Lifehack #2: Miracle Product!

It's official. Tea Tree Oil may just be the product of Gods.

I've raved about this product before in my post 'The Spot Remedy You (probably) Haven't Tried!' here but Tea Tree Oil has so many more uses than skincare alone.

(Image taken from Google. Here is the source)

Many retailers have a whole range of Tea Tree skincare products but here I want to rave about some of the lesser known uses for it so here we go!

Skincare

• (Neat) Helps clear up spots/acne
• (Neat/Medium mix) Can be used as a toner
• (Neat - cotton ball) Disinfects cuts/grazes
• (Neat - cotton ball) Helps to reduce blisters
• (Neat - cotton ball) Helps to heal bruises
• (Neat) Softens calluses
• (Diluted with lib balm) Improves the performance of lib balm
• (Optional: diluted with coconut oil/moisturiser) Helps with eczema
• (Neat) Reduces inflammation/insect bites

Haircare

• (Medium mix with shampoo) Helps with dandruff/dry scalp (a personal favourite!)
• (Neat or strong mix with shampoo) Helps to remove headlice
• (Neat) Helps with split ends

Other

• (Weak/Medium mix with water) Kitchen disinfectant spray
• (Medium mix with water) Helps deter pests such as ants
• (Weak mix with water) Natural mouth wash (do NOT swallow!)
• (Neat) Helps to cure fungal nail infections
• (Optional mix) Helps with cold sores/herpes
• (Neat - use sparingly!) Hand sanitiser
• (Weak/Medium mix with moisturiser) Helps to soothe sunburn

This list is just what I can think of off the top of my head. If you find a new miracle cure in this list or have any other uses for Tea Tree Oil then leave a comment! 

Laura

Lifehack #1: Mascara!

Welcome to the first  post of my Lifehack series! This will be the place where I share all the life-changing information I stumble across. First up: Mascara!

I know for many people that mascara causes more trouble than it's worth - from constant smudging to not holding your lashes curl to any number of problems - here are my lifehacks to help you out!

• My mascara always smudges, even though I use waterproof mascara!

The key to solving this problem is in the name: waterproof mascara is exactly that - waterproof. People with oily skin tend to switch to waterproof mascara to try prevent their mascara from giving them panda eyes. Faces produce oil, and waterproof mascara is oil soluble. Try switching back to a good quality regular mascara to vanquish your mascara woes. Apply your base, set with powder and apply mascara last to ensure its surroundings are completely dry.

• My mascara won't hold a curl!

I've experienced this problem first-hand so here's my solution: the key here is layering. Curl your lashes as you normally do - personally I just do a couple of pumps of the curler near the base of my lashes and another around half-way up. After your lashes are curled you want to apply a reasonably thin layer of mascara. Let this layer dry for 20-30 seconds and then, gently, re-curl your lashes. Apply another layer of mascara, let it almost dry, and curl your lashes one last time. Curling the last coat as it's almost dry forces the mascara to dry curled - et voila!

• My mascara clumps all the time!

My first suggestion to solving this problem would be to research any mascara (and any make-up product for that matter!) and read up on the product's tendencies before you buy it. If 1000 people are all saying a mascara clumps, chances are it's going to clump for you too. If you've already bought your mascara and it's relatively new (i.e it's not 5 years old) and it's clumping like there's no tomorrow then try cleaning the wand thoroughly. There could be any number of causes of clumpiness hidden in the wand - eyelashes, bacteria, skin, etc. If you've had your mascara for a long time then I'd suggest binning it and buying a new one. If you're adamant about keeping a clumpy mascara then you can always run through your clumpy lashes with an old (but clean!) mascara wand or spoolie to remove the clumps. Prevention is better than cure.

Let me know if you have any other issues with mascara that you'd like some advice on!
Laura

Spot Remedy You (probably) Haven't Tried!

Like a lot of people I've been plagued with spot-prone skin since I was a wee babe. I started noticing my skin was changing in primary school - around year 5/6. My skin erupted in angry spots that didn't seem to improve no matter what; over the years I've tried Clearasil's products, facewipes, exfoliators, tea tree oil, changing my diet, drinking twice as much water as usual - the lot. My confidence plummeted as I thought I had spots because my face was dirty and therefore I was dirty, no matter what I tried. Tea tree oil did help considerably, for me, and it was the best thing I'd discovered since sliced bread!  I'd do this every night and it significantly improved the appearance of my skin, so my first suggestion is:

• Cleanse your skin with your go-to cleansing method and remove as much make-up, dirt, oil etc as you can. Repeat. I found repeating the process helped me maximise the usefulness of facewipes - yes, I know they suck but I'm not made of money! I used one to remove make-up and dirt followed by one to clean my actual skin. 
• Apply generous amounts tea tree oil onto the affected area. Avoid eyes, nostrils, mouth, any open scabs - it'll sting like a b*!

I did this every night for around 2 weeks last thing at night before I couldn't be bothered to keep it up. I noticed a significant difference the morning after so give it a shot!

How I'm getting rid of my spots now:
My mum randomly received some hand sanitiser samples from work and since she has no use for them she kindly donated them to me. My prior experience with the tea tree oil tempted me to try this sanitiser on my face, since they essentially do the same job.

I use two of Nivea's Refreshing Facial Cleansing Wipes (found here) to cleanse my skin first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

When I'm in the bath I exfoliate my skin using St Ives Naturally Clear Apricot Scrub (found here) twice again to ensure I nab all the gunk and dead skin cells but ou can use any exfoliator you prefer. The hand sanitiser I use is Kleenex Foam Hand Sanitiser (found here) and I find that a single pump is plenty to disinfect my skin.

Sanitising my skin every morning and every night has really helped with my pre-existing spots as well as preventing new ones. This process doesn't completely stop my spots but it has significantly improved the appearance of my skin and makes new ones less of a problem.

If you try this technique or have any other suggestions then let me know!
Laura