So, I've recently stumbled upon a few products that spark my curiosity. I'm always looking for things that are good for my skin and I'm always open to new ways to treat it - however, I'm really tired of all these false claims that drugstore companies are making. "CLEARS ACNE IN ONE DAY," oh sure, tell me more. "KILLS 99% OF BACTERIA!" oh yeah, I bet. "#1 ACNE FIGHTING BRAND IN THE WORLD!" sure, suuuureee.
Yet we keep falling for these claims because there's something inside us that believes or hopes it might be true. Well, today I'm investigating a few products that are simply known to be good for the skin. I'm talking like, really natural, pure, organic products that have great reviews. I haven't personally tried any of these products, I'm still researching them and their many benefits, but if anyone else is curious, here's the list:
- COLD PRESSED, EXTRA VIRGIN, ORGANIC, UNREFINED COCONUT OIL: It's a moisturizer, antioxidant, antibiotic, multi-nutrient and multivitamin all in one! Coconut oil contains mostly fats, so it acts as an emollient providing a softening and soothing effect. The benefits of coconut oil are endless! The one worry for some is that it may be comedogenic.
- FAT SOLUBLE VITAMIN C: Vitamin C is also really great for the skin. It helps with anti-aging and healing. However, topical serums are quite expensive so I don't think I will be trying Vitamin C lol.
- AUBREY ORGANICS PURE 100% ALOE VERA: Aloe is also great for healing cuts and burns. It's an extremely popular sunburn therapy - yes I'm talking to you Benzoyl Peroxide users - ever get burned really bad in the summer? I know I have. Aloe is also an acne treatment! Aloe vera gel contains two hormones: Auxin and Gibberellins. These two hormones provide wound healing and anti-inflammatory properties that reduce skin inflammation. Giberellin in aloe vera acts as a growth hormone stimulating the growth of new cells. It allows the skin to heal quickly and naturally with minimal scarring. Here's a link to buy it off of Amazon: *Moderator edit, URL removed - read the board rules.*
- 100% PURE, ORGANIC, UNREFINED SHEA BUTTER: Often used with African Black Soap, Shea Butter is one of the most natural moisturizers out there. It's perfect for you natural-organic junkies. Here's a link to buy it off Amazon for fairly cheap: *Moderator edit, URL removed* (for the benefits of this product, read the description on this listing, HOWEVER I WARN YOU THIS PARTICULAR LISTING HAS VERY MIXED REVIEWS)
- MICHAEL TODD TRUE ORGANICS HONEY & OATS CLEANSER: I've been looking for a natural cleanser and this one just caught my eye. It's kind of on the pricier side but it has amazing reviews and I feel like it would be worth the money. The entire brand is organic, and if you're interested, they also have a blemish control line, so definitely check out Michael Todd products. I haven't tried them yet but I can't wait to! I'll let you all know how it works out.
Other great oils you might want to consider include Jojoba Oil (which I've used for over a year and I LOVE) and Avocado Oil; which I have not tried. I hope this helps you!
I love, love, love shea butter! I don't get the organic, unrefined kind though. I actually get mine from Bath & Body Works. They have a lot of products that contain shea but they also sell 100% shea butter without all of the comedogenic ingredients in a handy little container that travels well.
*Moderator edit, URL removed - read the board rules. *
I purchased some organic coconut oil online but the smell was so terrible I couldn't stand to put it on my skin. This surprised me though because many of the reviews mentioned how "irresistible" the smell was. Maybe I got a bad container of it? Might be worth trying again.
I love the way jojoba oil makes my skin feel but I've tried it twice and broken out each time. I may have to try Avocado oil, I've heard Sunflower oil is good also.
Thanks for the suggestions.
I know not many people seem to give a crap about natural or organic skincare, but those who do... I LOVE YOU GUYS. Anyway, I've done a little more research on Avocado Oil (cold pressed of course) and it seems very convincing. Anti-aging, moisturizing, and packed with minerals this might have to be my next skincare purchase. Like Coconut Oil, it's good for so many things that not buying it would just be missing out. I can't wait to get these products on my face so I can see if they really live up to the hype or if I can debunk the myths surrounding them.
It's also been getting pretty sunny so I'm on the annual hunt for SPF, and I found one with good reviews, it's by Kimberly Sawyer, it's organic and has lots of good ingredients.
PS. I know this is acne.org, but can we also make it Skincare.org? Because half the time the people on here have questions revolving around skincare and we all want to know something that can help acne as well as make our skin glow. I am very acne prone, so trust me, when researching skincare products the first thing on my mind is "Will this make me break out?" or "Will it help with acne?" you're not alone if you struggle to find things lol
I love, love, love shea butter! I don't get the organic, unrefined kind though. I actually get mine from Bath & Body Works. They have a lot of products that contain shea but they also sell 100% shea butter without all of the comedogenic ingredients in a handy little container that travels well.
http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11161011&cp=12587010.12936188.16740776
I purchased some organic coconut oil online but the smell was so terrible I couldn't stand to put it on my skin. This surprised me though because many of the reviews mentioned how "irresistible" the smell was. Maybe I got a bad container of it? Might be worth trying again.
I love the way jojoba oil makes my skin feel but I've tried it twice and broken out each time. I may have to try Avocado oil, I've heard Sunflower oil is good also.
Thanks for the suggestions.
I think I used Barlean's, I ordered it from Amazon also. Maybe it was just the brand or I got a bad container? Let me know how it works for you. Mine smelled like lard or bacon grease or something similar, really strong and off-putting. Can't really put my finger on it but I didn't want to put it all over my skin.
The jojoba oil I have is actually jojoba + argan oil:
[Edited link out]
To be fair I should probably try just jojoba oil. I think it is rare to break out from it but does happen according to the product reviews on this site. I am on Accutane and I use the jojoba + argan oil in my hair (drops added to a deep conditioner) and it works really well. I also use it on other parts of my body without any problems.
If you try the avocado oil or other oils, I would be interested in knowing what you think.
I'm using a new product from Aubrey organics. It's the Amino derm gel. I really like it so far! I've been using it for two weeks and I'm noticing some improvement in my closed comedones. It has a lot of good ingredients in it. It does contain natural grain alcohol though so it makes your face kinda dry but other than that I really can't complain about this product. I just mix the gel with moisturizer and it makes it less drying.
I got the Aubrey Organics derm gel from vitacost for a very good price.
Thanks for this post, very helpful for those new to organic skin care. I personally found that coconut oil (in all the specifications you outlined) broke me out on my face when used as a moisturizer, but has been very useful for my hair, eyelashes and makeup removal when I wash it off straight afterwards. Shea butter also broke me out on my face but not my body (it's great for dry, damaged feet). Vitamin C seems to work well, aloe vera is nice and cooling and honey face masks were always a nice addition when my skin was feeling irritated. I'm a big advocate of keeping skincare for mild/moderate acne as natural as possible, with only one chemical treatment.
Sweet topic... organic / natural / cruelty-free is the way to go if you can. I'm slowly transferring all my skin and hair care products over when I can afford it. One of the biggest crimes in this world is the fact that crappy, chemically-infused, mass-produced junk is cheaper than naturally-growing and occurring things (i.e. McDonalds food vs. organic food).
I've used a lot of Nubian Heritage soap and all of it has been great on skin, plus most of their soap bars smell great. Shea butter was nice but tea tree oil has been even better
helpful tips for sure. organic products are worth the investment (time in research and money).
i consume the cold pressed olive oil and coconut oil. fats are great for the skin.
for vitamin c, i load up on foods that are high in vitamin c.
i use shea butter from nasabb (the big chunk they sell in pound form). i use that on my body and my lips when they are dry.