Arizona Farmers' Market Beauty Finds: Part I

Little Mama Products Happy Face Facial Serum

Farmers Markets are such fun places to stock up on not only your kitchen provisions but on artisanal and natural beauty products as well. A recent visit to my local market yielded some vendors with some amazing products – three of which I would love to share here over the coming week. Thankfully all of them also have an online presence so you won’t be out of luck if you are not in the Phoenix, Arizona area to enjoy the markets in which they regularly participate.

The first product on the list is a lovely facial serum from Sue Harris of Little Mama Products. It is all natural and made with no synthetic colors, fragrances or preservatives. The serum goes on the skin like a dry oil which one could wear as a stand alone moisturizer in more humid climates, or for people who hate any feeling of oiliness on their skin. (Dry oils absorb very fast, giving one instant moisturization and glow without the ‘stickiness’ that most lotion-averse people despise.)

This makes Happy Face Facial Serum ideal for wearing under your regular moisturizer or face cream, or for mixing it in with them if you are pressed for time and need to skip a step. I also love it for times when your face needs a quick moisture boost on the go. Just wipe with a wet towel (preferably a warm one so you can simultaneously open your pores) to remove any grime accumulated during the course of your day and then give yourself a quick dab of this serum to freshen your look.

This face magic comes in the teensiest of bottles that is easy to pop in your purse, pocket or backpack and a little bit goes along way. Best of all it can be added to your existing regimen. You don’t have to stop or change anything you are already doing to incorporate it.

Despite boasting an ingredient list of the highest quality, it only costs $15.00 per bottle.

Here is a list and explanation of what goes into making this exquisite ounce of face magic.

Olive Squalane – A fast and deeply penetrating dry oil that moisturizes and provides anti-oxidants

Moringa Oil – Extremely stable (takes a beating before it goes rancid) and is full of antioxidants, vitamins and fatty acids that give you “that glow.”

Virgin Rosehip Seed Oil (Rose Mosqueta) – Pressed from ripe rose hips and a well known and much used ally in the fight against wrinkles and visible skin aging.

Meadowfoam Seed Oil, - Another extremely stable and deeply moisturizing oil that actually lends its stability to all other ingredients with which it is blended. It also helps to create a barrier on the skin which helps to seal in moisture and prevent excessive moisture loss.

Pomegranate Seed Oil – Is chock full of antioxidants, essential fatty acids and phytonutrients. It is incredibly healing and can even be useful for sun and wind burn, as well as revitalizing more experienced skin by smoothing fine lines and wrinkles and restoring tone and radiance to the skin.

Sea Buckthorn Berry Oil - An extremely potent and well known skin oil that is prized for its highly nutritive qualities and ability to regenerate skin cells and heal damaged skin.

Buriti Oil – This glorious orange oil has more beta-carotene than even carrot seed oil and is like liquid gold on the face. It is deliciously moisturizing and anti-aging.

Neroli Essential Oil – Regenerates skin, prevents scar tissue and repairs broken capillaries. Also very relaxing and promotes restful sleep.

Helichrysum Essential Oil – As a serious youthening agent, helichrysum is a profound cell regenerator that heals wounding and firms up the skin.

Tangerine Essential Oil – An uplifting oil that helps to maintain oil and moisture balance in the skin

Vitamin E – A natural preservative that is also very nourishing and healing for the skin.

Thank you Sue for making such a wonderful natural product for our enjoyment and personal beauty regimens.

For Radiantly Clean Skin - Wash With Dirt

Personal benefits to my skin

Recently I stumbled upon what might possibly be the best method with which to cleanse your face. Believe it or not, this 2 minute regimen entails washing your face with dirt! Okay maybe not the kind from your garden, but clay.

Having personally experimented with the clay washing method, I saw immediate improvement in the quality of my skin. With every passing week of sticking with it, I have reaped ever increasing benefits.

My facial skin looks and feels:

• Firmer, smoother, softer, more evenly toned and radiant.
• When I wash my face it feels very clean without being dry.
• I get a surprisingly gentle exfoliation with each wash that doesn’t irritate my skin and rip it open.
• My formerly combination skin has stopped overproducing oil in its T-zone.
• Fading of acne scars, other blemishes and gradual reduction of blackheads – with no new blackheads appearing!
• I can now get away with washing my face once a day or even every other day and still look as fresh as when I had to wash my face twice daily!
• I have never been happier with any other cleanser that I have used for my face!

Proven benefits of clay

The purported benefits of applying clay to the skin include;

• Improving and or curing acne, and preventing future breakouts with continued use.
• Drawing excess oil and impurities from deeper layers of the skin thus deeply cleansing and over time exposing radiant skin.
• Provides the gentlest exfoliation thus constantly getting rid of old, dead skin and revealing the new.
• Reducing the appearance of lines, wrinkles, age spots, acne, scars and other blemishes
• Improving circulation under the skin, thus making nutrients from the bloodstream more readily available to the newer skin cells.

Best of all, it’s dirt cheap!

There are several types of clay and clay based cleansers on the market. Even the most expensive types of clay are only US $17.00 a pound when bought in bulk, and just a few ounces are enough to wash your face for months! I recommend just sticking to straight clay itself for the sake of purity and not introducing unnecessary toxins from preservatives. If you really want to get jazzy with it, add some powdered herbs, seaweed and essential oils to your clay.

Directions For Use

• Mix about a teaspoon of clay with 2-3 tablespoons of liquid. Use water if you like, but your choice of hydrosol, raw honey, cucumber juice or herb tea would be even more stellar. My personal favorite to add is cold aloe juice and raw honey.
• Mix the clay and liquid with your finger or a wooden spoon – creating a paste that is somewhat runny and applies easily to the skin with the fingers. Be sure to avoid using metal containers or spoons - use only glass, ceramic or wood bowls. If you have some leftover after your treatment, just cover it with a lid or saran wrap for later use so it doesn’t dry out.
• Apply the paste to your face, being sure to cover all the areas that you would normally wash with your cleanser. Using circular motions, gently scrub off the clay right away with a wet face towel. For daily use it is important not to allow the mask to dry. Rinse off the excess with tepid water
• Please note: You can also mix the clay with your favorite gentle facial cleanser if you feel you need extra cleansing once a week or so, or daily if you are not quite ready to let go of washing your face with something more sudsy. You will still receive many of the same benefits. Just be sure you are using a gentle cleanser that does not strip the protective pH mantle of your skin, and I will give some examples of such in future blogs.
• You can also use this same clay paste as a body mask after skin brushing.

Tone and moisturize your skin as usual and you are good to go.

An excellent post-cleanse treatment is a hydrosol mist or herb tea followed by a great facial oil (like baobab, Tamanu or melon seed) or a shea butter cream.

My favorite places to buy clay are:

www.mountainroseherbs.com (they sell all varieties)

www.sheaterraorganics.com (they have a beautiful Moroccan mud that you could use the same way, plus lots of other great natural skin care products)

http://www.livingclayco.com (they even have a pre-mixed paste that is great if you do not have time to mix your own paste.

Have fun with this! I would love to hear how this method worked for you.