August 24, 2018
Adventures In Natural Skin Care!
I have always been a DIY skin care gal. I remember spending hours as a child in my mom’s bathroom concocting magical bath potions using a blend of shampoos, soaps, shaving creams, bubble bath and bath beads (remember those!?).
Since then I have taken on a much more chemical-free, natural approach to DIY skin care. I didn’t fully commit to going all natural until I was “forced” into it about 6 years ago when I decided to move to South America. It was in that time that I had to fully accept and embrace the fact that I no longer had easy access to all my specific store-bought products I had become so reliant on.
For the first few years of living in Ecuador, it was crucial for me to stock up each time I went back to Toronto for a visit, or to have friends/family who were coming down to South America bring me my special face washes and skin care products.
As time went on I began to feel a sense of anxiety about running out of my fancy products. Carefully rationing each drop became a ritual that brought on a lot of unnecessary stress. My skin actually stopped benefiting from using expensive cleansers and was acting up. Enough was enough! So, I decided it was time to suck it up and adapt to my new surroundings. Using what was available to me, I started experimenting with locally cultivated ingredients. I became passionate about learning all of the positive benefits of using natural skin care recipes and researching natural ways to heal and rejuvenate my skin.
After 6 years of being my own guinea pig, I have created a number of tried-and-tested products, including face wash, deodorant, body scrubs and butter. I now no longer use anything chemical in my skin care routine (although I am still working on fully letting go of regular shampoo!). My skin has never looked better and I am so grateful I’ve made the switch to all-natural. I now have people asking me for skin care tips.
I love being able to help others look and feel great, which is why I’d like to share with you my “glowed-up” coffee scrub recipe. Seriously, give this recipe a try! It’s super simple to make and the glowing-face results are almost instant. For me, it’s also a great way to support local organic farmers, who provide the cacao, coffee and raw coconut oil.
Glowed-up Coffee Scrub
Ingredients
- 1 cup of organic virgin coconut oil
- 2 cups finely ground organic coffee (I like to use fresh pre-brewed ground coffee grinds)
- 2 tablespoons vitamin E
- ¼ cup sweet almond oil
- Optional ingredients include – sea salt, raw sugar, cinnamon, argan oil, apricot oil, essential oils, etc.
I like to use it on my face first thing in the morning or in the evening before an event (leaving it on for around 10-15 min). It’s also a great all-over-body scrub that leaves your skin silky smooth, radiant and energized!
*For full benefits give this treatment a try consistently for 3-4 weeks*
Would love to hear about your natural skin care routines! Send me a message via Instagram @jessicaelora or j.elora.besner@gmail.com
