Au Naturel
I am always on the hunt for what works for natural hair care & beauty as well as personal care for the body. I ditched almost all commercial products for my hair and face a long time ago & share some of the things I do use instead.
A green Design & Sustainable lifestyle blog. At the intersection of home, well-being, & sustainability. Natural beauty
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Using Exfoliation & CBD Oil for Skin Care
This week’s self care Sunday is all about how & why I incorporate regular exfoliation & CBD oil in my skin care routine. CBD oil is all the rage and I finally know why. It has been doing wonders for my skin when I have been a little neglectful (like recently during the Spring 2020 ORC). In the video below, I share 1 of the ways I use CBD on my face & an unexpected method of exfoliation.
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All Natural Homemade Personal Care Recipes
When I first went natural with my hair wayyyyy back in 1993, I dabbled a little in natural products for my hair. I didn’t get too far – there wasn’t much information & what my family used growing up was far from natural. I didn’t even find Dr. Bronner’s until I started my 1st set of locs around Y2K. Fast forward 18 years and I couldn’t tell you the last time I bought commercial shampoo, cleansers, moisturizers… any of those things. I can tell you the last time I bought commercial soap – because soap making was the final frontier for me. And because we still have LOADS of it…
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Why Turmeric & Liquid Amino Acids Are My 2 New Kitchen Favorites
I have been a naturalista for something like 26 years. In the beginning I tried so many products, some worked, some not. Only when I kinda became a “purist” (maybe) did I find out that some of the best things I cook with are also the best for my body & hair. No surprise there. Most recently – like within the last 6 months or so – I have found 2 new “naturalista” best friends in my kitchen cabinets… Turmeric & Liquid Amino Acids. Why Turmeric & Liquid Amino Acids Are My 2 New Kitchen Favorites Turmeric kinda came easy. I love food. And I love curry. So I keep…
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Why I Finally Tried the Max Hydration Method & What I Think About It
Well my naturalistas, I finally took the plunge. I tried the Maximun Hydration Method (MHM) & I’m here to tell you my results & exactly how I feel about it. I read about this method a while ago, but at the time I had locs & would not have dared to even think about it. It’s been a year & a half since I cut my locs but I still never gave it a thought. Honestly I never thought I would try the MHM because: I am not into a whole heap of “steps” to care for my hair. I find what works, do it, & keep it moving. The…
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DIY Lotion for Skin & Hair
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Moisturizing Semi-Homemade Body Wash Using Castile Soap
Being the naturalista that I am, for years I have used castile soap to wash my hair. On a whim I started using it as body wash, mainly because I was tired of shelling out loads of cash for Cetaphil soap & lotion for out littlest’s sensitive skin. I asked our pediatrician if that was okay – who, by the way, my oldest son went to & by the time the littlest was born we’d gone to her for at least 12 years. She asked what we were using for moisturizer after & when I told her coconut oil, she just about jumped off her stool she was so excited. Not only…
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DIY Lotion for Skin & Hair
Take a look at your lotion. What’s the first ingredient? Water! What’s next? If it’s any good, probably some butters (shea, cocoa, etc), oils (olive, coconut, etc.), glycerin. Some have oats, honey, flaxseed – all kinds of good stuff. And then there’s the alcohol and all the “other junk” that only chemists can pronounce because some chemist probably produced it. The real question is… how much of the good stuff, the naturally occurring ingredients, are in your moisturizing products? Did you know that the first five ingredients in practically everything you buy are the most prevalent in the product? And unfortunately there really is no way for us non-chemists to…
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All Natural Super Simple Homemade Lip Balm
I have a confession. I have dry lips. It has nothing to do with the weather or how much water I drink, my lips are just dry. I have used may different types of lip balms and most of them make the problem worse. For the last year or so, I have been using Burt’s Bees tinted lip balm and it has been okay. And by “okay” I mean at least it hasn’t made things worse. Now that I am at the bottom of the tube, I thought I might try something else. I want a completely natural lip balm with a few simple ingredients that do not include beeswax or petroleum jelly/vaseline.…
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The Versatility of Natural Hair
Well y’all, it’s been a month and I think it’s about time I come clean. I LOVE my natural hair! Okay but everyone already knew that, so what’s this really about? Take a look at THIS… Yes what is you are seeing is real! Yes I did do THAT! Not that, Lord no… there is no reason for that madness. But yes I did cut my (2nd set of) locs after 8 years. Don’t worry, they will be back. But for now, I am loving the freedom and versatility of my loose natural hair. It’s only been a month since I went back to my TWA and already I’ve learned…
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Perfectly Natural Skin Care That Works
My skin story: I am a 43 year old black woman and I have “normal” skin that tends to get more dry than oily. For the longest time, I thought it was oily because I had random breakouts of adult acne (and I won’t even start with the stress acne – it SUX). It bothered me enough to warrant a visit to the dermatologist; I got an Rx that kept me mostly acne free and Glycol to fade any scarring and discoloration. On a follow up visit I asked about natural alternatives – specifically the ones I am about to tell you about. The answer was an interesting one – she said…
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5 Most Annoying Questions I Get About My Locs
….and my most annoying answers. Even though these are real, I share them all in good fun. DISCLAIMER: if you are sensitive to sarcasm, you may not want to read this post. 😉 Click here for more sarcasm free content. Q: I love your hair; how do you keep it so neat? A: Well, once I find my spot under the bridge, I make absolutely sure to sleep on a satin or silk pillow. Q: Have you ever considered going back to relaxed? A: Hmmmm, have YOU ever considered going back to natural? Sorry but that would be a “No”. Q: Is it soft? Can I touch it? (because…
