Jojoba oil is THE oil I recommend to people trying out natural skin care for the first time.
These Wandering Roots
It’s been over 10 years since I first heard about jojoba oil. Back when I was first dipping my toes into the rabbit hole that is organic skincare, jojoba oil was one of the first oils I came across. As opposed to the other oils I used, such as grapeseed oil or apricot kernel oil, jojoba sounded so exotic. I was shocked to learn it is actually more native to my homeland of America than the other two!
What is it?
Jojoba oil comes, not surprisingly, from the jojoba plant, Simmondsia Chinensis. This shrub-like plant is native to the deserts of southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. People in these areas have been utilizing the nut of the plant for various uses – including an antioxidizing salve for burns, a tanning agent for hides, and a moisturizing balm for skin and hair – for thousands of years!
Why should you use it?
Long answer short, jojoba oil is THE single oil I recommend to people trying out natural skin care for the first time. Its properties mimic skin’s natural sebum (oil) so well, that nearly everyone can benefit from it, no matter your age, skin type, or skin condition.
In addition, jojoba oil is
Anti-inflammatory: According to several studies (such as here and here), jojoba oil has been shown to reduce redness and swelling, making it a great oil for those with cystic acne, eczema, and rosacea.
Noncomedogenic: Because jojoba oil is very similar to the natural sebum in your skin, it sends messages to the sebaceous glands (the oil-producing glands under the skin) that they can stop producing oil. This prevents clogged pores and acne.
Humectant: Jojoba oil is actually a wax at a molecular level so it creates a seal to lock healthy moisture in your skin, keeping it from drying out.
Antioxidant: Jojoba oil contains natural vitamin E, a healthy antioxidant. At last one recent study has shown that topically applied antioxidants can encourage collagen production, resulting in firmer, smoother skin.
How should you use it?
Jojoba oil can be used straight out of the bottle as a moisturizer, but it is also a great base or carrier oil!
Saturday was the official first day of Spring! While most people set resolutions and intentions at New Year’s, I always preferred waiting until the vernal equinox. Spring is a time of renewal and awakening. It’s a time to cast off what’s old and not serving you any longer, in order to make room for new experiences and adventures. In short, it’s time for a little spring cleaning, and that includes your skincare!
Here’s how you can get your skin feeling renewed and ready for shorts and sundresses.
Switch up the antioxidants!
All antioxidants are among your skin’s best friends, but not necessarily at the same time. For instance, it’s true that Vitamin A, known for its cell regeneration power, is an amazing antioxidant when it comes to skincare. However, new cells can be tender (think of a baby’s skin or the new skin that comes in after a burn), and thus sensitive to the effects of the sun. While this is great in winter to counteract the effects of the cold, dry air, (and when the sun is at its weakest), it’s not so great in spring.
When the spring sun starts shining, opt for skincare with Vitamin C, Vitamin E, or niacinamide. These three antioxidants focus on combating free radicals, controlling the oil production in your skin, and evening out your skin tone.
Tips!
Check out our Oil Cleanser or Oil Moisturizer, which both contain Jojoba Oil. This super oil is chock full of both Vitamin C and E!
Increase the SPF – Naturally!
Speaking of the spring sun, here in Sweden, we rejoice with the return of the sun. After a long, DARK winter, the first sunny day with above-freezing temperatures will see many Swedes outside during their breaks, sleeves rolled up, trying to soak up as much sun as possible.
However, sun damage is no joke! Cumulative sun exposure can contribute to fine lines, dark spots, and uneven skin tone. More seriously, it can even lead to skin cancer.
While you should be protecting your skin against the sun year-round, during the winter most people can get away with a moisturizer containing SPF, plus the inevitable layers of clothing. Come spring, however, add a separate sun care product to your morning routine, with at least SPF 30.
Tips!
For natural sunblock, look for a product containing zinc oxide or titanium oxide. These Wandering Roots Sun Care line coming soon!
Exfoliate!
Many people tend to skip over exfoliation during the winter months. Most of us go from the shower straight to long sleeves and pants, so, besides the face, skin tends to be out of sight, out of mind. However, summer or winter, our skin is constantly shedding and renewing cells, around 30 000 – 40 000 per day! Without exfoliation, those cells can become trapped, causing dull-looking skin, or worse, breakouts or irritation.
A gentle exfoliating product in springtime will spring clean your skin, allowing your natural glow to shine through (you know, once the long johns are packed away).
Tips!
For gentle exfoliation, try a salt- or sugar-based body scrub, such as our Winter Body Scrub, infused with Vitamin C rich orange and rosehip!
Whether you’ve already set your intentions for 2021, or you like to wait until spring like me, the change of seasons is a great time to check in and evaluate how things are going with your mind and soul, as well as your body. What are some ways you like to celebrate spring?
Be sure to visit our Shop from now through 4 April for our Spring Cleaning Sale! 50% off everything!
Well! 2021 has had an exciting start for us here at These Wandering Roots! And the changes keep on coming!
The most noticeable of course being the new look of this site! As I explained in the previous post, I’ve decided to separate business from personal a little. I’ve taken on a partner, and we are transitioning to seasonal, organic skin and bodycare products. Therefore this website and blog will be focused on our new products, as well as tips and tricks for having a healthier, more natural self care routine!
I (Cailin), will still be sharing DIY child toy instructions, recipes, thoughts on multi-cultural living, and much more in my new personal blog, The Wandering Hearth. Over the next few weeks I will begin moving a lot of the blog posts over to that domain, and look forward to continuing to share my adventures there!
But as for here, I can’t wait to share what we have in store!
As this is the first post of the New Year, I thought I would share something new! For those of you who follow me on Instagram or Facebook (@thesewanderingroots), you probably already know this, but there have been some changes around the These Wandering Roots family.
First I decided to transition into selling homemade organic, holistic skincare products at the shop! The masks have been my most popular item by far, which is fantastic, because I realized that I love making them. Not only are they something I can make, and keep these fidgety hands from being idle, but they actually do some good. I loved getting messages from buyers telling me how they work in healthcare, or are in a risk group and didn’t want to use so many disposables. I truly believe that, deep down, we humans are programmed to want to do good, and can find true happiness by providing a service to others.
And I want to continue being of service. Holistic skincare has long been a hobby of mine. I’ve suffered from acne from a young age, and the cleanser I developed after researching the Oil Cleansing (OCM) was the first product in my adult years to truly help my skin. We keep an aloe plant in the kitchen for minor burns and sunburns, and I’ve been experimenting with infused calendula oil for treating my husband’s eczema.
So it made sense to start to offer them to others! Currently we offer three products, but more are coming very soon! The three current products, or Facial Trio as we’re calling it, are an Oil-based Cleanser that is geared towards OCM (comes with directions on using the Method as well!), a two ingredient Rose Toner, and a Moisturizing Serum, a blend of plant oils designed for improving skin’s texture, and treating various conditions such as eczema, rosacea, and irritation.
Meet Magdalena!
Secondly, did you catch how I said “we”? Yes, I actually have help now! My dear friend Magdalena (@magdalena_hamilton99) is born and raised here in Sweden (though she is part Macedonian, and married to a Macedonian, so she understands the multicultural family part!), and very much into fashion and skincare (you can read more about her at her blog). She has long wanted to start her own skincare company, so we are a match made in heaven! She is MUCH better versed at social media and business practices than I am, and I have the knowledge of organic, homemade skincare.
So again I say, Happy New Year, everybody! Let’s hope 2021 brings health and happiness.
Before washing my hair – not bad, but looking a little dry and flat.
We’re heading into month 6 of the global pandemic, and while Sweden has been notoriously less strict about quarantining than the majority of other countries, that doesn’t mean that everything has gone on as usual. Most services (barber shops, nail salons) have remained open, but many people have chosen not to go and have taken alternative measures.
For our family, that has meant I’ve become a bit of a hairdresser/barber. In these six months, I’ve cut my own hair, my husband’s, my mother-in-law’s, and my husband’s grandmother’s (does one say grandmother-in-law?). This means I’ve experimented with under-cutting, layering, simple side fading, and bangs! Most of these have been successful, and everyone has left satisfied in the end. I’ve even gotten some requests from my grandmother-in-law’s friends!
Freshly out of the shower (oh my!). My natural wave is back, and it feels great!
Not to brag, but I’ve gotten quite a few compliments about my own hair. I’ve been blessed/cursed with very thick hair. Not only do I have a lot of hair, but each strand is also very thick/textured. The upside to this is that it holds pretty much whatever is done to it with limited hairspray/gel/mousse necessary. The downside is that it has always been fairly tough to take care of. I’m a pretty low-maintenance person, and motherhood has only intensified this trait. The more mornings I can roll out of bed with my hair looking good, the better.
So I am thrilled that I have finally found an easy hair care routine that works! It brings out my natural waves, leaves my hair looking soft but not frizzy, and best of all, it’s only two steps!
Shampoo? Castile soap bar. Conditioner? Undiluted apple cider vinegar (ACV). That’s it.
This is starting to sound like an infomercial, but it really does amaze me how simple (and inexpensive!!) it is. When I started my foray into DIY/more natural skin and hair care (read this post about how I clean oil with oil with my DIY face cleanser), I tried the No ‘Poo method (short for no shampoo), which generally consists of washing your scalp with a paste of baking soda and water, and rinsing it with ACV. While I know many people swear by this method, I never could seem to wash all the baking soda out of my hair, and the roots always felt gritty and rigid. So I went back to regular shampoo and conditioner.
Recently I ran out of shampoo, and, without access to anything else, used my husband’s Aleppo soap, which he uses for washing everything from top to toe. It worked delightfully well, so I never went back to shampoo.
The secret ingredients – Aleppo soap and ACV
Ditching conditioner was harder. I’ve always been one who uses gobs of conditioner every day, even though I only used shampoo maybe every 2-3 days. But this was the last plastic bottle left in our shower, and I really wanted to find a more natural solution.
Remembering my experiment with No ‘Poo, I recalled that, while the baking soda left my roots feeling nasty, the ends of my hair, which tended to get mostly ACV, were very soft. So I bought the largest bottle I could find, and gave it a try.
Okay, now this is really sounding like an infomercial, but the results were perfect! The first day, my hair was shiny and soft. And it remained that way nearly all week! I now can go about 5 days between washing (though I do use the ACV more like every third day).
[Cue me, standing in front of a bluescreen holding a bar of soap and a bottle of vinegar] So take it from a (not even a little bit) professional hairdresser – when it comes to hair care, the simpler, the better!
And the next morning! ZERO styling time (minus a few bobby pins on the sides). A little wind-blown from a morning walk with DD, but wavy, healthy, and light!
It wouldn’t surprise me if you have, here in 2020. It’s certainly not new. I’ve been using it for over 6 years now, and I don’t think it was necessarily new back then.
The oil cleansing method, or OCM as it’s known in the hip circles I’m privy to (…), is simply put, a way to wash your face. It uses a blend of oils that, once warmed with hot water or steam, remove the dirt and grime from your face without messing with your skin’s natural oil production. It’s based on the idea of like repels like (the oil from the cleanser “repelling” the oil from your pores), though honestly I am unsure how much actual science goes into it.
Scientific or not, it is a way of cleaning your skin, particularly your face, by using oils instead of soaps.
I’ve always had problem skin. I have what I like to refer to as a “reverse T-zone,” with oily cheeks and chin, and dry skin on my nose and forehead. I suffered with acne throughout my teen years, and tried pretty much everything under the sun, until my parents actually let me take Accutane treatments. After about 6 months of horrifically red, flaky skin while I was taking it, poof! Clear skin, finally! (Note: I am not recommending Accutane. The possible side effects are many and scary, and I think the list of them has even grown since I took it. It definitely is effective, but so is DDT as a pesticide…).
The clear skin continued for about 8 years, but by the time I was living in NYC, the pimples had begun to reappear (though significantly less intense, thank goodness).
At this point I was beginning my more natural journey, and not wanting to put harsh chemical treatments on my skin or in my body. I started eating better, which definitely helped the acne, but in my experience, skin issues always do best with a two-pronged approach, combating it from both the outside and inside.
So I did a little research online and stumbled across OCM. At first I was skeptical. Washing your face with oil? Say what now? But I was willing to give it a try.
OCM was actually my first foray into DIY body care products, and there was definitely a bit of a learning curve. None of the ingredients were things I had just lying around the house (Castor oil? Isn’t that from the 1800s? Do they still make that?). I definitely had to tweak the recipe a few times before it really worked for me. But I was persistent, and it felt really good to be making something for myself.
Fast-forward a couple months and my skin was almost as clear as it was post-Accutane. Significantly better texture as well. Not to sound like an infomercial, but I was actually receiving compliments on my skin. And while the initial cost was a little high, since I didn’t have any of the ingredients, over time it has saved me a significant amount of money, especially as I got comfortable with the recipe and could buy in bulk.
So yes, in this case, like does repel like. Now to see if I can tweak the recipe to slow these wrinkles that have been creeping in since I turned 30!
Quick Swedish lesson: Ricin is Castor oil, Aprikos is Apricot, and E-vitamin is Vitamin E (I’m hoping you got that last one…)
The Ingredients
Like all my favorite recipes, both culinary and cosmetic, this is a greatly customizable product.
The recipe boils down to just two parts: Castor oil and a moisturizing carrier oil. Beyond that are many things you can add, but they are unnecessary.
Castor oil is the foundation of the cleansing oil, as this is the ingredient that lifts the grime and oil from your skin. Castor oil, as I found out when I first started making this product, has many medicinal and cosmetic uses, including its best known use as a laxative. Thankfully, for the purpose of this post, the only “cleaning out” it will help you with are your pores (I know, I know, bad joke). It’s antibacterial as well, which is always good for a skincare products.
It can also be fairly drying of your skin, which is why the OCM adds a carrier oil. This can differ depending on your personal skin characteristics. Sunflower seed oil is a great, inexpensive oil to try if you have normal skin or aren’t sure of your skin type. Jojoba oil is your best bet with acne-prone skin. Sweet almond or grapeseed are great for oily skin, while apricot kernel, hemp, or avocado oil really moisturize dry skin (apricot kernel oil also has pro-collagen properties which makes it great for aging skin).
As far as extras, one of the most popular is to add essential oils. These can be added based on your scent preference (I’ve been loving lavender and citrus for springtime), but many essential oils have other benefits for your skin (Check out my Mama Butter post for a short breakdown of some of these benefits).
I also add a few drops of Vitamin E oil to my blend. Vitamin E is a preservative, which is helpful if you keep your cleansing oil in the shower like I do, and it gets exposed to warm temperatures and humidity on a daily basis. As a perk, vitamin E is also great for skin’s elasticity.
The Recipe
The basic recipe for this cleansing oil is a 1:1 ratio of castor oil and your other oil (or oil blend). I would recommend making a small batch at first, with this ratio, and work from there.
If, after a few weeks of using, your skin seems to be drying out, try a new batch by lowering the amount of castor oil to a 1:2 or even 1:3 ratio of castor oil to carrier oil/blend.
If on the contrary, your skin seems very oily after trying the basic recipe, make a new batch with a 2:1 castor oil to carrier oil/blend ratio. Remember, though, it is very important to try it for several weeks (at least 4 to 6) before switching the recipe. Many commercial cleansers are overly drying, which causes our oil producing glands to work overtime. When we switch to a more gentle approach like this one, our skin needs time to adjust, and figure out it can stop producing so much oil.
So again, for clarity:
Normal skin: 1 part castor oil + 1 part carrier oil/blend
Dry skin: 1 part castor oil + 2 parts carrier oil/blend
Oily skin: 2 parts castor oil + 1 part carrier oil/blend
If you are going to add essential oils, a good rule of thumb is around 10 drops per ounce/30 ml of total oil. Same is true for vitamin E.
For example, I have combination skin, but mostly dry. So in my most recent batch, in a four ounce bottle I blended:
1 oz castor oil
2 oz carrier oil blend (1 oz sunflower oil + 1 oz apricot kernel oil)
1/2 tsp (~ 30 drops) vitamin E oil
10 drops tea tree essential oil
15 drops lavender essential oil
15 drops sweet orange essential oil
Great for my acne- and wrinkle- prone dry skin, and smells heavenly to boot.
One of my current favorite essential oil blends.
The Method
One of the biggest perks of the OCM is the fact that the cleansing oil remove makeup as well, so no need to use makeup remover beforehand. Simply dampen your face with warm water (either at the sink, or in the shower), then massage in the oil all over your face and let it soak in. Next, wet a washcloth with as hot of water as is comfortable for you. Wring out the excess water and put the hot washcloth over your face. Leave it there for at least 15 seconds (though longer is better – try to leave it until the washcloth starts to feel cool again), and then use the washcloth to wipe the oil off your face. If your face still feels like it has cleansing oil on it, repeat the washcloth process. Follow up with toner (optional) and moisturizer.
And voila! Even if it hadn’t cleared up my acne, I love the way my skin feels afterward: soft and hydrated, but not greasy at all.
Have you ever tried the oil cleansing method? If so, what are some of your favorite oil combinations?
So, as you may or may not know, at the time of writing this I am about eight and a half months pregnant. Which means I look as though I’ve swallowed a beach ball. I’m pretty much carrying this baby all in front, so you can see my belly rounding a corner a few seconds before you see the rest of me. My loving father and older brother repeatedly ask me if I’ve landed any jumbo jets recently, a joke that has carried over from when my mom was pregnant, as she apparently carried the same way.
To be honest, I don’t actually mind. My family jokes to show their love, and at the end of the day, I love my pregnant body. I love the new curves. I love that my “pear shape” has finally balanced out into more of an hourglass. I love how womanly I feel now. And if stretch marks were to appear on my ever-growing belly and breasts, then I would try to greet them with kindness, and the knowledge that they are signs of the incredible things a woman’s body can do.
HOWEVER…That does not mean that I want to invite them in. As in most everything regarding health, whether or not you will develop stretch marks breaks down into three factors: heredity, internal health, and external health. Also as in most everything regarding health, it is much easier to try and prevent stretch marks than it is to get rid of them.
Heredity
If you or the women in your family have a history of stretch marks, particularly during pregnancy, there may be little you can do to avoid them completely, but it’s always worth a try, and healthy, nourished skin will always feel better than dry, itchy skin.
Internal Health
What you eat and drink can help to nourish your skin and help prevent stretch marks. Stretch marks are formed when the collagen, or elastic tissue of the skin is stretched too quickly, thus breaking. Preventing this from happening is therefore a matter of making sure the skin does not expand more quickly than the collagen can handle.
There are foods that can help with collagen production and healthy skin. Omega-3 fatty acids, protein, zinc, and vitamins A, C, and E have all been shown to help improve skin’s elasticity (plus have many other health benefits for you and baby). Most foods that fit the bill are solely beneficial, but be sure to check with your OB, midwife, or other practitioner, to make sure that the benefits you receive from a food continue to outweigh any possible risks (especially regarding fish and shellfish), and that you continue to gain weight at a healthy rate.
External Health
This brings us to the original point of this post, and my personal favorite, helping to prevent stretch marks externally with a DIY body butter!
The same vitamins and nutrients that are beneficial for skin when eaten can also help when applied topically. I developed this body butter when I started to show at about 15 weeks, and have continued to make it and use it on my belly and breasts throughout the second and third trimesters. Honestly the first time I made this was in winter, and so my skin, especially on my belly, was very dry and SUPER itchy. I needed relief at that moment, so all I did was research the skin care ingredients that I already had, and made a butter with the ones that seemed to have the highest amounts of the above mentioned vitamins and nutrients. But I LOVE the way this feels, especially on tight, itchy skin, and so the only thing I changed when it ran out was the essential oil blend (to make the second batch more “spring-y”).
Here is a breakdown of the ingredients, and what makes them so nutritious for skin, according to my research:
Raw Cocoa Butter – contains vitamin E and Omega-3 fatty acids. Also contains oleic acid which may have anti-inflammatory properties making it good for that itchy skin!
Raw Shea Butter – contains vitamins A, C, and E.
Unrefined Coconut Oil – contains trace amounts of vitamin E (but mainly included to help make the butter easily absorbed).
Jojoba Oil – contains vitamins A and E, as well as zinc. Is often considered one of the oils that best mimics human skin’s natural oils.
Skin-boosting Essential Oils
Lavender – safe for all skin types, helps ease skin irritation.
Geranium – balances oil production in skin.
Lemon – antiseptic, antibacterial, and antimicrobial.
Tangerine – may help cell regeneration and collagen production.
Chamomile – soothing for cracked and sensitive skin.
Frankincense and/or Neroli – both extremely good oils when it comes to helping skin’s elasticity. **NOTE: I have not actually used either of these as both tend to run expensive, and since all the carrier oils and butters are also targeting elasticity, it’s up to you if you want to make the investment.
Now, I’ve had to source most of these locally because of Sweden’s recent customs law that puts an extra tax on goods coming from outside the EU, so my source list probably won’t help you (unless there’s some readers from Sweden?). But when living in the States, I bought most of my natural care ingredients from Mountain Rose Herbs. In addition, most of these ingredients are pretty common in DIY skin care, and could probably be bought at your local health store or even grocery store.
Again, it may be that the pregnancy gods have predestined you for stretch marks. But give the butter a go, and at the very least, you’ll have soft, supple skin – always a perk in my book!
A nourishing body butter designed with the growing belly in mind.
Ingredients
1 part cocoa butter
1/2 part shea butter
1/2 part coconut oil
1/2 part jojoba oil
essential oil blend
vitamin E oil (optional)
Directions
Melt the cocoa butter, shea butter, and coconut oil in a double boiler over medium-low heat (For a DIY “double boiler” (like I use), check out this site).
Remove from heat and add in jojoba oil. Stir to combine well.
Add the essential oil blend of your choice. (A good rule of thumb is 20 drops for every 4 oz / 110 g of cocoa butter you used.) Stir to combine well. (see notes)
Transfer to a glass jar and allow to cool in the refrigerator until solid. (see notes)
Store at room temperature for several months (though if you live in a hot climate, may want to keep it in the fridge).
The first time I made this, I used the EOs I had on hand, my go-to combination of peppermint and eucalyptus. This is stimulating yet comforting blend, especially in winter, but rather astringent. For the second go-around, I had researched more about skin-boosting EOs, and thus used a combination of lemon and lavender. Nourishing and great for spring/summer!
If you want a “whipped” body butter, take out of the refrigerator when it has turned opaque, but is not yet solid. With an immersion blender or hand blender, blend on low until butter is a very light yellow, and peaks begin to form like whipped cream. Store as directed.
These Wandering Roots 