TALK di tings dem!

5...4...3...2...1..., Okay I'm done!

For the past two weeks I have been brought up to speed with the pending rape case against former parish councillor, socialite and businessman Don Creary, and his girlfriend, Shaneke Williams (the co-accused) also charged with one count of aiding and abetting rape and sexual touching according to The Jamaica Observer. Now where do I begin?

 Firstly, people are still afraid to discuss the matter openly for fear of being hurt one way or another. Secondly, the victims have been further victimized because people are putting forward that these young ladies are to be blamed for their unfortunate, life-altering experiences. What were these teenagers doing around such an older man to begin with persons ask. Well... I am angry! I am angry with those who think that rape is a hush-hush topic. Rape is by no means a soft, sweet and sentimental subject! Oh no!! It is ugly, shameful and downright barbaric! Now speaking from a mother's perspective, the subject is most unsettling and simply makes me shudder with disgust from my scalp down to my toe cuticle. What if this were to happen to my own daughter a decade from now?

People argue that the accused are innocent until proven guilty. I call bullshit!!! Lay all the cards on the table and call a spade a spade!!! Too often we criticize victims and laud offenders. When will we focus on the REAL issues. When will we get our acts together? When will we be done with mumbling beneath our breaths and shine police radio car lights on these rotten elements? Can we stop with the whispering for just once? No more cover ups...Talk up! RAPE IS ABOMINABLE!!!

5 Types of Friends you need to Avoid

Everyone needs a friend. They help us navigate our way through life. If you think that you don't, you are far more delusional than Bruce Jenner calling himself Caitlyn. We need different friends to suit our varying interests. Being able to choose the right types of friendships should take great consideration. Some may argue that we do not choose our friends, our friendships form "unintentionally". They believe that like the beginning of most romantic relationships, friendships need that initial chemistry or spark in order to blossom into something meaningful or lasting. But however your friendships form, blossom or develop, here are five (5) types of friends you want to avoid at all costs.


The Complainer: This friend whines about everything. They are demanding and emotionally draining. They play on your emotions by making you feel special. They are the types who say things like, "I need you" and "I wish I was strong like you". Everyone likes to feel needed and appreciated but be careful that you do not get constantly consumed with their drama. These friends will even go as far as saying they are depressed to solicit your attention. This type of negative energy can slowly seep into your own life and soon you both will be having a pity party. Run I tell you, Run!!

The "I'm Sorry but..." Friend: It is good to have a friend like this in your corner, or so you would like to believe! You can always rely on this person to be honest and open with you. They are not afraid to tell you like it is. Who would not want a friend like this? On the flip side, this friend is not afraid to knock you when you're down with his/her honesty. They love to hear their own voices and will lecture you for lengthy periods because they are always right! They are not afraid to say "I told you so". When you confess that your feelings were hurt by this brutal honesty, they make you feel even worse by telling you that you need to find a friend who will lie to you so you can feel better. Everyone wants honesty right?

The Busy-bee: This friend makes you feel like you are the most unproductive life form on planet earth. While you were busy sleeping and relaxing on your weekend, they were busy planning, working and making things happen. They tend to be the ones who will also complain about being tired on most Monday mornings. They can never find the time to do anything with you  because they lead such busy lives. Don't you just love this type of friend? This friend pushes you out of your comfort zone and makes you realize... Ah screw it! They make you feel bad about yourself. Why are they your friend again?

The Dreamer/Procrastinator: If you want to make moves in life and seek elevation, avoid this friend. They can pull you down, especially if you have business partnerships with these friends. They make lots of promises but never fulfill them. Their heads are always in the clouds. They have lots of passion, start many projects but seldom finish them. These friends may even lie to you.

The Detective: Friends like these give you constant prep for interviews. When it is time to celebrate, by the time they are done grilling you, you forget what it was that you were feeling great about in the first place. They lack spontaneity and are quite boring, They overthink, rethink and analyze everything. They suck the fun out of life pretty much!

The Popcorn Friend: This friend pops in and out of your life and you have been friends for years. He/she is quite seasonal. You will not hear from this friend for months and then they ring you up or send you a message requesting to catch up. They are similar to the Interrogator because they are chock-full of questions. They want to know what you have been doing with your life and of course they expect details. This friend is cagey with his/her personal life and rarely shares anything of value. Be careful with this friend. For while they may share some things with you, there is no true depth. You think you know this friend, but you really don't.

10 Things that Remind you Everyday that You are over 25

Running into a childhood friend recently got me thinking about my age. I love being in my twenties. It is my security blanket. It makes me feel like I still have time to do any and everything. The thought of turning thirty scares me. Yes I said it. You can judge me! Lol. When a kid calls me "miss" I find myself immediately correcting him/her by saying "No honey, It's Renée". At age 27 I am desperately holding on to my youth for dear life. When people around me turn thirty, I think "Whew, I'm glad that's not me". I then convince myself that I have years to go before the impending "dirty thirty". My peers have their own concerns too. People in their late twenties and beyond, these are their stories...

1. The weight watching
    Can someone say gym rat?! That is what some of you have become or wish you had the discipline to incorporate in your daily routines. To remain young and fit, you have to think about what you consume. If you find something from your wardrobe back when you were twenty and it still fits, you throw a party! You no longer find it easy to burn calories and drop pounds like you did in your early twenties. Chances are you were not even thinking about your weight at that time and if you were, you were only concerned about maintaining your weight. Now, you have to set a goal weight and work towards that. Bummer!!!

2. You think before you spend
    Your unlimited credit card a.k.a mom and dad have pretty much cut you off. You must now fend for yourself and that means earning your own money which we all know is harder to spend!

3. You feel a bit old when you go to some Clubs
     Night-life as you now know it is all about, well, sleeping! You make plans to go out and you think you need a power nap. That power nap then turns into a full blown sleep session which finds you waking up at 3 a.m to several missed calls and hate mail (texts) from your friends. But let's say you do go out... By 12 a.m you are yawning so much that your jaws hurt. You enter the club, you look around and see college kids and you think what on earth am I doing here? Why aren't these kids home in bed? Let's say you had a fun night out, but the next day you are so exhausted, you feel as though you partied an entire week! You think, "I'm getting too old for this!"

4. You find Jesus
    So now that you have grown tired of your heathen ways, you think it is now time to draw closer to God as if God is oh so lonely! You become Spiritual. You want a fresh start. You want to forget your sordid past and all the shameful acts of your early twenties. Best believe your friends remember, and they wont be afraid to remind you. I know someone's out there reading this and shouting a silent Amen!

5. Everybody is getting married or engaged
    Nothing much to say on this one... pretty self-explanatory.

6. Your sense of style changes
     You become image conscious. You begin to think you need more "mature outfits" and you want to always dress to impress. You may even change your hair. Some of you who have completely checked out of reality, start dressing noticeably "age-inappropriate" because you want to look young, hot and trendy. What was the last outfit that you bought? Think on these things...

7. You enjoy your own company/solitude
    Now that you can spend your own money, it means that you can now choose where you want to live and where you can designate as your own sanctuary. You even spend some of that hard earned cash on your favourite foods and liquor. Some of your best moments are times spent alone drinking your favourite bottle of wine or beverage and cuddling up with a good book, tablet or watching cable. Netflix has become the hot, sexy date on a Friday night. Score!

8. Difficulty in keeping up with the constant trends of Social Media and Social Networks
    Let's just say Facebook and Instagram is all I can manage these days. Snap who? Periscope what? I just can't!

9. You cannot hear all the words of that popular song
    You have morphed into your parents who could not understand a word your favourite artiste was spittin'. Kids in their teens are now laughing at you because you can't hear a single word that that rapper from ATL is saying. Watching BET's 106 & Park brings you down memory lane and rather than actually taking the time to watch whats before your eyes, your mind wanders off to that Ja Rule and Murder Inc era.

10. Bills
     Don't you just wish they'd go away or better yet, pay themselves!

Share this post if you enjoyed it. Leave a comment if you feel like me!

Eye creams: Why do we need them?

There are some of us who suffer from having those unattractive dark circles around our eyes often caused by hyper-pigmentation or the dreaded puffiness underneath our eyes. Many of us do not realize this, but the skin which surrounds our eyes is quite sensitive and prone to wrinkling very easily. Crows feet, also known as "laugh lines" can age you. Men if you think that this post doesn't apply to you? Think again. I see many of you who have already developed crows feet. But, do not be disheartened, I am here for you. For the ladies and gents who have been fortunate to avoid this skin issue, kudos to you! Whether you want to reduce the appearance of the wrinkles, dark circles or puffiness or prevent these things from happening to you, I highly recommend that you read on.

For years I suffered from hyperpigmentation, what I call discolouration. I had discolouration around my lips and my eyes. Through trial and error, I have found two things which have helped me immensely. Raw african shea butter and coconut oil have given me life!!! I alternate between the two and I also use them at night after having washed my face. I must admit that I have a slight preference for the shea butter. The appearance of the dark circles has diminished significantly. I can honestly say that shea butter is always in my cosmetic drawer and bag.

The root cause of puffiness is caused by under eye water retention. Genetics, not getting enough sleep and allergens are also culprits. My top recommendations for treating eye puffiness are shea butter, aloe vera gel, witch hazel and rose water. Try to reduce the salt in your diet. Salt unfortunately contributes to water retention/water weight in our bodies and our faces are not excluded. Drink plenty of water to flush your system. Our pillows, though useful for sleeping comfortably, can contribute to trapping dust particles which can cause eye redness and itching. Keep antihistamines in your medicine cabinets to aid with this and wash your pillow cases often.

A quick fix for under eye puffiness which has worked for me is wrapping ice cubes in a rag and resting this on the swollen area for ten (10) second intervals. Long gone are the days when we can just wash our faces and slather on some lotion... any lotion for moisture. If you're still doing that, please stop! Stop tugging at the skin around your eyes when applying mascara or eyeliner to your inner lids ladies. Be gentle. Pulling at the skin can further increase the likelihood of developing wrinkles (crows feet). Remember, you are stuck with that face for the rest of your life! 

Do not be afraid to bare it all!!!

Hi Guys!

Yes I know I have not shared a post in awhile. I have been super busy with... Life! Arrggggh!!!

Since the beginning of summer I have been taken up with job hunting and preparing myself for what I could feel was going to be a huge change in my life. I have been blessed to be successful in my job-hunt exercise. Two job offers in two months. Thanks to the big man upstairs! I do not know if there is any scientific formula to this, but I seem to always find/change jobs during the summer time. So now that you have been brought up to speed with what has been happening with me, let me jump right into what this post is really about!

Too often we get caught up with being perfect. Now, I am not saying that we should not aspire to always look and feel our best, but sometimes we need to lay off the pretenses. There are times when I peruse the pages of various Instagram and Facebook accounts, I must admit that I too have those feelings of "thirst". I then have to mentally nudge myself back into reality because I know half of what we see online is a facade. People hide behind their social media accounts and of course they are going to post what is perfect and without flaw or blemish.

From the flashy jewels, to the fashion, the hair, the cars and not to mention the makeup. Even working has now become something to boast about...#workflow!!! I am guilty of that one. We are living in an era where it is cool to be vain, self-obsessed and superficial. Be warned! Advertising vanity can only last so long. Youth can only last so long. Virtue and Genuineness/Substance never goes out of style! We hide behind our partners(the perfect relationship(s)), the bank accounts, the degrees, the seemingly successful careers and the list goes on. What we fail to recognize and admit is that we are all in the struggle. We all experience triumphs and disappointments. It is what makes us inherently human. I too have felt that rip in my gut when I have had to pretend I don't need something simply because I cannot afford it. We wonder, did we really go to school for all those years to come out working for the man and living pay cheque to pay cheque? Who wants to travel the world? I know I do. Who wants to be able to take a month of vacation with the comfort of knowing that while you are busy relaxing, your money is working for you? I'll drink to that!

We are inching closer and closer to thirty, forty, even fifty and we feel as if time is running out on us. Shxt we all thought we would be stinkin' rich by now right? Then reality sets in and we realize there isn't enough savings in our bank accounts if God forbid we should be out of work for a few months. What have we been working for all this time? Do we go back to school? Do we explore entrepreneurial ventures? Where will the capital come from? For us ladies when we hit what I call emotional destitution, a feeling of hitting rock bottom, we begin to envy the likes of Amber Rose and her bestie Blac Chyna. The men may consider the narcotics trade or even scamming. Now that is when you KNOW things are really bad! Who or what dictates our identity? Is this something intrinsic or is it based on social media? Perhaps both? How do we deal with these feelings? What I try do is STAY IN MY OWN LANE. I have learnt that by concentrating on my own journey, I have the power to control my happiness and chart my own course. Don't pretend to be something you are not. Wealth will not fall into your lap unless of course you are fortunate enough to have been left a fortune by a deceased family member or you have won the lottery. The odds of that happening are very slim.  Be brutally honest with yourself. Be patient.  Know what you want and work your ass off for it. While you are working your way up, be careful not to step on others. Not all bridges are meant to be burnt either. Be conscious of doing good.

Live in your own truth! Now I am not telling you to go tell everyone your business simply because you want to be real! The world is not your therapist. Spare your Facebook friends' timelines from the constant emotional rants. Please do not go posting God-awful selfies on Instagram with hashtags like I woke up like this! Living in your own truth for me means taking pride in who you are and owning who you are. Sugar-coating things will not solve your problems nor will putting everything out there for everyone to see. Life is all about balance and doing everything in moderation. When you see those bags under my eyes, believe me I see them too. I do not feel the constant need to cover up because its a quick fix. I simply  need to rest. Look out for my next blog post on pocket friendly eye-creams! See what I did there? Lol!

Find people you can trust. If it is one person, that is okay. Keeping a small circle is certainly not  a bad thing. Pretending is! Whatever you put out into the universe, believe me when I say that is what you are going to get back. If you are negative, you will attract negative energy into your life. Surround yourselves with all things good, positive and uplifting. It is normal and okay to fall down sometimes. The key is to get up, brush ourselves off and continue making strides. Be good to yourselves and remember we are all working our butts off to retire early! 

I have found the Fountain of Youth in these four(4) carrier oils

Have you ever looked at celebrities such as Madonna, Tracee Ellis Ross or even Pharrell Williams and wondered how is it that as each year passes, everyone seems to be getting older while they seem to be ageless? We all want to preserve our youth for as long as it is humanly possible. Well I know I do! There are four (4) oils that I will detail in this post that I find to be quite helpful in maintaining the suppleness and overall health of my skin. The oils are Rosehip Seed, Jojoba, Coconut and Macadamia Nut. I will be examining these oils from four angles: skintype recommendations, weight, uses and shelf life.

Coconut and Rosehip Seed oils are on the heavier side.  If your skin requires extra moisture, these two oils have your name written all over them! Jojoba oil falls under the medium category while macadamia nut oil is quite light.

Rosehip Seed oil is perfect for dry and aging skin. If your skin is oily, macadamia nut oil will not clog your pores and acts as a great moisturizer as well. Jojoba oil can be used by all and is often found in many expensive beauty products.

Recommended Uses:
1. Rosehip Seed Oil (extracted from the seeds of Rosa moschata or Rosa rubiginosa in the southern Andes or Rosa canina which are types of roses found in South Africa & Europe)...Contains vitamins E, C & B-Carotene. These vitamins are responsible for the rejuvenating and regeneration of your skin cells. The oil reduces age and dark spots, lightens stretch marks, controls hyperpigmentation and improves the general appearance and feel of the skin & nails.

2. Jojoba Oil (obtained from "pressing" jojoba seeds of a shrub which can be found in the USA and Mexico)...Powerful face moisturizer, mimics the sebum produced by your scalp and as such is perfect for keeping your scalp healthy, calms eczema, psoriasis and sunburns and aids in wound healing.

3. Coconut Oil (found in most tropical islands and is extracted from Coconuts)...Eye serum, body moisturizer, nail cuticle oil and hair conditioner. This oil has penetrating properties and as such is great in helping to moisturize your hair and thus reducing hair breakage.

4. Macadamia Nut Oil (the tree is found in Australia usually and extraction is done through pressing)...Face moisturizer, makeup remover, eye serum, facial cleanser, helps to prevent split ends by sealing in moisturizer in the hair.

Storage:
Rosehip Seed Oil is prone to rancidity so great care must be taken when storing this oil. It's best to keep it refrigerated after opening. Jojoba oil stores well and is sometimes used to extend the shelf life of other oils. Macadamia nut oil should be stored in places that are cool and should not be exposed to heat and excessive light. My favorite oil, Coconut oil, has a shelf life that goes up to two (2) years.

It's always fun to experiment with oils so grab your wallets and purses and start shopping! You can never put a price tag on your health or grooming. Often times people will see our skin before they see us. It is therefore essential that we preserve our skin and maintain its natural beauty so we can all have that feeling of being Forever Young!

NB: Persons who generally have allergic reactions to nuts should do a skin test before using macadamia nut oil.

Follow @wheelsofnature on Instagram! 

Your sex life and natural/organic beauty products

Ladies your men are concerned!

I was recently contacted via Facebook messenger by a male who has read a few of my blog posts. I was delighted! He seemed to be very interested in the uses of natural oils but he was also concerned if there would be a negative impact in his bedroom. Up until he expressed his concerns, at no point did I think about that. For me, it immediately brought into focus how important sex is for men.

The male, who I will call Joe in this article, asked about the odour of the oils and how could any of them improve things for him and his partner in the bedroom. I must admit that at first I thought it was ridiculous for Joe to go "there" but then I mentally slapped myself into reality. Hello, sex is probably the most important thing to any living, breathing man.

Most carrier oils(Coconut, jojoba, macadamia nut, castor, rosehip) that I have tried do have their individual scents with the exception of jojoba and macadamia which I find to be odourless. My "go to"  essential oils( tea tree, peppermint, rosemary & lavender) all have distinct scents as well. As I mentioned before in another post, only a few drops of essential oils are needed when adding them to carrier oils. I do not recommend the application of essential oils directly to the skin. At all times, they must be diluted by carrier oils.

Will oils or organic products negatively impact or boost your bedroom experience? My response to that, is that there will definitely be a boost in that department for you and your partner, providing that they are used correctly. I told Joe that Coconut oil which has an amazing scent can be applied all over the body. It is especially helpful "downtown" for women in preventing body odour and also helps to keep yeast at bay. I encouraged him to have his lady try it!

For acne prone skin, jojoba and macadamia nut oils are exceptional in both treating and preventing outbreaks. Nobody wants to see their partner with unattractive pimples! I encourage every man who reads this to buy his lady at least one bottle of one of these oils. Your lives will be changed forever! They help to heal scars and sunburns, balance sebaceous glands, blast wrinkles and are perfect for dry skin as they penetrate the skin and lock in moisture.

Rosehip oil has a very sweet odour and once refrigerated after opening, will maintain this scent. If it isn't stored properly, it is likely to become rancid. It is powerful in diminishing the appearance of stretch marks so it's a must-have in my book! I reminded Joe that he will certainly love having his partner smelling like roses. In fact, instead of buying expensive lubricants, natural oils are a more inexpensive alternative. How's that for boosting your bank account and sex life?!

Lavender, peppermint and rosemary essential oils all have naturally appealing scents. They will boost the effectiveness of any skincare or beauty product. Care must be taken when using tea tree oil however. Tea tree oil was very helpful in treating my acne but Lord the scent was strong!! Looking back, I applaud my partner then for being so understanding! He endured it lol and never complained because he knew how badly I wanted to get rid of my acne!

I told Joe about an accident I once had with aloe vera. I frequently made face masks with this powerful plant. One Saturday, while I did my usual at-home-spa-day, my partner came over. I forgot that I had had the mask on and needless to say my partner kissed me... I'll leave it there. A day later, I remembered that I had not rinsed the aloe vera off my face before my partner had visited. I asked my partner if he hadn't tasted the aloe and he said yes. People, Imagine how embarrassed I was!? Everyone knows how badly aloe vera tastes!!! He said he ignored it because it wasn't the norm and he was too busy etc etc etc... I'll leave it there! The moral of the story ladies, don't leave your aloe masks on for too long! LOL

Give natural oils a try! I guarantee at least two benefits for your bedroom! 

How I CURED MY ACNE on my own

But first, lemme take a selfie!

Okay so a selfie would be the last thing that you'd want to take when there are huge pimples on your face. You hate cameras right? Maybe you only have fine bumps or just regular sized pimples that you absolutely loathe and you want them gone like yesterday!!! Whatever the case may be, nobody wants bumps or blemishes caused by acne scars on their face. Want to blast those pesky bumps into oblivion? Read on my brothas and sistas!!

The first thing I did was to learn how to distract myself from the obvious things that stressed me out. This was a hard task but I had to do it. I love to laugh so every thing that I could find on TV or online to give me a bellyfull of jokes, you can bet my eyes were fixated on those things. I tried to increase my physical activity as well. Busting a sweat can do your body good. All those harmful toxins in your body will be removed easily via a good thirty (30) minute work out, dancing, running, jogging, playing a sport etc. Kick stress in the ass and half your battle has been won!

That internal change that you've been working on by reducing your stress levels must be accompanied by increasing your water intake. Lord how I hated drinking water. I mean, I was always inside an air-conditioned office so I seldom got so thirsty that I had to be drinking lots of water. Who has the time for that anyway?? Uuuhh ladies and gents, you HAVE TO make the time and go gulp that water down! If it means that you have to put a time schedule in your phone via an alarm/reminder every hour, or maybe writing reminders on colourful post-its or by simply keeping a 1 litre bottle of water on your desk, you have to find a way to get that water in! Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!!! Remember when your parents would say that you needed water to flush your system? They were right! Water gives moisture to the skin and helps to also remove toxins when you sweat or head to the Loo. 

If you're a junk food lover, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but you have to eliminate that stuff from your diet for awhile. Weaning myself from KFC for two months was one of the hardest things I had to do in my entire life! I did it though. Those scary looking pimples were a daily reminder that I had to change my diet. I started to eat more fruit. I juiced for breakfast. This even contributed to some weight loss for me as well. My morning juice consisted of water, pineapples, papaya, callaloo, American pears(optional), grapes, apples and sometimes cranberry juice if I could afford it.

Oh before I forget, stop touching your face so much!!! Dirty hands and fingers are some of the main culprits that contribute to acne outbreaks. If you use your office phone regularly, clean the area that touches your face as often as you possibly can. Wash your pillow cases regularly too. Twice a week at least. Stop looking in the mirror so much. You'll be tempted to touch your face unnecessarily. I didn't realize how much I touched my face until I developed that adult acne. I definitely had a problem. Acne makes you conscious. It affects your self-esteem. You hate when people look directly in your face while having a conversation with you because you think they're looking at those ugly buggers on your face! You try to cover the bumps with make-up... BIG MISTAKE. That will make matters worse... Believe me!

Grab your pens/pencils and paper peeps! Class is in session. Oh wait, we're in the 21st century right? Okay screenshot this section and save it to your motherlovin' phone! Lol...

1. Sulphur Soap
2. African black soap
3. Dove or Olay bar soap
4. Witch Hazel
5. Aloe vera Plant or Aloe vera Juice
6. Jojoba Oil
7. Macadamia Nut Oil
8. Tea tree Oil
9. Lavender Oil
10. Face Scrub

Sulphur based soap is often prescribed by dermatologists for acne problems. This soap does help to remove the oil build-up and has a host of other benefits. I used Sastid which is cheaper than Arisulphur and both do the exact thing! So in the initial phases when the acne is TERRIBLE it's best to use a sulphur soap. Because I'm an organic product junkie, I soon switched to African black soap. Please note, do not buy black soap that looks Black. That's a dye which may cause further problems for your acne not to mention that your sink and shower will be annoyingly filled with black scum forcing you to clean your bathroom more often than usual. African black soap should look like a piece of pastry almost. It's very easy to break into pieces as well. Fun fact: African black soap can be used on your entire body! Please note it's good to cleanse your face with warm water. It really helps!!

So after you've cleansed your face and dried your face with a clean rag or towel, use the Witch Hazel. This is a natural astringent. It also helps with removing blemishes and minimises your pores. It's an excellent make-up remover which is very gentle on your skin.

Once your face is dry, it's time to moisturize! Jojoba oil and macadamia nut oil... Extremely lightweight oils. You don't want to use anything that will clog your pores. The awesome thing about these oils, is that you can use them from head to toe!!! Budget friendly right? Yaaaay! Okay let  me stop... Add a few drops of tea tree and lavender essential oils. I recommend 5 drops of each to two (2) ounces of jojoba or macadamia nut oil. Essential oils are very concentrated so a little goes a long way. This moriturizer must be used each time you cleanse your face. Tea tree oil is antibacterial, antifungal and antimicrobial. Lavender oil also has similar properties and is also extremely beneficial in healing the skin and removing blemishes and scars. These two oils are ALWAYS in my skincare products esp Lavender Oil because it also smells oh so good!

Try to use a scrub at least 3 times weekly. You can use the ever faithful St. Ives scrub or u can make your own. My recipe for my scrub, is a paste of sugar, aloe vera gel and honey or coconut oil! All of which are in my kitchen cupboard... Well except the aloe vera which grows in my backyard. When I initially started breaking out, I would apply aloe vera on the bumps before bed and then do my usual face cleansing routine the following morning.

As your face improves you can skip the sulphur or African black soap and use the very moisturizing dove or olay bar soaps. Any soap that is good enough for my face has to be also good for my entire body. My latest soap obsession is the Nubian Heritage Coconut & Papaya Soap.

Patience is key! Be very gentle with how you cleanse your face. Do not tug or rub your skin too vigorously especially around your eyes. Nobody wants premature wrinkles!!! I switch up a few products in my skincare routine depending on the "season".  For the hot summer months, my cleanser will most definitely be African black soap and I always use lighter oils in my home made moisturizer. However, when it's cooler, I use the Olay or Dove soap. I'll also swap the jojoba or macadamia nut oils for my good old Coconut oil! I think it's important for every woman to own a face serum. I will elaborate in my next blog post. Until then... Happy Reading! 

Disclaimer: I am not a Dermatologist. The information in my post is all based on personal experiences. 

Why I absolutely cannot live without Coconut Oil

I'm in love with the Coco!!!

The use of Coconut oil is by no means a new phenomenon. However, since I was apparently living under a rock, I only discovered the wonders of this oil in recent years. It is a carrier oil which pretty much means it is a vegetable or base oil which is used to dilute essential oils for use on the skin or in the hair. For the sake of not sounding repetitive, I'll be referring to Coconut Oil as CO for the remainder of this post. In another post I will also delve into the difference between a carrier oil and an essential oil and how they compliment each other.

Throughout my teens I suffered from slight skin discoloration on my face. This used to annoy the heaven out of me(yes I wrote heaven and not hell lol)!! This discoloration was predominantly under my eyes and around my lips. For the life of me I couldn't understand it. When I became pregnant with my daughter the discoloration around my eyes worsened. After giving birth my skin returned to what was my "normal". In 2013, I was ballin' and had cash to spare(rolls eyes) and I went to Jencare Skin Farm hoping I could find a cure! So after the in house dermatologist examined my face for a minute, maybe less, she diagnosed me with eczema. Of course I had no clue what this was. She told me to stay away from acidic and dairy foods even oily foods. Hellooooo, everything that I love fell under those three categories! Orange juice, milk, chocolate, cheese, pizza and the list goes on! The dermatologist prescribed some products and I left feeling like I was just told that I was cured, til I went home and looked in the mirror. Earth to Renée, your face is STILL discolored! 

I used the products and they provided a temporary fix but I did not have the discipline to fully alter my diet nor was I ballin' consistently so I had to watch my spending. And so the search began for cheaper skincare products. Where do you turn if you want to know something? Google!!! I then learnt that CO was not only useful in your hair, but would be greatly beneficial for my skin! Imagine my excitement!!! A Budget friendly skincare product that could actually work?!? You didn't have to tell me twice.

Typically us Jamaicans tend to look to farin(the USA) first when seeking to source beauty products because we think we can save a few pennies by shopping online... and yes I'm a typical Jamaican lol. From my reading the Nutiva CO had great reviews so I purchased three(3) jars. Maaaaan did I love that stuff! It was thick and it smelled great! Liquid gold comes to mind when I think of CO. I used it on my whole body. Yes mi did frighten! But what a good thing I did!! My skin began to feel much softer and many scars I had from my childhood either disappeared or diminished in appearance significantly. Stretch marks became lighter as well. My face liked the coconut oil but Lord the "shine" was a bummer for me. I mean who wants to walk around with their face looking like a frying pan?

The CO kept my eczema under control but then I faced a new problem of having an excessively oily face. What to do? Use less! Duuuuuh. So while the skin on my body from the neck down was loving the CO, my face was far too greasy for my taste. Through a series of "quantity testing", I soon learnt the sufficient amount that I needed for my face. Then, adult acne happened!!! Now I don't believe that there was a correlation between the CO use and my acne. Simply put, stress and life happened! Seriously! Lol Yes now I can laugh but in 2014 it was another story.

I stopped using CO on my face completely because I now had to become my own dermatologist and find out how to cure this darn acne. My body was still loving CO then, but the face, hmm not so much. I cured my acne on my own and yes I used all natural products! I will share how I did this in a future post.

My hair loves CO when it is used in small amounts on my dry hair. I use it also as a Pre-poo and when I do this I use a very large quantity because when rinsing most of it is removed and it helps me to retain moisture in my hair. I sometimes use it as an ingredient in my hot oil treatment. Cold pressed CO has trace elements of protein and for those who are protein sensitive like myself, must learn how to use CO effectively in their hair.

Benefits of Coconut Oil:
-Skin Moisturizer

-Natural Sunscreen

-Removes/Diminishes Scars & Stretch marks  

-Hair Oil(scalp and hair length/strands) 

-Natural treatment for Yeast 

-Weight Loss

-Excellent for use in turning your regular baby wipes into SUPER wipes 

-Cuticle Oil 

-Base ingredient for your eye-cream

Believe me the list of benefits goes on and on but you can find that out in your homework! Yes I gave you homework! Hello I just schooled you! Lol Kidding! I buy my CO at the Coconut Board on Waterloo Road in Kingston, Jamaica for JMD$1000. A 500ml bottle lasts me for three(3) months. Both my daughter and I use it.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. This post was based on personal experiences. 

I think I might need "Oils Anonymous"

So after my hair suffered major heat damage back in 2012 I chopped everything off and decided a fresh start was needed. This lead me to Youtube. Since I had no clue how to take care of my hair, I wanted to watch what others did to achieve long, beautiful, healthy tresses! 

 I watched videos religiously everyday. It became an obsession overnight lol. Many ladies on their hair journeys hailed the use of organic/natural oils in their beauty regimens. I then started using some of these oils on my skin and noticed vast improvement. Oils are also a great alternative to many expensive beauty and skincare products which use inorganic ingredients that can often result in allergic reactions which many of us turn a blind eye to or go unnoticed! Whilst I have not tried every oil, I have tried many. Oils are divided into two categories really: Carrier Oils and Essential Oils.

As time goes by I will share my experiences with various oils. Hopefully my experiences will help someone!

Your hobby/passion can be converted into income

Since 2012 I have spent many hours on the Internet reading articles and watching  videos about things that I like which range from haircare, skincare, nailcare, health and wellness. Once it's organic you can count me in! I love anything that is tagged with the line "DIY" and I have realized that this has become an obsession. Many of my friends have pointed this out and so I have embarked on a journey to turn this obsession/passion into income. Follow my journey!