In 3-phase effort to detoxify my home and body, I have started a crazy new skincare routine! I’m washing my face nightly with coconut oil and using apple cider vinegar as a toner.

I think most of us have heard about using ACV as a toner, but I found out I was doing it wrong. I wasn’t diluting it, I had only tried putting it straight from the bottle right on my face. And that stings!

I wasn’t familiar with using coconut oil as a face wash, though, and was very skeptical when I read about it. I tend to have oily skin, so why would I put more oil on my face? But I decided to give it a try and it works!

I’ve been experimenting with this for several weeks and have come up with what works for me. If you’re interested in trying an effective, inexpensive, all-natural skincare routine, you can start here and modify it to best suit you.

Benefits

Coconut oil

In addition to cooking, coconut oil can be used as lotion, makeup remover, tame frizzy hair, conditioner, oil-pulling for teeth … the list is endless.

• antibacterial
• antifungal
• moisturizing
• fatty acids
• antioxidants
• vitamin E
• stimulates collagen production

Apple cider vinegar

Raw apple cider vinegar is made up of beneficial live bacteria. It can be used from everything from cooking to cleaning, and as we’ll see a facial toner!

• high acidity
• vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C and E
• normalizes pH
• reduces age spots
• fights acne
• fights wrinkles
• removes toxins

And I drink a splash of ACV with a full glass of water almost every day to boost my immunity and balance the pH of my stomach. Don’t be scared of the “mother,” that dark goop floating around. That’s the good stuff!

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My results

I don’t have great skin. It’s both oily and dry. I have large pores. I’m also headed into my 40s, so hello, wrinkles. But since I have started this, I have not broken out, my face is no longer dry in some areas and not others. And my skin is SO soft! The ACV has done wonders for the pores on my nose. They’ll never be tiny, but I see a noticeable difference.

I think something about the combination of these two ingredients works very well.

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What you need

• Extra virgin coconut oil
• Raw apple cider vinegar
• Cotton pads
• Dispenser for ACV mixed with water
• Filtered water

Making ACV toner

It’s important to dilute the apple cider vinegar so you don’t irritate your skin. Mix 1 part ACV with 1 part filtered water. It’s probably a good idea to even dilute it more when you try it for the first time to make sure your skin tolerates it.

Here’s what I do: I shake the bottle very well, getting the “mother” off the bottom. Pour 1/4 cup ACV in with 3/4 cup filtered water. (You can adjust the ration to best suit your skin.) I store mine in a white soap dispenser. And squirt it out onto the cotton pad.

It stinks. It does, I can’t lie. Diluting it helps a lot, though. And the smell fades momentarily. Just warning you.

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Nighttime face routine

• Melt a small amount of coconut oil in your hand.
• Apply it to your face without water and rub in.
• It also works as makeup remover, so gently massage into hardened mascara and eye makeup.
• Put a warm washcloth over your face and let it sit for a few moments.
• Gently wipe coconut oil off with the washcloth.
• Apply watered down apple cider vinegar and filtered water to a cotton pad.
• Go over your face with the pad and don’t wash it off. Let it dry.
• If your face feels too dry, add a little more coconut oil. Otherwise, you’re all done!

Coconut oil as lotion

I also use coconut as lotion when I get out of the bath or shower. I just put it all over while my skin is still damp and then dry off with the towel. My skin is so smooth and soft now. I can really tell a big difference.

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Morning face routine

• Wash my face with a gentle cleanser. (Right now I’m using baby wash! So gentle, non-toxic and very cost-effective.)
• Apply diluted ACV with a cotton swab and don’t wash off.
• Let ACV dry and apply makeup as normal.

But sometimes ACV twice a day is too hard on the skin. Some weeks I just do once a day or even every other day.

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Extras

There are few extra things I do during the week in addition to the coconut oil and ACV.

1.Non-toxic eye cream: I’ve also been using this non-toxic eye cream that smells great and moisturizes very well. I use this every night.

2. Derma roller: I use a micro derma roller once a week. It’s not comfortable, but it’s not painful. It’s supposed to increase collagen production. Be sure to use rubbing alcohol to clean it. Don’t use if your skin is sunburned or irritated.

3. Exfoliating brush: I use a facial cleaning brush to exfoliate once a week. But not the same night as the derma roller! I usually do this in the morning with my gentle cleanser.

4. Lotion: And I’m serious when it comes to moisturizing! So sometimes I even add lotion on top of the coconut oil to my feet, arms and hands. I found out my lotion was a toxic level of 5 out of 10, so I started using Clara’s baby lotion! It’s cheaper, has a zero level toxicity, and I like it even better!

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I was trying baking soda in my coconut oil as an exfoliator and then I read that baking soda messes up the skin’s pH balance. I’ve also read that coconut oil can block pores like a wax, but that was from someone who sells skincare, so I don’t know! One minute something is good for us, the next we find out it’s bad.

I think I will stick with this for awhile though. I love the results so far and my pores actually seem to look better than ever!

My non-toxic makeup picks are coming next week. I just have to finally finish stenciling my front porch first! Hopefully I have that done in time to post Thursday. I’m SO excited about it!

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