current facial care routine + my nourishing face lotion recipe

so i posted about the unfortunate history of my face and the skincare routine that cleared up my heartbreaking acne here. go back and read the post if that resonates with you. i still do a lot of those things that i outlined, but i have changed up a few steps over this last year. i got pregnant and dealt with crazy postpartum hormones so my skin had different needs and i adapted my routine to fit those changes.

as i get older, i'm realizing that it's important to pay attention to my skin every day. a one-size-fits-all type routine doesn't cut it for me these days.

one habit that i developed in my mid-twenties is removing my makeup every single night. i used to never ever do that. now, i can't go to bed without a quick run-through of my nighttime routine.

so, below i'm listing some ways that i change up my routine to meet the needs of my skin. my super awesome nourishing face lotion recipe is at the end of the post.

cleanse & makeup removal /// sometimes, i feel like my skin needs a deeper cleanse and the water and washcloth method just isn't cutting it. i still want to use something very mild and nourishing, so i opt for a simple homemade honey cleanser. you can find the recipe here.

another cleansing slash moisturizing slash exfoliating method i use is to simply apply the above homemade cleanser or an oil like evoo or almond oil to my face and (gently) go to town with my olay proX facial brush (there are many similar brushes out there that work just fine). this was a life saver the first couple of months after having my son as my face was so, so dry and flaky. on the days my skin was at it's driest, i would use the brush morning and night. now i just use it a few times a week.

toner /// i still follow my cleansing/makeup removal step with the thayer's rose petal witch hazel toner.

spot treatment /// i keep a bit of frankincense essential oil in a little roller bottle to apply to my under eye circles and any blemishes.

moisturize (night) /// my favorite oil right now is cacay oil. it is a wonderful, all-around oil. it contains lots of vitamin e and retinol. it's great for breakouts and dry skin and wrinkles. i'm on my second bottle. this oil is great by itself, but i sometimes like to add drops of essential oils to give it's healing powers a boost. i will have to do a separate post on my favorite essential oils for the skin as there is a lot to talk about there. i typically only use cacay oil at night as it takes a bit longer to absorb into my skin.

moisturize (morning) /// i have recently made a little diy recipe for my morning moisturizer and it has been quite the labor of love to come up with it. let me just say it's divine! it is natural and fast-absorbing - meaning that i can apply my makeup within a few minutes after moisturizing. i don't use coconut oil in any of my homemade recipes - especially in anything that is going on my face. coconut oil is not fast-absorbing enough for me and it's quite comedogenic (pore-clogging).

when i'm creating a new recipe, i consider two aspects that make up the recipe: the base (hard oils, vegetable oils, waxes, gels, etc) and the essential oils that are needed based on the purpose of the recipe. i'll try to explain why i chose the oils and essential oils that i did, and possible substitutions as your skin has different needs or you might not have everything on hand.

this recipe makes a heaping 8 ounce jar of lotion. that's a lot of face lotion, so either cut the recipe down, gift some away, or of course it makes a lovely body lotion as well.

i would say that this recipe is great for all skin types. my skin is normal to dry, so i chose oils that help drier skin, but i'll provide some substitutions if your skin is more oily. just a warning before you dive into whipping up a batch. this isn't the easiest diy lotion around. it's not crazy difficult, but it might be a little challenging if this is your first time using oils and melting butters.



NOURISHING FACE LOTION RECIPE

what you will need:
double boiler (or a makeshift one - glass bowl resting in a pot sitting just above simmering water)
blender 
2/3 cup distilled water
1/3 cup aloe gel
3/4 cup liquid oils (i used a combination of jojoba, avocado, vitamin e, almond, and cacay oil)*
1/3 cup shea butter (cocoa butter or coconut oil are adequate substitutes but they both tend to clog pores - so keep that in mind)
2 tablespoons beeswax pellets
100 drops of essential oils - i chose frankincense, rose, myrrh, jasmine, ylang ylang, lavender, geranium, and copaiba oils.**

directions: 
combine the aloe vera, distilled water, and essential oils into a little glass container. it helps if it has a pour spout. 

get your liquid oils measured out and ready to go (you'll be adding them to the melted hard oils in a bit)

measure out your hard oils (shea or cocoa butter) and beeswax and melt over low heat in your double boiler (or a makeshift double boiler). once melted, remove from heat and add in the liquid oils. pour mixture into blender and let cool. i usually set it in the fridge. you don't want it to get too cold as you want the oil mixture to be about the same temperature as the water mixture (room temperature). 

once the oil has cooled a bit (you will see that the oil will begin to harden around the edges of the blender), turn the blender on high and begin to s l o w l y add in the water mixture. i should make a side note here that it is important that you add the water to the oil and not the oil to the water. you will probably need to stop the blender occasionally to scrape the oil off the sides with a spatula to ensure that everything is being incorporated well. watch and listen as you pour the water mixture in. the oil should be turning into a lovely emulsified creamy goodness. once the water is mixed in and the oil has turned creamy, then you are done! scrape every last bit out and put into little glass containers. 

* other oils that can be substituted are grapeseed oil or extra virgin olive oil 

**if you struggle with more oily skin or with breakouts, i would consider using lemon and/or tea tree essential oils. some of the essential oils i mentioned above are pricey, so if you don't have them, consider at least using lavender and geranium as they are wonderful, all-around oils for the skin - whether it's dry or oily. i like to add copaiba essential oil to most of my recipes as it is not only a wonderful, gentle oil, but it also enhances the effectiveness of all the other oils in the recipe. cool, huh?

***because this recipe contains water and does not contain preservatives, it will eventually expire. i am not certain of how long it will last, but if you add vitamin e oil as one of your liquid oils, it will help preserve it longer. i keep a small container in my bathroom and the rest of the batch in the fridge to prolong the life of the lotion. 



let me know if you have any questions regarding the recipe or otherwise!

cold brew /// a recipe

ever since becoming pregnant with theo, i have turned from a devout hot-coffee-only consumer to an iced coffee gal. even during the months when i couldn't drink much caffeine due to breastfeeding, i would still crave a decaf iced coffee. last year, my good friend, annie, introduced me to her favorite cold brew recipe, and i have been stuck on it ever since. my stipulation for a good recipe for anything is that it must be simple and yummy - and this cold brew is just that.

i have a handy glass carafe that i use, but a simple large mason jar or even a french press would work fine for this recipe.



the recipe makes enough for a couple of servings, but if you're like me, you'll want to double or triple it for consumption over a few days, for sharing, or to simply binge drink when your child refuses to nap.



what you'll need:
glass container
cheesecloth for straining
2/3 cup dark roast, coarsely ground coffee of your choice (i enjoy peet's coffee - their decaf is legit)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
a dash or two of cinnamon 
3 cups water

combine all ingredients in glass container and let brew in the fridge overnight. in the morning, strain the coffee. store in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. 

i love drinking my cold brew with some crunchy ice and whole milk. enjoy!

some tuesday ramblings

it's a dark and stormy tuesday in march. we've had an early spring here in the midwest. the dogwoods are in full bloom and that fresh, bright emerald foliage is popping up everywhere. but today is gloomy and chilly and rain is absolutely pouring down outside, so we are holed up in the house resisting the urge to stay in our pjs all curled up on the couch binge watching Netflix. instead, we have some mumford and sons playing, a favorite candle lit, a cozy sweater donned, and some coffee in hand. and by "we" i mean "i" - not sure why i'm pretending that theo actually cares about such things.

theo took a three hour nap today and he is playing happily by himself. he really has me fooled that this parenting thing is easy.  *and all of the more experienced mamas are laughing* no really, we certainly have our hard days, but today is not one of them. hence, I am getting some time to write - something I haven't done in quite a long time. the desire to write something longer than an instagram caption comes and goes. i would be the first to admit that i should never win an award for most consistent blogger. for me, once a hobby is not fun, what's the point?

i'm really looking forward to planting our spring crop garden. i haven't had a garden since the first summer we were married. it seems every year something comes up and planting season is behind us before we know it. this year, we're prepared. jeff built me a lovely little raised garden bed with an automatic watering system.  he is quite an obliging and handy husband. i just can't get him to agree to backyard chickens. maybe next year.

we are kind of in a limbo these days. this little home has served us well, but we don't foresee ourselves staying here much longer. we remodeled the whole house when we first purchased it almost three years ago, but there are still lots of little things that are bugging me. but at this point, the motivation to finish them is lacking. the trim that never got that second coat of paint. the landscaping - or lack thereof - in the side yard. the building of a built-in pantry that got put off. you know, just stuff. we got tired of our home being a construction zone and paying off debt became a higher priority, so we stopped all the projects. i can't believe we have actually lived in the same house for three years. that's a record for us. i've really enjoyed it though. it has felt good to settle down and welcome our son into a space that is truly ours.

anyway, i don't have a point to this post. it just feels good to ramble.

facial care routine - for acne prone skin

Ever since I can remember, my skin has had issues. I felt I was never without a breakout or two or three. my skin got a little better in my early twenties, but adult acne hit full force by my mid-twenties. hashtag unfair. I had some hormonal imbalances that led to quite a myriad of issues; one of which was borderline cystic acne. I read every article and tried (nearly) every trick known to man to clear up my skin, but nothing seemed to help. in october/november of 2014, after spending $200 on the latest "acne banishing skin care line" which just made my skin worse, I decided that something had to give. so I stopped washing my face. yep. within 1-2 weeks, my skin began clearing up. I held my breath for months expecting my breakouts to return, but they didn't. and they haven't. my skin is so not perfect, and yes, I do get a breakout here and there. but it is absolutely nothing like the constant acne I had had most of my life. 



over a year later, my routine is still very similar to what I started back in late 2014. I have changed up a few things here and there based on my skin's needs as the seasons change. 

my facial care routine for acne prone skin: 

// gently remove makeup with a warm, soft cloth (i use these or these). remove eye makeup with a cotton pad + jojoba oil (or other oil).

// apply some thayers rose petal witch hazel to a cotton pad to finish removing any leftover makeup and to tone the skin. this witch hazel is a wonderful toner sans alcohol, so it isn't drying like most toners. I really feel that this is a key step. 

// moisturize with a simple, non-comedogenic oil. because my skin had so many breakouts, I chose jojoba oil (there are many others that would work just fine) and I added a couple drops of oregano essential oil to 2 ounces of the jojoba oil. oregano essential oil is antiviral and antibacterial - perfect for helping clear up breakouts. it is also considered a "hot" oil, so please use caution when applying to the skin.

the key with this regime is to give your skin a break from chemicals and comedogenic oils. many people use coconut oil because it is cheap and trendy, but it does clog pores for most people. 

in addition to this routine, I also lead a fairly healthy lifestyle. I eat clean most of the time. I have eliminated all parabens from my skincare and makeup. I drink a decent amount of water every day. I avoid soy products. blah blah blah

I will share more about my current skin care routine at another time. a lot of it is the same, but i've changed a couple of things as my skin doesn't have as many breakouts and tends to be dry now (especially post baby). for those of you battling skin issues like I have or for those searching for a simple and clean skincare routine, I hope this has inspired you.