I just ran out of my Cow Fart Juice and realized I’ve never shared my skin secret! Okay, so the big secret is that I don’t wash my face…like EVER. My face has never felt good after washing it. Instead, my face would get so dry and itchy, I would have to smother “night cream” all over, which would end up clogging my pores and ultimately, give me more blemishes. So intuitively, I just stopped washing my face and every once in a while when it would feel dry, I’d put some shea butter on it. However, my face would still get crusty on the sides of my nose and I would get mild eczema patches underneath and around my eyebrows and hairline until I discovered oil cleansing!

I found this amazing holistic esthetician, Melanie, at Brooklyn Herborium in Red Hook, Brooklyn who taught me how to properly take care of my face. Using the same principles as oil pulling for your teeth, Melanie uses oils to pull the oils and dirt from your face. Everything she used on my face was made in-house using 100% natural tinctures with anti-bacterial, anti-microbrial properties, so my face did not swell up or scar after extractions. I even went straight to an event that evening and received compliments on my skin!

I purchased some of the products she used including the Cow Fart Juice oil (which was clearly meant to be mine because I did not even acknowledge the label until I was on the train!) and the Sow Your Wild Oats Grain Cleanser. Two or three times a week, after a hot shower, I just mix a tiny bit of the grain cleanser into a dropper full of the oil, rub it all over my face and then wipe it off with a warm, wet towel. When my skin feels dry in between cleansing, I still rub some raw shea butter on it, which you can get at any health market or for super cheap from the African dude in Union Square.

What I loved most about Brooklyn Herborium is their philosophy. Washing your face and even oil cleansing is not an everyday essential duty. In fact, I was advised to only use the products two or three times a week. What is mostly discussed during your treatment is the connection between daily lifestyle habits (diet, stress, emotional state) and your skin, which I am completely in line with. The former needs to be clear for the latter to follow suit.

Beauty is an inside-out thang. Always has been and always will be… but a little Cow Fart Juice never hurt nobody!