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One Thing You Never Thought Of Doing With Oil

Published on by Lee2 Comments

It sounds extra AF, but swishing oil around your mouth might just be the best thing for your health and skin, seriously! The idea comes from ancient Ayurvedic medicine and involves taking a tablespoon of oil and swishing it around your mouth like mouthwash, for twenty minutes. Believe it or not, this detoxifying method actually has a ton of health benefits that improve oral health, and it can even improve acne, whiten your teeth, help with headaches, and detox your entire body.

How To Do Oil Pulling:

On an empty stomach – first thing in the morning is the best time – swish a tablespoon of oil around your mouth for twenty minutes (at least ten minutes if you’re in a hurry). Our preference is coconut oil, because obvs we have a ton lying around and it’s also antibacterial, but you can also use sesame, olive or sunflower oil. Initially, it might feel a little gross, but persist, and like us, you might even end up enjoying the experience! It should always be done on an empty stomach, so wait at least four hours after eating, and an hour after drinking.

Whatever you do, don’t swallow the oil; otherwise, you’ll basically allow all the toxins that have been drawn out to go into your stomach. Once you’ve swished for 15-20 minutes, spit it out in your bin. You can do almost anything (except speak) while you do this, but keep an eye on the time, as if you do it much longer than 20 minutes, it’s possible that the toxins could be reabsorbed into your body. Rinse your mouth with warm water or salt water, and brush your teeth.

How Oil Pulling Works:

how oil pulling works

It’s quite gross to think about, but your mouth is filled with bacteria, fungi, toxins, and plaque. Oil pulling literally cleanses your mouth by drawing out all the toxins from your gums and teeth, before they’re able to spread to the rest of your body.

Why Oil Pulling is Awesome:

Who’d have thought that you can forego a ton of expensive beauty products simply by following this daily ritual? Oil pulling is an amazing way to improve your health and detox your body, skin, and gums. Though there’s yet to be significant research into oil pulling, promising results have been found, and many doctors recommend it – apparently, Gwyneth Paltrow and Shailene Woodley are fans. Here’re just some of the amazing benefits:

Skin-clearing: Catching out nasty toxins before they reach the rest of your body has a huge impact on your skin. The same way washing your skin gets rid of surface bacteria, oil pulling gets rid of bacteria that causes skin problems before they have a chance to take hold. Reports have shown that oil pulling for a month has helped improve acne and eczema.

Teeth whitening and fresh breath: Oil pulling can remove surface stains from your teeth, and because the fats in oil can dissolve plaque, it prevents plaque build-up and reduces the risk of tooth cavities for an extra white smile. The removal of bacteria from your mouth also results in fresher breath throughout the day.

Detoxes your body: The mouth is our gateway to the majority of substances in our body, by removing bacteria from the mouth before it has a chance to reach the rest of your body it majorly impacts on your health.

Increases energy: Our immune system works 24/7 to eliminate toxic waste from the body. By getting rid of these nasty toxins at the source before your body has to, it saves precious energy to be spent on other activities.

Reduces headaches and hangovers: We’ll be honest, anything that promises to cure a hangover is worth trying; the process of oil pulling will remove alcohol toxins still lurking in your body from the night before, helping you and your body feel much better. Headaches and migraines can be a reaction to your body being under toxic stress; so extract the toxins, reduce the stress!

Why Coconut Oil is Our FAVE:

We’ve found that coconut oil, (try to use 100% raw organic cold-pressed coconut oil) is the best oil to use. Not only is it easy to find and inexpensive, but it’s also by far the best tasting of the bunch. Coconut oil also contains lauric acid that has antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties, while Vitamin E is rich in antioxidants and it’s antibacterial. If you’re going to have oil in your mouth for twenty minutes, it should at least taste okay!

Oil pulling can easily become part of your morning routine: swish while you shower and tone, or while you get dressed and scroll your Insta feed. If you’re at home, take advantage of the period after lunch before dinner and swish on an empty stomach while you watch TV.

WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK?

These $10 Face Scrubs Will Leave Your Skin SO Soft!

Published on by Lee2 Comments

Exfoliation is easily one of the most important parts of your weekly skincare routine – it helps buff away dead skin to keep blackheads under control and keep your skin feeling smooth and soft. That being said, you need to be careful, because if done too often or too hard, you’ll risk over-exfoliating, which can lead to breakouts and general redness and sensitivity.

Our latest drugstore discovery is the L’oreal Smooth Sugars Scrubs, and we unexpectedly fell in love with them. The thing is, sugar scrubs can be notoriously harsh, which is why we often recommend them for body-only exfoliation. However, the new offering from L’oreal is exfoliating without being too harsh, and we were seriously impressed with the results. The three formulas that we tried combine three types of pure sugar – brown, blonde, and white – and each is concocted with cleverly-chosen ingredients to target different skin concerns.

For Oily Skin Prone to Blackheads: Purify & Unclog Kiwi Scrub, $10

With real kiwi seeds to smooth skin and reduce blackheads, the gel-like texture of this scrub doesn’t feel harsh as the sugars gently melt into the skin. The addition of peppermint essential oil, a natural antibacterial and anti-fungal, soothes the skin and helps control bacteria that can lead to breakouts, while lemongrass essential oil helps purify the skin.

The formula smells amazing and feels gentle on the skin – be sure to be light-handed with any exfoliators as the harder you scrub, the more you’re likely to damage your skin and the fragile skin barrier. We recommend using this a maximum of three times a week.

For Dry to Normal Skin: Nourish & Soften Cocoa Scrub, $10

This divine, chocolaty-scented scrub is ideal for those with dry patches or normal skin. Mixed with the trio of sugars is finely-crushed, antioxidant-rich cocoa, antibacterial and hydrating coconut oil, and nourishing cocoa butter. Post-scrub, your skin will feel moisturized and smooth as a baby’s bottom, without that tight or itchy feeling that some exfoliators can leave.

Add warm water to soften the sugar particles for a buttery texture that melts into the skin (don’t forget to do your lips as well), then admire how bright your skin looks after. Follow with a hydrating toner to remove any residue.

For Normal or Dull Skin: Smooth & Glow Grapeseed Scrub, $6.50

Packed with vitamin E to protect and promote even tone, grapeseed oil nourishes and soothes your skin while moisturizing monoi oil protects the skin. The addition of acai powder, and the fact it smells so good may make you want to eat it, but the vitamins and minerals are just as good topically for your skin as they are for your tummy.

Again, be gentle when you’re massaging this into your skin. As you add warm water, you’ll feel the sugars dissolve while the natural oils soften the skin and give a major post-exfoliating glow. We love that you can use this on your lips as well.

Primp Tip: We recommend using a gentle cleanser before using your preferred scrub and then following with a hydrating toner on a cotton pad. Continue with your essences, serums and moisturizers to ensure your skin stays hydrated, but avoid using any other exfoliating products, like toners that contain AHAs or retinol. Use these scrubs a maximum of three times a week and be prepared to see your skin glow.

Have you guys tried these scrubs? Let us know in the comments below!

This $9 Cleanser Is The Answer To Clear, Smooth & Oil-Free Skin

Published on by Lee1 Comment

With summer so close by, we’re feeling the pressure to strip back our cake face and go as natural as possible during the warmer months. After all, sweat is the enemy of a cake face, so the less we have to pile on, the better we’re gonna look as the day goes on. So, with thoughts of less foundation, we’re taking our skincare routine into overdrive.

Fortunately, we came across a 2-in-1 cleanser that has become our new best friend – not just because it costs $9, because it works so well to fight oily skin, congestion, and skin texture. Trust us when we say the Neutrogena 2-in-1 Skin Detox Clarifying Clay Wash Mask* is packed with some of the best oil-controlling, pore-busting ingredients that will detox your skin and keep your oil in check for the hot summer months.

The oil-free, non-comedogenic (won’t cause clogged pores) formula is packed with salicylic acid, a beta hydroxy acid (BHA) that cleans deep into pores to dissolve the glue that binds toxins and dirt in the pores, while their Barriercare cleansing technology helps preserve skin’s moisture levels. Glycolic acid also helps to clarify pores and remove surface dead skin cells that cause the complexion to look dull. Finally, Kaolin and Bentonite Clay draw out toxins, dirt, and oil that cause breakouts, while glycerin adds a hit of hydration.

We love that we can use this as an everyday cleanser but also use it as a mask two or three times a week. To use it as a mask, apply a thick layer to the skin and leave it on for three minutes, before thoroughly washing away. Prepare to feel super soft skin! After using this for just two weeks, we noticed our oily T-zone looked less and less shiny, our skin texture improved, and pimples also became less frequent. We also recommend using an exfoliator once or twice a week (like the Neutrogena Skin Detox Cooling Scrub).

*Note, if you’re based in the US, this cleanser is called the Deep Clean Purifying Clay Cleanser & Mask and for those in the UK and elsewhere, it’s called the 2-in-1 Skin Detox Clarifying Clay Wash and Mask, although both formulas are exactly the same!

Let us know if you’ve tried this in the comments below.

WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK?

Stop Neglecting Your Tongue! It’s More Important Than You Think…

Published on by Lee1 Comment

Dental health is seriously trending right now; from Kendall’s whitening Moon pen to pretty much every influencer’s fave teeth whitening gadget. But as intrigued as we are with the latest advancements in oral health; it’s the ancient practice of tongue scraping that I am currently obsessing over. It’s super simple, it’s basically free, and it has tons of health benefits.

What is tongue scraping?

Ok, so I realize it sounds kinda gross but Dr. Ghalili explains “Tongue scraping is the method to remove the remainder of the food, possible bacteria, and dead cells from the surface of the tongue and therefore out of the body.” Dr. Garcia adds, “Tongue scraping is nothing new and has been a part of Ayurvedic practice since ancient times. A scraper is designed to fit the anatomy of the tongue and scrape off bacteria and flora on the tongue that can produce volatile sulfur compounds.”

Why you need to start scraping… like NOW

Dental benefits: Dr. Garcia outlines the benefits of tongue scraping; “Tongue scraping can clear up bad breath and help to prevent an incidence of periodontal disease [gum disease].” Dr. Ghalili agrees, saying tongue scraping helps “To remove bacteria and toxins and this prevents them from getting reabsorbed into the body. This improves problems with bad breath and improves overall health.”

Other health benefits: But the benefits don’t stop at helping with bad breath, it’ll help remove toxins from your body, increasing your bodies immunity, and improving your health in general. Plus, don’t forget fewer toxins in your body = better skin. Dr. Ghalili explains how it works, “When bacteria and other possible pathogens remain on the tongue and get reabsorbed by the bloodstream, it can cause serious health issues all throughout the body.” Plus, Dr. Garcia notes that it’s the perfect practice to get into whenever you’re feeling under the weather, “Since bacteria lingers on the tongue, it’s especially beneficial to do regular tongue scraping when you’re sick with a cold or infection.” Oh, and last but not least, it’ll enhance your taste buds as there’s less mucus on your tongue – err, yes, please!

How to use a tongue scraper

The tools: Dr. Garcia recommends, “The tongue scrapers made from copper, tin or brass [which you can buy on Amazon, $8, here]. Using an ergonomic one only designed for tongue scraping is much more effective than using a toothbrush.” Whereas Dr. Ghalili keeps it simple, suggesting “A toothbrush or a tongue scraper. Both are effective. If you use a toothbrush, it is easier to use without toothpaste.”

The technique: With firm yet gentle movements, scrape the surface of your tongue with singular, long strokes using your tongue scraping tool, then rinse your tool in water. Repeat this five to ten times. Follow with mouthwash, flossing, and then brush your teeth as usual.

Let me know if you guys use a tongue scraper in the comments below.