Once I realized what an impact detoxing our diet had, I set out to detox other areas. The additional benefit is that the new routine is actually much more cost effective.
Hair Care.
I use a simple solution of water, apple cider vinegar, and essential oils. My hair has always been greasy and oily. When I first started using a vinegar rinse instead of shampoo, I had a 10 to 14 day adjustment where it was a hot mess and stayed in a hat or ponytail. I almost threw in the towel—no pun intended. I’m glad I didn’t. Now, my hair is almost never greasy, only needs to be washed 3 to 4 times a week, and is more shiny and manageable.
How to: Start with about a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to a cup of water. (See? Much cheaper than shampoo.) Depending on the hardness of your water and your hair, you may need to adjust the ratio. Squirt, pour, or spray the solution onto wet hair. Let sit for about 2 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.
Suggested essential oils: Geranium, Melaleuca, Lavendar, Rosemary, Clary Sage
Skin Care.
If you need something that bubbles and feels like soap, I’m a huge fan of Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap. A little bit goes a long way, and you can add essential oils for scent and skin health. However, I’ve been loving just a sugar scrub in my shower routine. Just mix some melted coconut oil and plain, white sugar together, add your favorite essential and voila! Even with the dry, mid-Atlantic winter, my skin has been soft and silky without additional moisturizers.
Suggested essential oils: Geranium and Lavender for all skin types, Citrus oils for oily skin, Ylang Ylang or Cedarwood for dry skin, and Peppermint for invigoration.
Face care.
Depending on my mood and how much time I have, I either just splash with warm water OR I add a drop of essential oil to a dab of coconut oil and massage all over my face. I had oily skin for my entire post pubescent life. Counterintuitively, this routine has actually balanced my skin and reduced the oiliness. I don’t wear make up, so I’m pretty low maintenance. If you need a natural way to remove make up try using coconut oil and steaming off the excess with a hot washcloth or using almond milk.
Suggested essential oils: Grapefruit or Lavender for dry skin, Bergamot or Melaleuca for oily skin. I can also hook you up with a proprietary blend for faces that suffer with acne and an anti-aging blend.
We’ve chosen a specific brand of essential oils because of the company’s commitment to safety, sustainability, quality, and support. We believe life (including essential oils) is best done in community and this company has a similar mindset. Unfortunately, to protect myself from scrutiny from the FDA, I’ve chosen to not disclose the brand on my website. It’s crazy world we live in! If you want to learn more about who we chose and why, send me a message here. You can also sign up for my newsletter where I send out wellness tips, event invites, and ways to get FREE oils.
Photo courtesy of Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee | FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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You mentioned this during Oil Camp, and I’m just now getting to it! I think I’m ready to say bye-bye shampoo and work on getting a more natural face wash routine. What is the proprietary blend for faces that suffer with acne?
Hi Beka,
You want to look for HD Clear (Topical Blend).
I love this!!! And, I’m super excited to try the hair detox! I’m trying to visualize getting it onto our hair and think the spray would probably be easiest but I’ve heard that essential oils and plastic (bottles) don’t mix. Do you have a suggestion for that? Do you know if there’s such a thing as a glass spray bottle? Do you make a new mix for each shower or do you leave it in a bottle to last a few washes? Thanks in advance for your tips!
Oils may be stored in #1 or #2 plastics. I usually try to make enough in a spray bottle for a week or so. Spraying makes it last a LOT longer.