Coconut Oil Cult

Yes, I have joined the cult of coconut oil users. At first, I was skeptical. I didn't believe that one product could be beneficial for you in so many ways.

These are my before and after shots.

On the left is a picture of me from June 8th, before I started a coconut oil face regimen. On the right is me 20 days later (with only mascara on). My nose still has some scarring and I do have a few spots left, but I feel like I have a whole new face. My face feels healthier, looks brighter, and my acne has cleared up. The biggest difference I have seen is in fading my acne scars and evening my complexion. 

Here's what I did: I washed my face twice a day with my usual products. Around mid-day, I would take off any makeup I had, apply coconut oil, and let it sit for 30 minutes before rinsing off with warm water and a wash-cloth. That's it.

I'm all for a quick remedy. I did have to be patient and consistent with it, but the results I have seen in less than 3 weeks is worth it to me, and worth sharing.

Practical Night Routine for the Lazy, Broke, and Tired College Girl

You can do a lot in 30 minutes.

Searching for tips, tricks, or even just scrolling through my Pinterest feed, I find so many posts saying the same things about sleeping on silk and having a humidifier... Well, not all of us have the will and means to be so pampering toward ourselves. I went on a bit of a mission in my bathroom to find a nightly routine that could easily be completed in 30 minutes or less, stress-free. Here's what I came up with:

1) Hair: You can do just about anything to your hair before bed and step out the door in the morning , because the "bed head" look is in. But considering my classes begin at 7:30 AM (yes, AM), I need to wake up with hair that looks presentable and will last throughout the day in hot and humid weather. For my particular trial, I split my hair into two french braids (because... layers) after brushing it and applying Moroccan Oil to the ends. {I will include links to other overnight hairstyling tips I found interesting or useful at the bottom of this post.}

2) Teeth: There's a given here: brush them. I brushed my teeth and used my whitening treatment mouthwash for 60 seconds.

3) Lips: What? Lips? Yes. Lips. I used a lip scrub and applied my favorite lip balm because nothing can be compared to drooling in your sleep and waking up with cracked and bleeding lips. (You know it's happened to you at least once.)

4) Face: I washed my face with my acne-fighting cleanser. I use a gentler, oil-free one for nighttime, rather than my usual rapid-clear formula. I applied a night cream around my eyes. Then, I made a moisturizing serum from a nickel-size dab of coconut oil and 2-3 drops of tea tree oil. I rubbed an even layer of medium thickness on my face to be left overnight.

5) Body: Moisturize. I'll say it again: Moisturize. I applied lotion to my arms and legs, adding coconut oil to my knees and elbows (the driest areas). I also applied a generous amount of coconut oil to my feet, paying the most attention to my heels and ankles. I slept in a pair of socks to lock in moisture. Lastly, I applied a hand cream to give my dry skin and cuticles some love, too.

{Helpful Hair Tips:}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsGuWokn47A&feature=share
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/155937205824842866/