What's The Deal With Oil Pulling?

I am a bit of a Pintrest addict. It's become my favourite resource when it comes to recipes, handicrafts and alternative health.
I kept seeing pins about the health benefits of "Oil Pulling." I had no idea what this was (or even the fact that it was for oral/overall health) and curiosity got the best of me.
I learned that oil pulling is taking about a tablespoon of organic, cold-pressed, unrefined oil and swishing it around in your mouth for 15-20 minutes.
The oil, I read, could be Sunflower, Sesame or Coconut. At least these were the most popular options.
What really sold me on it was the benefits of oil-pulling daily
Oilpulling.com lists these following conditions as most frequently responding to by Oil Pulling:

• Acne
• Allergies
• Arthritis
• Asthma
• Back and Neck Pain
• Bad Breath
• Bronchitis
• Chronic Fatigue
• Colitis
• Crohn’s Disease
• Constipation
• Dental Cavities
• Dermatitis
• Diabetes
• Eczema
• Hemorrhoids
• Hypertension
• Insomnia
• Migraine Headaches
• Mucous Congestion
• Peptic Ulcers
• PMS
• Periodontal Disease
• Bleeding Gums
• Sinusitis
• Tooth Abscess

Now I'm most excited about it's oral benefits like reducing plaque and gingivitis, reducing cavities, reduces harmful bacteria in the mouth, and oil pulling with Coconut oil reduces mouth bacteria.
It's also well known for naturally whitening and brightening teeth.

So I will be doing a 2 week experiment of oil pulling daily to see if it makes any noticeable difference to my oral or general health.
I decided to use Coconut oil as that's what I had on hand, and I don't mind the taste of Coconut.
Truth be told the swishing and sucking it back and forth between my teeth did make my cheeks a little sore, but you don't have to be swishing vigorously for the whole 15-20 minutes. 
After I spat (NEVER SWALLOW - the oil will now contain bacteria and toxins you've lifted from inside your mouth, the last thing you'd want to do is ingest it.)  I simply rinsed with water. 
My teeth immediately felt cleaner and smooth. They felt like I had just had a cleaning at the dentist, and I noticed my breath did not smell at all.

Some people recommend you do it first thing in the morning (or in the shower) I can try, but the best time I've found it when my little one naps in the afternoon. It's beneficial no matter when in the day you Oil Pull, and is great to do just before bed.

I will post an update in 2 weeks about any differences I've noticed, until then, keep smiling!

Peace,

Bar Shampoo Soap and the Oil Cleansing Method

In my quest to eat more natural and healthy foods, I've also desired using less processed products on my person.
You can absorb just as many chemicals by rubbing it on your skin, brushing you teeth or washing your hair, as you can by eating it.
I started researching other alternatives to store bought products and came across more natural beauty choices.
A strangely popular "no-poo" method for washing hair has gotten a fairly large following; women and men who have given up shampoo and conditioner all together, and have started using baking soda, and apple cider vinegar   as replacements.
I was tempted, but call me a wuss, I wanted to ease into tossing shampoo, especially since I have naturally greasy hair, and cannot go more than a day without washing.
So, I found an alternative:
This is the "Soap Works Shampoo and Conditioner" bar. The soap works is a Canadian based company, nothing they make contain phosphates or lauryl sulphates. 
I found it at my local organic store for a mere $1.45.

 I figured if I was game enough to be tempted by just baking soda alone, surely I could try this! I've been using it for a week now, as is Jeremie and we both quite like it. It smells lovely, has a nice lather and my hair feels clean and fluffy. If I had to knit-pick one thing, I would say my hair is slightly drier. However, being a naturally greasy person, this hasn't really been a problem. 

I've been able to go three days without washing my hair, and still not get to that frighteningly-stringy greasy look. 

During my little cruise for natural beauty products, I came across this: "The Oil Cleansing Method". 

I know it sounds crazy, cleaning your face with oil?? But it seemed just crazy enough to work. 

"The basic concept of this skin care and cleansing method is that the oil used to massage your skin will dissolve the oil that has hardened with impurities and found itself stuck in your pores. The steam will open your pores, allowing the oil to be easily removed. Should you need it, the smallest drop of the same oil formula patted over damp skin will provide the necessary lubrication to keep your skin from over-compensating in oil production. "

Well, okay then. I'll give it a shot.  

I already had the Olive oil at home, and after a quick jaunt found my castor oil. The little bottle I conveniently found at the dollar store. You can apparently buy little bottles and the like in their "travel-sized" section. 

Because I think I have fairly normal skin, (sometimes dry, sometimes greasy) I used a 1 to 1 ratio of castor oil and olive oil. I made only 2 tsp castor / 2 tsp. olive, as I'm still in the 'testing' stage. 

" Castor Oil has potent anti-inflammatory properties, but is also healing and cleansing, which is why we're focusing on this oil as our primary oil."  

The olive oil is simply used as a carrier oil, and can be replaced by grape seed or sunflower seed oil. I just used what I had on hand. 

The rest was very simple. Throw it in a bottle and give it a shake!

The best time to cleanse is at night, to get the day's grime off, and this cleanser is also a wonderful makeup remover too! 

Take a quarter sized amount in your hands, rub them together to warm the oil. 

Massage into your face for approximately a minute making sure to work into your problem areas. 

Take a face cloth and soak in water warm enough to steam the oil off your face - lay it on your face for another minute. 

Your face should immediately feel softer. If you're using the right ratio of oils, you shouldn't need to moisturize. If your skin feels dry, add more olive oil to your mix, if your skin feels greasy, cut back on your olive oil amount or adjust the ratio to a greater amount of castor oil.

I've just started using this, so I will update you all in a week or so when I have some real results. However, after just a few uses, my skin already feels softer and more moisturized. 

I'll also try to take a picture of my hair after 3 days of no washing, and then again after using my soap. 

So that's what I've been doing lately! 

Peace,