DIY Eye Cream

I saw a pin on Pinterest for make it yourself eye cream and wanted to give it a try.  Eye creams at the store can cost a small fortune and this one is super inexpensive to make.

All you need is

• Vitamin E (either in a bottle or in capsules)
• Coconut Oil - mine was in a liquid form
• A clean container (you could use a small plastic container, but I just used some used eye cream bottles that I had cleaned out)
• A medicine dropper (not absolutely necessary, but helps keep the process from becoming messy)

What I did - but, you can adjust to your own needs.

Put 2 teaspoons coconut oil into your container.  Add 1/2 teaspoon of vitamin E.  Mix to combine with a q-tip or toothpick.  If your coconut oil is not in liquid form, you'll have to really make sure it gets mixed well with the vitamin e.

Apply as much or as little as you want to your eye area each night before bed.  I even like to rub a little right on the roots of my eyelashes.

Here's what it looked like after I had applied some.

Against my better judgement, I applied some BB cream and concealer to my under-eye area the day before and my skin didn't care for it, so that is the red you can see on my eyelid.  I was a tiny bit worried that this eye cream would irritate it, but I am very happy to report that it did not.  

I am going to continue using this cream for a while and take another picture to see what the results are.  I am hoping for no change or improvement with diminishing of lines and wrinkles and hopefully improved skin texture.  

**CAUTION - Use your best judgement here, because all people's skin is different.  If you have ever had an adverse reaction to any of these products, then I don't recommend you make eye cream with them.  It is always smart to test a small amount of any new product on your skin before you lather it all over the very sensitive skin around your eyes!  You've been warned and I won't be responsible for you not following my caution, people!

Having said that, I tend to have pretty sensitive skin under my eyes and this didn't cause any sort of negative reaction for me.

the flip side of dry shampoo

i promise that this is not turning into a beauty blog.  

last week i talked about my love hate relationship with dry shampoo.  well, one of the biggest drawbacks of dry shampoo is that it does what it is supposed to do and dries out the oil on your hair.  this can leave the ends of your hair super dry since it isn't getting all of the oil that it needs.

enter the world of leave-in conditioners and hair oil.  i have not tried a wide array of these products.  in fact, i have really only tried 3 or 4.  of the ones i have tried, biosilk silk therapy is my fave!  

i got attached to biosilk back in 2004 when i had hair extensions.  in order to keep hair extensions looking good, you have to treat them with something and this is what i found worked the best for me.

this is the only picture that i could find that you can see my extensions really well.  you can see the top layer is where my hair was naturally and then you can see the extensions hanging down on my arm. (btw - that is my family - all my brothers and my parents.  we're a cute bunch!)

now a word of CAUTION.  do not apply biosilk anywhere near your scalp.  only apply it to the bottom half of your hair.  if you do not heed this caution you will end up with a grease pit on your head!  and it is not pretty.  

the best way to use biosilk?

after washing and conditioning hair, but before blow drying

• apply a nickle to quarter size amount to the palm of your hand (how much you use will depend on the length and thickness of your hair)
• rub your palms together
• work through the tips of your hair, and then a little way up the hair.... don't get too crazy and go very high.  remember the grease pit.
• rub any remaining biosilk into the backs of your hands.

on dry hair

• same steps as above, just use less - about a dime size amount.

if you really want to deep treat your hair with this stuff, i recommend applying it liberally to the whole length of your hair (still try and avoid the roots), wrap your hair in a bun on the top of your head, secure the bun and put a sock (the sock will protect your pillow) over it.  then go to sleep.  wash your hair the next morning.

*******

the only other product i have hanging around right now is this:

aussie hair insurance leave-in conditioner

sometimes if i am in a hurry, i will quickly spray this on the ends of my hair before blow drying.  i also use it on a hurried morning when i'm not going to wash my hair, but the ends feel a little dry and frizzy.  just spray a little bit and brush out while zapping it quickly with the blow dryer.

that's all i've got to say for now.

dry shampoo - my thoughts on the grocery store varieties

i have a love hate relationship with dry shampoo.

i love it because i am trying to wash my hair less (i am currently able to go 3-4 days between washings), but i hate it because a lot of the choices either leave me looking like an 80 year old gray-haired woman or i have to go outside to spray it because it smells so... toxic.  i also hate that the one i would really like to try is way out of my budget.

not that you will care, but because this is my blog and i can, i'm going to review the available grocery store products and tell you which is my favorite.  here are the contenders:

just to make sure we are all on a level playing field here, i am going to sum up the best way to use dry shampoo IMO.  

• i don't like to use any dry shampoo on my hair until at least the day after i washed my hair.  some people spray it on as soon as they wash their hair, but i think it is unnecessary.
• always hold the can at least 6-8 inches away from your noggin.... believe me on this one!
• when spraying, don't spray your hair, spray at your scalp.
• first, shake that can like your life depends on it.  I think the white stuff in it settles to the bottom, so you'll need to shake it well before you start AND between each spray.
• then spray a steady but light amount in your actual part.  use your blow dryer and a brush and blow/brush for a few seconds to get rid of any white dust that appears.  also, this kind of gives your hair some body.
• shake the can again and then take a section of hair just beyond either side of your part, spray your new "part" and then blow dry and brush lightly.  i like to blow and brush the hair the "wrong way". again, this creates some lift and volume.  leave it hanging the wrong way for a few minutes or hit it with a shot of cold air from your dryer to set it.
• again, repeat with the other side of your "normal" part.
• finally, repeat with the crown of your head.  i usually do two sections back here. i couldn't really think what to call it, so i took a picture.  i pointing to the top/back of my head and i've already pulled up a section.

now on to my reviews of the grocery store dry shampoo products that i have used.  please note: if you have blonde hair, the white specks and white dust that i will reference in my reviews of each product might not be as big of a deal for you than it is for my brunette self.  

#1 (in the picture above) suave professionals dry shampoo spray; beautiful clean

pros:

• doesn't smell like you are fumigating your house. 
• has a pretty pleasant smell.
• doesn't leave hardly any white specks or dust in your hair.
• hair will last at least 2 days before needing another washing.

cons:

• need a little spray touch-up daily

#2 - next up is suave professionals keratin infusion dry shampoo 

pros:

• when following the directions, it will leave a few white specks in your hair, but they are easily removed with a brush and blow dryer combination.
• controls the oil in your hair well.
• can usually get one more day of unwashed hair

cons:

• get ready to put your gas mask on when you spray it.
• when following the directions, it will leave white specks in your hair, but they are easily removed with a brush and blow dryer combination.
• unless you spray a lot of it (leaving lots of white specks), your hair can still look a little greasy and flat.
• have to use daily until i wash my hair.

#3 - is tresemme fresh start waterless dry shampoo

 pros:

• doesn't smell bad, doesn't smell good.
• works really well at controlling oil.
• adds body to your hair at the roots.
• can usually get 2 more days of unwashed hair.
• only need to use it once until i wash my hair again.

cons:

• doesn't smell bad, doesn't smell good.
• it leaves a ton of white dust in your hair, which takes a lot of work to get out. sometimes i can't get it all out and i end up scratching my head all day....

in conclusion...
my favorite right now is #1 (i promise i didn't plan it that way!)  i like that it has a pleasant smell and that it doesn't leave a lot of white dust in my hair.  plus it does what it is supposed to.