Tag Archives: summer

Doin’ It for Yourself: 6-Step At-Home Summer Facial

27 Jun

Like I’ve said before, I’m a kitchen beautician. I usually don’t pay professionals for services that I can do myself. Don’t get me wrong though, being pampered by a stranger is very therapeutic, but there’s a certain bliss that comes from DIY’n it. I try to do an at-home facial at least twice a month. Here’s how:

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1. Clean your face. Use your favorite cleanser and a deep cleaning brush. Olay has a motorized one for about $30 (you can often find coupons and get it on sale), but you can also use a baby hair brush. Earth Therapeutics sells a facial brush that looks like a baby hair brush for about $3.

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2. Scrub your face. I like to mix my scrub with baking soda, but in the absence of a scrub, you can just use the baking soda mixed with water. You can also make a scrub out of oil and table sugar (my favorite oil is sweet almond, of course). Massage your face with the mixture or scrub for about 30-60 seconds, you don’t want to overdo it.

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3. Apply a mask. Use a mask that’s geared towards your skin type. I LOVE the Bellaboo chocolate mask, but I’ve gotten pretty great results from the Queen Helene Mint Julep masque and the Yes To Cucumbers mask. You can also make your own mask. Find a recipe you like by doing a lil’ google search.

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4. Steam your face. Fill the sink with scalding hot water and add a few drops of essential oil. I like peppermint oil for the summer. It also has antibacterial properties (ahem, acne-prone skin). If you’re lazy, like me, you can just run hot water on a wash cloth and hold it to your face until it cools a few times. If you’re fancy, you can invest in a genuine facial steamer.

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5. Tone your face. Swipe (don’t douse) your face with an alcohol free toner. Thayer’s witch hazel toner with cucumber and aloe is perfect for the summer and doesn’t dry your face out. You can also mix apple cider vinegar with water (1 TBS vinegar to 1 cup of water) and use that as a toner. You can make your own rosewater toner, too.

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6. Moisturize your face. Use your favorite moisturizer and go to town.

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Miss Kitchen Beautician

4 Jun

Because I am growing out my relaxer, it took me a while to figure out the best way to detangle and style my hair. I lost a lot of hair and got a lot of knots on most of my detangling sessions (until very recently). To add insult to injury, I wore a lot of ponytails in which my hair was tangled underneath; meaning I would pull and brush my hair over the tangled part. Bad Idea. To get my hair back on track I have decided to get kinky twists for the summer and a sew-in for the winter. The last time I had any kind of weave in my hair was the summer of ’94 when my cousin put box braids in my hair. Since my hair is broken in certain areas (particularly the nape) and I’m dealing with a whole lotta new growth, I think keeping my hair braided up is the best solution for me. I’ve read a lot of information about taking care of your hair while in braids or sew-ins so that it actually helps your hair instead of harming it. I don’t have a set in stone regimen for when I have my hair braided, but it will probably include cleansing my scalp with ORS Creamy Aloe Shampoo/Abba Pure Moisture Shampoo, oiling my scalp with some kind of oil that promotes growth and controls itchiness, and spraying on a moisturizing spray. I’m excited about the braids, but It won’t be until mid June when I’m able to get them because my cousin is getting married and I’m a bridesmaid!

Being the kitchen beautician that I am, I have decided to try do the kinky twists myself. I’ve watched more YouTube tutorials than I care to announce on the matter, and I honestly think I can do it myself. I think that if I can wax myself I can put in a few kinky twists, right? Right. An added bonus is that I would only have to purchase the hair, so that would save me about $150.  If When this goes well, my next feat will be conquering the self-installed sew-in. Wish me luck!

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