Beauty Pantry - "Salad Face"

About a month ago I decided to change up my nighttime beauty routine. It started because my face was acting funky and I didn't know why. Well I kinda knew why, I was eating a lot of craptastic food and that is my body's way of screaming at me since I don't seem to listen to other subtle cues.

Years ago I remember reading some articles on how apple cider vinegar was good to use as a toner because it helped balance the pH in your skin. I did it in the past and it worked bot for whatever reason I stopped so I decided it was time to start again.

Every night (well almost every) I was my face with Aveeno face wash, mainly because I can use this on my eyes and it doesn't burn. I was twice to make sure all my eye makeup is off and any yuckies from the day. Then I grab a cotton ball with some apple cider vinegar and apply it to my face.

WARNING: Some sites do say that you should dilute the vinegar with water, I never have and its never caused a reaction but it will burn a bit when first applied, after about the 3rd night I feel nothing although the fumes occasionally burn my eyes but it goes away after a few minutes. So dilute it if you want.

After the vinegar soaks in I either grab another cotton ball and dip it in EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) or just add a few drops to my finger tips and slather it all over my face, including under my eyes, but NOT on my eye lids (I did it once and it ended up in my eyes, nothing worse than greasy eyeballs!). Can I just tell you that the first time I applied the olive oil to my face it felt like warm liquid velvet. Its the best feeling! And that's it, I do whatever else and then go to bed. When I wake up my face is not greasy at all just super soft and the smell of vinegar is usually gone, until I get in the shower and the steam seems to reactivate it but then I wash again with my Arbonne REnewing Gelée Crème Hydrating Wash and the smell is gone, my skin is clean and super soft.

Basically my current skin care routine consists of all natural stuff that I can find in the cupboards at night and then high end products during the day. Why you ask? Well, for one I like to mix things up. I also love the thought of using 100% natural stuff on my skin but I still love my high end products so this is my happy medium, plus I don't want to smell like a salad during the day. Because if you really think about it, that is what I am doing, applying salad dressing to my face.

I do this 4-5 nights a week. Basically on the nights that I don't use the Kiehl's Over-Night Biological Peel.

The first night I did it I told my husband and our conversation was rather amusing especially since we were just about to turn out the lights and go to sleep.

Me: Can you smell my face
Him: No, why did you put vinegar on it again
Me: Yea (totally trying not to laugh) I decided to make a salad and added olive oil too
Him: Um why?
Me: Because its good for my skin and will make it super soft. Wanna lick my face?
Him: No, gross!
Me: Awe come on!
Him: Maybe if you had brownies on your face, how about that, is there some brownie stuff you can put on your face cuz that would be cool.
Me: No, I can't put brownies on my face.
Him: Why not, brownies would be good, I think someone should make some brownie tasting stuff that you could put on your face. Now that would be a good idea. Now gimme a kiss goodnight!

SMOOCH!

Him: Um, why are your lips greasy?
Me: (totally laughing) Its the olive oil, don't my lips feel nice and soft?
Him: They feel like you slathered olive oil on them and now its on me
Me: Now moosh your lips together and your lips will be soft tomorrow too
Him: No its gross (totally wiping it off on the sheet corner). Go to sleep weirdo

And we both started laughing. So there is your Beauty Pantry tip and warning if you try it. Remember that it can burn if you choose not to dilute it and that your husband/SO might not be as interested in your salad face as you are.

Here are a few articles I found on using vinegar, of course I can't find the original one that I read years ago but these are a good reference.
http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/acvinegar.html
http://www.mywomenstuff.com/2007/03/18/apple-cider-vinegar-toner-great-stuff/
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/apple-cider-vinegar-kitchen-cupboard.html
http://www.natural-homeremedies.org/blog/apple-cider-vinegar-for-beauty/

And here are a few links with some info on olive oil
http://www.pioneerthinking.com/me_oliveoil.html
http://www.naturalskincaresecrets.com/olive-oil-skin-care.html
http://wiredberries.com/beauty/2007/02/olive_oil_the_allpurpose_remed.asp