My hair and skin have been looking kind of blah lately. Of course, a lot of it could have something to do with my poor diet (too much junk food and coffee), lack of exercise, and stupid family crap that is stressing me out. I truly believe that how you treat your body internally can be seen externally (hair, skin, nails, etc.).

I suffer from oily hair and acne-prone skin (despite being in my thirties). In addition to my LUSH products, which I still love, I also use lots of benzoyl peroxide to treat my acne. The benzoyl peroxide does keep the acne at bay, but you have to use a ridiculous amount everyday, and it bleaches your clothing/towels/sheets. Plus, I’m not so sure it’s that great for your skin in the long-term.

Just as I was about to place an order for more benzoyl peroxide, I came across a post on Jezebel about creating your own natural beauty products. A particular response post by a commenter inspired me to go in a different direction.

The commenter suffers from oily hair and acne-prone skin just like I do, and she listed her entire natural beauty ritual in her post. I’m going to give her regimen a shot and stick with it for two months to give it enough time to work (or not work). Oh, and I still plan on using my LUSH products, but incorporating the regimen in with them since most of it isn’t for everyday purposes. I’ll post updates weekly. And yes, I know she uses honey, which is a no-no for some vegans (I’m on the fence), but I’m going to try it. I do plan on omitting the egg in the hair mask.

Here’s the commenter’s post:

Face
-A little baking soda mixed into a very gentle facial cleanser makes an amazing facial scrub that really reduces blackheads. (2-3x/week)
-Apple cider vinegar (raw, with the mother) and strong green tea, mixed 50/50 and used as a toner. Delivers antioxidants and vitamins to your skin, exfoliates, helps keep bacteria at bay and balances your skin’s pH levels. It is better than any primer to keep my face from being an oil slick at the end of the day. (1x/day)
-A few drops of jojoba oil as a moisturizer. It is the closest thing to natural sebum and does not clog pores. It helps regulate oil production and keeps skin pliable to avoid cystic acne. Also reduces redness. (2x/day)
-Aspirin and honey mask (1x/week)
-Green clay mask (1x/week)

Body
-Coffee body scrub: ground coffee, olive oil, pure raw honey and brown sugar. Delivers antioxidants, smooths away dead skin, moisturizes and protects. It also smells great and the caffeine in the coffee is anti-inflammatory. It’s a little messy, but worth it. (1x/week)
-Coconut oil as a shaving lotion. Lubricates, moisturizes, protects, heals.

Hair
-Baking soda for shampoo (or mix into your favorite shampoo). (2x/week)
-Apple cider vinegar rinse (50/50 with water) keeps hair shiny, healthy and manageable (1x/week)
-Salt water rinse adds body and volume. (1x/week)
-Egg, olive oil and avocado mask: comb through wet hair, leave on at least 20 minutes, shampoo out (1x/month)

I’ve already washed my hair with baking soda and the vinegar rinse, and while it’s still wet at the moment, it does feel cleaner.

Also, in addition to the new beauty regimen, I’m going to focus on better nutrition and more exercise, which I plan to blog about too. One of the many great things about having a blog is that it keeps you honest. So I’m hoping that if I post an exercise routine on here, I’ll actually stick with it. Hopefully.

What say you? Any natural products/regimens that you’d like to share? Any advice?

Week 1 Update: So far, so good. While I haven’t tried everything on the regimen, I’ve tried most of it, and well, it seems to be working. Or at least it hasn’t caused me to break out yet, which is a good thing.

For the face, I’ve used the baking soda scrub, and the honey and aspirin mask, and they left my skin feeling smooth and bright. I haven’t used the green tea/cider vinegar toner yet; instead, I’ve been using the 50/50 water and vinegar rinse as my toner, as well as for my hair. I haven’t done the green clay mask yet, but I plan on doing so soon.

And speaking of hair, the baking soda and cider vinegar rinse left my hair feeling clean and shiny. I haven’t done the salt water rinse or the hair mask, but I plan to soon.

As I posted a few days ago, the coffee grounds/brown sugar/honey/olive oil scrub left my skin ridiculously soft and not at all greasy. However, it made a huge mess in the shower and turned it into a slip ‘n slide, which is kind of dangerous. Oh, and watch out for coffee grounds getting into, ahem, certain parts of the human anatomy. I’m just sayin’. I’m probably going to invest in a shower mat so that I don’t fall and break my neck the next time I do it.

So, all in all, I’m happy with the results so far. I do know that anytime you start a new skin regimen, it takes time to see results, so we’ll see. I’ll continue to keep you posted.