Which Oils Are Good For Your Skin Type?

When I heard that putting oil on your face would actually help even out oily skin I was baffled. I think all of us have experienced the uncomfortable feeling of when a product just sits there on your skin, instead of absorbing quickly. I even read and heard that people were using ONLY oil to wash their faces. I am not that brave just yet. BUT after hearing the oil-moisturizer idea it time and time again, I decided to try it myself. I have spent the past month using a mango butter mixture after I wash with one of the facial bars I make. I chose mango butter because I combination skin that is mostly oily but also has dry patches. Mango butter is considered non-comedogenic and a "dry oil," in order to maximize my experience and results.

Non-Comedogenic vs Comedogenic
What does non-comedogenic mean? (trust me I still have trouble even spelling it, let alone saying it. Non-comedogenic is a fancy way to say that it doesn't clog pores. Each liquid oil or body butter has a comedogenic attached to it ranging from zero (non-clogging) to 4 (clogging). For example, mango and shea, butters are rated a 0, but coconut oil is rated a 4. This means that if you already have oily skin you should stick to oils and butters that are very close to zero. If you have dry skin you might be able to use higher ranking oils without necessarily clogging your pores.

What is a dry oil?
A dry oil sounds like an oxymoron, but all it means is that it absorbs much faster into the skin, leaving behind a "dry" feeling versus a greasy one. For example shea butter is not considered a dry oil but mango butter is because mango butter absorbs much more quickly into the skin. You may still feel a little "oily" after using any oil, but using dry oils are supposed to feel much nicer.


Now, supposedly these rules don't really apply to soapmaking because of the composition of the oil changes during the soapmaking process. However in my personal testing, as a person with combination skin, I have found that following the non-comedogenic/comedogenic oil rates, really makes a difference on whether not a facial bar is successful for me. With a combination of my facial bars and the mango butter, I have had positive results. Most days my face doesn't get oily throughout the day. I also found that my face loves it better when I use the mango butter in the morning versus at night. I have read that others have found the opposite to be true. I think it's all about your preference and your own skin: after all, we may share similar skin types, but our results may be drastically different depending on a number of factors.

Will I continue to use mango butter on my face? I am a very tactile person so it is extremely important to be aware of how a product feels on my skin. Even though mango butter is a dry oil, I still don't like the initial feels of greasiness, even though it does it job throughout the course of the day. I will continue to use it until I successfully create a facial cream (see below to see me experimenting). I think I can get over the "ick" I feel until I create something better.

Have you tried the oil method? Check out our facial bars. We are currently working on one for dry skin. Drop us a line if you would like to find out more about which oils, butter, and facial bar will be best for you.



A List of Comedogenic Oil Values


Marquita Bell is soaper-in-chief and the owner of TheBodyBuffet where foodie meets beauty. Based out of Philadelphia, The Body Buffet aims to cultivate beauty inside and out from foodie adventures, self-care tips, and via handmade artisan soap, shampoo bars, facial bars, laundry soap and more. They use local ingredients when possible and have aimed to make conditioning skin-loving, hair-loving, clothes-loving soap since 2009.

Foodie Recipe: Vegan Pesto

I LOVE pesto. When I cut back on dairy, I still wanted a great taste without sacrificing the bite and creaminess in great pesto. It usually throw it together, so feel free to modify it to your own liking. You can store for a few days in the refrigerator.  Enjoy!

-1 cup dry basil (very loose cup, not packed)

- 3-6 cloves of peeled garlic

- 1/8 tsp of pepper (freshly ground is the best!)

- 1/8 tsp of salt

- 1/4 cup of olive oil

- 1/4 cup of pine nuts (I recommend buying and build and freezing the rest)

• Food recipe: Homemade Salsa Verde
• Food recipe: DIY vegan protein powder
• Foodie Tip Cream of Coconut
• Foodie Recipe: Vegan Cream & Mushroom Pasta

Marquita Bell is soaper-in-chief and the owner of TheBodyBuffet where foodie meets beauty. Based out of Philadelphia, The Body Buffet aims to cultivate beauty inside and out from foodie adventures, self-care tips, and via handmade artisan soap, shampoo bars, facial bars, laundry soap and more. They use local ingredients when possible and have aimed to make conditioning skin-loving, hair-loving, clothes-loving soap since 2009.

Skin Care Saturday: Fixing Grainy Shea Butter

 Have you ever dealt with grainy shea butter? I was horrified when I first started using shea butter. I didn't understand why it would end up with grit that felt almost like sand.

After doing some research I found out that shea butter that is melted and cooled too slowly, would end up with the grainy texture. As the warmer weather creeps up, shea butter will melt down, and depending on how warm it is, will stay in liquid form. However, when it cools back down, it will often result in grainy texture. This results in the stearic acid separating from the other fats, resulting in the grainy texture.

The easiest way to fix this is by placing the shea butter in a heat proof container, and using a heat source such as a microwave or double boiler method to melt it completely.

After it is melted, stick it in the freezer and check on it periodically until it has resolidified. Then allow it to cool back down to room temperature. If your room temperature still causes it to melt, store in the fridge or simply melt it down right before each use. You want to be careful not to over heat the butter as it can lower the quality and cause any scent to vaporize.

While shea butter can be a little bit annoying to maintain during warmer weather, the small hinderance is minuscule to the amount of conditioning and softness it gives your skin.



Marquita Bell is soaper-in-chief and the owner of The BodyBuffet where foodie meets beauty. Based out of Philadelphia, The Body Buffet aims to cultivate beauty inside and out from foodie adventures, self-care tips, and via handmade artisan soap, shampoo bars, facial bars, laundry soap and more. They use local ingredients when possible and have aimed to make conditioning skin-loving, hair-loving, clothes-loving soap since 2009. 

Skinspiration: Shea Butter

A new season always triggers me to start from scratch in some way. I am going to start from the beginning, how The Body Buffet was birthed. For those of you who have been following awhile, you know that that I am a Cali girl who moved to Philly (nine years ago next week). I have always been fascinated with the East Coast because of the access to food and supply varieties that I never saw in San Diego. One of the first things I discovered was whipped shea butter. I couldn’t believe how much more moisturizing it was than lotion. It made my skin supple and left it was a sheen that no lotion had been able to match. 

Since then, it is literally one of the only things I use to condition my skin year round, but especially in the winter to avoid dry cracked skin. Unlike many commercial moisturizers, it is not far down on the list of ingredients, it is number one in my body butters.  I am still working on a blend that I can use on my face, as it can feel very heavy when you initially apply it, but I do use it for the dry patches on my face after exfoliating. Even when I tried to change up my body recipe and use mango butter, I realized that shea butter still wins hands down. This is why I choose to use it in the majority of my products from whipped body butter to soap to shampoo bars. 

What ingredient works wonders for your skin? What is your skinspirational story?

Marquita Bell is soaper-in-chief and the owner of The BodyBuffet where foodie meets beauty. Based out of Philadelphia, The Body Buffet aims to cultivate beauty inside and out from foodie adventures, self-care tips, and via handmade artisan soap, shampoo bars, facial bars, laundry soap and more. They use local ingredients when possible and have aimed to make conditioning skin-loving, hair-loving, clothes-loving soap since 2009. 

Foodie Recipe: Homemade Salsa Verde

Being from California, I love Mexican food and the side dishes, condiments, especially salsa because it is so incredibly easy to make. I personally prefer pico de gallo, chunky salsa with tomatoes, but tomatoes tend to give me heartburn; so the next best thing is salsa verde, made predominately from tomatillos, and actually requires less work in my opinion, and is harder to mess up. Here is my recipe. The numbers aren't exact, I mostly wing it to whatever way my tastebuds feel, so you can tweak as necessary. This last batch was a bit on the spicy side since I risked using two jalapeños. I encourage you to make and gauge, and adjust accordingly. I never actually looked up a recipe other than reading a jar of a store-bought brand (do you notice a trend here?). The hardest part might be finding tomatillos. Luckily I've never had that problem.

Equipment
Food processor or blender
Knife
Cutting Board
Colander
Cookie sheet (with silicone liner optional)
Oven
Container for salsa

Ingredients
Tomatillos (1.5 to 2 pounds)
Cilantro - 1/3 cup
Lime Juice (freshly squeezed 1/3 to 1/2 cup)
Onions (chopped 1/2 cup)
Jalapeños (optional 1-2 chopped)
Salt 1 tsp or more to taste
Pepper 1 tsp or more to taste


1. Remove the husks from the tomatillos and discard.

2. Wash the tomatillos well, usually they have a waxy feeling.
3. Place tomatillos on a lined cookie sheet.



4. Bake on 450F 15-30 minutes or until slightly brown and softened. Be careful not to spill any juice as you remove them.



5. Roughly chop the onions, cilantro, and jalapeños and add to the food processor/blender.



6. Carefully pour the juices from the tomatillos and the tomatillos into the food processor/blender.

7. Add lime juice and salt and pepper.

8. Blend until completely liquified.  Add more salt and/or pepper to taste and blend again.



9. Pour into container and cool in the fridge.

10. Enjoy. I usually keep mine for 5-7 days (if it lasts that long)


See our other recipes:

• Foodie Recipe: Vegan Pesto
• Food recipe: DIY vegan protein powder
• Foodie Tip Cream of Coconut
• Foodie Recipe: Vegan Cream & Mushroom Pasta

Marquita Bell is soaper-in-chief and the owner of The BodyBuffet where foodie meets beauty. Based out of Philadelphia, The Body Buffet aims to cultivate beauty inside and out from foodie adventures, self-care tips, and via handmade artisan soap, shampoo bars, facial bars, laundry soap and more. They use local ingredients when possible and have aimed to make conditioning skin-loving, hair-loving, clothes-loving soap since 2009. 

Foodie Recipe: DIY Vegan Protein Powder

When I started eating more healthy food, I realized that I had an allergy to dairy. I had been making protein shakes up to twice a day and wanted to continue to do so. I purchased a couple of vegan protein powders that were horrible and a wonderful protein shake that was almost $40 for less than a two week supply. Since I already owned a dehydrator I decided to make my own powder. 

I saw on the tasty vegan protein label that two of the ingredients were soy and pea powders and that's where my formulation began. I went to my local market and purchased edamame, soy beans, as well as sweet peas and chick peas. I also purchased some whole flax seeds and oatmeal. I threw the soy beans, sweet peas, and chick peas into the dehydrator. Then I used my blended to make a powder along with the flaxseed and oatmeal. I made so much I ended up throwing half of it away. My first attempt was a bit gritty versus smooth, but it was sure better than paying almost $40 not to mention the added sweetener and other undesirable ingredients. 

A couple of weeks ago I tried again, this time with much more success. I made the soybeans, chick peas, and sweet peas into a paste first, then dehydrated it, which made for a finer powder. I also purchased flaxseed powder instead of whole flaxseeds to get a smoother powder. I threw in chia seeds to add more energy and thickness to the shake as well. The best part is I actually HATE peas and I'm not a big fan of edamame, yet I can down this, without the flavor/taste of those things. The powder goes well with almost any flavor you add to it, as it is almost tasteless to my taste buds. Best of all there is no added sugar and no preservatives. Because there aren't any preservatives you MUST make sure your mixture stays in a dry place away from humidity. Here is the recipe!

Equipment:

Food processor and/or blender

Dehydrator with insert trays (so the food doesn't fall through)

Spatula

Fork

Sealed container (for the finished powder)

Large mixing bowl

Large sifter

Ingredients:

Edamame - 16 oz - peeled and rinsed

Chick Peas - 8-15 oz - drained

Peas - 8-15 oz - drained

Oatmeal - 1-2 cups - powdered

Flaxseed Powder - 1-2 cups

Chia Seeds - 1 cup -powdered (optional)

1. Peel and rinse your edamame. Drain the sweet peas and chick peas. Put all three into a food processor. Mix until it becomes a smooth paste (similar to hummus). Don't worry if there are a couple of chunks here and there. Just try to get it as smooth as possible.

2. Use a spatula to smear the paste onto the dehydrator insert trays. Make sure the mixture is not more than a quarter inch thick (or else it will take forever to dry).  You will likely need 3 or more trays, depending on your measurements. Set the dehydrator to veggies setting (about 135F).

3. After the mixture has been drying four or more hours, use a fork to break up the pieces and flip them over to other side. Use your fingers if necessary.

4. The length of dehydration depends on a number of factors including the weather/environment etc. When the mixture has COMPLETELY dried (please note if you are not sure, wait until it has cooled back down to room temperature. It should be brittle and break apart easily), put the mixture into the food processor or blender. Make sure that the blender/processor is COMPLETELY dry. It is extremely important to keep moisture away to avoid mold and spoilage. Pour the mixture into a bowl.

5. Repeat step 4 with the oatmeal, then the chia powder.

6. Pour all of the powders along with the flaxseed powder into the same bowl. Mix well using a fork.

7. Use the sifter to make sure you don't have any unwanted chunks. Throw any chunks back into the blender and grind into powder.

8. Store in an airtight container. I usually store mine in a sealed ziplock inside of an airtight container. I had mine for over six months without any issue.

9. To use, simple use 1/4 cup (up to 1/3 cup) powder into the water/liquid of the smoothie you are making. I do not recommend putting the powder in the bottom of the blender before adding the liquid. I usually add a little over a cup of liquid with one frozen banana, peanut butter, and sometimes other fruit. I suggest using a teaspoon or less of cream of coconut if you want to add more sweetness.

If you try this recipe, be sure to tag us on Facebook. Instagram, and/or Twitter with the posted pics. :) What I love about this recipe is that you can control your calories, sugar, carbs, etc. Have fun with it. Next time I am going to add spinach and maybe even try kale. 

• Foodie Recipe: Vegan Pesto
• Food recipe: Homemade Salsa Verde
• Foodie Tip Cream of Coconut
• Foodie Recipe: Vegan Cream & Mushroom Pasta

Marquita Bell is soaper-in-chief and the owner of The Body Buffet where foodie meets beauty. Based out of Philadelphia, The Body Buffet aims to cultivate beauty inside and out from foodie adventures, self-care tips, and via handmade artisan soap, shampoo bars, facial bars, laundry soap and more. They use local ingredients when possible and have aimed to make conditioning skin-loving, hair-loving, clothes-loving soap since 2009.