Got oil?

I'm blogging from work, which I never do. Shhhh don't tell!

While on maternity leave, I browsed the internet a little bit. Ok, a lot. I learned some interesting things about your body's oils. I learned:

• If you allow your hair and skin to have its own oil, it balances itself out.


• You can introduce natural oils to your body with spectacular results.


• You will not look or feel like you've been working next to a deep fryer.

During pregnancy, I religiously used almond oil on my belly and avoided stretch marks both times (even against genetics). I decided to take the dive into using more oils because, as you know, I'm cheap (frugal) and oil is cheap (inexpensive). As a mom of two, I like to sleep in when I'm allowed and keep things as simple as possible. Let me explain my new beauty regime.

Face:
From a very young age, I battled acne. I used all the creams, took antibiotics, used ProActiv, even went as far as using Accutane. Then I discovered Zum Body's Tea Tree Citrus soap that I find at my local co-op. I love it and it works great! But I wanted a little more variety, so now I'm using the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM). You can read about it here. I mix 1 part castor oil to 5 parts almond oil and add a drop of tea tree oil. I was already using and loving the almond oil as a night moisturizer, but just by adding a little castor and tea tree to it, it became an antibacterial cleanser. It also removes makeup very well. I use the oil mix about every other night or so and use the Tea Tree Citrus every morning and as well as the nights I don't use OCM.

Hair:
I've become an every-third-day hair washer. GROSS, right? My past self thought so, but really it's quite awesome. Rest assured, I do take a shower every day. On day one, I wash my hair and obviously, take a long shower. On days two and three, I just avoid getting under the showerhead and don't get my hair wet at all. My shower on those days lasts about 5 minutes. What results is bedhead-turned-volumuous hair! It really doesn't feel oily at all. It's soft and it doesn't look like desheveled (it must be the steam in the shower that kind of tames it). Plus, I justified being able to splurge on some Aveda shampoo since I use 1/3 of what I used to!

Body:
No more lotions that don't moisturize! I've become a coconut oil convert. I bought a big jar from the co-op. You can find it in the baking aisle. I scooped a few tablespoons out of the jar and store it in a little plastic container. I rub it on and it makes my skin so soft. In fact, my hands are soft all day just from one application in the morning. It's fabulous. I promise I don't smell like a tropical vacation (although that would be nice) because coconut oil has no scent at all.

I'm loving the oily side of life!