Taya Starling

I don’t know if it’s the beach girl in me or the fact that my dad raised me like the son he wishes he had, but as a girl I’ve always had a hard time being the kind of girl who puts in a ton of effort to look flawless.  I don’t seem to embrace high maintenance well and I am almost certain that my body rejects it.  I’ve never fake tanned (why would you skip out on the fun of the real thing!?), I tried acrylics once – worst week ever, I hate dying my hair, and I once had to get my hair permed twice for a role because my hair simply would not hold the beautiful curls they so desperately wanted my character to have.  Unlike many of my girlfriends, fake lashes are not my best friend and I’m pretty sure if I ever got a boob job my body would quite possibly shut down on me (I actually decided several years ago that if I can’t sit through watching the surgery being done to someone else I wouldn’t voluntarily ever let it be done on myself).

To be honest, you’re lucky if I brush my hair before leaving the house to hang out with you.  I’m not saying I’m effortless. Let’s be real, there’s a lot of work that goes into looking decent to leave the house, but I will share some of the effort I make with all of you, here.

I’m a big fan of so many things you can find in your kitchen.  And no I’m not just talking about all the yummy foods- although if you invited me over for dinner I doubt I’d turn you down.  Here are some amazing natural beauty products you can find at home in your very own kitchen.

Coconut oil

One of my very best friends in beauty and in life.  It can be used for everything from cooking to oil pulling to moisturizing to help boost metabolism… a few of my favorite things to use it for are:

• removing my eye make up (it removes almost every waterproof mascara it’s ever met!)
• adding to body scrubs and face masks (recipes coming soon)
• anti frizz hair serum (especially during winter in cold dry temperatures!)

I recommend using cold pressed virgin coconut oil.  This can be found in most supermarkets nowadays or your local health food store.  Here in Thailand we’re lucky to find it everywhere.

Honey

Oh so sweet and so versatile. I buy raw natural organic honey- regular or manuka- and use it to wash my face.  Sometimes I add in sugar and use it as a face scrub.  Honey is great for all skin types.  It has natural antibacterial qualities so it’s great whether or not you have blemishes.  It’s natural enzymes and probiotics are great for your skin too.  It leaves my skin nice and soft and it’s natural.  I only recommend this in the morning or on days you don’t wear make up as honey will not wash off foundation or powder.  Use it as you would a regular face wash.

Chamomile tea

Chamomile tea, a natural anti-inflammatory, helps ease redness and puffiness around the eyes. Green and black teas contain compounds called tannins, plus caffeine. Tannins have an astringent effect on the skin and shrink swollen tissue, while caffeine constricts blood vessels to reduce swelling.

Steep two chamomile, green, or black tea bags in just-boiled water for three minutes. Remove them from the water and place in the refrigerator until cooled. Place one bag over each eye and relax for 15 minutes.

Avocado

Avocados are super rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin K, fiber, folate, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, copper and potassium and have been used in treating a ton of skin ailments.  They are known to have a anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties.  I use it in face masks, hair masks, and of course my famous guacamole- don’t forget it’s a great provider of the healthy kind of fat you need.

Almond Oil Almond oil is my second favorite oil next to coconut.  Studies have found that its composition is somewhat similar to the natural oil found in a baby’s skin. This composition helps in protecting your skin, prevents common skin problems and keeps it youthful and healthy.  Almond oil is a rich source of Vitamins A, B and E which are great for your skin’s health.  It also helps in reducing inflammation, redness, and itching of skin and thus acts as the perfect solution for skin problems like psoriasis and eczema.

Almond oil can help to get rid of those big bad dark circles too, just rub sweet almond oil under your eyes daily before going to bed. Doing this religiously and regularly will not only help in reducing dark circles but also prevent blemishes and fine lines.

I add almond oil to some of my scrubs or when my skin is really dry I rub it into my skin and let it soak in for about 5 minutes before taking a shower.  My skin is so soft afterwards I don’t even need moisturizer.

So, there you have it.  A few of my favorite natural beauty products.  Have any that you love and don’t see above?  Feel free to share them below (: I promise I’ll post again soon with some of my favorite natural beauty recipes.