Rub Rub Rub the bumps away!

I just have to go on a little rant about how lovely Rub Rub Rub salt scrub is. It's a product from LUSH that is completely divine and amazing on rough and tough skin. It's a salt scrub shower gel so you can count on it really cleansing while exfoliating at the same time. (Most salt scrubs i've used leave an oily residue.)

Its a heap load of sea salt in a lemon juice base (which is also an excellent enzymatic exfoliator). You have the mimosa absolute in there which gives it it's STUNNING scent. It is so light and fresh, it truly is a mood uplifter. It also has hints of orange and jasmine which contributes to the most amazing scent experience.

I'm a bit of an exfoliation junkie, especially on my body. I have the common skin condition KP (keratosis pilaris) and I especially suffer from it on the backs of my arms and legs. This winter has taken my KP to a whole different level, so I decided to pick this up from work (LUSH) one day and give it a whirl. I first mixed it with water because I was afraid it might be aggressive on my skin. I soon realized there was absolutely no irritation at all! (And I shaved my legs right after, not a single sensitivity) In the next shower, i decided to get a little gutsier and apply it to my skin dry to get a serious rub down. It was amazing, even the dry buff didn't irritate my skin and it really allowed me to scrub my KP away. After applying it dry, I hopped in the shower and rinsed it off and shaved my legs. (STILL no irritation, even when dry buffing with it!)

So, there's my love confession for Rub Rub Rub. I have the softest skin in all the land and my KP has said it's good byes. This product is a must try.

Homemade Antibacterial Toner

A good toner is one of my favorite skin care products. It's great at refreshing, bringing skin to it's correct PH balance, and deeply cleansing excess dirt that your cleanser may have missed. One of my favorites for more oily, acneic skin is an herbal apple cider vinegar toner. It's an easy, DIY recipe for clear, bright skin!

First things first, you have to buy organic raw apple cider vinegar that still contains 'the mother'. This is the stringy enzymes that contain all the wonderful astringent and exfoliating properties.

Next is buying some fresh antibacterial herbs such as rosemary, thyme, and lavender. These will all kill the bacteria that's causing break outs and balance out oil production. Finely chop these herbs and add them to boiling water. Simmer on low for about 30 minutes. Strain this mixture through a mesh seive and save the herbally liquid. Mix 2 parts herbally liquid and one part apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle. And voila! A spritzy, refreshing oil balancing toner made from scratch. :)