Coconut Oil And Why We Love It

Hello! One of our favorite beauty "secrets" is coconut oil. After using coconut oil for the past two years, we feel pretty safe in recommending this to readers. There are a variety of uses for each part of your body so we are breaking up this post into sections. We also want to say that depending on your brand of coconut oil, the smell varies. Some are very fragrant and some people may not like that. The one from the Whole Foods brand is an example of one that possesses a strong coconut smell. Another brand that I have tried is Trader Joe's which has a more subtle smell. The best part of coconut oil? No harmful chemicals.

BODY

• Moisturizer: Coconut oil is a natural moisturizer, meaning it will soften your skin in general, including your arms and legs. However, coconut oil is really good for those rough patches on your skin that need some extra lovin', like your elbows. While you may feel oily for a minute or two, coconut oil quickly absorbs into your skin and does not leave any residue behind.
• Sunburn Relief: Coconut oil places a cooling sensation on your skin in general. If you don't have any aloe or aloe gel around, coconut oil will also soothe burning skin.
• Diminishes Scars and Stretchmarks: Because of the way coconut oil tightens the skin, using coconut oil over a long term period can reduce the appearance of scars and stretchmarks. 
• Massage Oil: Coconut oil is a great (and cheaper) alternative to massage oils! The best thing about it is that it will absorb into the skin afterwards and won't make whoever you are massaging feel sticky.
• Body Scrub: To get the best of both worlds for your body, mixing coconut oil with sugar(white or brown) can soften, moisturizer and exfoliate your body. I mix coconut oil and sugar in a small container for one time use, but there are many recipes online to make a whole container of it. 

FACE

• Eye Makeup Remover: Coconut oil washes away makeup instantly around the eyes. Using a cotton ball and dipping it in some coconut oil is the easiest way for me personally. Please be careful to not get the oil directly in your eyes. (Some people believe that using coconut oil under your eyes can tighten the skin and remove dark circles, but I have personally not recorded a difference).
• Oil Pulling: Oil Pulling is known for "pulling" toxins out of your body through swishing oil in your mouth. Coconut oil is safe to eat(actually it is known to possess a variety of benefits) so there is no risk if you eat some. People use it as butter and to cook a variety of foods. However, the oil that you use to swish should be spit out afterward and not ingested! People swish it from 5 to 20 minutes. The process may feel really weird when you are starting. However, it is believed to reduce the amount of toxins in your mouth and lessens gum diseases.

HANDS AND FEET

• Softens feet: As coconut oil is a natural moisturizer, it is really good for your feet (especially in the summer!) After a shower, I like to put it on my feet, let it dry a bit and then put on socks. This locks the moisture in. Honestly, after a day of walking, especially if you are wearing sandals or heels all day, this is a really easy way to soften your feet back up. 
• Cuticles: Once again, coconut oil moisturizes. After a diy manicure, moisturizing with some coconut oil can really treat your cuticles.

HAIR

• Defrizzer: Using a tiny bit of coconut oil in your hair will instantly defrizz and tame any flyaways. But when I say a tiny bit, I mean a TINY bit because this stuff can really grease your hair up if you are not careful with it...which brings me to my last use of coconut oil.....
• Hair Treatment: This might just be the most popular use of coconut oil. Many natural hair products actually contain coconut oil because it literally releases moisture into your hair. I do this maybe once every two months, but especially in the winter when the air is dry. I take about a handful of coconut oil and run it from my roots to about the middle of my hair. Then I pin it up and let it sit for around 30 minutes. Don't do this if you plan on going outside. You will look like a greaseball. However, after your 30 minutes, when you wash out the coconut oil, your scalp will be completely moisturized and you shouldn't have any dandruff or dry hair. Your hair should feel softer. 

Buying one jar of coconut oil can potentially save you from buying a variety of other products. No chemicals and it is safer for the environment. One jar varies from around $6-14 depending on the brand and if it is USDA organic or not. Mine is $10 and lasts me almost 5 months. There is also a little bit of controversy over what kind is best for your skin and for cooking, depending on how it is made. For example, mine is expeller pressed. However, I really like mine and I like how it moisturizes. It is not grainy.

 These are all of the uses that I have tried and used with coconut oil. There are even more uses of coconut oil out there but I didn't want to include anything that Sarah or I have not tried. Feel free to comment or post below if you decide to use it!

xo

Sophia

PS. Sarah and I are not being paid to write about coconut oil. (Even though that would be cool, who doesn't want free coconut oil?) 

Getting Clearer Skin for back to School: the Natural Way.

One of my personal goals this summer was to truly perfect my skin. I thought "I have all this time to experiment, I need to find what works best for me." I don't have money to be trying product after product and decided it was time to change my skin from the inside out.
A main point that not everyone realizes is that your skin is in a way, a portrayal of your body and what you put inside it. Sometimes there are those lucky people who can eat anything they want and still have perfect skin. But that's not true for all of us. A lot of products claim to clear your skin and make you flawless, but truth is, the majority of the time, chemicals are zapping away at your face and drying it up. It will all come right back after you stop using the product.
If you are going back to college, starting now you have around 3 weeks. If you are going to high school, you have more like 4 or 5. This is a GREAT time to clear up your skin by incorporating good skin enhancing foods into your meals.

1. Water is your best friend. I know everyone says this, but drinking 8 cups of water a day is so important for practically every part of your body. Take water everywhere. Have some by you while watching TV or on the computer. Keep a bottle in your bag as you travel around. Water keeps your body and face moisturized. Drink it throughout the day, chugging it all at once is not the best idea.
2. Green Tea. Unsweetened green tea is great for you because of it's antioxidants and vitamins. Keeping sugar out of it makes it even better because sugar can cause breakouts. Also, green tea gives you energy! It's just a good tea to have.
3. Granola. When you get plain granola with almonds, the whole grains and fibers are actually really good for  bringing some glow into your face. I realized that when I had some everyday after dinner at school, my skin eventually seemed brighter. I researched about whole grains and it's true, extremely good for your skin! All you need is a little cup of some each day.
4. Green vegetables. As usual, veggies are good for you. Eating cucumbers and salad daily is not just good for your well being, but good for fighting some breakouts.
5. Strawberries. Of course as these are my favorite things in the world, I had to include strawberries. They are packed with Vitamin C and fiber. They boost your skin and are super delicious too :) You can also buy frozen strawberries (cheaper and last longer) to make smoothies out of.

These are the five foods that I eat almost every day and I can honestly say I am seeing a difference in my skin. There are many other foods that I have heard work but I have not tried. These include avocado, salmon and pumpkin seeds.

While a lot of your skin is caused from what you eat, you also should be using a cleanser to wash your face each night. Dust, and dead skin cells can built up. However, it is even better to continue this natural process by using products that are also made naturally. Burts Bee's and Lush are two companies that make everything naturally.
Something I recommend for everyone of every skin type is St. Ives Naturally Clear Apricot Scrub

This runs from $2-4. It is cheaper if you buy it at a supermarket like GIANT. If you go to CVS, it will be more expensive. However $4 still is a great price for something that works so good. After using this product, my skin is so soft. I have REALLY sensitive skin, practically everything makes me burn. But this does not at all. The thick texture feels natural and clears out your pores. They also don't test on animals!
**After you wash your skin, pat dry with a clean wash cloth. This helps keep moisture in your face.
***If you wear your hair down to sleep, this could be contributing to your breakouts because it is bringing oil on your face. If you still like wearing your hair down, wear a soft headband to push your hair back. Or just wear your hair up. (I like wearing my hair down so I usually wear a headband to sleep).


Now here are some things to avoid.
1. Soda is one of the most pimple causing things out there. If you cut back on soda or even better, removed it from your life, you will see a difference. The sugar and syrup in it is just straight out bad for you. (I personally love Ginger Ale with my whole heart and it is the only soda I can't cut out!)
2. Too much sugar is kind of self explanatory but I decided to put it in here anyway. I am in no way against  cookies or cheesecake because I love those things but too much is bad for you. We need a little amount of sugar each day for energy but going overboard will leave you with breakouts.
3. Greasy foods. Just stay away from them. Grease is never good for you.



Keep in mind that these are things that have worked for me. Your skin may be a little different than mine and the results may be different. However all of these are natural foods and shouldn't cause anything harmful.
Also keep in mind that you are your worst enemy of yourself. Most of the time, other people don't even notice little things we notice. Relax and let results come slowly. Stress only adds to pimples.

xoxo,
Sophia

Things We Love: Liquid Eyeliner

So not too recently I discarded my ways of wearing eyeliner along my bottom water line and began to put it on top. The cat eye look has definitely become my favorite! Because my budget doesn't allow me to purchase more expensive make up, I usually buy items from the closest drug store. I used a liquid eye liner that dipped into the liquid with paint brush tip and I loved it. After this year though I was not able to find the same eyeliner, nor a different one with a paint brush tip.



I decided to check Sephora. Though I'm not a huge fan of the store like some of my friends (they love it), I was lead to this eyeliner. Although it cost a pretty penny ($20.00), I believe the Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner it is totally worth it! The formula is smooth and not too thick or painty, but its still very dark and can create sharp lines. It also doesn't rub off easy or smudge.

So far I have loved it. I've recommend it to my friends and now to you, our readers.
Enjoy!

Love,
Sarah

Strawberry Nails Tutorial

I love everything strawberry and do these nails frequently. I hope you like,
Love,
Sophia