Natural Makeup Remover: Coconut Oil

I talk a lot about what we put onto our skin, but sometimes the harder question to answer is how to take it off - many cleansers and makeup removers on the market are filled with harsh chemicals and strip our skin of essential oil, making our skin super dry or even oily depending on the products we use.  This causes premature aging, and can change the way our skin produces oils.  One claim you'll see on many makeup removers and cleansers is "Oil Free" - don't consider this to necessarily be a good thing.

Oils, in their natural form, can actually really help our skin to retain moisture and stay youthful.  Which is why I use an oil - just one, nothing else - to clean my face off and remove my makeup every single day.  In fact, this way actually eliminates the need to moisturize my skin with facial lotions as well, helping me to save a ton of money in the process.  Here's the trick:

How It Works

Coconut Oil is truly a miracle ingredient - you can cook with it, wash your hair with it, and clean your face with it - among other things.  In addition to being versatile, it's also really cheap and super easy to find. 

When using Coconut Oil as a makeup remover, you simply need to scoop up a small handful (generally about 1/8 cup for me does the trick) and apply it to your face.  I live in California so my oil typically is somewhere in between solid and liquid, so I warm it up by rubbing my hands together and turning it fully into the liquid form - if you live in a colder climate, you will definitely need to use your hands to turn the solid oil (which is white in color) into the liquid form.  Rub the oil into your skin with your fingertips, anywhere that you have applied makeup.  I even use it on my eyelids without any problems.

The purpose of using a cotton ball or cotton pad is to wipe away the majority of the coconut oil once you've applied it.  This is when the makeup actually comes off - you'll see the makeup residue ALL OVER your cotton pad, so be sure that you're thorough and get as much of the oil off as you can.  I tend to focus more on gently wiping off my eyes, as mascara and eye shadow can take a few extra swipes to fully come off.

The final step is using warm water (tap water works fine for me, but you can always buy distilled or filtered water if you'd prefer) to rinse your skin off.  There is always a small amount of coconut oil left on the skin following this rinse - But that's actually a good thing.  Pat your skin dry (don't rub) and then use your hands to massage the remaining coconut oil evenly into your skin.  This acts like a moisturizer and ensures that your face doesn't feel dry following the removal of your makeup.

Pregnancy and Nail Polish

So you're pregnant and super excited for your upcoming baby - To celebrate, you and a few friends head over to your local nail salon to get manicures.  Super fun, right?  Definitely!

... But is it safe?

Toxins in Nail Polish

Have you ever heard of Three-Free or Five-Free nail polish?  These are polishes designed without the presence of chemicals found in more classic polish formulas.  Three-Free formulas are made without toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and formaldehyde - while Five-Free polishes are free of those three, plus formaldehyde resin and camphor.

Toluene is a compound that might be connected to reproductive issues - definitely bad news.  DBP can impact hormone production and causes headaches - again, bad news.   Formaldehyde is a carcinogen and can cause breathing problems - super bad!  Formaldehyde resin, while not as toxic as straight formaldehyde, is a known allergen.  Camphor can cause seizures... and if that wasn't bad enough, it can also cause yellowing of your nails.

Nail Polish During Pregnancy

While the information above may sound really scary, many medical professionals don't think that the occasional coat of polish on your nails will cause you or your baby any harm.  A common recommendation is limiting the number of times you use nail polish, and only exposing yourself to polish in well-ventilated areas so that you are less likely to inhale fumes - and, of course, use Three-Free or Five-Free brand polishes whenever possible.

So which polish should I use?

Let's focus on easy-to-find brands that are usually stocked at your local drugstore or beauty supply shop - A number of extremely popular nail polishes fall into the Three-Free category - like OPI, Essie, and Sally Hansen.  These are likely the brands of polishes that make up most average women's nail polish collections (including mine).

But what if you want to be extra cautious and limit yourself to Five-Free?  A few popular brands are also in this category - including Zoya and Chanel.  One thing to note on these, however, is that they are definitely more expensive that their Three-Free alternatives.

What about nail polish remover?

Acetone is typically the concern with nail polish remover.  Most experts will tell you that the greatest concern with use is that you'll feel nauseous from the fumes.  Acetone isn't classified as a carcinogen and there is no known connection to birth defects... so un-polish away (in a
well-ventilated area)!  Non-acetone removers are available as well, but definitely check the label to make sure that the chemicals present in those removers aren't replacing one bad ingredient for another.