Coconut Oil and Green Clay Facial Cleanser: A Fresh Take on an Old Favorite

I'm a serial reinventor!

Every year or so I feel compelled to reinvent my favorite face wash recipe.

There's nothing wrong with the tried and true recipe. It's amazing!

But the more I study and learn about natural products, I inevitably develop a crush on a new ingredient and feel the need to work it into my pre-existing repertoire. Sometimes these experiments turn out great! And other times, I have to set my creations aside.

This coconut oil and green clay facial cleanser was one of the success stories!

I am all about vegetable glycerine!

I can't believe I functioned for so long, oblivious to it's magnificience!

Anyhow, the star of my new and improved facial cleanser is vegetable glycerine.

Vegetable glycerine is derived from plant oils (typically palm or coconut). The magic of glycerine is that it's a humectant and it attracts moisture to the skin. Your skin will feel so soft to the touch! Making this an even softer and moisturizing version of the original.

If vegetable glycerine is to receive a spotlight, then tea tree essential oil which I use often, but never in a facial cleanser deserves one as well.

Tea tree it turns out, with its invigorating tingle was meant for face wash. Antimicrobal, antiseptic, antiviral and stimulating, not only does it give your face a refreshing burst of energy, but it deep cleans in the most gentle of ways.

This moisturizing, soothing, blemish fighting, wrinkle relaxing, coconut oil and green clay facial cleanser is so easy to make.

Here's what you'll need:

1 tablespoon French Green Clay powder

1 tablespoon Coconut Oil

1 teaspoon Vegetable Glycerine

10 drops Tea Tree essential oil

1/4 teaspoon Vitamin E oil

Here's what to do:

In your container of choice (I always recommend glass because plastic can leach toxins into your product) mix the French Green Clay and Coconut Oil until an almost toothpaste like consistency is formed. Add your tea tree, vegetable glycerine and vitamin E oil and stir with a spoon until smooth.

This will last three months easily, but because the batch size is relatively small, you'll probably need to make this every month. I like to keep my batches small just in case. It takes minutes to whip up.

Directions for use:

Rub a dime sized amount of cleanser onto moist skin.

You'll find the green clay will act as a milk exfoliant.

Rub into your skin in a circular motion avoiding the eyes.

Rinse with warm water and pat your face dry.

If you're into facial toners, this one is a must try and is the ideal next step!

DIY Organic Face Wash: Cleanse and Detoxify without all the fuss!

DIY Organic Face Wash: Cleanse and Detoxify without all the fuss!

So I’m going to let you in on a little secret. It’s going to seem so easy, strange and counterintuitive, you’re probably not going to believe me.

But since I said I was going to let you in on this secret, I can’t turn back now, so here goes…

All you need to cleanse, detoxify and balance the natural ph of your beautiful face is apple cider vinegar and coconut oil.

WHAT?!?!

STOP!  CRAZY!  NOT DOING IT!

OFFICER, ARREST THIS WOMAN!!!!

I know, I know…

For most of us, myself included (at first), it sounds absurd. Wash with oil? Isn’t the purpose of washing to get rid of the oil? Apple Cider Vinegar smells funny, I don’t want that anywhere near my face!

I completely get it.  I used to have oily, acne prone, sensitive skin and was absolutely not going to put oil on my face. But then I tried it. And it worked. And I haven’t looked back. Let me break it down for you…

 Why Coconut Oil works:

-Antioxidant properties (smoothes out wrinkles)

-Antibacterial and antifungal (gently destroys all of the things you don’t want on your face like acne)

-Oil dissolves oil (the oil on your face that makes you feel swampy and gross is dissolved  gently)

-Coconut oil, draws impurities out of the skin. It acts as a magnet for clogged pores, absorbing the dirt and oil that will disappear when you wipe it off.

-Moisturizing and gentle (gently moisturizes to the extent that it doesn’t strip your skin of oil which causes skin to overproduce; instead, coconut oil will cause you to naturally produce less oil and won’t leave you dry and raw).

-Celebrities with multi million dollar bank accounts and the ability to purchase the latest thousand dollar whale placenta fortified miracle cream, use it (hello Gwyneth and Giselle).

Why Apple Cider Vinegar works:

-Unblocks pores (so skin can breathe)

-Antiseptic and antibacterial (fights both acne and pollutants)

-Contains beta-carotene, which helps to fight free radicals (the result, that stunning youthful glow)

-Acidic in nature, it helps to restore the balance of our skin’s pH factor, since it has a pH very similar to what is ideal for healthy skin (traditional cleansers strip our acidic balance, leaving us prone to skin problems).

-Once again, celebrities with multi million dollar bank accounts and the ability to purchase the latest thousand dollar bat poop fortified miracle cream, use it (hello Scarlett).

Here’s what to do:

1)    Get a small one ounce spray bottle and fill it with 1/2 way with raw organic apple cider vinegar and 1/2 way with distilled water

2)    Take a small jar (4 ounces is great) and spoon it full with organic unrefined coconut oil

Here’s how to wash:

1)    Wet your face with warm water

2)    Spray your face with the apple cider vinegar (mind the eyes)

3)    Scoop about a ½ teaspoon full of coconut oil and massage it in a circular motion over your face and neck

4)    Wipe the oil away in the same circular motion with a warm, wet cloth

5)    Pat or air dry

6)    Smile at your dazzling image in the mirror and blow yourself a kiss. You look fabulous, you’re chemical free, and you’ve saved money with your new beauty regiment.

*Note how soft your skin is.