Healing • Nurturing • Astringent • Helps in toning and tightening the sagging skin • Prevents early aging and wrinkles

FRANKINCENSE ESSENTIAL OIL

Anti-wrinkle • Regenerating • pH Balancing • Strengthening • Clears the skin from blemishes • Great for dry complexions • Helps smooth creases, wrinkles and scars

CARROT SEED ESSENTIAL OIL

Rejuvenates the skin • Softens wrinkles • Detoxifying • Protection from sun

GERANIUM ESSENTIAL OIL

Circulating • Healing • Toning • Firming • Oxygenating • Dermatitis and eczema relief • Great for oily and mature skin

LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL

Cell Regenerator • Soothing • Reduces scarring from burns and wounds •Anti-age • Lighten the appearance of age spots • Treats acne

SANDALWOOD ESSENTIAL OIL

Rich in antioxidants • Anti-inflammatory agent • Helps to improve facial blood circulation • Detoxifier • Fights the formation of wrinkle-causing free radicals • Excellent addition to any anti-aging treatment

MANUKA ESSENTIAL OIL

Anti-inflammatory • Rich in antioxidants that reduce damage from free radicals • Eliminates harmful bacteria on the skin • Treats acne

MYYRH ESSENTIAL OIL

Anti-inflammatory • Helps improve skin tone, firmness, and skin elasticity • Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles • Helps heal sun damage, rashes, and eczema • Moisturize dry, cracked skin

ROSEMARY ESSENTIAL OIL

Cell renewal • Reduces fine lines and wrinkles • Helps healing wounds and burns • Clears acne and blemishes • Anti-bacterial • Improves blood circulation • Radiant skin

NEROLI ESSENTIAL OIL

Reduces fine lines • Tones sagging skin • Rejuvenating • Cell regenerating • Preventing and healing stretch marks • Antiseptic • Balances oil production • Shrinks pores without drying skin • Beneficial for oily, sensitive, and mature skin

FENNEL ESSENTIAL OIL

Antiseptic and stimulant • Soothes, cleanses and tones the skin • Prevents wrinkles and minimizes the appearance of fine lines • Reduces water retention/ helps reducing eye bags • Regulates blood circulation.

LEMON ESSENTIAL OIL

Astringent • Antiseptic • Anti-wrinkle • Detoxifying • Rejuvenates dull skin

PATCHOULI ESSENTIAL OIL

Promotes new cell growth • Softens fine lines & wrinkles • Beneficial against eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis, and acne

PALMAROSA ESSENTIAL OIL

Helps skin damaged by prolonged exposure to the sun • Combats acne • Lessens the appearance of acne scars • Anti-wrinkle • Cools the skin • Stimulates new cell growth •Speeds healing • Anti-inflammatory

CLARY SAGE ESSENTIAL OIL

Antioxidant • Reverses signs of aging • Helps to reduce excessive production of sebum • Tightens skin pores • Skin firming • Hormone balancing • Avoid if pregnant, or suffer from estrogen caused health issues

ANTI-AGING  CARRIER (BASE) OILS

The essential oils are too concentrated and should never be used pure, that’s why they need to be diluted in carrier (base) oils. I list here some of them that by themselves have great therapeutic and anti-aging properties.

NOTE that Apricot Kernel, Sweet Almond, Hazelnut and Coconut oils can be used as a base oil 100%, whilst Rosehip, Jojoba and Evening Primrose are normally used as additions to the base oil up to 10 %.

LIST OF GREAT ANTI-AGING CARRIER (BASE) OILS

APRICOT KERNEL OIL

High in gamma linoleic acid • Rich in anti-oxidants & vitamins • Skin balancing • Improves the skin texture • Enables skin to retain elasticity • Makes skin supple • Great for normal, mixed and sensitive skin

SWEET ALMOND OIL

Anti-aging • Rich in vitamins that help delay the appearance of wrinkles • Moisturizer • Firms the skin • Soothes skin allergies and inflammation • Restores the normal PH of the skin • Glowing skin • Lightens dark marks supple • Great for normal, mixed and sensitive skin

COCONUT OIL

Rejuvenating • Helps exfoliating • High content of vit. E • Anti-viral anti-microbial Hydrating • Softening • Mild UV protection • Protects the skin from free radicals • Gentle and suitable for ALL skin types

HAZELNUT OIL

Rejuvenating • Hydrating • “Dry” oil • Softening • Mild UV protection • Antioxidant • Astringent • Pore shrinking • Acne-fighting • Toning • Reduces blackheads and pimples • Good for all skin types, especially oily and sensitive skin

LIST OF GREAT ANTI-AGING OILS (TO ADD TO BASE OILS)

ROSE HIP SEED OIL

Deeply penetrates into the lower layers of the skin • Regenerates cells and damaged skin tissue • Increases collagen production • Brightens and tones skin due to its richness in Vitamin C, Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids and retinoic acid (vit A) • Hydrates • Reduces scars • Reduces hyper-pigmentation • Helps heal burned skin and eczema • Suitable for all skin types especially mature, oily and problem skin conditions

JOJOBA OIL

Slows down the appearance of aging • Provides lasting (24h) hydration • Balances the production of skin oils • Effective in acne treatments • Nourishing (high content of vitamins and minerals) • Soothes burned skin • Suitable for all skin types including sensitive and problem skin

EVENING PRIMROSE OIL

Prevents premature aging • Treats inflammation, eczema • Enhances the epidermal barrier • Dilutes sebum production • Calms acne flare-ups • Skin hydrating skin • Astringent • Soothe skin irritations and inflammations • Rich in antioxidants • Lightens dark circles around the eyes • Good for all skin types including dry, psoriasis, eczema, damaged, and mature skin

Other great anti-aging essential oils to be considered: Galbanum, German chamomile, Hyssop, Orange, Oregano, Thyme, Vervain, Violet leaf and Yarrow.

CAUTION: Don’t use the essential oil blends if you are pregnant without consulting your health care or aromatherapy practitioner. Before using any blend, always remember to perform an allergy test before applying any essential oils or carrier oils to large areas of the body. Simply apply a drop or two to the back of the hand and wait several hours (not all reactions occur immediately) to check for any adverse effects.   if the area the oil was applied is exposed to UV rays (sunlight). Use caution with citrus oils such as lemon, lime, grapefruit, bergamot, angelica, etc are these oils cause photosensitivity  (skin pigmentation changes (dark spots)) during the sun exposure.

Oh Lou Lou! organic beauty products

12 Anti-Aging Resources From Your Kitchen. Say NO to TOXINS!

Inexpensive Anti-Aging Resources Found In Almost Every Kitchen!

Instead of throwing the money on expensive anti-age products, you can efficiently keep those wrinkles at bay by using few resources most of them available at your hand in your kitchen. Next to coconut oil I have written about on few occasions I list here 12 more anti-aging natural resources. 

    1. Yogurt rejuvenates the skin. It is good for every type of skin, and especially good for sensitive skin. Yogurt will make your skin tone even and will peel off the old cells. Apply yogurt to your face and neck and wash off after 15-20 minutes.
    2. Milk anti-aging resource in your kitchen Milk has a wonderful effect on your skin. It can be used as cleanser and moisturizer. It is especially convenient for dry skin. Combined with honey, milk hydrates and has refreshing effect on your skin.
    3. Lemon juice known for its high content of vitamin C, promotes collagen synthesis. It will peel off the old cells and lighten the skin tone. As a natural antibacterial, lemon juice can fight the bacteria that cause acne. Lemon juice should be mixed with water, milk or yogurt before applying it to the skin.
    4. Egg white mask will make the skin firmer instantly and reduce wrinkles. Wash off as soon as it dries completely.
    5. Olive oil has amazing anti-aging properties and has been used as part of beauty regime for a very long time.
    6. Coconut milk has strong anti-aging properties and can be used alone or combined with honey.
    7. Fresh tomato juice is very good for oily skin due to its great astringent properties.
    8. Cucumber is often used as part of face packs due to its firming and rejuvenating effect on skin. It is also good for under eye circles.
    9. Rose water is one of the best toners with multiple anti-aging and healing properties.
    10. aloe veraAloe Vera is one of the best natural moisturizers and nature’s little miracle with many healing properties. Apply regularly to your face to make your complexion clearer and smoother and reduce inflammation. See how to Make Your Own Toxins Free Aloe Vera Gel at Home.
    11. Almonds are well known for providing very good skin care and nutrition. Ground almonds are used in face masks in combination with e.g. milk. Almond oil, rich in vitamin E is used for facial and body massage, for natural sunscreens etc.
    12. Gram flour (chickpea flour) mixed with some milk or coconut oil is known as a great deep pore cleanser

Facial Pack for a Great, Younger-Looking Skin.

Depending on the type of skin use either yogurt, milk or rose water. Add some turmeric powder and gram flour and few drops of lemon juice.

Mix it all into a paste, apply to face and neck and wash off after 15-20 minutes.

Food On, Beauty Out 🙂

These come to mind first. I’d love to hear which one works best for you and if you know of other great inexpensive anti-aging resources?