All-Natural Skin Care Thread

[Kalmado]

You look like you have all the right stuffs down to delicious GFT. Only thing that I can come up with is not enough hot water prep or your blade/razor combo. Have you tried doing a hot shower then stepping out to shave? If you're using a safety razor then I would say maybe a Fatboy or something similar that is adjustable to tame the blade and try a few shaves with a fresh blade every time.

For cuts its something you'll learn over time. Short strokes, holding the razor in a pinch motion at the end, *light* pressure, 45 angle, not running over bare skin, WTG -> XTG -> ATG, etc.

If you're still getting burned then you have some insane 3rd percentile skin and be more something a derma could spot.

My skin blows. I had pretty severe adult acne around 25-29. I did accutane, which did wonders, but the side effects suck. I now sweat like a pig even in the winter. I've had brief bouts of exima(sp?).

I don't remember the brand of razor I purchased. Something cheaper off amazon with 100 Derby brand razors. I didn't want to make a huge investment if I ended up not liking the process of wet shaving with a safety razor. I usually do a new blade every other shave. I suppose I should just do it every shave. Those blades are pretty good and very cost effective.

[Nirokun!]

haha i wish! thanks!


as far as razor bumps go, anything with aspirin will work wonders (like the video link the dude posted earlier). i prefer this:
http://www.haironthebrain.com/2009/0...made-tendskin/

the actual product used to cost like 50 bucks when it 1st came out until people realized it cost like 5 bucks to make lol. if that.

after using anything like that though, make sure you apply some kind of moisturizer on your face. its begging for it since it will be incredibly dry and rough from the aspirin.

Cosigning homemade tendskin, I've used it before for razor bumps and acne. The aspirin will settle if you go without using it for a while, just shake it up.

Once a week rinse your hair with apple cider vinegar, it is seriously fucking magic. If you don't want to do pure vinegar, mix apple cider vinegar with a shampoo or liquid soap without sulphates in it and use that every other shampoo.

I do an ACV rinse everyday when I shower, but it's really diluted, about 1/4c ACV in 4 cups water lol. I also stopped using shampoo, and instead do 2 heaping tablespoons baking soda in 3oz hot water, shaken up and massaged into scalp. Really calmed my dandruff/flakey scalp, but I've recently had some flakiness, so ymmv.

I only use dove (or store equivalent) sensitive skin soap to wash my body (shower gloves ftw), and stopped using lotion entirely (extra virgin olive oil, applied to body before towel drying, 1tbsp to waist and below, 1tbsp to everything else, a smidge for the face, then the remainder into the hair while squeezing out extra water before drying.)

But estrogen probably did all of the work. Skin became amazing (no acne, super soft, not oily, super clear, smell nice, skin became lighter, etcetcetc.)

The only thing I could say that would be a negative, is that my hair doesnt have shampoo smell, and I MAY smell like a salad immediately after a shower, but it goes away quickly and I LOVE the results. Super inexpensive, so I encourage all to try it.

[richardd]

oooo! i'll have to do some research! does cider actually help with split ends? my hair is so course and curly i would love more protection on it without having to sacrifice the normal look for an oily one lol.

what do you guys do when your hair is too volumized and poofy? to help with that and frizz, i've been combing my hair while i shower (as stupid as it sounds) and it's been working. i dont blow dry it anymore so i can prevent as much heating as possible, but i do iron it when its completely dry after a coat of the UV olive oil spray for protection.

also, if you want that shampoo smell, this one comes close.

as stupid as it sounds, the woman around here (ages 18-23ish) respond really well to girly scents or fragrances rather than the masculine musks, and parfumes i prefer. and i've gotten a TON of compliments with this.
http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/prod...sImpprod640826
in the middle of my biology class, i've had a woman stop and ask me what conditioner i used to make my hair smell so good and i told her about the spray.

i wouldnt use normal parfume/perfume or fragrances. i dont like alcohol touching any protein fiber on my head, but those scents last about 12 hours with 4-5 sprays. longer if its not too cold.

but on older, more mature woman, i'm still learning. i really dont know how to go about making an ideal first impression beyond the physical senses. i prefer a masculine look and feel, but with my cards, i'm coming up a bit short lol. so, i still keep a little bit of everything around just in case.

[Nirokun!]

oooo! i'll have to do some research! does cider actually help with split ends? my hair is so course and curly i would love more protection on it without having to sacrifice the normal look for an oily one lol.

what do you guys do when your hair is too volumized and poofy? to help with that and frizz, i've been combing my hair while i shower (as stupid as it sounds) and it's been working. i dont blow dry it anymore so i can prevent as much heating as possible, but i do iron it when its completely dry after a coat of the UV olive oil spray for protection.

also, if you want that shampoo smell, this one comes close.

as stupid as it sounds, the woman around here (ages 18-23ish) respond really well to girly scents or fragrances rather than the masculine musks, and parfumes i prefer. and i've gotten a TON of compliments with this.
http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/prod...sImpprod640826
in the middle of my biology class, i've had a woman stop and ask me what conditioner i used to make my hair smell so good and i told her about the spray.

i wouldnt use normal parfume/perfume or fragrances. i dont like alcohol touching any protein fiber on my head, but those scents last about 12 hours with 4-5 sprays. longer if its not too cold.

but on older, more mature woman, i'm still learning. i really dont know how to go about making an ideal first impression beyond the physical senses. i prefer a masculine look and feel, but with my cards, i'm coming up a bit short lol. so, i still keep a little bit of everything around just in case.

The ACV closes the cuticle, detangling hair (instant) and making it more shiny. It also acts as a gentle clarifier, taking off product buildup (if you use products [silicone]), as well as working to restore normal scalp pH and deodorizing. If your hair is dry after, it's too strong (or you're using too much baking soda when washing your scalp.) Adjust to what you need, but I've found this leaves my hair more manageable and "heavy", especially if you wash your hair at night and allow it to dry before going to bed. This has been the only thing i've been able to do that let me have low-maintenance, beautiful hair.

Too volumized? Wash less often, use gentler products (baking soda solution and diluted ACV rinse), wash the night before and allow to dry before going to bed, blowdry on the cool setting in one direction. I've found that my frizz was improperly cared-for waves/curls. I stopped blow drying (even on cool) and just let it air dry while playing vidya games before brushing it out ( http://www.amazon.com/Denman-Cushion...7129568&sr=1-1 ) and going to bed. I wake up with really pretty, manageable hair, and after work (having my hair twisted up in a bun all day):

http://i49.tinypic.com/2cwr86r.jpg

I have quiet a few perfumes I'm in love with, but rarely wear because I only leave the house to work (and I can't wear perfume to work). I'm not sure when I'd ever put perfume in my hair again (I was, prior to this routine, spraying it directly into my leave-in conditioner and running that through my hair). I guess if I were inclined to, I would just spray it lightly into my hair, because it would be such a rare occasion that I would actually do so.

For men, not that I'd really know, but soap/deodorant is enough. Just be clean, I'm finding myself really "aware" of the way men smell, I can tell if there's an unfamiliar one in my house from a mile away. They say it's the hormones, and I didn't believe that until recently.

[Cream Soda]

I don't always get to shower after the gym, but I'm wearing a completely diff set of clothes (shirt, shorts, underwear). When I go to change, I make sure I'm completely dry (wipe all the sweat off) then usually plaster my underarms with deodorant. Would it be okay if I took the bar deodorant and spread some on my chest/stomach as well? or is there a better way to go about this?

[arus2001]

I can't be the only one that thinks that shit you rub all over your nuts and upper-balls region shouldn't go on your face.

You touch your face with your hands, right? And I'll assume you masturbate. So homo~

But just like how you can wash your hands, you can clean clippers. Just go face > crotch > clean. Do it all post-shower for extra-not-so-ickyness.

[Abandon]

havent fapped in 3ish weeks. so, no

[Abandon]

and i know you can clean clippers, how fucking dense can one be?

[richardd]

not to mention scissors abandon knows his stuff


niro, i hope you know that i've been bragging about getting hair advice from a tran and having it actually be really useful. (except you, isla. you're not a tran, you're an elf girl who can do the monk stance IRL and you were the 1st one to bring up the apple cider!)
but that apple cider helps a lot. i do it once a week now, but i wet my hair like 5 times a week and only wash it once now so i can my natural oils to weigh down my hair a bit. or else it will look like this more often than not, which is at least maintainable after the cider treatment.

Spoiler: show

http://s17.postimage.org/rsxsbd1fj/IMAG0463.jpg

i really dont know if this castor oil is helping my hair grow faster or not and its a pain to clean up after since it leaves your hair really greasy, but i've been finding out that its also making my hair extremely moisturized which ends up with a lot less frizz than usual. i apply coconut oil once a week and leave it in for about 4 hours before i shower, and i only blow dry with cold air now.

[Nirokun!]

Also, consider looking up conditioner-only washing (CO washing) or water-only washing (WO washing), it's another option!

[Milkster]

Finally replying to this thread (life's been kicking my as). So, I'm going to find where I can purchase Palmer's to help with the skin tone and hopefully the random stretch marks I have. Right now, I currently use Burt's Bees Shampoo and Conditioner, feels pretty great and also their body scrubs and body washes.

[Lyn]

Burt's Bees is fucking expensive.

[Abandon]

you're fucking poor

[Pikarya]

Spoiler: show

http://www.walgreens.com/dbimagecach..._450x450_a.jpg

http://dy6g3i6a1660s.cloudfront.net/...ation-skin.jpg

http://img3.targetimg3.com/wcsstore/...0824003000.jpg

Only 3 things you need in life. If you live in tropics then I'd suggest the SPF version instead of the Combination.

If you live in the Arctic I suggest you move and kindly get out.

[richardd]

SPF is so useful. not only does it help with wrinkle prevention but it keeps your skin color even, and unless you want a tan (which i do on summer and spring. dark skin is a blessing) it also keeps your skin really light. i look like a black version of someone who's pale when i apply it lol. im probably going to apply it even during the winter.

[Jefe]

Sometimes I get a pimple or two on my shoulders due to my backpack, my skin is super sensitive. I am left w/ a black spot here and there, anyone know of a cream or something to get rid of the dark spots? And no, it' doesn't have to be 'all natural.' Will that magical witch hazel help? Thanks~

[Caiyuo]

Is Apple Cider Vinegar meant to replace your shampoo on the days you're using it or in combination? Also what brands is anyone using for sulfate-free? Seems like everything I've found is labeled sulfate-free only in that they specifically don't use sodium lauryl sulfate but still have some form of sulfate. Is that a valid concern?

[Nirokun!]

Sometimes I get a pimple or two on my shoulders due to my backpack, my skin is super sensitive. I am left w/ a black spot here and there, anyone know of a cream or something to get rid of the dark spots? And no, it' doesn't have to be 'all natural.' Will that magical witch hazel help? Thanks~

This is called hyperpigmentation (assuming the dark marks remain beyond the time it takes to heal completely). The easiest way to go about removing them is with hydroquinone, which you can buy over the counter in certain products in lower concentrations than you can find in a prescription. This is a skin bleaching product, and is banned in some countries due to risk for cancer (bleached skin is very vulnerable to sun-exposure-related problems!) I've used the prescription, and over the counter products containing hydroquinone, and they work, but require persistence and daily (sometimes more) application to the mark, as well as sunblock to protect the area during treatment. The effect is not at all instant, but it speeds the gradual fading, and can take months.

Is Apple Cider Vinegar meant to replace your shampoo on the days you're using it or in combination? Also what brands is anyone using for sulfate-free? Seems like everything I've found is labeled sulfate-free only in that they specifically don't use sodium lauryl sulfate but still have some form of sulfate. Is that a valid concern?

In combination. It is diluted and added to your hair after you clean/shampoo it, to close the cuticle (detangling and improving shine), restore pH balance to your scalp, deodorize, and lightly clarify. Sulfate I don't know, use a baking soda solution!

[richardd]

Is Apple Cider Vinegar meant to replace your shampoo on the days you're using it or in combination? Also what brands is anyone using for sulfate-free? Seems like everything I've found is labeled sulfate-free only in that they specifically don't use sodium lauryl sulfate but still have some form of sulfate. Is that a valid concern?

you will rarely find sulfate shampoo/conditioner that is completely 'sulfate free' unless you're willing to spend almost 50 bucks lol. but as men, you should be perfectly fine using those kinds anyway. sulfate free shampoos are needed more for people with keratin treatments/colored/etc. just dont shampoo every single day or your hair will dry out fast, and you only need to lather and rinse twice for a short period of time. i leave in my conditioner while i bathe, and shave and rinse it out before i step out while combing it once in awhile to help with frizz later. i cool dry my hair now, and its been helping a ton.

my treatment today was simple. i combined coconut oil and castor oil and got it on my scalp and the ends of the hair to moisturize for a few hours with a shower cap on. usually, the excessive amounts of oil will be on my hair for about a day or so and i was willing to take that risk, but i did an apple cider treatment today and it stripped away all of the oil completely without making my hair flat or too dry. its freaking amazing. this is my hair with no styling done whatsoever. it makes it so much easier to straighten.

Spoiler: show

side
http://s14.postimage.org/xmou8y79d/IMAG0500.jpg

front
http://s14.postimage.org/fxx3hbvi9/IMAG0514.jpg

normally my hair would puff out completely and the volume would be absurdly hard to work with. this doesnt happen when i do these treatments. and i LOVE IT!

i honestly cant get over that method and how effective it is. i wish i learned about this stuff a year ago when i 1st started growing my hair out.


also, i learned from Ivve about this, but birchbox.com is apparently really awesome and you get well byond your money's worth of beauty supplies, and they even have a men's version

[Nirokun!]

Let's have babies nao. <3