Instead of doing work this morning, I found myself poring over my new favorite thing: the DIY Organic Beauty Recipes e-book, where I discovered at home microdermabrasion!
I few months ago, I got to spend some real-life time with my cyber-pal Heather Dessinger who writes Mommypotamus.com. As usual, her skin was glowing, her hair was thick and shiny, and her teeth were sparkly white. No joking, guys, Heather – mom of two youngsters and busy blogger – could easily pass for a super model (though she doesn't eat like one).
Besides great genetics and a nutrient-dense diet, Heather let me in on a secret:
She makes her own, all-natural, super easy AND inexpensive beauty products at home.
Lucky for us, all of her experimentation and testing is now available in her ebook DIY Organic Beauty Recipes.
Admittedly, I was skeptical that the ingredients would be obscure and the products would be a bit hippy-dippy–even for my tastes. But I really can't seem to put this book down.
So far, I learned why skin toners are not a conspiracy; why natural shampoos usually don't work; and how I can save THOUSANDS of dollars on skin, hair, and body care. Really.
Do you spend big bucks on microdermabrasion?
When I finally tried microdermabrasion a couple of years ago (with an online coupon, of course) I was in LOVE.
If you don't know, microdermabrasion is a skin procedure usually done by estheticians or dermatologists to gently remove the outer-most layer of dead skin cells using a micro-fine powder of crystals.
It basically feels like your face is being sand blasted and vacuumed – but in a good way! Afterward, your skin is fresh, new and healthy – like nothing I've ever experienced before.
The problem with microdermabrasion is that I'd probably have to sell one of my children to afford it on a regular basis. I mean, I'm willing to pay for beauty, but at a few hundred dollars a pop, it's a bit difficult to justify as a weekly, or even monthly, expense.
Microdermabrasion uses either aluminum oxide crystals or a diamond tipped wand – hence the price tag of some spa services. But guess what? Good ole baking soda makes a gentle and effective exfoliant on par with the expensive spa service. You probably have it in your pantry right now…and did I mention it's CHEAP?
If you don't have any lavender essential oil on hand, you can easily skip this ingredient, but according to Heather this essential oil has antiseptic and antifungal properties. It's also used to treat acne, wrinkles and inflammations – a nice and appropriate addition to this simple recipe.
At home microdermabrasion ingredients
- 2 teaspoons naturally extracted baking soda
- 1 teaspoon water
- 2 drops lavender essential oil
How to use at home microdermabrasion…
Using your fingertips, lightly massage your face using small, circular motions. Gently exfoliate the throat area as well. The entire process should take 5-8 minutes.
Afterwards rinse your face well, and pat dry. You many experience mild redness, which is normal and should resolve over the next few hours.
Avoid direct sun exposure for a day or two since microdermabrasion may make your skin more sensitive.
A note about baking soda and pH:
Like any soap or cleanser, the pH of baking soda is alkaline, whereas the pH of skin is naturally acidic.
SO, whenever you do at-home microdermabrasion – or wash or you face, for that matter – you want to follow the cleansing with an all-natural toner.
Luckily, DIY Organic Beauty Recipes has a super simple one that you can make in 30 seconds with ingredients in your fridge. If you want to get fancy, you can customize it for your skin tone.
I made mine with essential oils I had on hand – grapefruit which “stimulates collagen production. Beneficial for mature and acne prone skin” and vanilla that “softens and smooths”.
I feel like I just left the spa.
What are you waiting for?
Go to your kitchen and whip up some 10 cent at home microdermabrasion!
Then while you're admiring your freshly buffed complexion, hop on over and get your copy of DIY Organic Beauty Recipes for more than 50 All-Natural, Toxin Free Recipes That Really Work!
Just a few of my favorite recipes you'll find inside:
- The oh-so-important facial toner
- Lemon salve for fading brown spots (YAY!)
- Non-damaging teeth whitener
- Natural Cheek and lip stain
- Luxurious lotions and…
- Shampoo that really works!
Only $24.95 gets you a lifetime of healthy and affordable beauty that can literally save you THOUSANDS of dollars!
Click here to buy DIY Organic Beauty Recipes now.
Natural products really can be very effective. I have to be careful with any kind of exfoliating as my skin is so sensitive but years ago I did use baking soda for exfoliating and it was very effective. I like the idea of adding the lavender too. DIY Organic Beauty Recipes sounds really interesting! Thank you for sharing this post with The Gallery of Favorites.
What baking soda do you recommend? I am having difficulty finding naturally extracted. Thank you!
Hi Patty – “Naturally extracted” is Heather’s recommendation. Personally I just used whatever was in my cabinet. 😉
I just did this process as you instruct, and it’s definitely worth doing a few times a month (I have normal-oily skin). Feels squeeky clean, fresh, good. Thanks for sharing this simple recipe!
After patting dry, I applied a cream with gold, silver and botanicals, for complete collagen repair and healing of skin layers. I’ve used it consistently for two years, it’s a winning formula; I see it’s going to work very well with baking soda scrubbing. http://skinofgold.com
This page clears up the baking soda issue http://www.crunchybetty.com/the-great-baking-soda-anti-hoax
Im a skeptic on certain things and a little on this because I didn’t think baking soda being so fine could do what it did .. I was impressed ! My skin feels amazing ! totally awesome !!
This is definately a once in a while thing to do. I was using it daily and it wrecked my skin. For day to day, I love just using water-hey already enough chemicals there to purify the water huh!!!??? I also like the oil cleansing method too. My skin is finally looking better after not using it at all for about 2 months. So, just to reiterate a word of caution-this is not a daily thing, maybe once a week to once a month depending on your sensitivity levels. Over use can lead to over production of oils as it really works on your acid mantile. Kidos for a great site!!!!
Hi Sherra – thanks so much for sharing!
I like the helpful information you provide in your articles.
I will bookmark your weblog and check again here frequently.
I’m quite sure I will learn a lot of new stuff right here! Best of luck for the next!
I like to do this too, but I like to follow it with a home made honey mask afterwards…it leaves my face soooooooooo soft!!!!!
If I don’t have lavender oil can I use tea tree oil?
Hi Fander – Thanks for your comment. I don’t see why not, though tea tree oil tends to dry out the skin, so I might just use a drop instead of the full two teaspoons 🙂
Hi there! Can I do this once a week?
Hi Katherine – I don’t see why not, as long as you aren’t experiencing any sensitivity.
do you think instead of lavender I could use rosmery or peperment oil
Hi Eliza – Those both sound great. Let us know if you try it. 🙂
I tried this and my skin felt like it was on fire, what did I do wrong???
Hi Sarah – Thanks for your question. I haven’t experienced this myself, but my guess would be that your skin may have been irritated by the baking soda. Do you think you might have been scrubbing too hard?
Hello there! I have been doing baking soda for about a year.
I now mix sugar and a pinch of sea salt. My base is vitamin E or argon.
I will def be picking up the lavender to add to the mix.
Hi all. I worked as a medical aesthetician for years doing micro and I am excited to try this!! Just a word of warning though….this is not to be done regularly if it works the same way as micro. Generally we would do a series of maybe 4 spaced out to once per week or even two weeks. We suggest doing this in the spring or fall so your face isn’t exposed to harsh elements. You really need to either protect your skin from the sun or stay out of it while doing this. Then it should be done once per month to maintain. Do not over use this as can end up doing more damage to your skin. Sun damage shows up years later so you may not see the effects right away. Anyway, great post! Looking forward to trying it since I am not able to have the expensive treatments anymore 😉
I have a skin sensitivity to salt, including baking soda, so I use:
1 part fine cornmeal
1 part ground oats
enough apple cider vinegar to moisten it to a thick paste
1 drop of essential oil (lavender or petit grain).
I do it in the shower once or twice a week, rubbing it in then rinsing it right off. It leaves my skin very smooth and soft, but does require some good moisturization afterward (it seems to me all scrubbing does?). If anyone else has a salt sensitivity, give this a shot!
I really need to try this tips of yours. Until now I was using one of microdermabrasion machines for home usage.
Thanks for the easy tips, need to know about the naturally extracted soda, I’m unable to find