i answer google search terms that brought people to my blog

happy saturday, crunchies.

i thought this would be a fun one! the highlight of reviewing my blog stats is getting to read what people searched to wind up on my blog.

so let’s answer some of the most popular ones, shall we?

no long intro – let’s get into it.

• does the honey and cinnamon cleanse work?
  • short answer: studies indicate you can lose 0.5% to 1% body fat over the course of 30 days… OR you could just take a daily brisk walk.
  • longer answer: i posted about it here 6 years ago, when i still had access to my graduate research library.

• how to get flawless skin
  • hmm “flawless”… i’m not sure i’ve ever encountered anyone with flawless skin. just accept and love yourself for what you are and have.
  • also important – try to eat a plant-based, whole foods diet with plenty of good fats, drink enough water, ensure you’re getting good quality sleep, find ways to reduce your stress, and keep your skincare routine simple (yet effective).

• how do i get coconut oil out of my hair?
  • ooo girl, we’ve all been there. i’d advise you use a “green” conditioner a couple of times. i really like calia’s line of conditioners! if a coconut oil mask won’t come out of your hair after that, shampoo… and going forward, opt for small amounts of “dry” carrier oils on wet to damp hair, instead of a full blown hair and scalp mask.  i really like amaranth seed oil.
  • hello, 2014. yikes.

 

• does shea butter have spf? 
  • do not try to make your own sunscreen. you have no idea if you’re properly protecting your skin, and to have that tested requires a formal panel, testing, and thousands of dollars. i like Badger Balm sunscreens for my body and Josh Rosebrook’s Daily Nutrient Cream for my face.

• how to scritch and preen
  • i first wrote and made a video about this in, i think, 2013, before it blew up on the internet. the quality is terrible, but my sweet baby cat who passed away is in it, so i left it up. anyway, this process is tedious, but it does make your hair super soft and healthy. check it out here.
  • please laugh with me at this –

 

• oil cleansing method before and after
  • aw, this one kind of got me in feels, because i wrote the original OCM post when my blog first starting blowing up.
  • look at grad school me – 
• red raspberry seed oil sunscreen
  • no. i mean, does published research indicate red raspberry seed oil has SPF properties? well, sure, yes. but i’m embarrassed and disappointed in myself that years ago i posted DIYs about this. any company advertising sun protection from red raspberry seed oil legally needs to have passed the required, and very expensive, SPF testing. ask if they have. i’ve seen a few brands sell face oil blends illegally claiming SPF protection. it’s important to be an educated consumer and support ethical brands.
  • real life example of an illegal product information claim: “Although Glow Illuminizing Oil does not carry an SPF rating, we’ve packed it with organic SPF oils that naturally protect your skin from uv rays and also prevent damage, heal and regenerate skin cells.“

• list of carrier oils
  • i have an updated OCM post here that covers my favorite carrier oils that are all truly non-comedogenic and low in oleic acid (so people with acne-prone skin can safely use)
  • includes, but is not limited to: hemp seed oil, amaranth seed oil, prickly pear seed oil

• is baking soda bad for your hair?
  • short answer: yes – it’s a pH problem. i encourage you to do your own research and come to your own conclusions for your self-care 🙂
  • yes, i know… i posted 6 or 7 years ago about how i was only washing my hair with baking soda and vinegar, and all i can do now is say “i’m sorry” and offer better DIYs and other options available for purchase. everyone has done things that make them cringe.

• can i use witch hazel as deodorant?
  • yes! i have some DIYs here.

sending you love.

 

get UNready with me (video)

i’m back with a less-than-5-minute video showing my nighttime skincare routine.

what’s yours?

XO, ALEXRAYE

oil cleansing method 2.0+

a lovely reader requested an OCM blend post, so let’s do a complete revamp of my original from early 2013. i can’t believe that was nearly 6 years ago.

ps – i have a surprise at the bottom of the post for you.

before this blog goes on hiatus, here’s an overview of all the best oils i’ve used and tried over the years. as you can see, they’re listed with details such as the comedogenic rating, what skin type would benefit best, the fatty acid profile. i’ve only listed those with a 0 or 1 comedogenic rating, because no one has time for clogged pores. hopefully it helps!

you can always blend as many or as little oils into your OCM blend as you want.  i’ve also posted the top 5/bottom 5 commonly used face oils, as well as one of my favorite OCM blends. 

below that list, i’ve included oils that nearly everyone should avoid, and a list of oils that those with acne-prone skin should avoid.

and finally, below those lists, you’ll find an overview of how to oil cleanse.

AVOID almost ALWAYS – high comedogenic rating

• avocado
• coconut
• cottonseed
• flax seed
• marula
• palm kernel
• soybean
• wheat germ

AVOID if you have ACNE-PRONE SKIN (high in oleic acid)

• acai berry
• almond
• apricot kernel
• avocado
• baobab
• brazil nut
• buriti
• camellia seed
• carrot seed
• chia seed
• cocoa butter
• hazelnut
• kukui nut
• macadamia nut
• mango butter
• marula
• neem
• olive
• papaya seed
• peach kernel
• peanut
• pecan
• pistachio
• plum kernel
• pumpkin seed
• rice bran
• sea buckthorn
• sesame seed
• shea butter
• tamanu

 

HOW TO USE:

1. wipe your face (make-up or not) with warm water and a wash cloth
2. slather a generous puddle of your oil blend onto your face and massage gently for two minutes
3. put the wash cloth under HOT water and gently wring out excess water so it doesn’t drip on you (don’t burn yourself! this is meant to “steam” your face)
4. place washcloth over your face and relax until it cools off
5. gently massage/wipe the oil from your face with the same wash cloth
6. heat up the wash cloth again with the hot water
7. place over your face again until it cools off
8. massage/wipe off your face again with the wash cloth
9. allow your skin to air dry
10. voila, super soft, super clean skin!

 

>> what are your favorite blends?

XO, ALEXRAYE

** get your Botanical Dew for 30% off (click link) until supplies run out. just select “Full Size – Needs Shaking Before Use” in the dropdown on the product page to add to your cart. NO LIMIT on quantity per person purchased. NO COUPON CODE NEEDED. the only catch is we’re on a shipping break for the holidays and a family surgery, so it won’t be shipped until Jan. 7th, 2019.

oil cleansing method: DIY oil blend

i first started oil cleansing about 5 years ago, and my taste in oils has gotten… ahem… snobbier more sophisticated.

this DIY oil blend is suitable for all skin types, but especially helps mature and/or sensitive, and/or blemish-prone skin. it’s also really easy to DIY.

i like this blend because the oil feels so rich and is the most beautiful golden color, but really cleans deep and leaves your skin glowing and feeling velvety, without risking blemishes. it also has a very earthy smell, which i find to be really grounding for a calming skincare routine.

as with all my DIY blends, you can easily blend in your favorite oils and essential oils, if you wish. if you do, please leave your formulations in the comment section below for the rest of the community to enjoy.

this blend has 2 oils – one carrier and one nutritive booster. see? super easy DIY, but super effective.

living in mexico, i’ve fallen in love with amaranth. you kind of have to… it’s in a lot of things. it’s not only great when ingested, but great when applied topically. naturally it’s a staple in my oil cleansing blend. but why? amaranth seed oil contains the most abundant form of plant squalene known to man. squalene is a highly effective antioxidant and emollient, helping to regulate lipids and restore the skin barrier. the oil itself is very lightweight and highly anti-aging, quickly improving skin elasticity and the appearance of fine lines. it’s also a great source of polyunsaturated fats, and is high in omega-6/linoleic acid.

our nutritive oil booster added to our blend is black cumin seed oil. it’s an incredibly nutritive oil that contains over one hundred identified nutrients, and a high content of polyunsaturated essential fatty acids – omega-3, -6, and -9. also, one of its components, thymoquinone, is a powerful antioxidant.

amaranth seed oil, to me, smells very earthy, sort of like soil after rain. black cumin seed oil is distinctively spicy. mixed together, this blend is really grounding and relaxing. if you find that earthy smells aren’t for you, maybe adding a skin-friendly essential oil, targeted for your needs, will help.

HOW TO

carefully drop 12 drops of black cumin seed oil into a 1 ounce bottle of amaranth seed oil. shake very well. done.

use as you normally would for the oil cleansing method*, and follow up with any additional steps you usually do. i pressed a layer of The Botanical Dew into my skin afterwards for good measure, because it’s dry season here in CDMX, and we’re already at 1.5x the altitude of Denver. talk about ‘yikes’ for skin and scalp conditions.

COST

amaranth seed oil will run you between $20 and $25 per ounce (a far cry from the $85/ounce amaranth blends being sold).
black cumin seed oil will cost about $5 to $10 per 1 to 2 ounce bottles (supplier sizes varies).

don’t forget to leave your favorite OCM blends below!

XO, ALEXRAYE

* please note i wrote that OCM post almost 6 years ago. there are oils listed i no longer recommend. want an updated version? let me know!

moisturizing face masks

with the cold weather upon (most) of us, dry skin can be a problem, even if we don’t battle it year-round. the air is naturally drier, as is our hair, scalp, and skin.

keeping your face clean is a must, but we don’t want to dry it out even more as we wash it. the OCM (oil cleansing method) is a great way to keep our skin clean and moisturized, but it doesn’t work for everyone, and can be time consuming for a regular routine.

face masks are a great way to pamper yourself and  your skin, all while keeping it clean and toxin-free.

these masks are for dry skin (of course you can use them year-round!) and are completely DIY… my favorite! you can do these masks 2 to 3 times a week, as they will not clog pores and are geared towards sensitive skin (yes, even acne-prone skin).

 

oil cleansing method motivation – molly’s story!

hey crunchies! in line with our wonderful no-poo motivation series, i have a great OCM motivation guest post here from Molly.

her story is so relatable and inspirational! i hope it gives anyone that extra “oomph” to go for it and/or stick with it!

————————

I never thought I’d participate in anything “natural” or “eco-friendly.”  My mom was a naturalist while I was growing up, and of course, I rebelled against anything she did.  I never cared about chemicals or pesticides or any other gross things I would put on my skin.

When I was about 14, my skin started rebelling against me (karma, maybe?).  At 16, after trying Clean and Clear, Purpose, Neutrogena, and everything else, I finally tried Proactiv.  And it worked!  For a while.  But then my skin got angry at me.  It was dry, flaky, oily, and covered in blemishes all at once.  I couldn’t go a whole day without having an oil slick covering my face.

I tried to hide it, but clearly I didn’t do a great job. 

            I started getting desperate.  I used heavy makeup (which is difficult, might I add, for someone as pale as I am) – foundation, concealer, powder, everything.  When I started working 12 hour shifts as a police officer, I learned to keep some concealer in my shirt pocket so I could touch up through the shift.  By the end of my shift, my face was greasy and all the caked-on makeup had melted off to reveal my rough, blemished, and angry-looking skin.

Rough, bumpy, angry skin with a TON of makeup.

            Finally, I turned 27.  I had dealt with acne for 13 years and I was DONE!  I thought I’d grow out of it, but I never did.  I was still using Proactiv, and it was just making my skin dry and full of acne.  I just didn’t know what to do.  And then, a few months ago, I joined Pinterist.  I started reading about the Oil Cleansing Method, which lead me to Alex’s blog.  I thought that it was so crazy that it just might work.

I was so excited to try it that I used straight cooking oil (bleh!).  Even though using cooking oil is something you should NEVER do, my skin already started to respond!  I bought some castor oil (the icky, non-organic kind from the laxative aisle) and combined it with some olive oil.  Although my skin’s initial response was positive, things started getting bad again.  I kept going, though, because I was determined to make this work.

I did more research and found out that using anything but organic, cold-pressed castor oil was BAD.  I started experimenting with my blend.  Coconut oil was a big mistake (hello, breakouts).  Olive oil also made me break out.  Finally, I got some nice castor oil and combined it with some grape seed oil.  Things started getting better!  I added some tamanu oil, lavender essential oil, and a sage/castor oil tincture.  And, guess what?  My face cleared up, was no longer greasy, and now it was actually DRY!  I found out that the oil could actually be causing my dryness, so I now only wash with oil about twice a week.  In the morning (or evening, depending on when I’m working), I spray my face with a chamomile/ACV/lemon juice toner (recipe to follow).  At night, when I don’t use the OCM, I wash with a VERY diluted mixture of Dr. Bronner’s and chamomile tea.

I’ve stopped having to use heavy makeup, too.  I used to use really icky, comedogenic, heavy-coverage foundation.  Now I just use a little concealer under my eyes and a powder made from Fuller’s Earth and a LITTLE bit of mineral powder makeup for pigment.  I don’t need much, being as ghostly white as I am.

My skin now, after three months of eliminating chemicals from my skin-care routine. 

            My point is, girls and guys, IT TAKES TIME!!  Don’t give up.  It will take a little while to figure out what blend is right for you.  And hey, the OCM might not be right for you.  It’s all about what your skin wants.  It took me 13 years to realize that my skin doesn’t want to be attacked and stripped and scrubbed.

I’d like to thank Alex for allowing me to post, and also for all the wonderful information she provides.  I couldn’t have conquered acne without her!

PS Here are a couple recipes to try –

Calming Chamomile/ACV/Lemon Juice Toner

• 2 parts raw apple cider vinegar (I like Bragg’s)
• 4 parts chamomile tea
• 1 part lemon juice

Brew a strong cup of chamomile tea (make sure it’s pure chamomile).  Use at least three bags per cup, and let sit for several hours.  Combine all the ingredients in a spray bottle.  You may need to use less ACV or lemon, depending on what your skin wants.  Spray on your face and don’t wash off!  This will take off makeup, too.  Just don’t get it in your eyes, and definitely don’t put hot tea on your face!

My Oil Mixture

• 2 parts cold-pressed, organic castor oil
• 2 parts grape seed oil
• 1 part tamanu oil
• 1 part sage/castor oil tincture
• 5 – 10 drops lavender essential oil

Mix well, and follow Alex’s directions on how to use the OCM!

Thanks for reading my long post.  I hope you guys can have the kind of success I did.

– Molly

————–

leave molly some love and feel free to ask questions!!

THANKS, molly! ❤

oil cleansing method

2021 edit: i no longer subscribe to or support the “all-natural” label. more here.

EDIT: this post is now nearly 6 years old. i have an updated, BETTER version here.

i have tried so many face washes/cleansers/acne-get-ridders/etc… but each one has something i don’t like about it. too drying, too oily, too many chemicals, not organic enough…etc, etc.

well my friends, i have hit the facial cleaning jackpot! after lots and lots of research, i tried the oil cleansing method. what’s that, you ask? it’s cleaning your face and getting rid of the oils with another oil. that seems like the exact OPPOSITE of what you’d want to do, especially with acne-prone skin, but here’s the jist:

• oil dissolves oil
• your natural oil helps lubricate, it also heals, protects, and moisturizes your skin so that it may function properly

easy, right?

overall, it’s suggested that you use a blend of two oils, specific to your needs.

i personally use argan oil and hempseed oil, in an equal 1:1 ratio. i use this blend now.

>> 2018 edit: i no longer recommend all of these oils and only recommend these.

CREATING YOUR BLEND OF OILS:

• oily skin: mix 1 part balanced oils with 3 parts oily skin oils
• balanced skin: mix equal parts oils under the balanced skin category (can be more than 2 or 3)
• dry skin: mix equal parts oils under the dry skin category

             OR

• use 1 organic oil, like argan oil. i find this to be the best for my sensitive skin, along with hempseed oil.

             OR

• create your own blend.

HOW TO USE:

1. wipe your face (make-up or not) with warm water and a wash cloth
2. slather a generous puddle of your oil blend onto your face and massage gently for two minutes (i use a dime-size amount because a little argan oil goes a LONG way)
3. put the wash cloth under HOT water and gently wring out excess water so it doesn’t drip on you (don’t burn yourself! this is meant to “steam” your face)
4. place washcloth over your face and relax until it cools off
5. gently massage/wipe the oil from your face with the same wash cloth
6. heat up the wash cloth again with the hot water
7. place over your face again until it cools off
8. massage/wipe off your face again with the wash cloth
9. allow your skin to air dry
10. voila, super soft, super clean skin!!

you will be surprised at the dirt you see on the washcloth. i had my boyfriend try it after he showered and this method STILL took dirt out of his pores 🙂

i do the OCM every 4ish days, sometimes less. i wash with water only and a washcloth in between ocm days. and i exfoliate with a watery MSM paste with some raw honey every week to week and a half. it works great for me!

i believe it also needs to be noted you must also take care of your skin internally… drink lots of water, eat right, exercise, etc.

seriously people, this stuff works wonders. try it and lemme hear about it!!