Carolyn Braden's Question: Natural Skincare?

I have been on a "pure and natural" kick for a few weeks now. I have paid attention to what I consume for years. However, I didn't give much thought to my make-up and skin care. When you think about it, your skin is like a sponge. What you put on it gets absorbed into your skin and can stay there for a while. This summer I began purging my products. After reading labels, I began removing products that had a ton of ingredients. I realized my routine to wash my face was taking forever. It was the process of all the products I applied. I remember my grandmother loving a lye soap I made at school in the 5th grade. I replaced my Bioelements face wash with Grandma's Lye Soap which only has three ingredients. I removed my Bioelements Oxygenation. I added Grapeseed oil. I was surprised to discover it did not make me breakout. Next I will try removing the Bioelements Oil Control Sleepwear. Not that Bioelements were bad products, I just wondered why I needed so many different products to clean my skin and keep it clear.
I removed my liquid foundation and started using Bare Minerals.

Now I am awaiting the results. So far, I've noticed an improvement in my skin tone and my breakouts aren't as often. With any product change I expect the worst but hope for the best. I figure that mother nature has created many beautiful things so why should she stop at making skin beautiful too.


http://www.grandmaspureandnatural.com

Carolyn Braden says "The Best Face Mask EVER"

While searching forever to find a place where I could purchase Bioelements "Emergency Soothing Powder", I discovered something great.  

I get facials every once in a while and my facialist always gives me a little of the Bioelements Emergency Soothing Powder to use at home whenever my skin gets super sensitive.  Whenever the temperature changes or for some other reason, my face just gets red and irritated.  It's nothing that a little ESP can't handle though.  I just mix a little water with this oatmeal like powder and smooth it over my face and my skin gets back to normal. 

Well, the other day, the temperature went from super warm to super cold and back to super warm.  My skin got red and I was out of the ESP.  I didn't want to go back to get a facial right away, so I searched the internet for the mask powder.  I found someone on E-Bay that was selling it for $40.00, but after bidding, they e-mailed me to let me know they were out of the product.  I asked my facialist if I could buy some the last time I was there (instead of always having to get a sample), and it's not a product I can buy due to it being part of their "professional" line for skincare specialists.  

I was in need of this product and I couldn't get any!  So, after many searches on-line, I came across one page link.  I clicked on the link and all it said was "Bioelements Emergency Soothing Powder----Colloidal Oatmeal."  Then I searched for Colloidal Oatmeal, just thinking that was one of the ingredients in the Bioelements product.  I discovered that Collidal Oatmeal is just finely ground up oatmeal.  People even posted recipes to make it.  I started searching for products that contained Collidal Oatmeal, thinking there was another mask on the market that contained the oatmeal and was similar to the Bioelements mask.  

Then it dawned on me.  Bioelements ESP is just Collidal Oatmeal repackaged.  I found Aveeno Active Naturals Soothing Bath Treatment.  These packets of bath treatment are merely 100% Colloidal Oatmeal.  I figured I would purchase the Aveeno product (retailed for less than $6.00 at my Target store) and try mixing it with water just like I did with the ESP.  

It was the same exact mask!  The smell, the texture, the color......all the same thing as the Bioelements product.  I have 8 huge packets of the Aveeno product and a tiny amount of the powder mixed with water is all you need to create this mask.  It will last me forever!  I have been using it every night now, and my skin loves it!  It really is a great facial mask!  

Try it out the next time your skin gets irritated, and you won't be sorry.  If your skin is super sensitive though, try testing it out on a little part of your skin before putting it all over your face.  I apply the mask with a make-up brush I bought to only use for putting on masks.  

Happy skin!