By: Kate Trout

By: Clara Smart

During the day skin gathers dust and dirt, which means special care must be taken at night.  Skin must become free from dirt and debris,  keeping the skin's pores as clean as possible. There is no woman that doesn’t want to have flawless and beautiful skin. It’s perhaps the first thing we want to have in our appearance. Like any other skin type, oily skin also requires a nightly skincare routine in order to look fresher, healthier and shinier. Whatever you do for your skin, here is a great evening skincare routine to consider for oily skin. The evening is actually the best time for relaxation and face masks. It’s the best time to remove heavy makeup as well to pamper your skin. So, let’s start from the basic solutions.

Facial cleansing

Whatever you choose as a first step to refresh your skin, any skin care routine begins with facial cleansing. No matter your skin type, it’s important to have the right cleansing routine for everyday use. Never believe in the myth that oily skin doesn’t require cleansing or moisturizer. You can use oil-free cleansing products if your skin is oily. It’s the first step you are supposed to follow. Opt for the right face wash, facial cleanser, cleansing milk or any other cleansing product.

Night cream
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There are night creams for all skin types which means that, which means that you do have the ability  to apply night cream on your face before sleeping. However, this doesn’t mean that you should use any cream you like. The right chosen night cream can repair your skin, making it smoother and shinier in the morning. The thing about oily skin, one must choose the cream that has rather refreshing than moisturizing components and effects.

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Under eye cream
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Don’t forget about under eye creams as they make your skin wrinkle-free and help you to get rid of  unpleasant dark circles. Apply under eye creams at night to obtain the best result. Many types of creams work better at night than during the day and eye creams are one of them. When your eyes look fresher and younger your entire face starts to shine more beautifully. ​

For oily skin, the acne treatments applied at night can work for a good 7-8 hours, particularly if using a high quality night cream for oily acne prone skin. So, it’s quite important to have your own night-time skin care routine. Focus on anti-acne products that are mostly photosensitive and therefore need to be used at night. In case you have oily, yet problematic skin it's best to refer to a dermatologist to pick up the right products. The use of the wrong products at night can damage your skin and might make it even worse. ​ Also,  try to stick with nourishing organic/natural products to help keep skin free from toxins.

By: Dennies John

Coffee in excess is harmful; every physician will tell you that. However, when drank responsibly, it is actually extremely healthy. There are many reasons why you should drink it, but we’ll focus on just one for now.
 
While you may have known most of its health benefits, there’s a slight chance you had no idea it’s good for your skin, too. After reading this, you’ll never again throw away those grounds. Let’s cut the anticipation and get right to business.
 
How Coffee Can Help You Have a Healthy Skin

It’s a good exfoliator  

​Washing your face with coffee grounds (and a few drops of coconut or olive oil) will clean it of dead skin cells. This will allow your complexion to breathe. Of course, your face will be a lot cleaner and radiant than before. Moreover, it will be smooth and with an evened-out tone.

It tightens the pores  

Large pores are disagreeable and more prone to gathering bacteria than tightened, minimized ones. A face mask with coffee grounds, yogurt and cocoa will take care of this issue. Don’t expect instantaneous results. Give it time, and you’ll definitely see some changes.

It softens the skin  

One of the main reasons why it does this is that it removes excess oils and dead skin cells. These two automatically lead to softer skin. You can apply the same mask from the previous section for this outcome, but add a tablespoon of honey. This is a natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory ingredient, so your skin will be not only softer but also free of microbes.

It reduces redness and decreases inflammation  

​A facial scrub with coffee grounds can eliminate the redness and the itchiness caused by inflammation. This makes it really good for people who suffer from acne and deal with painful boils.
 
Coffee is anti-inflammatory, and there’s proof that it actually functions as a painkiller or enhances the efficiency of over-the-counter ones. You won’t be bothered anymore by painfully swollen boils.

It eliminates dark circles  

​Dark circles and crows’ feet are signs of fatigue, inflammation, and dehydration. Everybody has them; you’re far from being the only one. We already mentioned that coffee has anti-inflammatory properties.
 
To take advantage of them, take some tea bags, moisten them with coffee and keep them under your eyes to diminish the size of those nasty dark circles.

It treats UV skin deterioration  

​No, it does not treat sunburn. But it does heal the patches of skin that have been mildly damaged by a long exposure to UV rays. It can do that because it is packed with antioxidants. Next time you sit in the sun too much, gently wash your face with coffee grounds.
 
It will prevent redness from setting in while healing the skin from inside. Make sure to wash your face as fast as you get home, or it will work a little slower.
 
Final Thoughts
 
Did you have any idea that coffee can do all these things? We bet you didn’t, at least not all of them. This liquid not only keeps so many of us alive, but it also helps us take care of our skin without paying a dime on skincare products.
 
If you’re not much of a coffee drinker, maybe these health benefits gave you a sudden urge to join the ranks of coffee addicts worldwide. If so, welcome to the family!
 
But don’t forget: never throw away those beneficial coffee grounds – use them as a money-saving skincare product.
 
Did you ever use coffee for any of the reasons mentioned above? 

From humble beginnings, Chris Caley and Melanie McVean developed a unique natural deodorant paste which was free from nasty chemicals. Now they are the entreprenuers who founded No Pong, the deodorant which has gained a massive following.

Get to learn more about Chris and Melanie in our interview below - 

​When did you first start making natural deodorant?

We were making a variant of No Pong for about a year before we decided to turn it into a real-world product, so around 3 years ago.  It was quite a different product to the one it is today! 
 
The idea of applying a deodorant paste with your fingers seems quite different (I love it), what are the benefits to this type of application? 
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We believe it’s healthy and natural to be in touch with your body.  As outdoorsy people we’ve always been used to applying lotions and creams for different sports, so the idea of a deodorant paste comes quite naturally to us.
 
We’ve actually had a couple of really humbling moments because of the way No Pong is applied.  One customer contacted us to let us know that because it’s applied with her hands, she detected a lump in her armpit.  Thankfully it turned out to be benign, but it’s a good example of showing there is a benefit in being in touch with your body.
 
Another customer got in touch to tell the story of her daughter, who has a Neuromuscular condition similar to Muscular Dystrophy.  She can’t use sprays or rolls-on as she has difficulty holding them and making the movement required to apply them.  However, she is able to reach her armpit with her hands, and to quote her:
 
“You have brought back to a young lady, some dignity in achieving one of life's simple & basic every day task to an able body person.” 
 
We still tear up when we think about that!  We never would have thought we would have such an impact on anyone’s lives when we set out.
 
Another benefit of being a paste is that it means we don’t need to use any plastic in our packaging as many stick, roll-ons and sprays do!  We’re surfers and love the ocean, and have made a personal commitment not to use plastic anywhere in our packaging, and it’s all 100% recyclable
 
What are the health issues connected to using conventional deodorants and which ingredients should be avoided?
 
This might sound counter-intuitive coming from a natural deodorant company, but we’re science people as well and the truth is, the jury is still out.
 
There are lots of ingredients to be mindful of, and to be honest there is some conflicting research around some of them.  Aluminium is known to have potential to cause mutation to genetic code.  Parabens are known to mimic hormone functions, particularly oestrogen, and its well known effects on breast cancer.  Triclosan is a common anti-bacterial found in traditional deodorants, and actually banned for use in soaps by the US Food and Drug Administration, but not in Australia.
 
However, the scientific jury is out on the real-world, long term effect of many of these as used in deodorants. At the end of the day though, why use these ingredients at all if you don’t have to? 
 
No Pong is simple, natural, doesn’t contain any contentious ingredients and our customers would say is even more effective than traditional deodorants.
 
Which alternative ingredients do you use to replace chemicals and preservatives in your deodorant?
 
It’s not so much a matter of replacing, or switching out ingredients compared to traditional deodorants. No Pong comes from a different sheet of paper.  No Pong works by creating a water-resistant layer using coconut oil and beeswax, and uses this to carry the other bacteria busting and absorbent ingredients in No Pong.
 
Chemical preservatives are often added to other products to reduce the microbial growth that can occur when products are used in the real world.
 
Because No Pong is not water based, and is antibacterial by design, it’s naturally preserved and has an extremely long shelf life.  Microbes hate No Pong, they just can’t survive!
 
How do you see the natural deodorant industry evolving in the future?
 
We think the natural deodorant category will grow quite a bit.  As people start to cotton on to the fact that that natural deodorants can be simple, and ridiculously effective we think they will attract more and more attention. 
 
That said, not all natural deodorants are created equally, and there are definitely some products out there that don’t really do what they say on the tin!
 
Before you started No Pong, what types of deodorants were you using and why did you stop using these deodorants?
 
We’ve always been fairly health conscious, but we used to use low fragrance roll-ons without thinking too much about it.  After losing a relative to cancer, Chris particularly became more aware of what he was putting on his skin and eating, and around the same time we started experimenting with making a whole range of natural products from sunscreen and zinc, to deodorant.
 
As people are becoming more aware of their health and natural products, there are now quite a few natural deodorants on the market, what makes No Pong stand out from the others?
 
No Pong does what it says on the tin!  One of the things we do differently compared to other skincare and deodorant brands, is focus on doing one thing, really well. 
 
Rather than having a huge range, with loads of variants, or other non-deodorant products in our range we’re committed to being the best possible Natural Deodorant Company we can be, and creating the best possible customer experience anywhere!  As an online focused business, being really customer-first is an area we know we have to really be outstanding in.
 
We’re also about to bring out a version for people with sensitive skin which has been a long time in development and we’re quite excited about. 
 
Why is it particularly important for breastfeeding mothers to use natural deodorants?
 
It is particularly important for women in general, particularly those women who plan or want to breastfeed to avoid as many toxins and chemicals as possible.  This is because toxins and chemicals are stored in adipose tissue, which is mainly in the breast and then can be passed through breastmilk to the baby.
 
In regards to using natural deodorants, per se, well, this is a contentious one!  Melanie is also a Registered Midwife and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and there’s actually some controversy around use of essential oils during pregnancy and lactation.
 
Many natural deodorants use essential oils, either as an active ingredient or as part of their fragrance so it’s important for breastfeeding mothers to be aware of the ingredients in any natural deodorant they choose.
 
That said, there is a lot of information out there and not all of that information is evidence or research based.  We use high quality essential oils in our product to add a fresh scent and not for therapeutic value.
 
There is no current evidence that any of the oils we use in No Pong are not safe in pregnancy and/or lactation.  The percentage of actual essential oils per whole tin of No Pong is less than 0.5%.  These oils are a lovely blend, so that fraction is further diluted.
 
We are advocates for knowing exactly what goes into the products that you put on your body, so we publish the full list of the ingredients, including all of the essential oils in our fragrance on our website here: http://www.nopong.com/directions/
 
What has been the most rewarding aspect of creating No Pong?
 
Without a doubt the overwhelming groundswell of support we see, feel and hear from our customers every day.  From the hilarious, to surprise that it really works, to just the sincere thanks we often get for creating this product, it is truly humbling.  Without our awesome customers there would be no No Pong, so thank you!