Article by BR Kellie
Is it time to clean up your beauty act? Let’s talk dirty!
From mud to charcoal to tar, some of nature’s most dirty looking products are also some of the best for our body. But which should you be using and why?
When you think of coal usually the remnants of a bonfire or BBQ come to mind. It’s dusty and dirty and gets everywhere! It’s also a skin saver. Who knew!? Actually, it seems a lot of people do these days, and activated charcoal is a hot new ingredient on the beauty scene. It offers fantastic detoxifying properties and works by sucking the toxins away from the skin.
So who’s on board with activated charcoal, and how do we get our hands on it?
Bossy Cosmetics have a charcoal and clay facial bar, which along with healing butters and essential oils, is designed to draw away impurities while soothing and healing skin. If you’re a fan of masks then check out Origins Clear Improvement Mask. Activated charcoal can even be used as a teeth whitener, and Beauty Review’s Princess Zoe has managed to get her hands on Warpaint Natural Teeth Whitener (it’s in The Vault!), which is designed to whiten and polish teeth, strengthen enamel and detoxify your mouth.
Tar is another thing you wouldn’t generally associate with skincare, usually I think of it as the stuff on the road that melts when it gets too hot and sticks to my jandals. Not particularly loveable. Unless you have a skin condition, like psoriasis or eczema, because then pine tar might just be your new best friend. Heck, you’ll even want to bathe in it. Yup, Pinetarsol, the go-to for many mums when their child has chicken pox, features pine tar. Of course if you don’t want to feel like you’re swimming in the Bog of Eternal Stench, it’s also available as a gel, which can be used throughout the day to reduce inflammation and relieve itching.
There’s also another nifty little pine tar product, Grandpa’s Pine Tar Soap, a multi-purpose soap for bathing, showering, shaving, shampooing, moisturising and deodorising. Basically, if you were off tramping, this is the one product you’d want to take… especially if you don’t mind smelling a little manly. Finally, where would an article about dirty products that keep you clean be without mud, glorious mud. And aren’t we lucky enough to live in a part of the world with an area that is revered for its mud. I’m talking about you, Rotorua! Their magical mud isn’t just great for the face, it’s great for the whole body too. Rich in minerals, including iron, calcium and zinc, it’s known for its ability to detoxify, exfoliation and repair skin. Of course if you can’t get to Rotorua to enjoy a mud bath you can still find skincare products featuring this little gem of nature, like Skinfood’s Mud Masque, or check out the Rotorua Thermal Mud range here
So are you fan of getting dirty to get clean? What are your favourite products? Get chatting!
have never tried anything dirty,would love to try the warpaint teeth whitener.I would even venture to try some mud.:)