I think the uncertainty and fear surrounding Coronavirus is driving everyone a bit crazy. It does for me especially since it threatens the present and future of my work in restaurants and what I love to do most, travel! There’s a million things to worry about but I’m trying my best to be positive and trust and hope that we will return to some level of normal soon. Since I can’t do a literal thing about my situation while in quarantine, I’m trying to see all this free time as a blessing in disguise. Finally I have time to rest and focus on things I’ve always wanted to do.
I’ve specifically been trying to experiment in finding more natural body care. I’m fascinated with the idea that my body can mostly take care of itself with just a bit of help. As a part of my journey to a more “minimilastic” lifestye I’m ready to get rid of the need for a different product for everything; shampoo, conditioner, soap, shaving cream, facewash, moisturizer, etc. I would also really like to expose myself to less chemicals but most importantly I‘m tired of doing so much to keep up with my body. I want to need less and do less. So this is what I’m trying:
It seems the perfect time to try washing my body with no soap would be in quarantine. Apparently you can clean yourself by scrubbing good with water and a washcloth. l’ve been trying this for about a month and use soap only to wash the washcloth after each shower.
Thoughts: I honestly feel clean and don’t smell any different (I’ve had alot of time to actually notice this lol). I think this will mostly work for me unless I go rolling around in dirt, but how often is that? If I’m just cleaning daily sweat I think water and a towel clean just fine!
My skin (2019); usually mild acne mostly on chin.
My face is a little bit of a different story because I have a history of acne so I’m still in the process of figuring out what works. In the mornings I’ve been washing with only water and massaging raw honey at night. In both cases I wash my hands with soap first and wet my face with warm water (good water! Hard water dries out my skin crazy). At nights I add a little bit of honey, rinse and let it airdry or pat a bit with a towel.
Thoughts: I can’t say I didn’t get a pimple trying honey as a facewash, but then again I don’t always eat as well as I should. However, I did notice that when I got acne it went down more quickly and painlessly than ever before. So I think this may be working for me.
For the most part my face is much more moisturized since I’m not using facewash but my forehead still gets dry since I have combination skin so I rub in aloe after washing, sometimes a little raw shea butter in the stubborn dry spots.
Thoughts: Aloe makes my skin glow and I don’t know why I thought you just use it when you get a sunburn!
My hair (2015); dry as the sahara desert. (I used to add coconut oil as shown in pic above and finally made it smooth but WAY too oily—me and coconut oil just don’t get along).
NO SHAMPOO OR CONDITIONER
My hair is mainly what I actually have a problem with and actually really need to find a better alternative. In the past I’ve struggled with dry hair whether it be because I used to wash my hair almost every day, used semi permanent dyes or less likely because I occasionally heat styled my hair. I found that washing my hair less (once or twice a week) helped, but I still had this itchy waxy buildup on my scalp and dry ends. So I became interested in natural alternatives. I’ve been experimenting with how long I can go without washing and trying shampoo alternatives like baking soda and aloe as a conditioner. Before I wash I massage my scalp with my finger tips, then run two fingers down each section of my head to try to get the oil to the ends. When I’m in the shower I continue massaging and because I usually use warm water I try my best to remember to rinse my hair and body with cold water at the end. Then I dry my hair in a cotton t-shirt.
Thoughts: I think my hair still has a long way to go but it does seem a bit bouncier, shinier and smoother than ever. I’ve read that it takes time for the scalp to get used to less chemicals but for now I’m just happy my scalp is less itchy, which was a terrible problem for me.
I’ve been trying to shave with coconut oil. In the shower I wash my body and hair first and then massage the oil into my skin before shaving (with the grain ofcourse).
Thoughts: In my opinion this works WAY better than shaving cream. Everytime I shaved my skin used to be red and bumpy and I always thought it was just because my skin was sensitive. The first time I tried coconut oil my skin wasn’t irritated at all. In fact the hairs that grew back weren’t prickly and itchy like they usually are but really nice and smooth. This is one I can say I’m for sure never going back.
Because I’m not using soap my skin isn’t drying out like crazy but I rub in raw shea butter into my damp skin after showering as needed to keep smooth.
Thoughts: Shea butter is so much more long lasting than lotion which is great because I never remembered or wanted to put lotion on after EVERY shower, now I just put it on as needed.
My teeth (2014); pretty white.
Apparently you also don’t necessarily NEED toothpaste, brushing does the most of the work and there are plenty of other sources of flouride in a healthy diet. So I’ve been trying to use coconut oil to brush my teeth. I pour or scrape coconut oil on all surfaces of my electric toothbrush and try to brush every corner of my teeth.
Thoughts: the coconut oil tastes great and my teeth still feel very nice, BUT I’m keeping my mint baking soda toothpaste for the mornings because I just personally prefer how it freshens my mouth.
BUT THERE’S JUST SOME THINGS YOU CAN’T DIY
For instance you can’t get around the convenience of an invisible deodorant stick. For about a year I’ve been using a deodorant rather than an antiperspirant. I do find that I have to reapply midday if I’m active but it’s a small price to pay for avoiding harmful antiperspirants.
Another important product I’ve used for a few years now are cotton disposable menstrual pads for the start of my period and a few reusable liners towards the end when it’s light. This works for me because I don’t think it’s ideal to deal with dirty and shifting pads on a normal day out. I love the reusable liners for lighter days because they have ones to fit normal or thong underwear so I don’t have to wear my period underwear or use up disposable pads when it’s not necessary!!
**Every body is different, this is just what seems to be working for my specific skin and hair type! :) These are my thoughts as of July 2020 and I’ll update this list if anything changes.**
