la la land

Anonymous asked: Hey Lauren, how does using coconut oil for face wash/, moisturizer work, exactly? I know that seem like a silly question, but I'm just curious. My face is really sensitive and breaks out all the time from face care products and I would love to be able to stop using them. Is there a product you'd really recommend for face care? Thanks for sharing!

for suuuure. i don’t think there’s really a right or wrong way to do it, but basically i rinse my face in warm water, rub it dry with a towel, rinse a second time if i need, depending on how much makeup i’m wearing (and dry) - and then i rub coconut oil into my skin. i use enough to coat my skin lightly (it absorbs) but not too much that i have a layer of it left on my face. that’s pretty much it! i try to do this every night, but if you do it in the morning and use foundation or concealer, make sure you use less coconut oil than normal. you don’t want it to mix with your makeup. 

warm water and physically rubbing (gently!) will remove a lot more makeup than any chemical combination you’re putting on your skin for a cleanser. most face cleansers are pretty much just a marketing scheme, unless they are for acne - in which case they just add some acid in there to dry up your pores. BUT, that’s terrible for your skin. acne is either caused by clogged pores, food intolerance/hormone imbalance, or sensitivity to products.

when you use any product with salicylic acid (or any other kind), you are drying out your skin, which tells your skin to produce way more oil to compensate, which in turns makes it easier for pores to get clogged. most people use moisturizer to fix the dry skin issue, but they forget that they’re just filling their pores back up with chemicals, which is a huge problem for those of us with sensitive skin.

for me, i eliminated eggs from my diet and cut back on dairy, and that got rid of a lot of my breakouts. coconut oil protects your skin from getting too dried out and it also helps your skin heal blemishes/scars double-time. 

if you wear waterproof mascara, coconut oil has helped me get it off. just use it like you would a make-up remover - rub over your eyelashes gently, let sit for a little bit, and then wash/rub to remove.

also - pay attention to the foundation/concealer you’re using, if any. don’t use something heavy. make sure your skin can breathe. i like MAC’s face + body foundation because it’s really thin, and lasts FOREVER.