I’ve been writing a lot recently about skincare, treatments, and figuring out ingredients that are best for your skin. I’ve partnered up with Makes 3 Organics to share with you guys a local, affordable, and sensitive-skin friendly body balm for every season.
One of my favorite ways to keep my skin happy is to do self-care Sundays. I’m sure you’ve heard of it. Basically I make sure that I treat myself once a week. I exfoliate and do a mask so I don’t forget any time throughout the week. It’s been how I keep my skin and brain happy lately. Sundays are supposed to be for self-indulgence and not leaving the house anyways, right?
Whether I’m exfoliating, slapping a scoop of coconut oil in my hair, or making a DIY detox mask I’ve realized how important it is to dedicate time to doing these things. You will forget if you don’t set aside time! As you can tell I love beauty and skincare, so I spend a lot of time researching and testing out new products, and by now I know what to put on my face and what not to.
A couple months ago I was told by one of my favorite people in the world to make a mask with Elmer’s glue and I had a flash back to middle school when I’d paint my palm in glue and peel it off during class. I know I’m not the only one who did this. But now I can’t get myself to make a mask with that glue. I know it’s technically “safe,” but I can’t help but think the company just put that on there if a kid happened to eat a little bit of it, and not if an adult chose to lather up their face with it. I’m not saying it’s going to kill you, but I just can’t do it with everything I know the ingredients we put on our body. I’m also not saying everyone needs to be organic because I don’t always use organic products either. I actually use a lot of products that have chemicals, whether they’re balancing my natural oils, or peeling the skin off my face, but I also know they’re skin safe. It’s about balance, at least for me.
I came across Makes 3 Organics not too long ago, and it kind of felt like when you go to a farmer’s markets and people are selling their heart and soul in the form of a little metal tin. It’s so comforting to find good, handmade products because you know how much time and energy went into them. The company is Santa Barbara, CA based and they focus on making products that are safe and affordable for the whole family. I’ve introduced their lavender miracle balm into my routine a couple weeks ago, and it’s been turned out to be great treatment product for dry patches and a go-to chapstick for me lately.
You know that feeling when you move a certain way and your skin stings and feels like it might actually tear because it’s so dry? Yeah, that’s how I’ve been feeling lately. I’m a New England girl, right now I’d be waist deep in snow, and yet my skin feels more dry than it ever has. It ain’t cute, and it’s not healthy. I’ve been using the lavender miracle balm on specific dry patches on my back and legs and, to my surprise, my skin’s been drinking it up. I thought because it was a balm I’d feel it all day and it’d make me want to shower it off. The trick is to use just a tiny bit. I mean tiny, and build up to what you want. I only put a dime size for both of my legs for reference because I only use it in sections. If you’ve ever used coconut oil you know how quickly it melts and expands – a little goes a long way!
I definitely haven’t been lathering up my entire body just because I’m not a huge fan of heavier body products, and I realized I’m not the biggest lavender fan. If you want to use this daily I’d suggest grabbing the unscented version, especially if you wear perfume daily – it’s got a pretty strong lavender scent. It hasn’t stopped me though; it’s been a go-to treatment, even for my boyfriend. He’s been using it on his feet and putting on some socks over it. He’s been doing it almost every night for the past two weeks and it’s slowly working. It’s not a drastic change, but you can definitely tell his feet are enjoying it. Nothing happens over night, and his feet have been through a lot, so it’s going to take some extra TLC. For me, I’ve used it most for my lips (don’t worry he doesn’t double dip his feet germs in there). At first I didn’t know if I should actually be putting it on my lips. Was essential oil not supposed to go that close to your mouth? Am I using this wrong? Here’s the deal: you can’t use it wrong, and no, all the ingredients in this are completely safe, even that close to your mouth.
The balm is made up of all organic ingredients: coconut oil, shea butter, jojoba oil, beeswax, aloe vera, and lavender essential oil. That’s it. No ingredients you can’t pronounce. These are all amazing ingredients for your skin, and I’m not just saying that. I don’t want to get too geeked out on these ingredients, but just know this is skin food. Most of them are anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-aging and have healing properties for the skin. Coconut oil, shea butter, and beeswax have all been shown to help protect and soften the skin’s outer barrier. Jojoba oil mimics the skin’s oils to keep it balanced and lavender oil helps treat problems like stress, headaches, and even burns. And although some people are allergic to beeswax, it’s a favorite of mine for chapstick. And aloe vera, my favorite ingredient, is basically a magical plant. Sorry, I’m about to geek out real quick.
Aloe vera has so many active ingredients in it that you’ll probably think I’m lying. You know how everyone puts aloe vera on their sunburns? Well it’s because it works to repair against radiation damage from UV rays. It basically activates an antioxidant protein in your skin, slaps it awake, and tells it to hurry up and fix the problem. It also helps repair the skin’s collagen and elasticity, softens the skin and tightens the pores, all while keeping it clean and protected from free radicals. That’s not even all the benefits; you’d be reading this for much longer if I listed them all out. Basically everyone should bathe in aloe vera because it’ll keep you forever young.
Overall I’m confident in putting these ingredients on the parts of my body that are in the most need. It’s nice to know if my face freaks out from something I try I can soothe it real quick without creating more of a problem from fragrances or things I can’t pronounce. Plus, once I’m done I can use the tin for other products when I travel. There are shops all over Southern California, as well as other states, that carry their products. All their beauty products are under $20, and they last a decent amount of time. For the amount of product my boyfriend has put on his feet I’m surprised I had enough to take pictures honestly. The tin is 2 fl. oz. and we’re only half way through and we’ve been testing this out hard. If winter has got your skin sad, you’re in need of a treatment, and know you’re not allergic to beeswax take a look at the miracle balm. It may just become your new favorite thing.
References
Del Rosso, J. Q. (2011). Repair and Maintenance of the Epidermal Barrier in Patients Diagnosed with Atopic Dermatitis: An Evaluation of the Components of a Body Wash-Moisturizer Skin Care Regimen Directed at Management of Atopic Skin. The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 4(6), 45–55.
Goddard, A. L., & Lio, P. A. (2015). Alternative, Complementary, and Forgotten Remedies for Atopic Dermatitis. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : eCAM, 2015, 676897. http://doi.org/10.1155/2015/676897
Surjushe, A., Vasani, R., & Saple, D. G. (2008). ALOE VERA: A SHORT REVIEW. Indian Journal of Dermatology, 53(4), 163–166. http://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5154.44785
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