Hi guys!
I have been so busy getting
ready for our move, that I totally missed Fanciful Flamingo’s one year
anniversary! The Flamingo turned 1 on June 12th, can you believe
it?!
I wish I could go back in time
a few months and find Past Jen, who thought that moving wouldn’t be all that
hard, and give her a good solid punch in the nose. It has been utter chaos in our household for
the last month! We went down to visit our new home and take some things with us
over the holiday weekend. We put down
new flooring in 2 rooms, painted, and replaced outdated fixtures with nicer,
newer ones. There’s still some work to
be done but we made really good progress. I can’t wait to share before and
after pictures with you guys!
It’s funny how things
snowball. I love all things coconut, be
they coconut scented, coconut flavored, or just straight coconut. I had been buying coconut-scented soap,
shampoo, body spray—anything to make me smell tropical. I was "nuts for coconuts."
When my father-in-law passed away, it really
got to me. We all know that cancer can
be deadly, but I don’t think it really registers until you lose someone you
love from it. My husband and I vowed to
always use sunblock and to practice safe sun, but it got me thinking. I can be smart about sun exposure, but what
else can I do to lessen my risk of getting cancer?
So about 3 months ago, I made
the decision to go as chemical-free as possible. I stopped drinking diet soda (although to be
candid, I do slip up every now and again), I cut out artificial sweeteners, and
started going all natural with my personal care products. Once I started researching, I found it hard
to stop... there's so much information out there that I was able to feel confident in my decision to quit mainstream personal care products. I shudder to think how much propane- and butane-containing dry shampoo
I sprayed on my locks. Yes, butane! Now
here I am 3 months later, making everything from makeup removers to deodorant
to perfume and dryer sheets, even dry shampoo. I have
lessened my exposure to products with known carcinogens and found a great new
hobby at the same time. All because I
wanted to smell like a coconut.
So for the next few posts, I
would like to pay homage to the wonderful coconut. I never dreamed that the coconut could do so
much more than smelling and tasting yummy.
Even if you don’t like the taste of coconut, I urge you to give these
recipes a try. You aren’t eating any of
them (hopefully!) and the benefits are pretty special.
Summer of Coconuts, Part 1: Makeup Removers
Buying makeup removers is a
necessary evil if you are a makeup wearer.
I dreaded when my makeup removers would start to get low, knowing I would
have to go to the store the next day and spend more than I wanted to on a
seemingly silly product. I spent years
trying to find removers that didn’t make my eyes burn or make my face break
out. I finally found a brand I was
comfortable with, but they still left my skin feeling kind of… well,
yucky. It left my face kind of dry, kind
of sticky and almost seemed to contribute to my frequent acne break outs. So when starting on my coconut quest, makeup
removers were at the top of my list of things to try. I’ve tried two different versions of this,
and each has their own advantages and disadvantages. I’ll share with you the
recipe I like best that I’ve had the best results with.
 |
| The star of today's post! |
These homemade makeup
removers not only make my skin feel lovely afterwards, but they’re not toxic
little money suckers! On average I was spending about $6 every time I needed to buy my name
brand makeup wipes. These DIY wipes cost
less than half that, and take less time to make than it takes to drive to the store!
This recipe makes enough for about 2 months, depending on how many wipes you
use each time and how frequently. I wear
eye makeup during the week and usually go au natural on the weekend, and I use
2 to 3 wipes each time I use them.
You will need:
- 2 pint sized wide mouth mason jars with lid and band
- Measuring spoons & measuring cup
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon tear-free baby wash, preferably organic/all-natural
- 1 teabag of green tea (see benefits below)
- Coffee cup
- 2 cups purified water
- 2 packages of cotton rounds, preferably organic
- Spatula or spoon
- Microwave safe bowl
 |
| Supplies you will need |
1. Begin by bringing 2 cups purified water to a soft boil. Put green tea bag in a coffee cup and pour hot water over it. Let it steep for 2 minutes, remove the bag, and allow the tea to cool before proceeding.
WHY GREEN TEA? Used topically, green tea is said to reduce sun damage, diminish wrinkles and slow down signs of aging due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. You can leave this ingredient out if you wish & the makeup removers will still work fine.
 |
| My "ManaTEA" chillin' and steepin'. |
2. If your coconut oil is in its solid state, place the 2 tablespoons in your microwave safe bowl and microwave in 5-10 second intervals until it is in its liquid state. Add 1 tablespoon baby wash and your 2 cups of {cooled} green tea. Stir until all ingredients are blended.
3. Open one package of cotton rounds and place about half in each jar.
4. Pour liquid mixture over the rounds, pressing down to help the rounds soak up the mixture. Add more pads, pour and press again. You want all the pads to be wet, but not over saturated. You'll end up using almost all of the rounds in the two packages with just a small amount left over. (I use the extra rounds to apply apple cider vinegar toner a few nights a week.)
5. Close the lid tightly and store in a cool, dry place such as under the bathroom sink.
 |
| Ta-Da! |
A Few Remarks...
- I chose to use Burt's Bees Baby Bee for the baby wash ingredient. It works great, is 99.9% natural, and only ranks a 1 on the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetics Database. You can use whatever brand you like, but I would suggest staying away from the cheapy kind you might find at the Dollar Tree. You only need a little bit of the wash, but it's great for other things, like washing your baby! ;)
- I absolutely love these makeup removers, and will never again purchase them from a store. The only downfall to these that I have experienced is that in the morning, I wake up with little crusties around my eyes. Yeah, it's kind of annoying but given the overall benefits, I can deal.
These makeup removers make my skin feel so incredibly soft, and I no longer have to deal with burning eyes and irritated skin. These wipes combined with a new all natural skincare routine has actually cleared up my acne and is starting to fade those annoying red scars left behind by pimples. As with any skin product, try to avoid getting it IN your eyes as this may irritate them.
I have posted a before and after photo below, to show you that these puppies DO actually work!
 |
| BEFORE: Eye makeup, face powder & mascara |
 |
| AFTER: No more makeup, and no irritated skin! Yay! |
After taking these photos, I decided to make a custom label for the top, to pretty it up. I have included the image below for you to print and use on yours too, enjoy!
I'd love to hear how you like these if you decide to make them. I hope you'll love them just as much as I do!
NEXT TIME: Summer of Coconuts, Part Two: Coconut Sugar Scrub. Stay tuned!
***
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is a labor of love whose purpose is strictly for entertainment purposes. Its
content is the work of its author and has no affiliation with or support from
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All opinions express on this blog are just that: opinions. I am not a doctor, and there is no substitute for actual medical advice. Content of this blog should never be taken as medical advice. Any information found here should not be acted upon without professional input from one's own health care professional. You should always consult a licensed physician in all matters relating to your health. By reading the content of this blog, you hereby agree that you shall not make any health or medical related decision based in whole or in part on anything contained on this site.
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